Kenneth "Ken" M. Velardi

Kenneth Velardi, originally of Belmont, MA, passed away in his Marlborough home on December 24, 2024, of diabetes-related complications. He was 69.

He was born on February 28, 1955, as the son of the late Jean and Samuel Velardi and the baby of the family. He was the younger brother of Ronald and Janet, who were considerably older, so he often tagged along as the much younger brother and never lost that kid brother charm, even as an older man.

He grew up in a multigenerational, Italian home, graduated from Belmont High School in 1973 and maintained lifelong friendships with both neighbors and local "buddies," forged at a very young age. He was best known for his wide smile, laughing eyes and great sense of humor.

Ken spent his childhood weekends in the family camper in New Hampshire, where his family had a large swath of land in the woods for vacationing. He was the one in the family who listened intently to all his father's war stories around the campfire of being deployed to Germany as a U.S. soldier during World War II. Upon his passing, Ken memorialized his father's service by framing his war medals as a tribute and showcased them prominently.

He was great with engines and spent the majority of his career working for Accutemp as an HVAC technician. He had a love of hot rods and owned a number of muscle cars throughout his life that were his pride and joy. He also loved dogs and was the proud father to a series of golden retrievers throughout his adulthood.

He was diagnosed with diabetes at age 12, and it presented challenges throughout his life. Still, he was active and fit and considered by the neighborhood as a cool guy with "hot chicks and fast cars." He loved to play pick-up ice hockey and was an avid golfer.

Ken met Grace Fauver, the woman who he would eventually marry after a long friendship, while repairing an HVAC system at Boston University, where she worked at the time. They married in 1997 and moved to Stow, MA, where they remained married for 19 years before splitting amicably and sharing custody of their dog Quinn.

He had two nieces, one nephew and a Goddaughter, all of whom he loved. He took great joy in watching them forge their own paths and marveled that at least one of their babies looked almost exactly like his mom. In his later years, it was a great source of pride that he was able to follow his mother's recipes and come close to making her sauce the same way she did, a tribute to the memory of all the loving meals they shared.

Ken will be dearly missed by his sister Janet, his brother Ronald, Ronald's current wife Kalene and ex-wife Kathleen, his nieces Candace and Jessica, his nephew John David, his ex-wife Grace, his dear friends Timmy Shannon, Tommy Morabito, Louis Demeo and Richie Alexander, Goddaughter Kate Shannon, his dog Gordie, and many more. He will be laid to rest with his parents.  

A celebration of life will be held for Ken on March 8th at 11 a.m. at St. Lukes Parish, 132 Lexington Street, Belmont, MA with lunch to follow.

Arrangements are entrusted to Short & Rowe Funeral Home in Marlborough, MA

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