Kenneth e york

d. February 23, 2014

East Nassau- Kenneth E. York, 86, of Garfield Road died on Sunday February 23, 2014 at his residence. Born in New Bremen, NY, Ken was the son of the late Lee and Marion Davis York and husband for 54 years of the late Helen Carroll York. Ken served with the 102nd Weather Group in the Army Air Force and received a Good Conduct and WWII Victory medal for his service. He was a graduate of Boonville High School, Utica College of Syracuse University and the New York State College for Teachers in Albany. Early in his working career Ken was a history teacher in the Leonardsville, Richfield Springs, West Winfield and Fort Ann School Districts. He later served as counselor for the Madison/Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services and worked for the NYS Education Dept. where he administered the National Defense Education Act of 1958, Title V-A: Guidance, Counseling and Testing. He helped to define, promote and monitor the development of counseling and career services and programs through education for the State of New York. During his tenure he also taught counseling and career development at Siena, the University of Bridgeport and Michigan State University. He retired in 1985. Ken resided in East Nassau for 54 years where he honed his Master Gardner skills and belonged to many gardening clubs throughout the Capital District and Berkshire counties. People, both near and from afar, admired his beautifully landscaped yard filled with day lilies, hosta and begonias. He was a well-read, salt of the earth kind of man who was a passionate advocate for education and clean water along the Kinderhook Creek watershed, as evidenced by his many contributions to the Letters to the Editor section in the Times Union. He believed in beautifying New York and recently made his final contribution to the Rensselaer Land Trust. His family would describe him as a visionary. He may have been raised in a past many don't remember, but he was always thinking about the future. His desire was to be an anatomical gift and then returned to the earth in keeping with his philosophy of recycling everything possible. He said, “I'll be everywhere and nowhere after I'm gone.” The York family would like to thank everyone who treated him with respect and looked out for him. He would like people to be kind to one another, appreciate the taste of a fresh strawberry, the bloom on a flower, the smell of fresh soil and to take a moment to find and appreciate the beauty all around. He hoped one day there would be large clusters of daffodils planted in every community garden, sprouting beauty and heralding in the new spring. Ken was the father of the late Steven A. York and William W. York and the brother of the late Elizabeth Lilholt. Survivors include his children Deborah (Late Robert) Reiter of Stephentown, Richard (Barbara Devine) York of Cape Coral, FL, Wendy (Charles) York-Briggs of Castleton and Barbara (Michael Woodside) York of Delmar, his brothers Ronald York of Oneonta, NY and Todd York of Turin, NY. His grandchildren Casey (Jessica) York, Seth Reiter, Sarah York, Luke (Erin) Reiter, Emily (Matthew) Wicks, David Briggs and Elizabeth Briggs, his great-grandchildren Christopher, Emma, Kendall, Matthew, Maddia, Lucas, Daniel, Madeleine, Matthew, Cooper, William and Vincent. A gathering to remember Ken will be held in the spring on a date to be determined. The family suggests donations in memory of Kenneth E. York may be made to the Capital District Community Gardens 40 River St. Troy, NY 12180. Visit perrykomdat.com for private guestbook.

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Kenneth e york

d. February 23, 2014

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