Ken Pohl lived for the journey, not the destination. From an early age Ken was multi-dimensional. An avid traveler, analytical of mind, patriotic, genealogical researcher, Ken’s life was not one path, but many.
Those paths have converged as Ken passed to his rest Saturday evening March 28, 2015 in Winchester Terrace. He was 80.
Born July 8, 1934 in Worden Community of Douglas County, Kansas to Walter T. and Louise W. (Koehler) Pohl, he was graduated from University of Kansas with a B.S. in industrial management and a minor in petroleum engineering.
He entered military service with the U.S. Air Force Security Service. The top half of one per cent of the USAFSS was a secretive branch of cold war warriors tasked with monitoring, collecting and interpreting military voice and electronic signals. Stationed in Germany, Ken served as a Russian linguist transmitting intelligence to the National Security Agency.
He returned from Germany, and while registering for classes at KU, caught the eye of a co-ed. He married that young lady, Naomi Ruth Armstrong, December 26, 1959.
Ken accepted a position with SOHIO, working with their food service and vending division, and when it merged with Stouffer’s, he was responsible for expanding their service to turnpike rest-stops and later their service stations. He traveled Ohio and really the eastern half of the country with the former Cardinal Vending Company.
Later in life he earned his realtor’s license and sold homes for several years.
A lifelong interest in genealogy, Ken was a member of Richland County Genealogical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society and numerous other genealogical associations.
Ken was a compassionate man, who was never seen without a white shirt and dress slacks (he’d mow the lawn dressed up!), who had a quiet personality and loved animals.
He is survived by his wife Ruth; his daughter and son-in-law Cynthia & Doug Bower of Guanajuato, Mexico; his granddaughter Ashlea Schneider of Lexington; brother-in-law and sister-in-law John & Peggy Armstrong of Ottawa, Kansas and several cousins in Ottawa, Kansas. His daughter and son-in-law Patricia “Patti” & Christopher Schneider are deceased.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 11 a.m. in the Lexington Avenue Snyder Funeral Home. Chaplain Faith Proietti will speak and military honors will be offered by American Legion Post #535. Friends may call the hour prior to the service.
The Pohl family expresses their great appreciation to the nurses and staff of Winchester Terrace, who cared for Ken the past 16 months with great compassion.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ken’s memory to Tower Lakes Tree Fund or Ohio Genealogical Society may be made at the funeral home.
Snyder Funeral Homes is honored to serve the Pohl family. To see Ken’s tribute video, or send them a message of sympathy and support, visit: SnyderFuneralHomes.com
