Kenneth Batchelor, 86, of Nobleboro, passed away at his home with his loving family surrounding him on April 7.
Ken was born on May 30, 1931 in Bramley, England, to Arthur and Dorothy (nee Peters) Batchelor.
Ken met and fell in love with his future wife at Technology College in England. Ken married Irene (nee Gibbs) Batchelor, on Aug. 21, 1954. Ken and Irene emigrated to the U.S. from England via the S.S. United States in September 1967, with their three daughters. They eventually settled in Port Jefferson, N.Y. for many years.
Ken attained his Bachelor of Science in Physics honors degree from London University, England in 1953. He worked at Rutherford High Energy Laboratory in Chilton, England from 1953 to 1967. In 1965 he and his family spent a 15-month work sabbatical at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. This eventually led to a full-time offer to design, commission, and operate a new proton linear accelerator. Ken’s career allowed him many opportunities to travel to laboratories around the world, collaborating with fellow scientists. He visited China, Switzerland, Japan, France, Germany and England, as well as many locations within the U.S. He contributed to articles for McGraw Hill and McMillan Encyclopedias of Physics, and authored or collaborated on over 100 papers in scientific journals and conferences. His crowning achievement was being a guest on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show with Steve Carell in 2000, in a comedy piece about his work with particle accelerators.
Ken was a competitive athlete who enjoyed soccer, softball, tennis, bowling and golf. He coached youth soccer teams for the Village of Port Jefferson for several years. His family can attest to the fact that he’s a fierce table tennis competitor, and his grandchildren all learned how to score a soccer goal from him. Ken is fondly remembered by his family and friends as a patient, quiet loving man, with a wicked sense of humor.
Ken loved the outdoors, and ensured that his family learned to appreciate nature as well. The family enjoyed numerous camping trips and hikes around New England. Ken also loved animals, both domesticated and wild. He was a strong advocate for social justice as well as wildlife conservation. He volunteered his time and donated financially to low-income housing organizations, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), soup kitchens and local food pantries, land preservation and conservation groups, peace protests and hunger walks. Ken was an active member and trustee of Mt. Sinai Congregational Church in New York for many years, and later at Edgecomb Congregational Church in Maine. He served as Moderator of the Suffolk Association of the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ from 1997 to 1999.
He was predeceased by his parents.
Ken is survived by his wife of 64 years, Irene; daughters, Lynne Warkentien of Waldoboro, Susan Wells of Jamesport, N.Y., and Wendy Innes of Wading River, N.Y.; grandchildren, Sarah Innes of Astoria, N.Y., Rachel Wells of Rocky Point, N.Y., Geoffrey Wells of Jamesport, N.Y., and Amy Innes of Wading River, N.Y.; sisters, Iris Wallace, and Janet Childe; as well as nieces and nephews in England.
A celebration of Ken’s life will be held at 5 p.m., Fri., April 13 at the Edgecomb Congregational Church, 15 Cross Point Rd., Edgecomb. A second celebration of his life will be held at Mt. Sinai Congregational Church in late spring/early summer.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY 10163-4777; or Miles & St. Andrew’s Home Health and Hospice, c/o Development Office, 35 Miles St., Damariscotta, ME 04543.
Condolences and messages for his family may be expressed by visiting StrongHancock.com.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.
