Kenneth Gerald Fellers

Kenneth G. Fellers, born August 15, 1940, in Taos, NM, passed away on December 9, 2024, at the age of 84—or, as he jokingly celebrated, the "34th anniversary of his 50th birthday." The second of four children of Ida Z. Peabody, Ken entered this world in his family home and often recalled the story of turning blue as a baby, almost missing his first birthday. From an early age, he was known for his precocious spirit; his mother would recount tales of him attempting to take apart furniture even while being spanked. This spirited nature exemplified Ken's life as an "onery engineer". 

Growing up in Taos, Ken cherished his childhood, filled with adventures with his siblings, cousins, and beloved animals. He loved sharing stories of the "hanging tree," where a cousin once roped him off his bike, nearly hanging him. His deep-rooted connection to Northern New Mexico was evident in his frequent visits to the family homestead and the care he took in tending to family graves. At 12, Ken moved to Los Alamos, which he proudly called home from 1952-2024. After graduating from Los Alamos High School in 1958, he joined the Navy and was commissioned as an officer in 1959. During his service, he was a navigator on one of the Navy’s flying boats, the P5M. In September 1961, Ken survived a plane crash off Whidbey Island, Washington. Following a lengthy recovery in a burn unit, he received an honorable discharge in 1962. After leaving the Navy he began his pursuit of a career as a welder. Working his way through college as a welder, his supervisor recommended that Ken become an engineer. His career as a welder and engineer spanned five decades, primarily in the nuclear industry, culminating in his retirement as a LANL contractor in 2012. He took immense pride in his contributions to the country’s nuclear programs. Ken held many titles throughout his life—bull rider, lieutenant, hot rod enthusiast, welder, mechanic—but his most cherished roles were husband, dad, papa, and grandpa. He was a father to 10, a grandpa to 27, a great-grandpa to 15, and a great-great-grandpa to 1. He instilled in his children the values of hard work, tenacity, and resilience, ensuring that each one knew how to change oil, fix a tire, and to bring home every stray animal. In 1972, Ken met and married Eleanor Jean Weeks“his bride” of 51 years. Theirs was a marriage defined by unwavering love, never parting without a kiss and an "I love you more". 

 Ken’s life can be summed up by this quote by Hunter S. Thompson: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, “'Wow! What a ride!'" 

Ken is survived by his wife, Eleanor; his children Kenneth Fellers(Janet), Kirk Fellers(Kelly), Keith Fellers(Laurie), Kevin Fellers(Gillian), Karen Jeanette Stone, Christine Moore(Kevin), Kristin Laux(Matt), Becca Jones (Tylerr), Emily Klesert(Joe), and Hillary Bucklew(Ross); his sisters Donna Swanson, Karen Stone and his brother John Fellers(Sally); and numerous cherished nieces, nephews, cousins, half-siblings, and friends. Services will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 10 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1967 18th St., Los Alamos. 

Donations may be made to your favorite veterans or animal humane organization. Please visit www.riverafamilyfuneralhome.com to leave messages of condolences, or stories and pictures of Mr. Fellers life for his family to cherish.