MEREDITH --- Kenneth “Ken” Edward Tiernan, 91, of Upper Mile Point Drive, passed away at home on July 28, 2023, with the loving support of family by his side, both in person and in spirit. As difficult as it was for family and friends to say goodbye, Ken had a multi-faceted life filled with purpose and passion, and he was ready to rejoin his loving wife, Margaret.
Born at the height of the Great Depression on July 7, 1932 in Cortland, NY to Albert Patrick Tiernan and his wife Grace (Reitano) Tiernan, Ken was the eldest of two children, with brother, “Bob” born just 16 months later. Job scarcity meant lean times that required many family moves during his childhood years. Through these challenges Ken learned that adversity could be overcome with hard work and that education was key to escaping poverty. Armed with that knowledge, Ken’s work ethic, humility, intellect, curiosity, love of learning, respect for people and his unique ability to see obstacles as opportunities were the gifts and talents that shaped and guided him to success throughout his life and career.
Ken earned a BS in Electrical Engineering through ROTC and New York Regent’s scholarships at Clarkson College. Ken then served in the Army’s Signal Corps, where Raytheon “discovered” him and offered an entry-level position as a test engineer. This set the stage for a remarkably successful career filled with opportunities well-suited to his natural abilities and curiosity. Early on, Ken impressed with innovative solutions to difficult problems. With the sponsorship of Raytheon’s Graduate scholarship program and the encouragement and support of his wife, Margie, Ken earned an MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1961 and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University in 1969 (as Tufts’ first PhD-EE candidate).
Raytheon offered Ken a myriad of challenges, a deep talent pool, and opportunities to lead. The combination resulted in some of Ken’s deepest friendships and most treasured professional memories. In 1977 Ken joined Ford Aerospace, moving the family to Southern California for over 35 years. At Ford, Ken led technical development, but found—to his own surprise—that his greatest impact was as the change agent that drove adoption of a new management paradigm that stressed empowerment, respect and team work at every level.
Paralleled to his professional efforts there, Ken earned an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School. Ken “retired” from Ford/LORAL in 1991 and embarked on a 22-year post-retirement career with—as he would say—all the challenge and half the stress. He was an early pioneer in sensor development to enable the ”intelligent highway”, led development completion of Boeing’s PAC 3 missile seeker and worked the satcom design and radar integration for Boeing’s SBX platform.
Ken enthusiastically shared his passion for learning in myriad ways, teaching undergraduate Engineering courses at Northeastern (for ski money) and graduate Engineering courses at UC Irvine (for fun). In later years he mentored high school students and introduced many friends, family and anyone he could entice to the full palette of intellectual offerings of “The Great Courses” seminar series.
Ken’s life was profoundly impacted by the loving influence and wisdom of his wife, Margaret “Margie” (McCullough) Tiernan. Ken and Margie were high school sweethearts who stayed together and in what Ken considered as the best decision in his life, married after college on June 29, 1957. They raised a family of three children and made an extraordinary life and partnership together, always bringing out the best in each other. Ken and Margie celebrated 65 years of marriage before Margie passed away in September of 2022.
Ken was a devoted family man who enjoyed travel, skiing, boating, ocean and lake life activities with friends and family. Ken and Margie shared their “wanderlust” with several month-long summer family camping trips that traversed the US and Canada in the Country Squire (no A/C!!) and trailer, visiting friends and relatives along the way and exploring as many National Parks and historical sites as possible. After the children were grown, the couple explored many European countries together, along with numerous bi-coastal US trips. An avid runner for nearly 60 years, Ken started in Hush Puppies, a white tee and Bermuda shorts nearly a decade before Nike was founded (and probably another decade before he fully embraced running shoes). A home purchase on Lake Winnipesaukee ensured summers filled with swimming, tubing, cookouts, ice cream, cookies and malt balls for family and friends (and especially, for grandchildren and their friends).
Ken is survived by his children, Kathleen “Katie” Stanley (Les), James “Jim” Tiernan (Carole Bailey), and Mary Salgado (Dan); seven grandchildren, Sarah Jordan, Tom Stanley, Alyssa Stanley, Carolyn Tiernan, Rebecca Tiernan, Melissa Salgado, Michael Salgado; two great-children, Sadie Griffin and Oliver Griffin; and several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his wife, parents and his brother.
A Calling Hour will be held from 9:00am-10:00am, on Monday, August 14, 2023, at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 300 Rte. 25, Meredith, NH 03253.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated following the Calling Hour at 10:00am, also at the church. A live stream of the Mass will be available on the St. Charles Borromeo homepage at https://stcharlesnh.org.
A Reception Brunch will be held in the church hall following the service.
A Graveside service will be held at 2:00pm, Monday, August 14, 2023, at Middleneck Cemetery, Moultonborough Neck Road, Moultonborough, NH.
For those who wish, the family suggests memorial donations in Kenneth Tiernan’s name be made to one of the many charities he supported: Catholic Charities of NH: 100 William Loeb Dr. Unit 3, Manchester, NH 03109; Household Goods: 530 Main St. Acton, MA 01720; or Lake Region Food Pantry: PO Box 1132 Moultonborough, NH 03254.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246 is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.