Kenneth Allyn Braun

March 16, 1943 - September 14, 2023

Kenneth A. Braun, 80, of Naperville, Illinois passed away on September 14, 2023, at his home with loving family by his side. He was born in Chicago, Illinois to the late Alvin and Edith (Neidle) Braun on March 16, 1943.

He earned a Master of Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in 1967, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. In 1981, he received his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He started his career in telecommunications at Bell Telephone Laboratories in Naperville, Illinois, upon graduation and worked in the industry until retirement. For many years, he was the Director of Communications Networks for R.R. Donnelley & Sons. He later served as Director of Communications Technology at Anixter International and retired from Sara Lee as Manager of Voice Communications.

Ken was, among other things, an avid gardener, a recreational astronomer, a train enthusiast, a keen birdwatcher, a NASCAR racing fan, an amateur electrician, a ragtime pianist, and a seasoned road trip veteran. One of Ken's great loves and hobbies was his 1965 Pontiac GTO. Ken was the founder and President of the Windy City Goats, and he was a member of the GTO Association of America for more than 30 years. He also loved and cared for parrots and had recently adopted his beloved green wing macaw Chelsea. He volunteered at Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, cleaning cages, and feeding the parrots.  As an accomplished photographer, Ken captured endless memories at family gatherings with exceptional attention to detail, and those photos will be forever cherished.

Ken was an Eagle Scout and later served as a Scoutmaster on his son's journey to the same rank. He also spent time serving Knox Presbyterian Church as a Deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and a choir member.

Ken's greatest passion was his family. He was devoted to his children and wife and was always there for them in times of celebration or need, no matter the day or time. He will be remembered for his kindness, service, loyalty, sense of humor and love of family.

He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Gail (Caron) Braun, daughter Karen Braun (Joe Waldbusser), son Stephen Braun (Lia), sister Andrea (Braun) Tarbox (David Gransee), brother Robert Braun, as well as a large extended family of nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Macaw Recovery Network, Adopt a Parrot in memory of Kenneth with a message to gailcbraun@gmail.com

https://macawrecoverynetwork.org/support-a-cause/adopt-a-macaw/

A memorial service will be held at 1:00pm on November 3rd at Knox Presbyterian Church, 1105 Catalpa Ln, Naperville, Illinois 60540.