Obituary for Kenneth Hafner

Born in Middletown, NY, in the year of the stock market crash (as he often reminded everyone), Kenneth Guy Hafner, the eldest of two, died on December 20th, 2020. He was preceded in death by his brother, Wilmont (Will), his father, Guy Halstead Hafner, and mother, Adaline Wood Hafner.

Ken graduated from Bergenfield High School in Bergenfield, NJ, in 1947, where he was an avid basketball and soccer player, as well as a member of the marching band. After two years of working as a draftsman, he was accepted into the Pratt Institute, graduating with an electrical engineering degree.

He and Carolyn Marie Califano, another Bergenfield graduate, were married in 1956, after which he began a 35 year career with General Electric, ultimately becoming an expert in power shovels for mining. The young couple began with GE in Burnt Hills, NY, and later transferred to Chagrin Falls, OH, before they would ultimately settle in Westerville, OH.

Ken was a member of the National Guard in the armored tank division and received several medals for sharp shooting. He also loved to golf, swim, and sail. While raising his two children, Elaine and Paul, he cofounded an AAU swim team at the Westerville Aquatic Club. He was a longtime AAU swimming official and supporter of the Ohio Special Olympics. He was also a dedicated member of Central College Church for more than forty years.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn of Westerville, and two children, Elaine M. Walden of Versailles, KY, and Paul A. Hafner of Columbus, OH. Ken and Carolyn were blessed with three grandchildren, Walter and Madelyn Hafner, and Hope Walden, as well as a great grandchild, Dela Hafner.

There will be a memorial service at Central College Presbyterian Church Chapel on June 18th at 10:30 am, followed by interment at Blendon Township Cemetery