Amherst, Kenneth William Denno of Amherst, MA passed peacefully away Tuesday at the age of eighty after a long period of declining health with his wife Barbara at his side. He was a loving and loyal husband, and a proud father and grandfather.  Ken was born to Frank R. and Mary F. Denno (nee Dec) in Northampton, MA on November 4, 1936. He grew up in a small house on Fort Street. Later in life, he would often reflect on his childhood there, where he worked and played in the Meadows and along the banks of the Connecticut River. Ken loved to tell stories to anyone who would listen. His friends and family often heard about his difficult Depression-era upbringing, his paper route, his work in retail shops in the center of Northampton as a young man, and his eventual career as a the owner of his own plumbing and heating company. Work was an important part of his identity. Ken took great pride in his ability to solve challenging technical problems and in his craftsmanship. He believed that any job worth doing, was worth doing well.  He passed the trade on to his brother, Neal, and to his longtime employee, Mark Downey. Ken prided himself on his commitment to learning and education; he graduated from Northampton High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst as an adult, while owning and operating his own business and fulfilling his responsibilities as a husband and father. Ken loved books and was an avid reader who believed that money spent on a book was always money well-spent. He read voraciously and widely throughout his life. He also loved computers and technology, films, humor, painting and drawing, bowling, skiing, and golfing; the latter sport was particularly important to him, as were the group of friends he most often played with until he was no longer physically able to do so. Ken leaves behind his wife of 59 years Barbara (nee Nanartonis), son Paul, his wife Patricia and grandchildren Madelaine and Maxim, and son David and his partner Heather Cripps, and granddaughters Elena and Penelope.