Kenneth A. Carroll
November 2, 1959 – September 26, 2024
Kenneth A. Carroll of Needham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on September 26, 2024, at the age of 64.
Ken was born in Dublin, Ireland and was the eldest son of Thomas and Greta Carroll. He grew up in the Crumlin and Finglas neighborhoods, where he shared a lively and loving home with his younger siblings. From a young age, Ken displayed a passion for athletics, especially kickboxing, hurling, Gaelic football, and, in his college years, rowing as well as track and field. His discipline and drive extended to his service in the Irish Army Reserves, where his marksmanship earned him trophies in several shooting competitions.
After his time in the army Ken decided to pursue higher education at University College Dublin, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1983. He then continued his studies, earning a Master’s degree in Engineering Design at UCD in 1987. Ken’s career began at Tecno Design, where he helped develop Ireland’s first CAD system for plastic injection mold design.
In 1988, Ken founded Tecnocad, a company that he spent over a decade growing and shaping into a leader in mold and die design software. The software he developed became the most widely used of its kind globally. During this time, Ken also spearheaded two major European Union projects in CAD system development, playing a pivotal role in establishing industry standards through CEN-CENELEC and ISO.
In 1999, Ken embarked on a new chapter in his career at Fidelity Investments, where he took on leadership roles and led critical IT transformations in several business units. In 2013, Ken returned to his engineering roots at Schneider Electric, where he was instrumental in the development of their enterprise-wide IoT platform, overseeing a variety of innovative solutions for energy management in data centers and solar farms. In the final stage of his professional career, Ken continued to focus on smart buildings, IoT, and energy management in leadership positions at Deloitte and Ernst & Young. He continued contributing to the field until his passing, serving as a Managing Director at Ernst & Young, a role he found profoundly rewarding and meaningful.
Ken’s greatest joy in life was his family. He met his beloved wife, Christina, in Dublin in 1982, and they were married in 1988, enjoying 36 wonderful years together. He was a devoted and loving father to his two sons, David and Simon. Throughout their lives, Ken enjoyed attending his son’s sporting and musical events including their hockey, rugby, football, tennis, and gaelic football games, as well as violin and piano recitals. He never missed a game or performance despite his demands at work. David is now an emergency physician and medical toxicologist in Michigan, while Simon is a software engineer in New York. In the last year of his life, Ken cherished his role as a grandfather to David and Julia’s daughter Nora and eagerly awaited the birth of his grandson, expected in January 2025.
Ken’s sense of humor, generosity, patience, and unwavering commitment to his loved ones and friends were constants throughout his life. In his free time, Ken maintained a lifelong love for Irish sport, particularly Gaelic football and rugby union. He was fond of storytelling, and had a keen interest in religious and world history, with a particular affinity for the scholarship of Geza Vermes.
In addition to his wife Christina, his sons David and Simon, daughter-in-law Julia Okada, and granddaughter Nora, Ken is survived by his siblings Grainne Curtis of Scotland, Graham Carroll of Portugal, Barry Carroll of Guernsey, and Thomas Carroll of Scotland. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Visiting hours will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Ave., Needham on Monday, Sept. 30 from 4-7pm. The Funeral Mass will be held in St. Joseph Catholic Church, Needham on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 10am. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Needham.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Ken’s memory can be made to Good Shepherd Community Care at https://gscommunitycare.org/Donate
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