Ken was born on June 4, 1918 on a farm in Deep River, Iowa, the second of three boys. He grew up in Cedar Rapids and worked his way through Iowa State College, studying Electrical Engineering. He joined General Electric Company in New York State in the Research Laboratory, working on the development of early radar. While living in the East he was an avid athlete and enjoyed hiking and climbing in the Adirondacks.
He spent considerable time in the Pacific attached to the Navy as a civilian technician during the war, ending up in Tokyo Bay the day the war ended. He met Joyce soon after his return and they married in 1946. In 1950 they moved to California, where he worked for Hughes Aircraft for the next 35 years. During that time he and Joyce raised five children and Ken built houses for his aunts, his family, and his daughters’ dolls.
He was a wonderful father to his three daughters and two sons, a delighted grandfather to four grandchildren, and a loving, generous, supportive husband. He was also a great photographer, talented woodworker, and enthusiastic traveler to many parts of the world.
He passed away on May 21, 2010, 14 days before his 92nd birthday.
