Kevin was educated at Rosemount Boys’ School, St Columb’s College and St Joseph’s College of Education, Belfast, where he specialised in speech and drama. He taught in St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s Secondary School in Claudy, St Malachy’s High School in Antrim and St Joseph’s High School in Coleraine. In all of these schools he taught senior pupils with additional needs and in St Joseph’s he was vice-principal responsible for pastoral care. For many years Kevin spent happy hours hill-walking – in the Mournes, the Sperrins, the Donegal Hills. He walked the Wicklow Way and the West Highland Way, In summer, he and like-minded friends spent many happy hours walking in the Scottish Highlands.