The Honorable Kenneth Alan Honey, 83, of Boothbay Harbor, passed away on April 15 at the Gregory Wing portion of St. Andrews Village in Boothbay Harbor where he had been a resident for over three years.
Ken was born in Bangor on March 6, 1932, the second son of Earle Sr. and Ethel (Leach) Honey.
He was a graduate of Bangor High School in 1950 where he participated in many sports. He graduated from Higgins Classical Institute, Charleston in 1951, and from the University of Maine at Orono in 1955.
Ken married Laura E. Sederquist on Oct. 9, 1954. They grew up together, having met in high school when they were 15 and 17 years of age. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2014.
In August of 1955 Ken was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1957. He spent one year at a base in Thule, Greenland.
Ken’s career as an oceanographer and marine biologist spanned over four decades. In 1957, following his discharge from the Army, he moved to Boothbay Harbor to start his employment with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), traveling extensively in Europe and South America doing research, and based at the facility located at McKown Point in West Boothbay Harbor.
Ken was transferred to Narragansett, R.I., and then offered a position at NOAA in Washington, D.C. Preferring to raise his family and work in his native state of Maine, Ken declined the D.C. transfer to NOAA, and instead joined the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) also located at McKown Point in Boothbay Harbor.
Some of Ken’s career highlights with NOAA and Maine’s DMR included, but were not limited to, being involved in part of an international fishing vessel exchange in the mid-Atlantic Ocean between the U.S. and Russia in the 1960s. Ken was Director of the DMR Lab at McKown Point and was the author of many marine fisheries-related papers. Ken conducted hearings resulting in the approval of salmon farming in the state. He also occasionally served as a guest instructor for the Maine Maritime Academy. In 1997, Ken retired from the DMR to pursue his passion for politics and further community service.
Ken’s beliefs and focus appealed to both sides of the political aisle. He ran and was successfully elected by a large majority to serve in the Maine State Legislature representing District 58 for four straight terms. While Ken was a very proud, fiscally conservative Republican, earning the handle of “Dr. No” in the Legislature, he was also always very environmentally conscious. Examples of this include authoring, and getting passed, legislation to protect Monhegan residents and the surrounding waters from outside fishing from anyone other than the local fishermen. Ken served as a board member for the New England Fisheries council for many years. He was also a Community Advisory Panel member on the decommissioning of the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Plant in Wiscasset from 2003 to 2005.
He was very active in the community and served over 14 years on the Boothbay Community School District and also served as the chairman. He coached youth basketball at the local YMCA in the late 1970s and was always a staunch supporter of the junior and senior high athletics throughout his residency in the Boothbay region.
Ken loved outdoor life. He truly enjoyed his many hunting trips with very close friends and then hunting with his sons-in-law and brother-in-law for many years. The high point of his year was to be in the woods with friends, walking and hunting. Ken was a proud member of the Big Buck Club. An avid gardener, he would give away most of his crops around the neighborhood, along with raspberries from his berry patch.
Ken Honey was a “true” Rotarian with 50 years of perfect attendance. When he was traveling, he would always “make-up” a meeting as a visiting Rotarian. He was also a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award. He was a Past President of the local Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club.
Ken is survived by his loving wife, Laura; children, Jennifer Honey Grady and husband Steven of Whitefield, Jayne Honey Sullivan and husband John of Troy, and Scott Arthur Honey and wife Denise of Blairstown, N.J.; grandchildren, Jamison Alan Grady and wife Brandi of Whitefield, Jordan Charles Grady of Whitefield, Kelsey Mae Hammond and husband David of Jackson, John Lockwood Sullivan of Troy, Reilly Laura Sullivan of Troy, Sean Kenneth Honey of Blairstown, N.J., and Owen Gregory Honey of Blairstown, N.J.; brother, Earle J. Honey and wife Marie of Hartland; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Carl A. Sederquist and wife Susie of Surry; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Susan S. Hersey and husband Bill of Bar Harbor; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and close family friends.
A memorial service, celebrating Ken’s life will be held at 2:30 p.m., Sat., April 25 at the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, 125 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor.
In lieu of flowers, please remember the following: The Gregory Wing at St. Andrews Village; The Lincoln County Animal Shelter, The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library; and, The Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club.
To extend online condolences, light a candle for Ken, or to share a story or pictures, visit his Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com.
Hall’s of Boothbay has care of the arrangements.
