This post is different than my normal posts. I want to honor my dear friend while he is around to be honored. I hope you enjoy the following stories but it is written more for him to enjoy and relive some of his life. I decided to do this because I am not there to personally talk and laugh with him.
Ken my favorite old fart. I found out today that you, one of my best friends, are not doing so well. You have been a blessing in my life so I decided to share a few stories about you. I hope that when you read this it brings back some wonderful memories, laughter, and smiles. That is my goal and Ken, I hope that you do not mind me sharing. I want to start way before we met.
This is one of my favorite stories. I believe it was around 1936 when in high school in Oakland California at the age of 16 he met the young girl who would become the love of his life. While in a class he asked his friend who was the blond girl. His friend said her name is Ann which Ken replied introduce me. That day after school he walked Ann home even though it was in the opposite direction of his home. When he arrived at his home his mother asked him “how was your day”. He replied “I met the girl I am going to marry”. Ken told me that his mom just rolled her eyes like yeah right.
5 years later Ken asked Ann for her hand in marriage. It was a Saturday and they decided to announce their engagement the next day. The next day happened to be Sunday December 7th, 1941. Millions of lives took a different direction that day. Ken told Ann he was going to war. Before he left for military service they went to Lake Tahoe to get married. They were only a month a part in age. Ann being 21 years old and Ken only 20 ( a couple of weeks until 21). At that time to get married you had to be 21. The person who did the service ignored his age and they were married.
Ken volunteered for the Navy and after boot camp was sent to the Seattle area where Ann followed. Soon he was sent overseas and into the war. He served mostly on destroyers (tin cans) and was in some of the major naval battles. He was in the Philippines going up and down the slot near the Solomon Islands. At night the Japanese navy would be going one direction and the American navy would go the other direction. The whole time they would both would be blasting the hell out of each other. One night his ship was sunk and into the water he went. He told me that while in the water he was thinking about his brother who was in the Army. His brother told him whatever you do don’t join the Army because “you will be sitting in a fox hole with water up to your nose”. Ken’s thoughts while floating in the ocean “at least in a fox hole I could touch the bottom with my feet”. He was only in the water around 20 minutes or so when a ship traveling behind his picked him up. He was at the battle of Midway, he watched the USS Franklin burning and he had friends die next to him. He was in Hawaii waiting to be assigned to a new ship when the war ended. He was sent home a week later. Get this, when he volunteered it was not for 2 years or 4 years it was for the duration of the war. If the war had lasted 20 years he would have been there. That amazed me. He thought he would sit around when he was back in Oakland and talk to his buddies about the war. Problem was he got home so quick they were all still over seas for another 10 months or so.
Ann and Ken ended up in San Leandro, California and raised 3 boys. His father owned a bar close to lake Merrit in Oakland. There are two stories about the bar that I remember. One that his father bought one of the first color TV’s and put into the bar. One morning when he went to open up for the day. He unlocked the door and when he open it there was light coming in through the sky light. Thing was he did not have a sky light. Apparently during the night thieves had cut a hole in the ceiling and took the color TV. Another story is about the small back room accessible by a back door. There was a table that his father would put a shot of brandy on everyday. Seems the local priest would slip in everyday unseen have his shot then slip out.
One time Ken and Ann got together at a friends house. The men were planning on painting the kitchen cabinets (dark blue) while the women went out on the town. While the men were painting they enjoyed one or two cocktails. One accidently splashed a little paint on the refrigerator and the friend who owned the house said “no problem paint it”. So the men proceeded to paint the entire kitchen blue. Including appliances, cabinets, walls, counter tops, sink, I mean the entire kitchen. When the women returned I guess the wife was none to happy with any of them. Ken said she was still mad 20 years later.
When they retired they moved to Cool, California and built a new home. So newly retired and sitting in the new house one day Ann handed Ken a bank book that he had never seen before. He asked her “what’s this”? She replied “our fun money”. While Ken was working he always gave Ann his pay check and she would give him $50 dollars spending money. Ann was very good at saving money and over the 40 years she had saved over $100,000 dollars for their retirement without Ken knowing. They went to Europe, cruises, road trips, Hawaii, etc….. it took over 10 years to spend it and they sure had fun. I got a laugh when they told Diana and I the story about Ann saving a 100 grand. After they got done telling us Diana turned to me and said “don’t expect that from me”.
Every Friday night Ken, Ann, Audrey, and Grant went out for dinner with friends or just the four of them. Diana and I tagged along once or twice a month. After Grant passed the five of us kept it going. Then Diana passed away and those three came a got me every Friday night for dinner whether I wanted to or not. I was not in a good place (heart or head) but they were a rock in my life. A few years later Audrey moved to Seattle. Audrey I think was 94 and Ken and Ann 91. Ken, Ann and I flew up to Seattle to see her. Ann and Audrey were so glad to see each other they were like girls in high school laughing and talking. It was a good visit. Soon after our trip Audrey passed.
Ken and Ann always had places to go and things to do. Every year they headed to Palm Spring for a few days. The last time they drove there I believe they were 93 years old. When they left for home Ken drove for a few hours then read a sign out loud “welcome to Arizona”. Ann’s reaction was to say “why the heck are we in Arizona”. Ken had made a wrong turn when leaving Palm Springs. Ann not being able to see just rode along for the ride. Ken decided that was their last long road trip.
The three of us continued our Friday night dinners. They would come over and pick me up then we headed out to eat. In 2017 Ann passed away. They had been married over 74 years. That lady always made me smile! She had slowly over the years lost her eye sight but always recognized my voice.
Ken and I kept up with Friday nights and added taco Tuesdays. He would pick me up and most of the time we would stop and he would have his two drinks with our favorite shitty bartender Natalie (see picture). Then head out to one of the many local eating establishments. Natalie Ken and I love you both!
Ken, I hope that when you read these stories and see the pictures you smile. There are many more stories but these are ones that stand out and make me smile. In life you a very lucky when you have a few friends that you can count on no matter what. I want you to know that I consider you one of mine. I love you.
Randy
A special note to Karlon and Bill. You two have been so good to and for Ken. Thank you!
