Kenneth Gerard McKenna

Ken McKenna was born on December 1,1963 in Bronxville, New York to Kenneth and Eileen McKenna. He grew up in Merrick, Long Island and loved his two sisters, Ave and Regina, and little brother, James. He ran varsity track for Mepham High School and always looked up to his coach Paul Limmer. He studied to be a photographer at the Rochester Institute of Technology where, while staffing the photo equipment cage his senior year, he met freshman photography student, Julian Chung.

Their paths crossed again after graduation when a mutual friend reconnected them. Since they both lived in New York City, Ken and Julian’s friendship continued as they pursued photography and ultimately left photography – Julian to study law and Ken to work in technology. When Julian graduated from law school, they both found themselves single. After a few clumsy first dates and late arrivals, they finally realized they were meant for each other. Once they figured it out (and after a 6-hour separation that seemed really, really too long) they became inseparable and immediately started building their life together. Twenty-nine years later, they have two amazing, brilliant children, Devlin and Aidan, and two amazing, slightly scary rottweilers, Loki and Bucky. A true Marvel family.

Ken loved to venture, laugh, and be outside. He became an avid rock climber, certified scuba diver, disciplined Muay Thai practitioner, curious world traveler and endlessly supportive soccer dad. He loved the annual trips to Hawaii for Christmas to celebrate the holidays with Julian’s large (and noisy) extended family. He always managed to reach the goal – like summiting Mt. Aconcagua and Mt. Rainier – while enjoying the journey, making lifelong friends along the way.

He formed great professional relationships during his long career in New York City government, first in the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, moving more recently to the Department of Finance as Director of Cybersecurity. Although he was counting the days until retirement, loyalty and personal responsibility meant that he continued to give 100% every day.

But Ken’s real superpower wasn’t his ability to pull himself up a rock face by his fingers, quote Iron Man and Ricky Bobby, capture a moment on film or bake a mean cake. It was his epic ability to love. Ken really loved, with steadfastness and patience and empathy and so much grace. Family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and even complete strangers were on the receiving end of that skill. He listened closely and only offered advice when he truly had it, helping friends through break-ups and raising kids. He grew a rooftop garden and mini orchard to delight his wife and boys. Ken sent holiday cards, birthday cards, dog memes, links to songs and headlines, and in an emergency, would crack dirty jokes to cheer someone up. He was ironic and funny, but never unkind. He gave people a head start when they needed it and the benefit of the doubt even when they didn’t.

He loved his house upstate, which became a sanctuary and place of zen and peace. Roaming the property with Loki, growing a garden for Julian, fixing things, working with his hands and making it even more beautiful to share with his family and friends brought him immense joy. Nothing brought him greater pleasure than hosting family and friends for weekends, showing off his handiwork and the area that he had grown to love.

And out of all of those things he loved with his whole, heroic heart, he loved his wife. An early riser, Ken would call Julian every morning they were apart to tell her what she missed while she slept in. When he was upstate, they spoke constantly, telling each other all the big and little things that happened since the last time they spoke. For more than three decades, he made her gifts and cards, picture books and toys; travelled the world with her; put up with her tenacity and ferocity, and even with her family; and lavished love on their kids, as physical manifestations of their love for each other. Julian and Ken were a light in many people’s lives, but they also illuminated each other. The world they built together was bright, and they generously shared it with anyone in need of its warmth.

Accepting, honorable, peaceful, humble, generous and fair minded, Ken always and undeniably tried his best. He was the tree upon which others could grow, strong, ardent, and loyal. As he joins his parents and Julian's beloved grandmother, his legacy and memory will live on in everyone he loved and his spirit will forever be with all of us.

Daddy, we miss you so much, we love you so much, and we can’t wait to see you again. May you rest in peace.

The family would appreciate donations in lieu of flowers to two charities that Ken was passionate about: https://spikesk9fund.org/ or Memorial Sloan Kettering. Please send notifications to [email protected].

On September 3, 2026, visitation will be at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel at 1076 Madison Avenue, New York City from 11:30 AM to 3 PM ET. Services will be held at 4 PM at Grace Church at 802 Broadway, New York City. Livestream and recording will be available at https://vimeo.com/event/6140171.

On September 12, 2026, at the First Chinese Church of Christ at 1054 South King Street, Honolulu Hawaii, visitation will be held at 9:00 AM PST. Service to follow at 10:00 AM PST. Livestream and recording will be available at https://tinyurl.com/KenMcKenna. Burial at Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery at 45-425 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744 at 1 PM.