Kenneth P. Von Bargen

Kenneth “Ken” Von Bargen of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, passed away peacefully in his home on January 14, 2024, at the age of 77 after a short battle with pneumonia. Ken was a caring father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend.

Ken was born on April 14, 1946, to Francis and Mary Catherine Von Bargen of Dayton, Ohio. After graduating from technical school, Ken began his 48-year career as a mechanical engineer at Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1966. In 1969 he joined Welex Electronics, which later became FOSS NIR Systems, where he remained until his retirement in 2014. During his time in the field, Ken was awarded numerous patents under his name and visited 11 countries and most U.S. states.

Ken married Janet Von Bargen in 1966. They were married for 40 years before Janet passed away in 2006. Together, they had three children: Barb, Paul, and Jen. Ken’s passion for mechanics shined brightly in his personal life through his impressive collection of cars and his ability to fix nearly anything. Ken would take something apart just to see how it worked before putting it back together and maybe making some “improvements” to the item along the way. He enjoyed Charles Shultz’s Peanuts and assembling model trains, but, most of all, Ken loved spending time with his family.

Ken is survived by his brother, Ted; daughters, Barb and Jen; granddaughters, Ashley, Chris, Anna, Sabrina, and Kasey; and two great-grandsons, Wyatt and Azrael.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10am on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Borgwardt Funeral Home in Beltsville, Maryland, with the burial immediately following.