Kenneth R. Laureys

Kenneth Richard Laureys, a native of Netcong, NJ, and longtime resident of Riverdale, MD, died on Wednesday, Mar. 20th after being struck by a motor vehicle while crossing a street. He did not regain consciousness and later passed away at the hospital. When the incident occured, Laureys was taking a walk during what was supposed to be a brief overnight stop in North Platte, NB, on a cross-country business trip. He was 63. Laureys spent a combined 17 years of his life in service to the Autism Society of America and the National Institute for the Severely Handicapped (NISH) as a part of their respective government affairs outreach efforts. (He held a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Maryland and an undergrad degree in Political Science degree from George Washington University.) While with NISH he played a role in aiding the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition to lobbying for the less fortunate, Laureys was dedicated to helping numerous worthwhile major local candidates throughout the Washington, DC metro area of Maryland throughout his career. He founded the Riverdale Boys and Girls Club where he served as a volunteer. He was also a volunteer wrestling coach for nearby Gonzaga High school. For more on his career, public and volunteer works visit his LinkedIn page here. Laureys was the second oldest sibling in a family of 10 children. In addition to being survived by his wife of nearly 36 years, Elizabeth Laureys (nee Falcinelli), two sons, Nicholas and Brandon, and two grandchildren, Laureys has four sisters and three brothers still living. All deeply mourn his sudden and tragic passing. Loved ones take some comfort in knowing that Laureys' journey came to a final end in the midst of a cross-country drive that took him through Denver and parts of America's beautiful Heartland; he had spent his college and early post-collegiate years traversing the US several times by car (and hitchhiking) and loved the splendor of our country. Indeed, his first trip "Out West" came as a Boy Scout visiting the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Prior to his marriage and move to the Metro DC area, Laureys worked as a preschool teacher and laborer on the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, proving he was as patient and hardworking as he was good natured. Two memorial services are being planned, one in Maryland, where Laureys lived prior to his death, the other in New Jersey, where he spent the first quarter-century of his life. Details will follow in future posts.