Kenneth D. Grimes

Kenneth Grimes, a longtime resident of Newark, California, died at age 97 of natural causes. It is often said that life is a journey, not a destination. Ken embodied that notion. His journey began in Ghent, Minnesota where he was born to Ruth Barber. After the untimely death of his mother, Ken was raised by his uncle and aunt, James and Mary (Barber) Grimes. His childhood summers were spent on the Barber family farm where he learned to drive tractors and trucks, ride horses, shoot pistols and rifles, and herd cattle. By the age of 16, Ken had earned his private pilot’s license and was an accomplished marksman. It was in Ghent that he got his first job driving trucks, and even a harrowing collision between a train and his truck would not deter him from continuing to drive. At age 19, Ken married Vera, the young pretty woman who lived across the street. Soon after their wedding he enlisted in the Coast Guard. He was initially deployed to the eastern U.S. seaboard, then later to the Atlantic and North Africa. Because post-war jobs were scarce in Minnesota, in 1952 Ken and Vera decided to move their family of four to California. There he found a job working at Palo Alto Airport and, later, Hiller Aircraft. After several moves around the Bay Area, Ken and Vera settled in Newark in 1958 to raise their ever- growing family. Six years later, Ken landed a good job as a long-haul driver for Consolidated Freightways (CF). He drove over one million miles without an accident and continued to work for CF until retirement. Not long after leaving CF, Ken became bored and took a part-time job with Gillig. It turned out to be what he later would say was his favorite job, delivering luxury buses across the country. In addition to transporting buses during his semi-retirement, he and Vera would take road trips throughout the United States and Canada. When he was fully retired, Ken found camaraderie while volunteering to help construct the Environmental Education Pavilion at Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. He enjoyed listening to classical music in his garage and joining his buddies for morning coffee and doughnuts at All Stars. Throughout his lifetime, Ken never lost his passion for driving, shooting, and flying. Most especially, he always kept an enduring love for his family. Ken is preceded in death by his grandson Kenny, his namesake, and his two brothers, Eugene and Richard. Ken is survived by his wife of 78 years, Vera; his children, Mike, Elizabeth, Steve, Daniel (Nikki), Barbara, Susan (Mark), Nick, and Christopher (Kathleen); his grandchildren Paulette (Casey), Michelle (Tim), Katie (Justin), Matt (Lynne), Wendy (Doug), Julia (Bryon), Laurie (Kent), Christie, Theresa, Michael, David, Cody, and Travis; and his great-grandchildren Brittany (Cevin), Chelsea (Paul), Nicholas, Cody, Eric, Ashland, Cameron, Logan, Riley, Grace, Amberlyn, Broden, Adnan, Zirk, Sagan, Alex, and Jasmine. A date for the celebration of Ken’s life is yet to be determined. Much appreciation and many thanks go to our brother Nick for the attentive care he gave our father during these last few years. Ken was a member of the Greatest Generation—hardworking, generous, and brave. He was easy-going and optimistic towards life. We will miss our favorite cowboy.

Kenneth D. Grimes

August 29, 1923 - January 18, 2021