Kenneth Ray Neslund

A memorial service will be held 10:30am Saturday September 13th, 2025 at Hurley Reformed Church, 11 Main Street Hurley, NY 12443.

A reception will follow and be announced after the service.

Kenneth Ray Neslund , 78, passed away on Tuesday July 22, 2025 at his home in Hurley, NY. Ken was the son of the late Robert and Frances Neslund. He was born in Richmond Virginia on January 16, 1947.

He loved outdoor pursuits including sailing, skiing, golf, hiking, and cycling. Ken particularly loved physical challenges that stretched his talents, such as backcountry skiing in Colorado, alpine skiing in Salt Lake and annual golfing adventures to the Outer Banks. He participated in several Bon Ton Roulet bicycle tours around NY's Finger lakes, once cycled coast to coast along the Canadian border and often pedaled around the Ashokan Reservoir. He ran several marathons, hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim and occasionally white water rafted.

In later years, Ken's passion for fly fishing took center stage. He practiced his craft in the upper Esopus and the streams around Salt Lake City, where he also taught fly-tying to Disabled Veterans. Ken was also an avid reader of both science and fiction.

Ken served his community as an EMT for the Hurley Volunteer Fire Department and could be counted upon to assist friends and neighbors with projects and Town of Hurley events.

He had a knack for gathering friendships old and new. His circle of friends spanned many years and includes the college fraternity brothers of Phi Eta Sigma, whose yearly reunions Ken helped to plan. Ken also enjoyed the daily companionship of friends and acquaintances at Deising's Bakery in Kingston, discussing issues of the day. His gentle presence will be missed by the 'counter-culture'.

Ken will be remembered by his diverse 'families of friends' around the country. His Hudson Valley family included lifelong friends characterized by shared values, fun-loving spirits and ever-ready willingness to extend a helping hand. His Golfing family included other vintage players who enjoyed sharing casual days on groomed courses in warm climates. His Rocky Mountain family included adventurers from Boulder and Aspen who enjoyed multi-day backcountry ski trips to 10th Mountain Huts, day hiking in the Rockies and losing golf balls on mountainous courses.

Ken was a most unassuming, gracious and generous soul. He was adept at being fully in-the-flow with all that he did. From fly-tying to fish whispering to sharing extended conversations with friends, he made himself fully present to experiencing the moment. He was a humbly independent spirit who marched to the beat of his own drummer. He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Ken graduated from SUNY at New Paltz and earned his MBA from Columbia University. Ken concluded a 34-year career with IBM in software quality and planning before retiring in 2002.

Ken is survived by his late sister Betty Fischer's daughters Melissa Joyce and her husband Patrick of Otego, NY and Heidi Fischer-Gregory of Franklin, NY and their children, Dylan and Derek Joyce, and Jacob and Abi Gregory; his brother Richard Neslund and his wife Carol of Boulder, Colorado and their daughter Jennifer (Neslund) Bernhardt and her husband James of Falls Church, VA and their son Derek Neslund and his wife Morgan of Fredrick, CO and their children, Tyler and Dylan Bernhardt, and Barrett and Jackson Neslund; and a host of other wonderful friends.

Expressions of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, may be made in the form of contributions to Hurley Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 181, Hurley, NY 12443.