Kenneth D. Gilmore, 81
Kenneth D. Gilmore, 81, passed away on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, in Sandpoint, Idaho, following an extensive battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis this past year.
Rosary will be said Sunday evening, May 2, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 3, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Dennis C. Day officiating. Interment will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.
Ken was born on June 8, 1928, in Great Falls, Mont., to Ralph and Elizabeth Gilmore. He grew up and attended schools in Montana and worked in the oil fields during high school.
Ken enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946, later retiring in 1970 as a lieutenant commander.
During his service he served four tours in Vietnam and completed his degree from the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif., in cceanography/meteorology. He also was awarded multiple citations; including the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, and the Navy Commendation Medal.
He met his wife Berniece Bossick on the beach at Waikiki, Hawaii, and they were married at St. Augustine’s By The Sea in Honolulu in 1951. Ken spent 17 years in the real estate business, operating Gilmore Investments in Sandpoint.
After the Navy Ken and Berniece settled in Sandpoint and spent many years traveling around the world. He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he attended bible study, Sandpoint Elk’s Lodge No. 1376, and the National Rifle A. He was an avid reader and truly enjoyed fishing and hunting and spent many summers camping all around the northwest.
He is survived by his wife, Berniece of Sandpoint; two sons, Michael Gilmore (Yvonne Kiebert) of Sandpoint and Geoffrey (Suzanne) Gilmore of West Linn, Ore.; and two daughters, Terry (Ken) Pierce of Puyallup, Wash., and Dawn (Lonnie) Papineau of Coeur d’Alene. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Jacob, Katlyn, Meghan, Braden, Jenna, Zachary, Shane, Alexander, Brett, and Nicholas; and one great-grandson, Kadyn.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Karen in 1993; and grandson, Grant in 1991.
Memorial donations may be made to Bonner Community Hospice, PO Box 1448, Sandpoint, ID 83864; or East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar St, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Ken’s online memorial and sign his guest book at www.lakeviewfuneral.com.