Kenneth A. Skrivseth

Kenneth Arnold Skrivseth

Kenneth A. Skrivseth passed away on Thursday, August 10 after a two year battle with cancer, which he once called “an unwelcome visitor.” He was born in Buffalo, NY June 2, 1944 to Arnold and Eleanor Turli Skrivseth. The family moved to Falls Church, Virginia where Ken attended grammar and high school.

He attended Virginia Tech as a Co-op Student and was a member of the Corps of Cadets. He earned a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1967 (honors) and 1969. Ken was a veteran and served in Vietnam in the Signal Corps in 1971, reaching the rank of Captain. After leaving the army he joined the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where he worked in radar systems for 27 years. Ken earned a second MS in Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, and was a member of the Principal Professional Staff. After retiring from APL, he worked at several Washington area consulting firms.

Ken Skrivseth was a smart, funny, inquisitive, totally without affectation, almost always good humored person who brought out the best in others, and inspired friendship and love from whomever he met. Friends universally described him as kind. He had an insatiable interest in the world around him, with, as one friend noted, “a boundless intellectual curiosity.” He always left people feeling uplifted after being with him. He was open about his illness and throughout he accepted what came with a quiet, inspiring grace.

Ken had a lifelong passion for short wave radio and old time radios and was a docent and board member of the National Capital Radio and Television Museum in Bowie, MD. He loved trees, birds, and the environment, and found an interest in history and historical research with his wife Karen. He was proud of his family’s Norwegian roots and visited Norway several times. For many years he was an avid hiker and camper with a close group of friends.

When Ken’s parents died leaving two younger siblings, he assumed the role of both brother, and surrogate father. Ken touched each of his siblings in a unique, cherished way that let each know how special they were to him.

Ken and his wife Karen A. Lubieniecki had established lives and careers when they met in 1987 then married in 1990. Together they created a marriage and life together that enriched both immeasurably and which was filled with love, friendship, humor, mutual support and adventure. They completed renovation of the Laurel house that Ken had purchased and worked on since 1978. (Karen noted she was too old to live in a house without a kitchen!) Ken and Karen together hiked the Grand Canyon (with brother Eric), traveled to Europe, around the US and Canada several times, and found a favorite vacation place in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada. Their cabin in West Virginia on the Cacapon River was a refuge and source of peace and happiness for almost 30 years.

Ken was an active member of the Laurel community, including the Laurel Historical Society (LHS), Laurel For the Patuxent (L4P), and the Laurel Amateur Radio Club. He served on the Board of Trustees of the City of Laurel Retirement Plans and on the Citizens Advisory Committee for Parks and Recreation. He also served on the LHS exhibit and investment committees. He received a number of awards, including Volunteer of the Year at the Laurel Historical Society in 1998.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sisters Esther Powell, Shirley Rice, and Sigrid Houston (Scott), brother Eric Skrivseth (Margaret), Brother-in-Law Ed Lubieniecki (Diane),Uncle George Skrivseth, nieces Bridgett Rice, Cheryl Fischer (Brian), Sandra Powell (Chad), Lenka Glassman (Mathieu), Christine Lubieniecki, Erika Houston, Morgan Averill, and Meagan Morales; nephews Lloyd Howe, Timothy Houston,  and Michael Houston (Makayla), numerous great nephews and nieces, and cats Bert and Andy. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Karen Skrivseth and brother Lawrence Skrivseth.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, September 9, 2023 from 2pm-4pm at The Atrium, Doubletree Hotel 15101 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD. Memorial contributions can be made to the National Capital Radio and Television Museum 2608 Mitchellville Rd, Bowie, MD 20716 www.NCRTV.org,or to the Laurel Historical Society, 817 Main Street, Laurel, MD 20707 www.LaurelHistoricalsociety.org.

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