Kenneth Kinnaman

Long time Durango resident Kenneth Kinnaman, age 94, passed away on July 31, 2011, of cancer. He was born December 25, 1916 in Alma, Neb., to Guy and Letha Arkle Kinnaman. Ken grew up in Nebraska. He moved to Durango in 1962, joining McKnight Brothers as gemologist and watchmaker, and developed skill with ski equipment and boot fittings.

He and his wife Clarice Rush Kinnaman were married June 4, 1939, and celebrated 73 years of marriage this June.

He was inducted into the army in 1943. Within three weeks of basic training, he was moved from private to sergeant and sent to Special Forces training after which he served at Ft. Bliss in El Paso Texas, training others in new top secret technology, Radar. Clarice moved with him, and saved the funnies all week for Ken and his buddies for their once a week 24 hour leave.

Ken was a Radar unit commander in Hawaii, Philippines and Okinawa, and was gradually assigned greater responsibility for other units as well. He said when radar left the US, it was about half a football field wide with very short range. He experimented, narrowing the width to extend the range so they could identify enemy aircraft farther out. By war’s end, radar units had become smaller with longer range. Ken was sent back to Hawaii for advanced training when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Ken and Clarice opened a jewelry store in Oxford, Neb., and were highly involved in the community where he held positions on the Oxford School Board and Methodist Church Board, Masonic Lodge, Chamber of Commerce and VFW. In 1962, they moved to Durango. He and Clarice spent many happy summer weekends with Glenn, Mary Ellen, Kirk and Kim McKnight camping and tote-goating in the mountains. After Ken’s retirement he continued as an expert in antique clocks, repairing and creating needed old parts. He and Clarice enjoyed 55 Club dances for many years.

Ken enjoyed mechanical things, and could fix watches, clocks, cars, radio electronics and almost any home repair project. San Francisco friends used to ask if they could borrow Kenney when he was visiting. He traveled to Europe, Asia, Hawaii, Alaska and other US spots.

He was an avid gardener. His real love was people, and it was well known in the neighborhood that anyone was welcome to his back patio at 5:00. He enjoyed children and took them under his wing to share his knowledge. He had a quiet but wonderful sense of humor, and even when very ill, would grin at jokes made around him.

Ken is survived by his wife Clarice, his daughter and son-in-law Carol and Tom Gillett of Hillsborough, Calif., his son and daughter-in-law, Royce and Joy Kinnaman of Pagosa Springs, granddaughter, Nicole Gillett of San Francisco, Calif., sister Viola Koster and family of Marion, Iowa, niece Anne Vetter of Northville, Mich., nephew David Kinnaman of La Jolla, Calif., and dear friends and adopted grandchildren David and Thea Mink, Adam, Hanna and Elliott Mink.

Services are private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mercy Home Care/Hospice of Mercy of Durango at 1 Mercado St., Suite 270, Durango, CO 81301; Durango Veterans Transportation Assistance Fund, 94 Trestle Lane, Durango CO 81303; Shining Star Caregivers, 2512 Pine Ridge Court, Durango, CO 81301; or Planned Parenthood of Durango, 46 Suttle Drive, Durango CO 81301.