Kenneth Thomas

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved father, Kenneth Thomas, age 86, who left us on Monday, November 25, 2024, at Hackettstown Hospital after a long struggle with heart disease.

Ken was born in Mead, Oklahoma on February 24, 1938, to Grady and Anne Thomas, during the Dust Bowl, where his family suffered significant hardship.  After World War II, Ken and his family moved to New Jersey, where he graduated from Bound Brook High School.  He served in the United States Army Ordnance Corp as a sergeant and worked in nuclear weapon assembly in the Nuclear Weapons Laboratory in New Mexico.  Later, he was transferred to Lüdenscheid, West Germany where he learned to speak fluent German and traveled all over Western Europe arming and disarming nuclear weapons.

After completing his military service, Ken graduated from the University of Houston in 1972, with a Bachelor of Business Administration.  Ken moved back to New Jersey and worked as an auditor for Litton Industries and Thomas & Betts.  Later, he was the controller of Visiting Health Service of Morris County, New Jersey and controller of Family Intervention Services of South Orange, New Jersey.  He was an adjunct professor and taught managerial and internal accounting at Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey.  He also proudly served as the CFO of the United States Chess Federation.

Ken loved the game of chess. He was an excellent chess player and an even better chess instructor.  He taught countless students over the years including each of his three children, which brought him endless joy.  Ken was also a leader in the New Jersey chess community. He was active as a chess organizer, tournament director and tournament player.  He founded the Hackettstown Chess Club, was the editor of the Atlantic Chess News and was a member of the board of directors of the New Jersey Chess Federation.

Ken traveled to many places and achieved many great things, but he will be remembered most for his unmatched kindness and generosity, which anyone who walked through the door of his house was privileged to receive.

His love for family and friends was only rivaled by his love of the Houston Cougars, his beloved alma mater.

He is survived by his loving wife, Norma; his children, Karen (Ed), David (Callie) and Bradley (Shirley); his surviving siblings Carolyn and Sherron (John) and proceeded in death by his father, Grady, his mother, Anne and his brother Marvin (Anna Marie).  He is also survived by his grandchildren, Jack and Lila.  Ken’s family meant everything to him.  We will continue to honor his legacy by practicing random acts of kindness and living our lives to the fullest.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at 1pm at Cochran Funeral Home, 905 High Street, Hackettstown, New Jersey followed by a memorial service at 4:00pm.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the US Chess Federation At-Risk-Youth Initiative (https://new.uschess.org/at-risk-youth) or the American Heart Association in his memory.