Kenneth Alan Beem, longtime antiques enthusiast and writer, died on June 3, 2015, of cardiac arrest. He was 72.

The son of Richard and Jean Beem, Ken was born in Columbus, Ohio, on October 3, 1942. After graduating from Mifflin High School in 1960, he attended Tulane University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1964 and a master's degree two years later. He was awarded his PhD in Geology, specializing in micropaleontology, in 1973 from the University of Cincinnati and served a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

In 1971, he joined the faculty of Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland, and taught geology and biology there for 36½ years.

In 1974, he married Barbara Miller. Barbie and Ken had one child, daughter Katherine, born in 1980. With Barbara's parents, the Beems moved to Catonsville, Maryland, in 1984; it was the purchase of their home there that sparked his interest in antiquing.

Ken became interested in Baltimore potteries of the nineteenth and early twentieth century in the early 1980s, thereby beginning a 30-year quest for knowledge on the subject. With Barbara, he was a regular contributor to AntiqueWeek (beginning in 1992); his monthly column, “Question Box,” was a reader favorite and source of personal satisfaction. They shared a byline for nearly 23 years and were known as the “Beem Team” by their editors. Together, Barbara and Ken wrote features and historic property stories for The New England Antiques Journal. Over the years, their words appeared in a variety of publications, including the Baltimore Sun, the Baltimore Examiner, Grapevine Magazine, The View from Catonsville and others. “A History of Baltimore Porcelain” was published in the 2012 edition of Ceramics in America. At the time of his passing, Ken was researching an article on Rebekah-at-the-Well teapots.

Although his main collecting passion was the wares of the Bennett Pottery of Baltimore, Ken also collected vintage cocktail shakers, paint-by-numbers pictures, and 78 rpm records. A car enthusiast and fan of Formula One auto racing, he enjoyed classical music and played the trombone. He was a founding member of the Salem Brass and continued to arrange music for the group when illness forced him to stop playing in 2012. He was also a founding member of the Catonsville Seven, a local travel writers’ group.

Ken loved being the grandfather of Ruby (9), Marigold (3) and Roland (1) McKerrow. He saw them nearly every day. He was the faithful son-in-law of Ruth Miller.

A memorial service for Ken will be held at his church, Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 905 Frederick Road, Catonsville, Maryland, at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 13. Memorial donations in his name may be directed to Salem’s Memorial Fund.