Kenneth Alan Badertscher's Obituary
Kenneth Alan Badertscher, 78, of Annapolis, Maryland, died at home on Sunday, October 29, 2017, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Nancy S. Badertscher. Other survivors include their sons, Eric of Alexandria, Virginia, and Alex of Baltimore, Maryland; daughters-in-law Jennifer and Shannon; five grandchildren, Abigail, Jacob, Sarah, Will, and Claire; one sister, Jean Lauterbach of Cincinnati, Ohio, and many nieces and nephews.
Ken was born on September 8, 1939 in Lima, Ohio, to Harvey and Hilda (Hutchinson) Badertscher. He and his sister grew up in nearby La Fayette, where their parents each taught school for many years. Ken always loved sharing the tales of his boyhood escapades. Over time, his wife and sons came to view the actual small town they regularly visited as an almost mythical place, as iconic as Andy Griffith’s Mayberry. Favorite anecdotes included swimming in the nearby rock quarry, chucking walnuts at his friend passing by on a bike, or—the most frightening adventure of all—Mom chasing him across town after he’d torn his pants on a fence that he was NOT supposed to climb!
When he wasn’t getting into typical boyhood mischief, Ken was a “Renaissance man” who excelled in all areas—especially in math and science like his own father. Outside of school, Ken was a voracious reader, who devoured everything from the “Great Books” of literature to comic strips to science fiction. Later, his interests expanded to current affairs, religion, and philosophy.
As many can attest, Ken was a gifted writer and conversationalist with a whimsical sense of humor. He especially enjoyed sharing puns and wordplay with family and friends. Ken also excelled at technical writing—a gift that made him successful in his career as a radar engineer in the defense industry. In a field often known for dense jargon, Ken was proficient at conveying complex technical details in clear, concise prose. (Alex remembers him saying, “That’s why I read Shakespeare, so I won’t write like an engineer!”)
Ken was a lifetime athlete and sports fan, playing multiple sports from childhood on—baseball, football, basketball—and later picking up ping pong, racquetball, and golf. He especially took pride in coaching his sons’ teams in various sports, and taking them to the ballpark to watch his beloved Orioles.
His musical abilities brought him immense fulfillment. As a student, he sang tenor in the choir and played trumpet in the band. As an adult, he sang in several choirs and for a time belonged to a barbershop quartet.
Ken received a bachelor’s degree in math and physics from Ohio Northern University. He then taught high school math and science for several years in Ohio. During this time he met Nancy on a blind date, set up by one of Nancy’s colleagues who just happened to be the mother of one of Ken’s childhood friends. They were married on December 20, 1964. It’s amazing that Ken and Nancy hadn’t met earlier—even though they grew up in different towns, their “networks” overlapped a lot. The couple couldn’t believe that Ken’s uncle had been Nancy’s school principal, and Nancy’s cousin was one of Ken’s good friends in college!
Ken and Nancy eventually moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, where Ken studied for a master’s in physics at the College of William and Mary. After graduation, he began a career in the Baltimore area as a radar engineer at Westinghouse. Though Ken never forgot his Ohio roots, he quickly became a native Marylander, an expert on Baltimore’s distinctive dialect and quirky characters, a culinary explorer who took the family to restaurants that only locals knew about, as well as a huge fan of the hometown Colts and Orioles.
Although his job kept him extremely busy, Ken always made time for his family. He enjoyed fixing up the house, taking on multiple renovation projects inside and out. The family also took several memorable road trips to California, Texas, Florida, and New England.
In his early 60’s, Ken was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Despite this, he and Nancy continued to enjoy many of their favorite activities, including Orioles games, cruises, and wintering in Florida. They also continued to participate in the Robert Burns Society of Annapolis.
Watching his grandchildren grow up was an immense source of happiness.
Despite his increasing frailty, Ken was always a trouper. He did the best he could to enjoy life and live with dignity.
Thank you for letting us share some of his story.
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