Kenneth Brooke Hinerman, II.'s Obituary
Kenneth Brooke Hinerman, II, 82, passed away on February 1, 2026. Ken was the kind of man who believed in showing up for his family, his friends, and his work. Born on June 16, 1943, and raised in Huntington, West Virginia, Ken was the son of Mary Helen Hinerman and Kenneth Norris Hinerman until 1968 when his father remarried Marie Menken Hinerman. He carried that hometown foundation with him for life: steady, loyal, and proud of where he came from. As a young man, he attended Huntington High School (Class of 1961) and found early joy in music. He played saxophone and clarinet in the marching school band, loved the big band sound, especially Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra, and years later, in the late 1970s, he was still out there playing sax in a local band just because it made him happy.
Ken earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Marshall University in 1965 and continued to graduate school at West Virginia University, where he met Audrie, the love of his life and the center of his world. They married on July 20, 1968, in Clairton, Pennsylvania, and built a life rooted in commitment, laughter, and hard work. Together they raised two children, Kenneth Hinerman III and Michele (Hinerman) Wilham.
Ken's career reflected the same drive he brought to everything else. He worked for International Nickel, GATX, and FMC, and later became President of his own company, SAEC, which he built and led for 36 years.
In 1968, Ken and Audrie moved to Wilmington, DE, then Baltimore, MD, and eventually settled in Rockville, MD in 1973. In 2021, Ken & Audrie relocated to Shaker Heights, Ohio to be closer to their daughter, Michele, and her family. Some of the most treasured family memories go back even further, especially after Ken and Marie moved to Clearwater, Florida in 1977. Ken loved annual 1,000-mile road trips from Maryland in their orange-and-white paneled Chevy Suburban, packed with the latest electronics of the day, including a 12-inch black-and-white TV that felt futuristic at the time. Those trips became part of family lore, full of laughs, long highways, and the kind of shared time you don't realize you'll miss so much until later.
Ken also loved being on the water. Boating in Annapolis with family and spending weekends on the Chesapeake Bay was his kind of happiness simple, familiar, and together.
And while he was never a big gambler, he enjoyed visiting Las Vegas, especially the shows and the fun of the trip. He enjoyed driving his John Deere tractor and doing projects around his two acre home in Rockville, MD. More than anything, Ken valued people. He was surrounded by an amazing group of lifelong friends: Joe and Jetty Stockel, Carol and Bob Miranda, Stewart and Debbie Morick, Paul and Josie Piccone, Jon and Pat Stout, John and Cathy Schonenberg, and many others who stayed close through the years. In the last several years, Ken's quality of life was also deeply improved by his physical therapist, Linda Brinkerhoff, who became not only a trusted part of his care, but a true family friend.
Ken was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Audrie; his parents, Mary Helen and Kenneth Norris Hinerman; his grandparents Earnest Brooks Hinerman (Daddaw) and Lillian Aylor (Nana) played a role during his childhood; his brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Joanne Hinerman; his aunts and uncles, Brookie and Bob Truitt, and Margaret and Harry Apple. He is survived by his two children, Kenneth Hinerman III and Michele Wilham (Jon); Ken's children, Ashley, Makenzie, and Natalie Hinerman; Michele's children Jack and Hailey Wilham; his nieces and nephews, Brook Dickerson, Audrie Ouellette, Lisa Albrecht, Kimberly Wagner, Kurt Voytell, and Kenneth Voytell; his step-mother, Marie Hinerman and her children, Terry Combs and Fulton Combs; and many extended family members and dear friends who will miss him greatly.
Ken will be remembered for how hard he worked, how deeply he cared, the way he stayed connected to friends for a lifetime, and how he brought joy into ordinary moments, through music, travel, boating, and the steady comfort of being a man his family could count on.
Family and friends will be received on Friday, February 13th from 5-7 P.M. at the Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, 301 Curry Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
A Blessing Service will be held on Saturday, February 14th at 1 P.M. in the Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home Chapel.
Flowers are available through the Jefferson Memorial Website or memorial donations can be made in Ken's name to Marshall University, https://give.marshall.edu/project/26398/donate.
Online condolences may be left at www.jeffersonmemorial.com
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