Mr. David Kimball

David T. Kimball was born July 31, 1927, in Williams, AZ, one of four children born to Margeurite and George Kimball. Dave spent most of his younger years in Albuquerque, NM, where he attended high school and met his true love, Patricia Brown. He went off to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II, then came home to finish college at the University of New Mexico, joining the Sigma Chi fraternity and earning a B.S. in electrical engineering. His first job after college graduation was at North American Aviation, which precipitated his move to California. After a successful career in business (“Back in the days when the CEOs were mostly honest folks,� he used to clarify), he retired to the San Diego area in 1988 with Pat, to kick back and enjoy life. Unfortunately, Pat died less than three years later of colon cancer. He always said that one of his few regrets was that he didn’t retire earlier so that they could have shared more of life’s wonderful experiences together. Dave’s family always remained the center of his life, and after Pat’s death he handled both the matriarchal and patriarchal duties in his family of four daughters and an ever-increasing tribe of grandchildren. One of his solutions to ensuring quality togetherness time was to plan, organize, and host family vacations, which were held at least every other year. While managing the endless details for these events, he could never have imagined the priceless and lasting gift of memories he created for his family. His loved ones describe Dave as a man of exceptional intelligence, spirit, and heart. Always the provider, he paid for the education of all his daughters and established education funds for his children’s children. His generosity extended beyond his immediate family to many charities and causes. He was one of a kind: a mentor, a leader, a philanthropist, a man of faith, and a true hero to his family. He is preceded in death by his wife, Pat, and his sister Alice Doubliski. He is survived by his sister Ruth (and husband Bert) Smith, brother George Kimball, his daughters Lynn (and husband Charlie) Russell, Lori (and husband John) Harch, Leslie (and husband Jack) Rants, and Caryn (and husband Jeff) Crago, and his many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Services were held at the Church of the Nativity in Rancho Santa Fe on Saturday, May 7, at noon with a Celebration of Life following at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, where he was a longtime member. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. What would be most meaningful to Dave, however, would be to know that at least one person who reads this remembrance would commit to setting aside a time each year to spend with his or her family, doing something fun and keeping those family ties strong. Over the years, Dave has written about many memories of his life. Eventually, those stories will appear on this site. In the meantime, please share your memories of Dave or Pat. It would mean so much to his remaining family.