Obituary of Kenneth R. Ayres

Kenneth Ayres died peacefully in his home on January 1, 2017, just three days shy of his 96th birthday. He was born on January 4, 1921 in Springfield, Massachusetts to Clarence Edwin Ayres and Anna Bryan Ayres. He moved to Texas at an early age and lived there until his adulthood. He attended Black Mountain College and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He was a World War II Veteran of the 505th Bomb Group (B-29's in the South Pacific). He worked in the aviation insurance industry and later in real estate. Ken was active in local politics, serving for many years on the Creskill, NJ Town Council and Planning Board. He also served as the President of the Central Unitarian Church in Paramus, NJ. After his retirement, Ken remained active in his community of Radburn, NJ. In the 1950's, Ken, and his wife Lilli welcomed a Hungarian refugee, Carl Schnitter into their home and housed him until was able to support himself. Ken was an avid ham radio operator who frequently connected soldiers in Vietnam with their families. Ken was known for his keen sense of humor and his great ability to remember and tell jokes, not all of which could be told in polite company. He also enjoyed amateur photography and was quite good at it. Ken is survived by his wife Gerry Gould Ayres, his two children (with Lilli Ayres) Carol and Phread Ayres, his grandchildren, Genna and Marcy Ayres and his daughter-in-law Helen Matusow-Ayres and son-in-law, Richard Shapiro. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, January 8, 2017 at the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ at 2 PM.