Kenneth Howard Essex

Kenneth Howard Essex of Stevensville, Maryland was a caring husband, father "Daddy", grandfather "Granddad", great grandfather, and friend. He passed away peacefully on December 5th, 2023, at Queenstown Landing Assisted Living in Queenstown, Maryland after years of struggling with Congestive Heart Failure. He was 86 years old when he went to be with our Heavenly Father. Born on April 24th, 1937, in New Rochelle, New York, he was the son of Herman Stonewall Essex and Susan Elizabeth Hardesty. He was one of 10 siblings (5 girls and 5 boys). He spent his school years, grades 4th-12th, in and around Wilmington, Delaware. In 1955, after graduating from William Penn High School in New Castle, Delaware, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served 20 years of Active Duty, and retired in Annapolis, Maryland on September 17th, 1975. At his 50th High School Class Reunion in 2005, he was recognized as having had the most number of addresses since graduation due to his military commitment and service to his country. In the U.S. Air Force, he was trained as an aircraft technician but other assignments included training squadron leaders and being an Air Force recruiter during his last 8 years of service in Annapolis, Maryland. His other duty assignments included being stationed at bases in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, and overseas in Germany and South Vietnam. He received several awards from the U.S. Air Force including the Commendation Medal Award, the Meritorious Service Award, the Good Conduct Award for Efficiency, Honor & Fidelity, the Republic of Vietnam Service Award, and the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service Top Production Award. Upon his retirement as a Technical Sergeant for the U.S. Air Force in 1975, he spent the next twenty years working primarily in the Baltimore, Maryland area as a technical recruiter at Delta Personnel Services, as the placement director for Control Data Institute, as a placement recruiter at TESST Electronics, and as a recruiter for the Computer Institute in Alexandria, Virginia. The final seven years of his working career he spent part-time at NAPA Auto Parts and Kunkel Auto Service located in Stevensville, Maryland. He enjoyed several memberships including the B.P.O. Elks Lodge and the Masonic Lodge in Annapolis, Maryland, the Kent Island Cruisers Car Club in Stevensville, Maryland, the Wounded Warriors Project Nationwide, and was an active member of Shore Christian Fellowship Church in Queenstown, Maryland. He has always been a "Car Nut" and in his senior year of high school, his car was a 1948 Ford Club Coupe. He has owned approximately 52 cars since graduation and has always remained a Ford enthusiast. He owned four Mustangs and his favorite, which he restored, was a classic Ford Mustang 1964 & 1/2 rangoon red with white pony interior. He also restored a 1993 black Mustang Cobra and completed a seven-year project building a 1934 blue Ford Coupe Street Rod. His dream car was a 1967/1968 Mustang Shelby Cobra. He enjoyed photographing wildlife. His favorite subject was a pair of canadian white swans that resided at his beachfront home. He gravitated to the water and loved spending time boating, skiing, crabbing and fishing at his cherished home on the Chester River while watching the wildlife and sunrises with his wife. He spent countless hours manicuring his yard and various plants. Additionally, he followed pro football, mainly local teams, the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. His favorite saying was, "It Is What It Is." He liked to watch Elvis Presley movies and listen to country music, and his choice of foods were pot roast, king crab legs, and his wife's homemade apple pie. Most important to him was sharing a meal with others and just simply spending time together in the moment. He was happiest when he was surrounded by his family, neighbors, and many friends who he considered family. He loved spending vacations at his wife's family cottage located on Otter Creek off of Lake Champlain in Vergennes, Vermont. In the last decade, he spent most days caring for his wife of 46 years, Joyce Dalrymple Essex, who sadly passed away on June 17th, 2022, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Ken is survived by his former spouse, Joan Suit, and their daughter, Sharon (Mark) Stevens; two grandchildren, Jessica (Barrett Sr.) Stevens Duke, and Brian (Alyssa) Stevens. He is also survived by his five great-grandchildren, Barrett Jr., Brendan, Skylar, Everlee, & Aubree. Additionally, he is survived by one dear brother, Douglas Lee Essex, a multitude of nieces and nephews along with their families, and Itsy Bitsy who has been one of his many dogs over the years. He is predeceased by his beloved wife and both of his loving parents mentioned above, and his treasured siblings Richard Lee Essex (passed in infancy), Carolyn Louise Essex Jester, Dorothy Marie Essex Arnett, Roland Edward Essex, Susan Elizabeth (Betty Sue) Essex Quillen, Marion Elaine Essex Ward, Robert Malcolm Essex, and Gloria Lucille Essex Quillen. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home at 106 Shamrock Rd. Chester, MD 21619 on Saturday, January 13th, 2024 at 11:00AM with a luncheon to follow. His burial will be private and take place with Full Military Honors at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made In Memory of Kenneth Howard Essex to Compass Regional Hospice at 160 Coursevall Drive Centreville, MD 21617 or to the American Legion Jeff Davis Post 18 at 2619 Centreville Road Centreville, MD 21617. Together, both organizations presented him with a heartwarming Honors Salute during his last few weeks of life. It was a tremendous gift and an incredible recognition of his military service.

Kenneth Howard Essex

April 24, 1937 - December 5, 2023