Adam W. Kenger

Adam Wayne Kenger, loving husband, father, son, stepson, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, nephew, and friend to all, passed away on April 1st, 2024, after inspiring everyone with his strength and courage as he faced advanced colon cancer. Adam was born on June 13, 1980 in El Paso, Texas to Ronda Kenger and Martin Kenger. At just six weeks old, Adam, his older sister Elysa, and his parents moved to Massachusetts where he would live happily for the rest of his life. As a child, he loved building model rockets and playing trains with his father, whose footsteps he followed in to become an engineer. His summers at the Cape with his family as a child, going boating and fishing and just enjoying the salt air, were some of his happiest childhood memories. He played soccer and clarinet as a boy, and in his words, "did it for fun, not because I was particularly good." But music always held a special interest for him, and he often enjoyed recounting nights spent at the Cape Cod Melody Tent seeing amazing musical acts. His musical knowledge and interests were diverse, covering everything from Fleetwood Mac to Natalie Merchant to James Taylor. One of the times he most impressed Mara was when he perfectly sang along with the 26 "I knows" in Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers. He might have been quiet at times, but he was certainly always listening.
His early interest in computers distinguished him in the halls of the Littleton schools he attended in the 1990s. Adam was so knowledgeable that many teachers would often ask for his assistance working their computers! Adam continued his study of computer engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, the one and only college he applied to, because he knew he wanted to work while studying which Northeastern made particularly seamless with their undergraduate program. In college he met many life-long friends including his best man, Dan Dufresne, who Adam often credited with getting him through some of the more challenging academic courses. Adam had a unique genius, but stats weren't his thing. But he worked hard, did amazingly well, and graduated with his B.S. in Computer Engineering from Northeastern in 2003.
He immediately went to work as a software engineer and web developer at various technology firms in Boston, with his longest tenure being at Cantina Consulting where he worked from 2009 until just prior to his death in 2024. At Cantina, he made lifelong friendships, helped countless clients meet their website needs, and was a leader in every sense of the word. He was so good with client relationships that the company created a special role for him in that realm, and he was named VP of Technical Strategy. Just 4 days before his death, Adam was still concerned about finishing up work projects. His dedication to his work cannot be overstated.
It is only fitting that a man who devoted his life to computers would meet his eventual wife, Mara, on the internet. In June 2011, they connected via a dating website, and as Mara has always said, she instantly knew upon reading his profile and seeing his adorable smile that he could be the father of her children. After a few weeks of emails back-and-forth, they met in person at a restaurant in Beacon Hill, and talked continuously for 4 hours before awkwardly misfiring a kiss onto each other's eyeballs and saying goodnight. They met frequently after that, and by their 3rd date, Mara had already told her mother and aunt, "I am going to marry this guy."
Marry they did, just 14 months later, in September of 2012. They moved in 2013 to their first home bought together in Stoneham, MA, where they enjoyed the DINK life for a little while by enjoying frequent dinner and movie dates, weekends at the Cape, and many live concerts. They welcomed their first daughter, Madeleine, in 2015, and what he may have lost in DINK freedom, he gained tenfold in the joys of fatherhood. Margot arrived in 2018, and little Eloise arrived in the midst of COVID just after moving to the family's current home in Wellesley in 2020. Adam had initially said that he wasn't sure he wanted children, because he wanted to be certain that if he brought kids into this world, that he was ready to be the absolute best father he could be to them. But it should come as no surprise to anyone who knew Adam that fatherhood came naturally to him. He was patient, kind, firm but gentle, disciplined, and loving to his three daughters. Even when he was feeling absolutely awful with cancer treatments, he made time and space for them to feel his love and devotion, as he patiently listened to their stories, excitedly looked at their artwork, or lovingly read them "just one more" bedtime story. He was, in every sense of the word, an incredible father.
His excelling at fatherhood could have easily been predicted by his longstanding devotion to, and love of, rescue dogs. As soon as he was out on his own, Adam began fostering dogs, and soon adopted his first rescue dog, Trinity. He soon also adopted Lara, a particularly special dog whose photograph, taken by Adam, hangs in the living room. Logan, Lucy, Owen and Charlie were all lucky enough to make their home in Adam's house, and more importantly, in his heart. Adam truly had immense love for all animals, even those he was severely allergic to like Mara's cats who came with her as a package deal. He couldn't walk by a cute dog without stopping to pet them and make goofy animal noises. His biggest smiles in life were reserved for his canines and his kids.
Adam was an amazing cook, with Italian food being his main specialty. He made excellent homemade pizzas, and gifted himself a pizza oven for home that, sadly, he didn't get to use before his passing. Mara and the girls look forward to learning how to use it to make excellent pizza in his memory. He also loved making his own pasta, and made an annual spanakopita for his mother on her birthday, as that was her favorite dish he ever made.
Adam was someone who would stop at nothing to make those around him happy. He made a friend in everyone he met, and genuinely didn't have any enemies or even a bad word to say about anyone. He was endlessly kind, calm, forgiving, patient, intelligent, talented, devoted, and sweet. He will forever be missed by all those lucky enough to have known him.
He is survived by his wife, Mara (Semel) Kenger and his three daughters, Madeleine Antonia, Margot Isabelle, and Eloise June; his mother, Ronda Kenger; his father and stepmother, Marty Kenger and Marji Holden-Kenger; his sister, Elysa (Kenger) Fiedler; beloved aunt, Sandy Simon and her partner Brian Bloch; beloved aunt and uncle, Darlene and Stu Saks; beloved uncle Jeff Saks; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and scores of friends. He is predeceased by his grandparents, Jerry and Stella Saks, and Elizabeth and Leonard Kenger, and his uncle, Larry Simon.
Adam's guiding principles in life were kindness, love, and generosity. It is with those values in mind that we will honor his legacy by practicing those principles and leading with kindness, just like Adam.
The funeral will be taking place on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 10:00 am at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham. Interment will follow at Or Emet Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury. Memorial Observance will be at Temple Beth Shalom on Thursday from 2:00-5:00 pm and will resume at the Kenger home on Friday from 1:00-3:00 pm and on Sunday from 1:00-6:00 pm.