Kenneth Calvin Goforth

After his parents divorced, in 1962, Verna, Ken, and Gene traveled by bus from North Carolina to Portland, OR and then to Garibaldi, OR. He attended Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway, OR, graduating in 1966.

While visiting his father in Gastonia, NC in 1966 he enlisted in the US Army. After training at Ft.Gordon, GA he was deployed to South Vietnam and served at the military base in Can To. After service in Vietnam he was stationed at Fort Carson, CO and was discharged under honorable conditions in October of 1969. Ken was certified as a Disabled Veteran in 1974 due to PTSD and other issues.

Ken married Peggy in 1988 and they had a son Andrew Calvin.

He was proud of his military service and had the opportunity to serve in the American Legion Post 136 in Salem as Adjutant in 2001. He was also proud as a recovering alcoholic that he had maintained his sobriety for over 6 years.

Ken passed away at home from health complications. After a private family gathering he will interred in Willamette National Ceremony, scheduled after the New Year.

He was preceded in death by both parents and his brother Gene and sister Vicky.

He is survived by his wife Peggy and son Andrew of Salem and his niece Kristin Goforth Hooper of Cherryvale, KS. He is also survived by his step children Lynnette Flores of Woodburn, OR; Karen Burke of Salem; and Matthew Burke of Covington WA; step grandchildren Kristina Vorderstrasse , Kendra Keller, and Natalia Merchant-Burke of Salem, and Frank Merchant-Burke of Bend, OR.

Service provided by Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service, Salem OR.