Kenneth C. Kleene, passed away peacefully on November 24, 2021, after a grueling battle with cancer. He was born June 3, 1943, the second of a set of unexpected twins, in Brooklyn, New York, to his late parents Stephen and Nancy Kleene. Beloved husband of Cornelia (Kea) van der Ziel and devoted father of Roben (Jen Liu), Katherine (Joe Uttech) and Nicholas Kleene (Jennie Choi), and loving stepfather of Joshua Burton (Diane Kwan) and Hilary Bonnell (Mike Bonnell). Dear brother of Paul (Mary Bradford) and Bruce Kleene (Shary Yerger). He is also survived by his many nieces, nephews, and ten grandchildren. Kenneth graduated from the University of Washington in 1973 with a doctorate in Molecular and Developmental Biology. He had a distinguished research career as a Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston for over 30 years. Even in retirement, Kenneth continued to write tirelessly in the field of mouse spermatogenesis. In his free time, he was an amateur astronomer, mushroom forager, classical music aficionado, and enjoyed camping and hiking trips with his family. The highlight of most summers was a trip to the family "farm" in Hope, Maine, where the brothers' families would stay when all the children were young. Above all, Kenneth cherished his family and relished his time with them. Expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory at The Gardens Cemetery website, www.thegardenscemetery.org (670 Baker St., Boston, MA 02132), where he was laid to rest on Saturday, November 27th, 2021. A memorial is planned for the Spring. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to a charity of your choice.