Kenneth Joseph Ludwig, 72, a longtime resident of Shelton, died August 9, after a long illness, at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, with his loving family by his side. He is the devoted husband of 22 years to Carole (Walker) Ludwig. He was born in Columbia, S.C., on September 27, 1943, shortly before his father was shipped out by the Army to Europe in World War II.

His beloved children and their spouses, Susan and Dean Ludwig Harrell of Newtown and Mark and Ingrid Ludwig of Miami; stepchildren and their spouses, Wendy and Mike Audet of Newtown and Shani and Gavin Magurie of Chicago; six grandchildren, Layton, Rylee, Colby, and Summer Harrell, Mackenzie and Matthew Ludwig; and five stepgrandchildren, Emily, Marysa, and Travis Audet, Kayli and Finlay Maguire survive him. He also leaves numerous nieces and nephews. He will be sadly missed by his siblings and their spouses, who shared his love of water and boating, Catherine Donleycott of Raleigh, N.C.; Stephen and Joanne Ludwig of East Haven; Lorraine and Bob Westervelt of Fairfield; and Philip and Nubia Ludwig of Stratford. His brother, Paul Ludwig, and his sister, Eileen Ludwig, predeceased him.

He was the oldest son of Nicholas and Lillian Kennedy Ludwig of Fairfield. Mr Ludwig grew up in lower Westchester County, N.Y., and lived at Breezy Point in Long Island during the summer. He entered the Air Force in 1963, serving in Istanbul, Turkey, during the Vietnam War era. After the Air Force, he married Lucille Mintkenbaugh and lived in Wilmington, N.C., where Susan and Mark were born.

He was hired by IBM where he began as a technician, then went into sales, where he was a natural. He achieved the Golden Circle Award, recognizing the top two percent of IBM representative nationwide, and also regional manager and Branch Top Performer several times. He retired after nearly 25 years from IBM and went on to work at NSI of Naugatuck, then various other computer and software sales companies until his retirement in January 2015.

Mr Ludwig enjoyed spending time with his children Susan and Mark. They loved boating, water skiing, and in the winter, skiing in Vermont. He was a member of the New Haven Ski Club, but most of all Mr Ludwig was an avid golfer and recipient of numerous golf awards. He and Mark played courses up and down the East Coast, but his favorite course was Whitney Farms in Monroe, as an associate member, and Grassy Hill in Milford. He and Carole were members of the Pequonnock Yacht Club in Bridgeport and the Cedar Island Marina in Clinton. They met many friends on J-dock and shared trips to Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, Newport, and Montauk. Mr Ludwig and Sue shared a love for gardening and landscaping. He loved his home with a big yard to fuel his passion for gardening and playing with his sweet labs. He was happiest when he was able to have parties and show off his home and yard.

Friends may greet his family on Friday, August 12, from 4 to 7 pm in the Riverview Funeral Home, 390 River Road, Shelton. On Saturday, August 13, his funeral service will be held at 10 am with the Rev Margaret Jay officiating in the funeral home. Burial with military honors will follow in Riverside Cemetery in Shelton.

Memorial contributions may be made to Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford CT 06405, or by visiting hospice.com.

To offer online condolences to his family, visit riverviewfh.com.