Services were held on July 24 for Kevin Hagen, 53, who died at his home in New York State after a two-year battle with brain cancer. He was born on Mar. 21, 1953, in Staten Island, N.Y., and moved to Hillsdale, N.Y. in tenth grade, attending Roe-Jan High School, graduating in 1971.
Narrowly avoiding being called to service in Vietnam, he attended SUNY Delhi, graduating with an AA degree in 1973 in Equine Science. He started with Taconic Telephone as a summer employee and stayed 32 years, working successively as a tree trimmer, lineman, splicer, installer-repairman, union organizer, network operations manager, and outside plant manager. He was very pleased with his role in helping the workers of Taconic take a greater part of the business, using their skills and talents as a community. He was also an active farrier, shoeing horses across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York for over 30 years.
His lifelong interest in history played out in many ways, including as a Civil War re-enactor; a member of the North-South Skirmish Association; an avid collector of Civil War artifacts; a presenter of numerous local history programs to schoolchildren, historical societies, and other organizations; and chairman of the New York State Commission of Battle Flags, and as a musician dedicated to preserving and promoting American musical history, playing the banjo, guitar, mandolin and singing, including music from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
A passionate sportsman, hunter and fisherman, Kevin loved the outdoors. Kevin was the artist and designer of the North Nobleboro Day t-shirt in 2005.
He is survived by his partner, Beth Lawton of New York; his children, Erin Hagen of Taghkanic, N.Y., Jenna Hagen of Branby, Conn., and Adam Hagen of Valatie, N.Y., and their mother, Christine Hagen of Hillsdale, N.Y.
