Kenneth R. Duffié, 88, of Tinton Falls, passed away Jan. 31, 2023.
Ken was introduced to his beloved Patricia Kiernan at a fair in Middletown and they fell in love over the next few years. Ken and Pat married and went on to raise four loving children in Shrewsbury and later Oceanport.
Ken loved spending time with his family, especially on holidays and during their annual summer family vacations to Yosemite, Yellowstone, Olympic and Acadia national parks, Lake Tahoe, Lake George, Seattle and Port Townsend, and more. He especially loved spending time in France and recently celebrated his 88th birthday in Geneva with his French relatives, during which time he also enjoyed a river cruise down the Rhone River and visited Monte Carlo and Italy.
Those who knew Ken had the privilege of experiencing his unwavering love, hearing his fun-hearted dad jokes, and listening to stories about his life, his family and his cats.
Ken coached his children’s sports teams and was involved with Boy Scouts, as he was an Eagle Scout himself. Some of his fondest memories were of their family camping trips. In his community, Ken was a referee and umpire for high school soccer, softball and lacrosse games for over 25 years, well into his 80s. He enjoyed watching and attending games of his favorite sports teams, including the New York Yankees, the New York Rangers and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts.
Ken was an avid pilot and flew out of Monmouth Executive Airport for many years.
Ken was born in Long Branch. He graduated from Rumson High School and received his associate degree from Monmouth Junior College. He went on to earn a B.S. in business administration and an MBA from Monmouth College, now Monmouth University. Ken served as a Specialist 3 – Corporal in the United States Army where he operated the Nike Missile Defense System. He then joined the Army Reserve and also served as a First Lieutenant in the New Jersey National Guard.
Ken’s first job was at age 10 when he delivered special delivery letters for the local postmaster general. He was very hardworking and later became a tax accountant for multiple companies, including Hess and Sony Corporations. Ken then took over his parents’ accounting business and served as a certified public accountant until his retirement. Ken was an esteemed professor of accounting at Brookdale Community College for 36 years; he loved teaching and being part of the college community. During his tenure, Ken was a mentor to new faculty, the accounting department chair, and a member of the academic standards and honors committees.
Ken was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his four children, Robert and his wife Candice Duffié of Cumming, Georgia; David Duffié and his girlfriend Kellye Howell of Incline Village, Nevada; Susan and her husband Robert Bielicki of Spring Lake; and Kenneth and his wife Julie Duffié of Mercer Island, Washington. He is also survived by his 11 grandchildren, Charles, Jonathan and his wife Leah, Elizabeth and Katharine Duffié; Amy, Mary Beth and her husband Jeffrey Hall, Thomas and William Bielicki; and Patrick, Joseph and Matthew Duffié. He leaves three great-grandchildren, Josef, Jacob and Jeremy Duffié, and his beloved cat Emily.
Ken was predeceased by his loving wife of 50 years, Patricia Kiernan Duffié, his parents, Marguerite Cole and James Riesenberger, his birth father Daniel B. Duffié, his sister Patricia and her husband William Grant, his brother Robert and his wife Jean Jones, and his beloved cat Bootsie.
Visitation was Feb. 6 at Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank. Burial was held Feb. 7 at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested in Ken’s honor to one of the following organizations: Brookdale Community College for the “Scholarship Fund” at brookdalecc.edu or The Associated Humane Societies of Tinton Falls, where he adopted his cat Emily, at ahs.givecloud.co/give.
The article originally appeared in the February 9 – 15, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
