THETFORD, VT — Kenneth McDaniels from Thetford, Vermont passed away peacefully with his wife and son by his side, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on June 22, 2020. Ken was 78 years old and died from a sudden and rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease.

Ken was born in 1942 and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of James “Walter” and Catherine McDaniels. He graduated from Newton High School in 1960 and Edward J Meyer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1964.

Joining the US Army in 1965, he served as a nurse in the Vietnam War. He volunteered to work at a tent hospital in Pleiku, where he was part of a surgical team treating critically wounded soldiers near the front lines. In remembering his service he said, “We saved a lot of guys, saved a lot of limbs.” He was honorably discharged in 1968.

After leaving the military he earned a Political Science degree from the University of Maryland followed by a Masters in Healthcare Administration from George Washington University. He served at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well as the Baltimore City Hospital as an Assistant Administrator. Moving to Vermont in the early 1980’s, he was the Director of Nursing at Gifford Hospital in Randolph for three years. He then worked at an inpatient alcohol treatment center at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH and finally retired from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where he was a nursing administrator.

An avid outdoorsman, Ken enjoyed hiking, camping and hunting. He attended the Colorado School of Trades for gunsmithing and worked as a self-employed gunsmith for two years. He loved cooking, woodworking, reading and traveling.

A loving husband and proud father, Ken is survived by his devoted wife of 33 years, Beth Anne McDaniels, beloved son, Dr. Ian McDaniels and his wife, Dr. Reiko Sakai, cousin Faye Christensen, her husband Hal, their children Candice Bunk and Kim Wilkinson, brother-in-law Tim Smith, sister-in-law Deborah Frerking , cousins Robert McCabe and Scott McCabe, best friend David Moore and his wife Joanne, nephews and cousins. He was pre-deceased by his parents and his cousin, Barbara McCabe.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Thetford Fire Department where Ken served as a Volunteer Firefighter.

Contributions can be mailed to:

Thetford Fire Department, Inc

2829 Route 113

Thetford Center VT, 05075

To view an online memorial and or send a message of condolence to the family, please visit, www.rand-wilson.com.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.