WAKEFIELD — Kenneth J. Fahey, 96, of Wakefield, passed away peacefully on February 6.
He was the beloved husband for 62 years of June (Kelleher) Fahey. He was the loving father to eight children – John and his wife Elise of Medford, James of Stoneham, Paul and his wife Kathleen of Campbell CA, Robert and his wife Juli of Wakefield, David and his wife Alice of Wilmington, Janet (Fahey) Rice and her husband Gregg of Groveland, Michael and his wife Marguerite of Wakefield, and Richard and his wife Kathleen of Belmont. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren, five great grandchildren, numerous loving nieces and nephews, and his beloved granddog Molly.
Born in Torrington CT, he began working as a professional musician while a sophomore in high school and continued performing in the Torrington area throughout his teen years. As a young man he moved to Boston to attend the Bentley School of Accounting from which he graduated.
He became a CPA and later earned a BS from Northeastern University night school. For several years he was an auditor with Peat Marwick Mitchell and then became comptroller for United Fruit Company, where he met the love of his life, June.
He travelled extensively on business in the Caribbean and Central America, and later, as a member of their acquisition team, in North America and Europe. He was a founding partner of the food service and hospitality company DAKA, Inc., where he worked for 20-plus years until his retirement.
Retirement years were rich in pursuits – golf, cross country skiing, and more from a vacation home in the White Mountains, extensive travel for pleasure, and being a snow bird in Venice FL. Constant visits with children and grandchildren were part of the fabric of his life.
A great fan of the Red Sox and Patriots, his greatest joy was being in the presence of family, always with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. He will be dearly missed.
His funeral will be held from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Friday at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral Mass in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield at 10 a.m.
Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Interment will be at Forest Glade Cemetery in Wakefield.
