Kenneth Stefan Fekete, Jr., 54, passed away on December 19th, 2023 peacefully with his family by his side after a ten-month battle with cancer.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Kenneth S. Fekete Sr. and Nancy Catanzaro, Ken was a 1987 graduate of Queen of Peace High School where he played baseball and basketball, and a proud 1992 graduate of the University of Scranton, which is where he met his wife and fellow alum, Stephanie (Lisicky). They celebrated 25 years of marriage this past June and have five beautiful children.
He was loved by many, but above all he was a family man, and is mourned by his wife, son Luke, and daughters Ava, Emily, Grace, and Kaelin. In addition, along with his mother, and his father and his father’s wife Ginny, survivors include his sister Lauren and brother Mark. All of his in-laws, including parents Jack & Donata Lisicky, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Jack (Lisa), Andy (MaryKate), Peter (Kristin), Alex, Gabe, Katie (John) Crine, and Mary (Amber Simchak) thought of Ken as their brother. He was a beloved uncle to 12 nieces and nephews. He loved and adored his Uncle Frank and Aunt Addie Fekete, Aunt Bunny McEverly, and cousins Steven (Margie) Beach, Doreen (Jack) Sylvester, and Kathy Beach.
His greatest joys in life included watching his children play sports, going to concerts with his daughters, and attending sporting events with his son. He excelled at telling dad jokes, giving his kids many and often random nicknames, providing useless pieces of knowledge to them, playing fantasy football with his son, and giving them all life advice. He LOVED cooking. He was famous for his meatballs, burgers, prime rib Christmas dinner, and made the best BEC sandwich. He loved grocery runs, ice cream pick-ups and delivering donuts & bagels on weekend mornings. He planned ALL the fun of the family. Mostly on post-it notes. He loved going shopping with his wife. His favorite vacation spots included Avalon and Stone Harbor. You could also find him often relaxing on the porch looking out over Barnegat Bay while visiting with his dad and cousins.
He spent over 30 years in the insurance profession with various companies located in and around New York City. He was a survivor of the September 11th World Trade Center attacks. He made lasting friendships with many of his colleagues over his career that he cherished deeply.
Above all else, he was so immensely proud of each and every one of his children.
Visitation will take place on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 from 4-8pm at Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main Street, Chatham NJ. The Funeral Mass will be Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 10:00am at St. Patrick Church, 85 Washington Avenue, Chatham, NJ. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, a college education fund has been established for Ken’s five children. Contributions can be made out directly to 529 NJBEST and mailed to Buckno, Lisicky & Company, 2 Ridgedale Ave. Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927.