Kenneth Alan Guendel, 55, of Keedysville, Maryland died on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at his home.

Ken was a lifelong tennis professional, USPTR and USTA member.  He worked over 22 years at the Aspen Hill Club in Silver Spring, MD., most recently as Director of Junior Tennis.  He was the recent recipient of the MATEF Courage Award and the 2008 USTA/Mid-Atlantic Lifetime Service Award.  Ken was the Montgomery County Tennis Association Board Member of the Year in 2006, as well as the first annual USTA Maryland Teaching Pro of the Year in 2003.  He was nationally ranked in Men's 40's singles, was a member of the USTA National 45 Grasscourt Doubles, Philadelphia, PA with partner Claude England.  He was also a member of the USTA/MAS Atlantic Coast Vup Team (45's).

Ken loved writing both and professionally.  He interviewed numerous tennis professionals on tour as well as his family members.  Ken published many articles in Tennis Pro Magazine, Mid-Atlantic Matchpoint Magazine, USPTR Magazine, Tennis Week and Racquet Magazine.  He also had a successful tenis print ad campaign example published in Mid-Atlantic in 1999.

Throughout his career Ken was a speaker at many conferences including the 1998 USTA National Tennis Teachers Conference, the USPTR International Tennis Symposium and the 1998 USPTR Mid-Atlantic Tennis Symposium.  In 1997 he was a speaker at the USPTR New England Tennis Symposium, and the USPTR Drills and Skills Workshops.

In the early nineties, Ken was a member of the Washington D.C. 35's Cup Team and the Assistant Coach then the Head Coach for the USTA Player Development Program (ATC).

Ken was highly active in the Wheelchair Tennis Community.  From 1991-1993 he was a member of the Board of Directors, for the Nations Capitol Wheelchair Tennis Association.  From 1990 to 1993 he was the Tournament Director for the nations Capitol Wheelchair Tennis Classic.  Ken also coached many Wheelchair players throughout his career, including the U.S. Wheelchair Team, Swiss Open Championships, Geneva in 1991, which included his good friend, Ryan Martin, 1991 World A Division #1, U.S. Olympic Festival Champion, 1993 Maccabiah Games Gold Medal.  Ken also volunteered his time at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington D.C. as recent as 2009 teaching injured soldier tennis.

Before moving to Maryland, Len, a Long Isalnd, New York native, was a Tennis Pro at Central Park Tennis Courts, Crosstown Tennis Club, and he was the head Tennis Pro at Tower Tennis Club, all in New York City.  In Hewlett harbor, new York he was the head Tennis Pro at Seawane Country Club.  he also was the Sales and Operations Assistant, Avon Tennis Championship at Madison Square Garden.

Ken was the Head Junior Coach at the Guayaquil Tennis Club, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, fulfilling an eight month contract for Dennis Van der Meer, after he attended the Dennis Van der Meer Tennis Academy.  He also was recognized in 1982 for the Guayaquil Tennis Club's junior program in the national sports magazine ESTADIO, 12/82 in the cover story.

Ken also lived in Virginia Beach where he was a Tennis pro at the Owl Creek Tennis Center and he was the head Tennis Pro at Tidewater Jewish Community Center in Norfolk, Virginia where he founded, published and edited The Tidewater Tennis Guide.  He produced this annual publication which listed all local facilities and received national recognition for his work in the USTA publication, NETWORD in 1980.

Aside from his many impressive and coveted accomplishments in the professional tennis world, Ken was a loving, caring and amazing person.  His hobbies included: drawing, woodblock carving, gardening, golf, bird watching, fishing, scrabble and many other board games, reading especially Aldous Huxley and Sherlock Holmes novels.  He enjoyed playing tennis with his children as well as taking them shopping and out for ice cream.  Many fond memories were had at the "Broken Bridge" a river by his house in Laurel, Maryland.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lydia Aleshin; his children, Alexandria, larissa and Serge Aleshin-Guendel; his mother, Janet (Fryba) Guendel; and his sisters, Deborah Boyce, Marci Guendel, Alison Redding, Cynthia Clark and their families.  Ken was crismated into the Holy Orthodox Faith Monday May 24th, 2010.  A funeral service was held at the Orthodox Church of Saint Matthew in Columbia, Md.  The V. Rev. Dennis Buck and the V. Rev. Raymond Velencia officiated.  Interment followed at Fairview Cemetery in Keedysville, Maryland.