Ken

Kenneth Edward Snowden of Nichols, NY, passed away on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the age of 76, after bravely fighting kidney failure. Ken lived a diverse and full life, and his love for fixing watches and clocks brought him the most joy.

He was born on February 19, 1947, in Newport, Rhode Island, to Chapman O. and Winifred Snowden, and was the youngest of 10 siblings. He grew up in Providence, RI, and graduated from East Providence High School before attending Howard University in Washington D.C. There, he earned a degree in Political Science in 1968 while also working for the U. S. Capitol Police and completing Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). He went on to serve as a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany until 1973.

After his honorable discharge, Ken returned to the U.S. and worked pursuing his passion for helping fellow servicemen. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Drug Counseling from Boston University and immediately began to help veterans struggling with addiction. In the late 1970s, he shifted his career into politics after being elected as City Councilman in Providence from 1978-82. Upon starting a family, he then went on to hold engineering and management roles with Verizon (at the time Bell Atlantic) and Lockheed Martin. Since his retirement from Lockheed Martin in 2009, he’s immersed himself in repairing antique watches and clocks, eventually opening and running Snowden’s Time Service.

Ken is survived by his wife, Judith Nelson, his two children, Chapman T. Snowden and Anna Branam and two stepchildren Lauren Boyce and James Boyce, as well as his siblings, Roberta Winston, Bertha Araujo, Audrey Wigginton, and Chapman O. Snowden. He has three beloved grandchildren, Eva and Kendrick Branam and Madeleine Franco, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings Mildred Snowden, James Snowden, Dorothy Bullock, Gene Snowden, and Marcellina Williamson.

A period of visitation will be held on Friday, March 31st from 5 to 7 pm at the Sutfin Funeral Chapel, 273 S. Main St., Nichols. A funeral service and celebration of Ken’s life will be held at 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 1st, at the Owego Nazarene Church, located at 3732 Waverly Rd, Owego, NY 13827. Memories and condolences may be shared by visiting his guestbook at www.sutfinfuneralchapel.com

The family will provide flowers and asks to honor Ken's memory, that any donations be made in his name to either the American Kidney Foundation or the NAACP.

Ken will be missed by all who knew him, but his legacy of kindness, dedication, and love for fixing timepieces will live on forever.