Kenneth Athey

Kenneth R. Athey passed away peacefully on September 12, 2025 at Care One at Somerset Valley. He was 100 years old.
Originally from Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland, he had been a resident of North Borneo and California before settling in Plainfield, New Jersey with his wife, Irene, who passed away in 1998.
Mr. Athey worked as a civil engineer for many years before retiring. He will be remembered for his kind and jovial spirit; his bright blue eyes, melodic Irish accent, smile, and Shakespearean quotes being shared with many.
He is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Winefrede of Alberta, Canada; two nephews; seven nieces; and friends and neighbors. He was predeceased by his parents; his beloved wife, Irene; and his three brothers, Harold, Alan, and Brendan.
Funeral services for Kenneth were held privately. In his memory, his loved ones invite you to read a poem Kenneth enjoyed:
I walked for you today
For you, but not with you
And yet you were there in spirit
As I paced the quiet familiar streets
We'd traced a thousand times.
One thousand? No, five, maybe ten
Braving the elements, you and I:
Drenching rain and biting wind,
Blistering sun and many, many
Lovely, joyous days of heavenly skies
And earthly breezes-how you loved them!
Lifting your proud head to savor their delights.
Yes, you were proud, but I was more so
Reveling in your speed and strength,
Your grace and elegance, and exulting in
The admiring glances and covetous looks
Which you ignored, blissfully unconscious
Of everything but your intent.
Your gait bespoke a fierce independence
So how could they know your gentle nature?
The loving, intimate gestures, the rapturous
Greeting, and the boisterous games, and
Above all, your finest feature, those eyes
Inquiring, pleading, beseeching, luminous
In their intensity.
Spring is here, but winters in my heart.
I'll love and miss you always, dear sweet friend.
The skies wept the day you went from us, and
Even the daffodils are prostrate with grief.