Kenneth H. Brief

Kenneth — “Ken,” “Mr. Brief,” “Professor Brief,” “Honey,” “Grandpa Kenny” or “Gpa,” depending on whom you ask — was born in Newark, New Jersey. A lifetime student of history, Ken was born on June 12, 1939, just 81 days before the start of World War II.

Ken was welcomed into a loving family headed by parents Herman and Helen and his older brother Robert. His father, Herman, was born in what is now Vilnius, Lithuania, and arrived as an infant in his mother’s arms at Ellis Island on July 4, 1904. Herman was one of eight brothers and sisters, which meant “Bobby and Kenny” grew up with literally dozens of cousins spread across the suburbs of Newark.

Ken was just 12 years old when tragedy struck his young life, as his 19-year-old brother, Robert, died in a car accident. Ken honored Robert’s memory throughout his life, most directly by naming his first-born son, David Robert.

Robert’s death cast a shadow over the surviving family members, but Ken soldiered on as an only child determined to go to college. After graduating from Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield, New Jersey, he headed 17 miles east to study journalism at New York University, where his love of reporting, writing and editing blossomed into a career.

At NYU, Ken developed his budding editorial skills working for the Washington Square Journal, where he launched his popular “Briefly Speaking” column, spawning a family dynasty of publications using the convenient family name. He also worked on special projects such as interviewing future President Ronald Reagan, who was touring the country on behalf of General Electric. A diehard fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Hall-of-Fame pitcher Bob Feller, Ken was also the sports editor for the 1961 NYU Yearbook.

After graduating, Ken set sail on an epic and rewarding journalism career. His first job was as a reporter for the Newark Evening News, then the dominant newspaper in New Jersey. As a reporter, he honed his lifelong habit of asking thorough, inquisitive questions. He soon shifted to the copy desk, kickstarting his fruitful career as an editor.

In 1971, Ken moved his family to the middle of Long Island for a new job at Newsday, where he eventually served as National Editor and Assistant Managing Editor. While in these roles, he was an editor and colleague of some of the nation’s top journalists, such as Les Payne and Robert A. Caro, whom Ken read and revered for the rest of his life.

The highlight of Ken’s tenure at Newsday, however, was the birth of his daughter, Allison Renee.

In 1981, after a decade at Newsday, Ken’s leadership and thoughtfulness led to his appointment to the post of Executive Editor for The Advocate and Greenwich Time, two daily newspapers that serve Southern Connecticut. Ken spent 14 years in this role, leading both papers with the chutzpah and charisma that his family understood and treasured. His impact on news coverage in Fairfield County reverberates to this day.

During his journalism career, Ken racked up many impressive accomplishments.

He was one of the editors on-hand in the Disney World conference room when Richard Nixon uttered the infamous words, “I’m not a crook.” He later spearheaded coverage of the I-95 Mianus River Bridge Collapse in Connecticut 1983 and its aftermath. And Ken was ahead of his time, at one point leading a classroom training program for diverse journalists aspiring to copy-editing careers during his time at Newsday.

Ken exited the newsroom in 1995 to become an Adjunct Professor of Journalism, working with graduate students at his alma mater, NYU, and a Visiting Professor at Columbia University. At Columbia, he spearheaded a program in which students in the Class of 1999 experienced that real newsroom life Ken once thrived in. In publishing the Bronx Beat, students assigned, reported, wrote and photographed under Ken’s guidance.

In recollecting his professorial years, Ken long said that his students would remember him as “tough.”

After five years of teaching in New York, Ken moved with his wife, Susan, and their young daughter, Hillary Elizabeth, to Brunswick, Maine. But he didn’t retire. In fact, he continued to give and teach. Ken worked as a writing coach for the Times Record, Brunswick’s local newspaper. He also served as a faculty advisor for the University of Maine’s Community College student paper.

Following his career of making media, Ken became a prodigious consumer of books, movies, TV shows and his favorite publications, including The New York Times and The New Yorker. He and Susan would often stay up into the wee hours of the morning devouring movies young and old, so much so that they became top customers of Brunswick’s old-school movie rental store.

Ken maintained an intense and fiery love for so many things in his life — and he so often communicated these passions verbally and through his actions.

Ken loved dogs — particularly Westies (West Highland White Terriers). While still living in Connecticut, he and Susan adopted Ariel, who infused their lives with unending cuddles and entertainment. When Ariel passed, Lily and Alex, a duo of Westies, entered and accompanied Ken and Susan for over a decade. Ken loved Westies so much that he would at times pull his car to the side of the road, jump out and pet the dog while interviewing the owner about the dog’s personality and story.

He loved to travel: Visits to both England and Ireland as a young man sparked his lifelong adventure. Later in life, Ken sought out new destinations and returned with his family on a regular basis. His favorite destinations included the Southern shore of Cape Cod, Virgin Gorda, and his beloved Italy (always pronounced “IT-Lee”) — a place he dreamed of returning to until the very end.

He loved food: Perhaps none of Ken’s passions were voiced more openly than his love of food, with his often-repeated phrases like “this is divine” and “oh, this is the best meal ever!” Ken relished in fine dining, including sushi, barbecue, Italian food and more. He loved cooking for his family, becoming a suburban grillmaster, and later relished in many “divine” meals prepared for him by his beloved Susan, his son David or his grandson Sam, whose challah French toast spawned many appreciative moans from Ken.

He loved his car: In 1982, Ken first got behind the wheel of a Saab 9000. Overnight, he became a driving enthusiast, using a sleek set of leather driving gloves to work the stick shift with aplomb. His cars were always equipped with the latest hi-tech car phones, which he used to keep in touch with his night editors, who were prepping the next day’s papers as Ken cruised around Greenwich. Well into the new milennium, Ken would only drive the Saab 9000. When Saab finally discontinued the model, he was heartbroken.

Above all, he loved his family. Ken is survived by his devoted wife Susan, who provided him with endless streams of love, laughter and support, especially as she cared for him throughout the physical challenges he faced over his last decade. He leaves behind three children, David Brief, Allison Ritter, and Hillary Brief, along with grandchildren Sam Brief, Jeremy Ritter, and Emma Ritter. He also will be greatly missed by his dog daughter Cookie, whose sweet soul was a source of daily joy for Ken throughout his final years.

Even up to his last few days, Ken never lost touch with his many passions, his unending curiosity for the world and his ability to teach, often peppering his loved ones with philosophical questions on the world, politics and culture.

Kenneth, Ken, Professor Brief, Dad, Honey, Grandpa Kenny, Gpa — whatever he was called, he will be sorely missed by the countless lives he touched, taught and loved.

A funeral service for Kenneth will be held Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, New Jersey 07039. Following the funeral service will be a burial at 2:30 PM at B'nai Abraham Memorial Park, 2600 Route 22 East, Union, New Jersey 07083.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bernheimapterkreitzman.com for the Brief family.