Kenneth J. Relihan

Kenneth J. Relihan 67, passed away on Saturday evening April 29, 2017 at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center from complications of septic shock. He was born January 4, 1950 in Nashua, New Hampshire the son of Walter and Florence (Harmon) Relihan.

He attended schools in the Nashua area and graduated from Nashua High School class of 1968. He received his B.A. from the University of New Hampshire in 1972, and later his Masters from Brown University. He began his career in Nashua, worked at the Collegiate School in Richmond, VA., at the Westover School in Middlebury, Ct. , at Green Mountain Union High School in Chester, Vt. , and Monadnock Regional High School in Swanzey, N.H. He was a teacher as well as the Head of the Social Studies Department, and Debate Team Coach. His most recent position was as Curriculum Coordinator with the New Hampshire Department of Education in Social Studies, Foreign Language, and Gifted Education.

On May 30, 1981 He married Lenore Rourke in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Among his many gifts, he could take any moment in history and tell you its current relevance. History was never dead for him, and he made it live in his family and for hundreds of his students. Few outside the family will know that he was a lover, too, of children's literature. Reading aloud from The Wind and the Willows, The Hobbit, the Narnia books and so much more formed a basis for a rich family culture, and continued long after Terry Relihan and Ian Relihan grew up. We loved him dearly and will miss him forever.

He was also fond of fishing, and undeterred by his disability of recent years.

He enjoyed reading books and newspapers, fishing, bird watching and was an all around nature lover. He is survived by his wife Lenore of Springfield, two sons – Terence Relihan, of Manchester, N.H. and Ian Relihan of New York City. Mother and Father-in-law Janet and Bernard Rourke of Nashua, N.H., Brother-in-law David Rourke and his wife Susan of Nashua, N.H. and sister-in-law Susan Crandall, also of Nashua, N.H. He was predeceased by his parents.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday May 6, 2017 at the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield, Vt. Reverend William Sheldon will officiate.

Contributions may be made in his memory to the The Nature Conservancy 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606, or at www.nature.org , or to the Southern Poverty Law Center 400 Washington Ave. Montgomery, AL 36104.

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