Fairhaven, Kenneth Roger Tavares 75, son of the late Gilbert Tavares and Alberta Fraiser Tavares of New Bedford and brother of the late Leonard Tavares of New York City passed away peacefully at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford on Monday, November 16, 2015 after a long and courageous three year battle with cancer. Surrounded by his family and friends, Ken made a gentle and loving passage home.
A life long resident of the area, Ken is survived by his wife and life partner of 38 years Sandra Tavares of Fairhaven; three son’s Tracey Tavares of New Bedford, the late Randall Tavares of New Bedford and Michael Tavares of Yarmouth Nova Scotia Canada; three daughter’s Robyne Tavares of New Bedford, Karen Tavares of New Bedford and Christine Blais of Fairhaven, 12 Grandchildren and 3 Great-Grandchildren.
A retired US Navy Veteran in 1959, Ken served our country stationed on the USS Forrestal CVA-59. Ken retired from his career as a mechanic for the Union Street Bus Company after 15 years of dedicated service.
In his free time, Ken enjoyed tinkering in his shop and became the go to guy for his children’s auto needs. He loved working around the house and enjoyed many summers vacationing in Yarmouth Nova Scotia where he was surrounded by many friends and participated in the restoration of 4 historic properties with his son Michael.
Throughout his life, Ken was a gentle and caring person. Ken got great pleasure out of doing for others and was the first to bring a hearty laugh to most situations. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and his memory will live on through heartfelt stories.
At Ken’s request he will be cremated with no visitation and laid to rest in the Veterans Section at Rural Cemetery under a full Military Salute on Monday, November 30, 2015 at 11:00 AM. In addition some of his remains will travel to Canada and be dispersed on a small island off the coast of Southwestern Nova Scotia. ALL are invited to attend Ken’s funeral service on the 30th and are instructed by his family to meet at the entrance of Rural Cemetery on Dartmouth Street at 10:45 AM.
Ken’s wife and family wish to express a heartfelt thanks to all of Ken’s community nurse caregivers, the extraordinary doctors and nurses at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. Their professional care and dedicated service gave Ken a quality of life of the highest standards.
In lieu of flowers a donation to the American Cancer Society would be gratefully appreciated.