Fr. Kenneth Germaine, SDB (1930-2020)

Fr. Kenneth Germaine, SDB (1930-2020)

Fr. Kenneth Edward Germaine of the Salesian community of Tampa passed away on the morning of June 19 at Suncoast Hospice in Palm Harbor, Fla. He was 89 years old, was professed as a Salesian for more than 63 years, and was a priest ten days shy of 53 years.

At SDB jubilees celebration in 2007.
The late Bp. Emilio Allue is behind him.

Ken was born to Daniel and Frances Newman Germaine on December 2, 1930, in Cliffside Park, N.J. He entered the Christian life through Baptism eight days later at Sacred Heart Church in Hudson Heights, N.J., and he was confirmed in 1942 at St. John the Baptist Church in Cliffside, N.J.

Ken enrolled at Don Bosco College Seminary in Newton, N.J., as a Son of Mary (“late vocation”—he was 23) on September 12, 1954. At that time he was living in Ridgefield Park, N.J. The following September, he and 31 other young men entered the novitiate in Newton. They included the future Brothers Patrick Barbariol (SUO), Kevin Connolly and Bernard Zdanowicz and Fathers Harold Danielson (SUO), Joseph Doran, Thomas Juarez (SUO), and Joseph La Forge.

They made their first profession of vows in Newton on September 8, 1956, which was followed by three years of philosophical studies at Don Bosco College. (In those years the novices were credited with freshman year studies—basic courses in English, Latin, education, and Gregorian chant.) At one point Bro. Ken served as one of the two young assistants to the Sons of Mary. A member of that class, Bob Breault, writes that in comparison with the other assistant, “Ken was more like the drill sergeant that we needed.”

Bro. Ken was an average student and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1959.

After graduating from DBC at age 28, Bro. Ken left the Garden State for Boston. He taught electronics at Don Bosco Technical High School there for three years. At the same time, between 1959 and 1962 he completed 48 hours of studies in electronics at the Wentworth Institute in Boston; he did a further 24 hours at the RCA Institute in New York.

Bro. Ken made his perpetual profession on September 1, 1962, and then did a fourth year of practical training at Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, N.J., in 1962-1963.

From 1963 to 1967 he did theological studies at Benediktbeuern, Germany, where he was ordained on June 29, 1967. He brushed up on his German during the summer of 1964 with six hours of study at Marquette University.

Returning to the U.S., Fr. Germaine continued teaching electronics, as well as electricity, drafting, math, and sciences at the same two schools between 1967 and 1981: Boston, 1967-1970 and 1975-1981; Paterson, 1970-1975. He was certified in New Jersey in 1970 to teach science and Latin. In 1971 he earned Master’s degrees in divinity and guidance at Boston College.

From 1975 to 1981 he was director of Don Bosco Tech in Boston. In 1981 he became treasurer at the Paterson school, serving two years. He then brought his financial acumen to the Salesian Missions office in New Rochelle, N.Y. (1983-1987), and as treasurer to the Salesian schools in Ramsey, N.J. (1987-1992), East Boston (1992-1993), and Tampa (1993-2004).  Before leaving Tampa for his next assignment, he very patiently and as thoroughly as he could explained for a week or so the financial workings at Mary Help of Christians to his relatively inexperienced successor—moi!

In 2004 he moved into parish ministry as assistant pastor at Holy Rosary Church in Birmingham, Ala. On the occasion of his 40th anniversary of ordination in 2007, the provincial, Fr. James Heuser, observed, “He is appreciated by many as truly a good and gentle shepherd.” He remained in Birmingham for ten years, until the Salesians withdrew from Holy Rosary as well as from St. Theresa Parish in Leeds, Ala., in January 2014. The Knights of Columbus in Leeds presented him with a certificate of appreciation.

Fr. Ken was posted back to New Rochelle, to act as caretaker of the province archives for a couple of years. His two years at the provincial house earned him such accolades as these from the confreres: Fr. Mark Hyde: “Will miss you here. I appreciated your homilies and your good nights as well as your exhibits in the archives”; Fr. Dominic Tran: “I have quickly felt welcome by your gentleness”; Fr. Bill Keane: “You are an example of a good solid son of Don Bosco.”

A 2017 pic from Tampa.
I don't know who took it.

From late 2016 Fr. Ken resided at St. Philip the Apostle Residence in Tampa until he needed more attention and went to Bon Secours nursing home in St. Petersburg in January 2019. His last few days were spent in hospice care at Suncoast in Palm Harbor.

Information about immediate survivors is not yet available.

Fr. Ken was waked at Mary Help of Christians Church in Tampa on Monday, June 22. A funeral Mass was celebrated there on June 23, with Fr. Steve Dumais, pastor, presiding and preaching.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, N.Y., on Monday, June 29, at 10:00 a.m. Street address: 174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980.

Following that Mass, Fr. Ken will be buried in the Salesian cemetery in Goshen, N.Y., located at 3 Craigville Road.