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Ken was born on July 3, 1963 to Mary Ann “Tommie” Tomczyk and the late Edwin Yeasky.
He grew up in Carteret and graduated from Green Brook High School (Somerset County).
Ken had a distinguished 38-year military career at multiple levels in different branches. He graduated from Kean University with a bachelor's in industrial engineering, and had graduated from numerous other military schools.
"He wanted to be in the military his whole life," his daughter, Sabrina, said.
Ken served in a variety of theaters with three combat tours, and participated at Ground Zero during 9/11. He served in Korea, Japan, on board the U.S.S Tarawa, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Afghanistan, Qatar, and countless duty stations in the U.S.
His awards, badges and decorations are consistent with those who have had the honor to serve the U.S. over a period of decades and the good fortune to return home safely.
In 1988, Ken met his wife of 31 years Jolanta, a U.S Navy Veteran, at Victory Engineering. They went on to have his two cherished children, Sabrina and Christopher.
In August 2019, Ken retired from the military as a colonel. In September 2023, he also retired from BAE Systems after 15 years, where he worked as a logistics engineer.
Ken was an extremely knowledgeable man on a plethora of topics, most notably military history and had numerous passions and hobbies. He was a proud cancer survivor, a condition unrelated to his passing. Throughout his time on this earth he made countless friends and touched so many lives.
Ken is predeceased by his beloved son Christopher Yeasky and his brother Alan Kelhoffer.
He is survived by his wife Jolanta; daughter Sabrina and son-in-law SGT Mitchell Crawford (Smackover, AR); mother Tommie Kelhoffer (Bonita Springs, FL) and sister Toni Yeasky (Fort Lauderdale, FL); as well as countless friends.
A Military Honors Service will be held on Sunday, March 10, at 3 p.m., at the MacFadden Funeral Home. Family and friends may call from 1 p.m. to the time of service at the funeral home.
A GoFundMe for the family had raised more than $2,000 as of Thursday, March 7. Funds raised will go toward a memorial.
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