Alan George Kenien

Alan Kenien, 68, of Fargo, ND, died Monday, August 10, 2015 at Sanford Health in Fargo.

Alan George Kenien was born on March 16, 1947 in Binghamton, N.Y. to Freida and Kenneth Kenien. He graduated from Binghamton Central High School and then attended Harpur College in Binghamton where he majored in Chemistry. He attended Medical School at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. After graduation, Al did his pediatric training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor at Mott Children’s hospital. He completed a fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

In 1977 he moved with his wife Janet to Fargo and joined the Fargo Clinic where he worked for the next 38 years. He was a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the UND School of Medicine where he taught medical students. He was awarded a Bush Foundation Fellowship in pediatric metabolic diseases in 1991 and established a metabolic disorders clinic in conjunction with the state newborn screening program. In that capacity, Dr. Kenien testified in Bismarck on behalf of children with the metabolic disease phenylketonuria in order for them to receive free formula to treat their condition. He volunteered several summers as a camp physician at Camp Sioux, a camp for diabetic children. In 2013 he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society and received the Doctor’s Doctor award from his colleagues at Sanford Medical Center.

Alan was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder and was a long time member of the church choir. He enjoyed traveling, photography and music.

He married Janet Schultz in 1975. Alan is survived by his wife and two daughters Susan Peterson(Brian) and Julie Erpelding(Jason). He has four grandchildren: Emily and Leah Erpelding and William and Elijah Peterson. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorials are preferred to First Presbyterian Church - Fargo, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.