Kenneth Edward Naylor, 80, of Fort Myers, FL, previously of Hamilton, NJ and Tuckerton, NJ was called to eternal rest in the early morning hours of Thursday April 24 after a brave 4-month battle with brain cancer.

He is predeceased by his parents, R. Kingman Naylor and Louise Meehan Naylor of Abington, PA, his brother Robert Naylor of Roanoke, WV, his ex-wife Vicki Reven Naylor of Ventnor, NJ and his wife's first husband, Theodore J. Pointin of Hamilton, NJ.

He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Elvira (Vera) DiMattia Pointin Naylor, his brother, Richard (Dick) Naylor and wife Ann, his daughter, Kimberly Naylor Haurin and husband Joe, son Keith Naylor and wife Nikki, stepdaughter Tara Pointin Wojciechowski and husband Matt,and not-quite-stepdaughter Kirstin Pointin Hahn and husband Scott.

He also leaves behind his grandchildren who all lovingly called him Pop-Pop:Jessica Pointin-Hahn Kelly, Kristen Haurin Burkart and husband Mike, Alec Hahn, Trevor Hahn, Daniel Haurin and fiancee Julia, Ryan and Cameron Wojciechowski, great-grandchildren Olivia and Kiera Kelly, and many nieces and nephews. 

After a brief stint working at Midvale Steel in Philadelphia, Ken opened and operated a nursery in Southampton, PA where he intended to make a living out of his hobby of tending greenery. Eventually, the nursery went out of business, and he became a career driver for Stroehmann Bros. Bakery, delivering bread to stores all over South Jersey alongside his brother Dick for over 25 years. Upon retirement from Stroehmann and moving down the shore to Tuckerton, Ken took up a second career working for 20 years as a beloved school bus driver, mainly for Durham School Services. On the last day of school each year, Ken would boldly blast Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" (we don't need no education!) from the bus speakers. Being married to a former nun and 40-years-plus teaching veteran apparently didn't mean diddly squat.

Ken and his sweetheart Vera have been together since 1982, having met at a dance for singles at The Fabulous Fountainhead in New Hope, PA. Their first date at the Olde Heidelberg Restaurant in Hamilton was a unique double date: they each brought along their 7-year old child for additional entertainment (and lack of babysitter), and it went so well they have been together ever since. Upon semi-retirement, they started snow-birding to Florida in the winter of 1999, first in the Keys for several years and then shifting up to Fort Myers before making it their permanent residence in 2022. Ken loved boating and fishing in both states, and he loved nothing more than taking the kids and grandkids out on the water with Vera as his First Mate. He also amazed everyone with the bountiful vegetable garden he was able to create in their sandy NJ lagoon-side backyard, and loved tending to it in between checking his crab traps to see if dinner was caught. He dedicated many hours of his life to serving others, whether it be acts of good samaritanism by helping stranded drivers change a flat on the side of the road, driving older seniors to their medical appointments, or building and barn raising homes with Habitat for Humanity. Ken won the Golden Hammer Award in 2006 for his work and dedication with the Habitat chapter of Southern Ocean County. In his spare time when he wasn't fishing, Ken enjoyed hanging out with Vera and their friends, snuggling with his dog Raj, reading spy novels, and watching stage performances at the Broadway Palm and Barbara Mann theaters.

Ken could always be spotted wearing brightly-colored t-shirts, usually from his favorite Florida restaurants like No Name Pub, Doc Ford's, and Coconut Jack's. His shirt choices were symbolic of his outlook on life: no matter what gets thrown your way, always look on the bright side and don't take yourself too seriously. Throughout his two bouts with stage IV cancer and double-bypass heart surgery, Ken was able to maintain both his characteristic dry sense of humor and delightful twinkle in his ocean-blue eyes. Ken cracked jokes until the very end, using facial expressions alone when his brain was no longer able to find the words. His endless joking never failed to make his nurses smile (and the cute nurses never failed to make him smile). 

Family and friends honored his life with a small memorial service at Canterfield of Fort Myers, the assisted living facility where Ken was able to comfortably spend his last days alongside Vera and his beloved pup, Raj. In the near future, the family is considering having a tree planted in his honor in one of his former hometowns.

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