He was born July 7, 1953, in Winchester, Mass. to John Swymer and Ruth (Marr) Swymer. He was a 1971 graduate of Austin Preparatory High School in Reading, MA; a 1974 graduate of Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. with a bachelor’s degree in history; a 1998 graduate of Keene State College with a master’s degree in education; and a 2002 graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a doctorate degree in education.
He worked in the insurance industry in the Boston area before moving to Keene in 1992, where he worked at Peerless Insurance Company (now Liberty Mutual) as the Training Manager for National Programs until his retirement in 2013. He also worked as an adjunct professor in management for Keene State College from 1993 until 2005. After retirement, he pursued a teaching certificate and worked as a substitute teacher in SAU 29 before joining the staff of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in 2014, teaching multiple classes until 2019. He returned to St. Joseph’s Catholic School in 2023 to teach middle school religious education part-time.
Ken was a lifelong servant to the Roman Catholic Church, beginning as an altar boy at age nine and continuing throughout his adulthood as a teacher for religious education, facilitator for the Engaged Couples program, a lector, a Eucharistic minister, and outreach support. In 2014, he was ordained as a deacon and served the Parish of the Holy Spirit and Mary Queen of Peace as well as serving as chaplain for the Keene Fire Department and Cheshire County Corrections Department.
Ken was passionate for community service, especially for the underserved and vulnerable. His generous spirit was known throughout in his work in several organizations in the Monadnock Region, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, Junior Achievement, local nursing homes, and the Cheshire County Jail, among many others that his family has struggled to keep track. In his leisure time, he enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, sailing his boat on Spofford Lake as a member of the Spofford Yacht Club, riding his bicycle, hiking Mount Monadnock, enjoying a beer at Elm City Brewing Co., and spending time with his family.
Ken is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Noreen (Brooks) Swymer of Keene; his three children, Jennifer Serafin and her husband Thomas Serafin of Pembroke, Kenneth Swymer Jr. and his wife Kylie Swymer of Keene, and Faith Foote and her husband Colin Foote of Olympia, WA; his grandchildren, Emma, Ryan, Christian, Alexis, Clara, Tucker, and Maris; his mother, Ruth Swymer; his siblings, Catherine Fraser of Tuftonboro, Cynthia Tufts of Center Tuftonboro, Ernest Swymer of North Conway, Susan Myette of Wrentham, Mass., and Ruth Harbilas of Windham; and several nieces and nephews.
A wake is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2023 and a mass of Christian burial will follow at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 1, 2023, both to be held at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 185 Main Street, Keene.
The family has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made in Ken’s memory to St. Joseph Regional Catholic School, 92 Wilson Street, Keene, NH 03431.
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St. Joseph Regional School92 Wilson Street, Keene, New Hampshire 03431
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