Dr. Kenneth Allan Marshall passed away, on July 30, 2023, at his rest home in Charlton Massachusetts. Ken was born in 1938 in Boston and raised, along with his brother, Brian, in Framingham, by his parents, Mary and Nathan.
Ken prepared at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH. He received an A.B. cum laude in History and Literature from Harvard College in 1960. Ken was known at Harvard initially as Ken Marmar. He was a member of Kirkland House. Ken became an active member of the Harvard Class of 1960, attending many of the Class luncheons and serving on the 25th (with tales to tell as Head of Security), 35th, 40th, 50th, and 55th reunion committees … and, notably, as the Harvard Chair of the Harvard & Radcliffe Classes of 1960 60th Reunion (ill-fated due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Ken received his M.D. from Columbia Medical School in 1964.
After medical school and following two years of training in general surgery, Ken joined the Flight Surgeon Program in Pensacola and eventually embarked on the U.S.S. Intrepid based in Norfolk. He made two Intrepid cruises to Tonkin Gulf and Vietnam from 1966 to 1969. He had many memorable experiences, including participating in the emergency care of the injured in the U.S.S. Forrestal Fire in 1967. For this, Ken and his colleagues were awarded the Navy Commendation Medal.
Following his discharge from the Navy, Ken completed training, first in general and later in plastic surgery and returned to Boston to establish a medical practice, raise a family and teach at Harvard Medical School. His medical practice was affiliated with several Boston area hospitals including Mount Auburn, where he served as Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery. During his career Ken also served as the President of the Massachusetts, New England & Northeastern Societies of Plastic Surgery. Following his retirement in 2014, he continued to serve on the Board of Former Crew Members of the Intrepid and traveled the world including to Guatemala, where he assisted with volunteer surgical and medical work. He also acted as the Chairperson of the Cocoanut Grove Fire Memorial Committee.
Ken is survived by his two sons, Torrey and Adrian; and his four grandchildren, Aspen Rose, Sedona, Helen and Adeline.
A funeral mass was held on August 10 at Sacred Heart Church in Watertown, MA. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made in memory of Ken to Intrepid Museum Foundation at support.intrepidmuseum.org or Intrepid Museum Foundation, Pier 86 West 46th St. and 12th Ave., New York, NY 10036.
Slightly modified from version published in The Boston Globe, August 3 – 6, 2023.
