Obituary of Kenneth Ball

Ken passed away on March 23rd peacefully, with his wife at his side and after comforting time with his family.

Born in Enfield, England in 1932, to parents Harold and Mildred Ball, Ken grew up with his older brother Michael, as an active boy who liked the outdoors. He experienced WWII, relocating and living in rural southern England for several years during the bombing of Britain. As a teenager, he was blessed to discover an aptitude and passion for mechanics and problem solving and was accepted into the Royal Airforce and as an Apprentice with DeHaviland Aircraft company, where he studied and developed as an engineer and maintenance specialist and team/project manager. In 1962, working for Bristol Aircraft, Ken relocated to New York, as the company’s first ever Onsite Technical Representative, working at Idlewild Airport (now JFK). Ken worked in Pan American Airlines for 10 years, and then 20 years for Xerox, where he was the Director of Customer Support and Logics in the Latin American Group, where he traveled extensively.

Ken was active in field hockey and in sports and social clubs during his early years in NY. It was while serving as the President of a Norwegian ski club and spending summers on Long Island that Ken met Tove Simpson. Their mutual attraction and love were immediate; Ken proposed within two months and Ken and Tove were married on March 21st, 1964. They purchased a house in Rye, NY in 1967 after the birth of their first child, and lived on Adelaide St in Rye for 54 years, until 2022. Ken was an active member of the Rye and Westchester community. He served on the Building Committee and Vestry and sang in the choir at Christ’s Church, Rye; He served on the Board of the Rye YMCA; He was a long- term volunteer and supporter of the Westchester Parks, including Playland and a particular love for Edith Reed and The Marshlands. Ken became an avid long-distance runner and cyclist, running marathons, and riding with the Westchester Cycle Group, where for several years he was a coordinator of the Big Apple Cycling Tour, and later, in his 70’s, rode across the USA twice on trans-america bike tours.

Strong and fit both mentally and physically past the age of 90, Ken lived his life and accepted the end of it with grace and was sustained by his faith and his memories from a life well lived. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Tove, his son Edward, Daughter Kristin, and 5 grandchildren, as well as nephews and close relatives in England.

A memorial service for Ken will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 6th at Christ’s Church Rye.  The service will be livestreamed for those who can not attend in person.  Please click here to view the service.