Kenneth Allen DeBlieu of Stockton, NJ passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Alburtis, PA at age 70.
He was born on June 19, 1952, in Parkersburg, WV, to Helen Snider DeBlieu and Ivan K. DeBlieu Jr., both of whom predeceased him. He grew up in Wilmington, DE. before moving to Philadelphia, PA, followed by Easton, PA, and Stockton, NJ.
He graduated from Brandywine High School in Wilmington, DE, in 1970. He earned an A.A. degree from Brevard College in NC, in 1972, then received a B.S. in communications/film from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, in 1974. While at Temple, he served as a photographer for the Temple News student newspaper and was editor-in-chief during summer 1974. After graduating, he was a news photographer for The Easton Express (PA) daily newspaper until going to work for the State of New Jersey. He worked 31 years as a photographer, chief state photographer, videographer, and assistant promotional material specialist for the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Public Communications and the State Office of Information Technology, retiring in 2011.
During his career and following his retirement, he received numerous awards for his photography and service, including from the Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsbury, N.J., the State of New Jersey, the Keystone (PA) Press Association, and Temple News. He served on the Stockton Borough Planning Board for 14 years in the 1980s and ‘90s, working to preserve an historic tract of land in the borough that had been targeted for development.
He also volunteered at fundraising events that benefitted the Stockton Fire Co.
Ken found fellowship and added purpose as an active member of the Free and Accepted Masons. Since 2005 he was a member of Orpheus Lodge #137 in Stockton, serving as master of the lodge seven years between 2009 and 2019. He was honored also to serve in 2012 as 14 th District grand chaplain for the Grand Lodge of NJ. He organized several different fundraising events to benefit Orpheus Lodge, its programs, and the district, and was actively involved in lodge visits to the Lyons VA Medical Center in Lyons, N.J. Additionally, Ken was a member of the Masonic Kilties of NJ, West Jersey Masonic Association, and Amwell Lodge in Lambertville, NJ.
Ken considered himself an adventurer, with many of his varied interests grounded in his childhood. From a young age through adulthood, he was fascinated by NASA and the space program, rocketry, racing, trains, and photography. Ken was named the B&O Railroad’s Safe Railroader for 1958 and featured on posters promoting safe railroad practices. His love of speed led him to build and race go-carts in his teens, win trophies in Loudon, NH, and Bridgehampton, Long Island, NY, and later to become a NASCAR racing fan. He also was an avid fly fisherman who tied his own flies, built and launched 10-foot camera-equipped rockets, created holographic photos, studied the techniques of famed photographer Ansel Adams, earned a private pilot’s license, became proficient in TIG welding, loved baseball, and in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s coached T-ball.
He also enjoyed spending time on Laurel Lake in Fitzwilliam, NH, where he vacationed with his family since age 13. In recent years, he volunteered on the Laurel Lake Association’s Invasive Species Watch Committee and the Lake Host program to keep invasive species from destroying one of the cleanest lakes in NH. His interest in sailing and boating led most recently to him owning a prize-winning classic 1958 wooden Chris Craft motorboat.
He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 46 years, Martha Onuferko DeBlieu; his loving daughter Marijka and her husband Joshua and his granddaughters Piper and Savannah of Pennsylvania; his sister Jan DeBlieu and husband Jeff of Bowdoinham, Maine; his brother Douglas DeBlieu and wife Leanne of Mt. Laurel, NJ, and nephews Logan of Austin, TX., and Hunter of York, PA. He is also survived by his cousin June Ann Pollard of Annapolis, MD, and her daughter Ann Pollard; cousins Lynda deBlieux Hlywiak of GA and Johnny deBlieux of AL, and other maternal and paternal relatives across the country.
Visitations and services will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at the Stockton Presbyterian Church in Stockton, NJ. Visitation from 1 to 3 p.m. will be followed by a brief service led by Rev. Barry Baughman, chief chaplain of the Service VA New Jersey Health Care System and Lyons VA Medical Center. A second visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by a Masonic funeral service.
Parking is available at the Stockton Elementary School across from the church and at the Stockton Fire House on Mill Street.
In lieu of flowers, Ken requested that donations be made to Orpheus Lodge #137, PO Box 84,
Stockton, NJ 08559-0084.
Join the Cloud HD Video Meeting at 3:00 and 7:00 pm https://njea.zoom.us/j/6293771412