Kenneth Lee Gross

Kenneth Lee Gross was born on June 21, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan. He arrived just a few minutes after his twin sister Kathleen Lea and was the fourth child of Sherman and Edwina Gross. He spent his youth in St. Clair Shores, Michigan a highlight of which was reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. Upon high school graduation in 1961, he enlisted in the USMC and was selected for the MARCAD (Marine Air Cadet) program. He attended flight school for two years and received his wings in June of 1964.

He started his aviation career flying H-34 helicopters in Viet Nam as part of HMM-364, the Purple Fox squadron. He was wounded on a mission on his 23rd birthday, and spent two months recovering at Great Lakes Naval Hospital. MCAS(H) Tustin was his next duty station and it was there that he met Carol. They were married in August of 1968. After transitioning to CH 53 Sea Stallions, he spent another tour in Viet Nam.

Ken and Carol then moved to Virginia for seven years while Ken was stationed at Headquarters MC in Washington, D.C. and completed his BA degree at the University of Maryland. It was during this time that they welcomed into the family sons Justin Kenneth in 1971 and Ryan Lee in 1973. Ken also served his last overseas tour in Okinawa. In 1977 the family moved back to MCAS El Toro,California where Ken earned his first MA in Human Relations and Management. El Toro was his duty station during his last two years in the Marine Corps. Ken retired as a Major in 1981 after serving 20 years. His most gratifying times in the USMC were spent overseas performing SAR and MEDEVAC missions. Among other citations, he was awarded 29 Air Medals and two Purple Hearts for his service.

Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, Ken entered the more mundane business world as a manager with what is now AT&T. The family moved to Encinitas and later Carlsbad while he worked as a financial analyst in the San Diego area. Ken took advantage of the educational opportunities offered by AT&T earning another MA, an MBA in Finance, and an MS in Technology. He retired in 2006 after working at AT&T for 25 years.

In retirement, Ken devoted more time to his hobby of woodworking and traveling to as many places as Carol could convince him to visit. They made numerous trips to Europe during their marriage and traveled to Canada, Victoria in particular, at least once a year. He was always ready to help a friend or neighbor with any project and enjoyed playing a good practical joke at any opportunity. He became a proud grandfather to Colin in 2008 and Olivia in 2014.

Health issues slowed him down in later years, and he spent his last three years at a care facility in Carlsbad. He passed away on December 24, 2020 at the age of 77. Ken and Carol were married for

52 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers George and David, and his sister Kathleen. He is survived by his wife Carol, his son Justin, his son Ryan, daughter-in-law Phuong, and his grandchildren Colin and Olivia.