By Mary Jane Pitt
“Very sad news for all in Cornwall.”
“Legend. A really nice guy.”
“Thank you Mr. Cashman for years of dedicated service to this community.”
“He spent so much of his time attending events pertaining to the youth of Cornwall and promoting the positive things they do! He was always interested in the kids!!”
“Ken was a gentleman.”
“Ken was a lovely man, and he will be sorely missed.”
Those are just a very few of the words of sympathy posted online by friends, acquaintances, and fans of Ken Cashman, the 21-year editor of The Cornwall Local, who died on August 13. He was 83.
Word of his passing after a short illness drew hundreds of comments of sympathy on social media posts by The Local, Cornwall-on-Hudson Mayor James Gagliano and Cornwall Supervisor Josh Wojehowski, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, Cornwall High School’s Athletic Department and others.
Cashman, a resident of Monroe, retired from his tenure as editor in July 2022, but continued in a still vital role as the newspaper’s proofreader and Cornwall sports reporter until late July of this year.
In his tenure as editor, he worked with four Cornwall Central School District superintendents, six Town of Cornwall supervisors and four Cornwall-on-Hudson mayors. Of that he was very proud.
But, he most loved Cornwall sports, whether it be little league baseball play or high school football or following ‘local athletes’ as they went to college and beyond.
When he retired, he was named July’s Citizen of the Month by County Executive Steve Neuhaus, was celebrated (and sang God Bless America at) a Sunday evening concert in Cornwall, served as the grand marshal of the July 4th parade, and collected quite a few citations and certificates of appreciation. In the last two years he remained a familiar face at local events, often singing for the crowds at those events.
Cashman was a father of three, and grandfather of eight. He was predeceased by his wife Evelyn.
Cashman’s funeral services were held on Tuesday, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Monroe. He was interred at Orange County’s Veterans Cemetery in Goshen. Among several medical foundations, his family asked for donations in his memory “to any local Little League”, a nod to Cashman’s love of youth sports.
Perhaps Supervisor Josh Wojehowski summed it up most succinctly: “Whether it was covering local sports, town and village government, important happenings in our tight-knit community, or his work through the American Legion, Ken was known by most everyone. Most importantly, he was an example of what it means to serve one’s county and community.” He will be missed.