Kenneth J. Neary, Sr., 91, beloved husband of Helen (Ceckowski) Neary of Westfield, passed away peacefully Wednesday , September 30, 2015 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. 
Born in Hawley, MA on April 19, 1924, he was the son of Thomas and Ida (Giroux) Neary. He was the youngest of six siblings.
Kenneth enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of eighteen. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. He was a crew chief responsible for the airworthiness of Corsair aircraft in Guam and Okinawa, Japan.
His formal education began in a one-room schoolhouse in Hawley. He attended Westfield State College and graduated from Western New England College. Kenneth worked at Stevens Paper Mill, Westfield Vocational High School, and he retired in 1986 from his job as a master electrician at H. P. Hood in Agawam.
During his retirement he enjoyed golfing, skiing, gardening, camping, and reading. He was an avid lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox. He was a parishioner of Holy Trinity Church for more than sixty years.
He leaves his daughter, Kathleen (Neary) Machowski and her husband, Kasmir of Chicopee, and his son, Kenneth J. Neary, Jr. and his wife, Cynthia (Hamberg) Neary of Westfield. He also leaves three grandchildren, Brian Neary and his wife Kendra of Charlotte, NC, and their son, Evan, Elizabeth Neary of New York, NY, and Jillian Neary of New York, NY.
The family extends a special thank you for the wonderful care Kenneth received at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. A calling hour at Firtion Adams Funeral Home, 76 Broad Street, Westfield, is scheduled on Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Trinity Church, 335 Elm Street, Westfield, at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, followed by burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Southampton Road, Westfield.
Donations in Kenneth’s memory may be made to the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, 110 Cherry Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. Firtionadams.com
