Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Leary

6/11/1941 - 5/15/2023

Glastonbury - Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Leary, 81, of Glastonbury, passed away surrounded by loved ones May 15, 2023, after a long and challenging recovery from open heart surgery. He was born in Chicago, Ill., June 11, 1941, and grew up in Oak Park, Ill.

After graduating from Cornell College with a degree in history, he received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Ken had a highly diverse career. First, as an agent with the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover; then as a lawyer for Legal Services in New York City; and then as a well-regarded family attorney serving clients in New London, for about 50 years. Among his many accomplishments, he successfully litigated a case from his hospital bed two weeks before his death. A summer internship in Washington, D.C., during the Kennedy administration inspired his life-long interest in politics and the ideal of public service. He served as a State Congressman in the 37th District of Connecticut, for two terms. Ken had an educated opinion, often humorous, on nearly every issue, which he shared freely with all his friends and family, even in the last days of his life.

Ken took the most pride in being a wonderful and doting father, and an even better grandfather, who loved to take his grandchildren on exciting adventures, carefully curate gifts and books to their interests, and show them that he could turn anything – truly anything – into a hat. Ken was a profoundly spiritual man with a sense of moral personality and a sly sense of humor. He was a voracious reader and a creative poet who cared deeply about the condition of his soul and searched for meaning in all areas of life. His love of history and historical figures and sites fueled his passion for traveling, particularly throughout Europe. He wrote a novel and many poems, taking inspiration from the works of T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Dante, and other lyrical writers steeped in symbolism and literary allusions. Ken's outstanding collection of jazz and classical records filled his home with music, and those who knew him can remember him whenever Maynard Ferguson, Art Pepper, Richard Wagner or Franz Liszt come over the airwaves.

Ken is survived by his daughters, Meredith Bosco (husband James) and Jocelyn Lavallo (husband John); grandchildren: Bryan Johnson, Juliana Johnson, Sabrina Lavallo and Ryan Lavallo; great-grandsons, Dominic Tafuto and Arlo Johnson; and sister Judith Compton (husband Robert). He was also a loving stepfather to two children from his second marriage, Catharina and Stuart. Ken's partner at the time of his death was Violetta Ayrapetova, of New York City. Ken and Violetta shared a deep love of theater, opera and travel. During their many travels, Ken picked up various words in foreign languages and loved to guess the accents of people he came across and surprise them with a salutation in their native tongue.

His love was always a great comfort to his family, who will miss his warm heart deeply, and cherish the memory of him in a designer suit coat with a fountain pen in the pocket, holding a meticulously underlined book. His absence will forever be a presence to those who loved him. Ken will be buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Falmouth, Maine, and there will be a memorial service in Falmouth, Maine in June 2024.