Obituary of Kenneth A. Kelsch
On December 11, 2023, Kenneth Kelsch was called from this life to the next much too soon. He lived all 76 years to the absolute fullest.
Kenneth, better known as Ken, Kenny, or Kelsch, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Arthur and Christine Kelsch on July 8, 1947. A first-generation American, he was raised in North Arlington, where he excelled academically and his passion for photography began. While initially enrolling at Rutgers University with a scholarship for his kickboxing talent, he enlisted in the United States Army to serve his country just as his father had years earlier. Over time, he rose in the ranks and earned the title of First Lieutenant in the 5th Special Forces. His service in the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam—Studies and Observation Group, or MACV-SOG, was a defining period of his life with which he continually identified. The highly classified, special-operations unit was unconventional and often placed in some of the most precarious positions.
Upon his return home, Ken enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, where he studied film and cinematography, and he met Dale Denning. The pair got to know each other and ended up falling in love. They worked together on many projects, but their most successful collaborations came in the form of their four wonderful children. Though their marriage did not last a lifetime, the pair shared a connection and a friendship that did.
He graduated with his MFA in Cinematography and went on to use that education to film over 30 features, over 100 hours of network television, and countless commercials, music videos, and documentaries. For many years Ken also frequently collaborated with good friend Abel Ferrara, and the duo shot hundreds of hours of film together.
In later years, Ken was given the honor of being made a member of the ASC—the American Society of Cinematographers. This is not a union or a guild, but rather a band of highly skilled industry professionals who take pride in their craft. Ken was so knowledgeable about his work that he became a professor of advanced film and worked for Montclair State, Hofstra University, and Five Towns College.
When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed many things—most of them outside and centered on his children. He was an avid camper and thrived when it was just him, his kids, and the wilderness or the open road on one of his motorcycles. From canoeing down rivers to backpacking across a mountain’s ridge, or most recently pulling up with his teardrop camper, Ken enjoyed it all. He also was a talented skier, scuba diver, windsurfer, and held a black belt in taekwondo. Ken was an amateur chef, and no matter what was on the menu, it could feed the whole neighborhood—especially his seafood boils. Another special hobby that Ken and Dale were at the forefront of, which ended up sweeping the nation during the early ’90s: Paintball. Ken was known as “The Ultimate Paintball Warrior,” and he and Dale enjoyed traveling to the paintball fields and arenas in the region to make them just a bit more colorful.
And that’s what Ken did. He made the world more colorful, just that much brighter. His personality and his effect on others was so bright that it will continue to shine for generations to come. He will live on forever through his work, the stories of legend, and love of those who knew him best. Though we feel the pain of his passing so deeply, we take comfort in knowing he is at peace, reunited with those who passed before him—his son, Scott Kelsch, his sister, Joanne Daniloff, and his wife- turned-lifelong-friend, Dale Denning. It is now that we look to those he leaves behind to carry on his memory of kindness, creativity, and passion. Ken’s survivors include his children, Nina Kelsch; Joy Kelsch Coleman and her husband, Michael; Christopher Kelsch and his wife, Lisa; his grandchildren, Gavin and Quinn; and a wealth of extended family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues who will all remember him fondly.
If you would like to continue Ken’s memory in your own way, please consider making a charitable contribution to Tunnels to Towers. Memorial donations can be made via inmemof.org.
Hours of public visitation for Ken are scheduled for Sunday, December 17, from 2pm to 5pm, at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Ave., Denville, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Monday, December 18, at 10am, at St. Mary’s Church, 15 Myers Ave., Denville, NJ, with a procession to follow to Holy Cross Cemetery of North Arlington for a graveside service. All are welcome to come and celebrate the life of this wonderful man, and please leave a condolence, share a memory, or light a candle to continue to let Ken’s light shine!
