Kenneth Luxenberger

Kenneth James Luxenberger was born August 2, 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Frank Luxenberger and Viola Kennedy. He was born in a house on Over the Rhine’s Dorsey Street where the family lived until the mid-1950s and which is still standing.
He served in the United States Navy as a Petty Officer Second Class in the Sixth Fleet, 1956-1962, first as active duty and then as a reservist.
His passion was service to his community. He served as an Erlanger City Councilman from 1978 – 1984. He was a founding member of Cable One of Northern Kentucky, an all-volunteer effort to bring quality local event programming to public access television. Fondly known by peers as “Papa Smurf,” “Chief,” or simply “Kenny,” he served with three area fire departments. In Southgate, he and his dispatcher wife lived in an apartment above the fire house and he responded to the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. He retired from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as fire chief in 1987 after 21 years of service. He was past president of the Kenton-Boone Fireman’s Educational Association from 1972-1973. He retired from active service with Erlanger in 2001 and was an Honorary Member until his passing. He also served as registrar of the Greater Cincinnati Regional Arson & Fire Investigators Seminar as well as an investigator with the Kenton/Boone/Campbell Arson Investigators Task Force. He was a parishioner of Mary, Queen of Heaven Church in Erlanger where he served for decades as the usher for the 11:30am mass on Sundays.
A loving and devoted husband and father, he is survived by his wife of 48 years Brenda (Lawrence) of Erlanger, son Steven of Florence, and daughters Lee Ann of Crescent Springs and Pastor Gina Ann (Pastor R. Jeffrey) Newton of Reynoldsburg, Ohio from the Church of the Most High. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister Mrs. Diane Sandhas. Visitation will be held Thursday March 22nd from 5 to 8pm at Linnemann Funeral Home in Erlanger. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10am Friday March 23rd at Mary Queen of Heaven Church in Erlanger. Burial will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Southgate KY.