Upper Gwynedd mourns longtime board president Ken Kroberger

Former commissioner died April 21 at age 80

Township officials are mourning the loss of a longtime local fixture.

“I’d like to take a moment to remember an individual who had a significant impact on Upper Gwynedd Township. We learned the sad news recently that Ken Kroberger, the former president of the board of commissioners for many years, has died,” said Upper Gwynedd Commissioner Denise Hull.

Kroberger was born in Philadelphia, graduated from Springfield Township High School, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1967, and served as a communications technician with deployments in Spain and the Philippines during the Vietnam War, according to an obituary from Chalfont-based Scanlin-McDonald Funeral Home that announced his passing at age 80 on April 21. In addition to a private sector career, Kroberger first served as a member of the township’s zoning hearing board, and totaled 32 years of volunteer service including 28 as a commissioner, with his final decade as board President from 2010 to 2019.

“I only had the pleasure of working with Ken on the board for two years. In that time, I appreciated all he taught me about his position, either through a direct question, or through what he modeled in his role,” Hull said.

“He was professional, well-spoken, principled, driven, funny, steadfast, wise, and a true leader,” she said.

During his tenure, Kroberger helped oversee transitions in the township manager’s office, police leadership, several controversial development projects, and the widening of Sumneytown Pike, along with the township’s split from what had been a sewer authority jointly operated with neighboring Towamencin Township.

“Thirty-two years of dedication to a town is a hard act to follow, and I will always give him the utmost respect for all he did for our township, and all he gave of himself,” Hull said.

Kroberger’s name is also one of five commissioners permanently honored on a plaque at the township’s Park-Sci Playground which the board discussed rebuilding or renovating in March. The castle-shaped playground was dedicated in 1995, and plaques on display there list Kroberger alongside fellow members Eugene Ziemba who passed away in 2016, Jean DeBarth who passed away in 2020, and Jim Santi who passed away in 2022.

“He will continue to be missed, and his legacy of accomplishments will never be forgotten,” Hull said, before asking for a moment of silence in Krobeger’s memory.

A private service will be held to celebrate his life, and “in lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor his memory are encouraged to extend kindness to others, reflecting the spirit in which he lived,” per his obituary.

This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between Fideri News Network and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com