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Kenneth B. 'Ken' Calderwood Sacramento, CA QCWA # 35395 |
Ken Calderwood was 90 years old when he passed away March 3, 2012 in the hospital, a few days after surgery. He was born on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine, the third child of Austin and Louise (Carver) Calderwood.
Ken was a graduate of Vinalhaven High school and Texas A&M Radio Material School. Answering his country´s call, he joined the US Navy in 1942 as a Radio Technician where he was assigned to ships in the Pacific proudly serving in both WW II and the Korean War [Korean Service Medal].
Like his brother and sister before him, he moved to California to "go where the work is." He had a long career in engineering and management with the telephone company - Western Electric, Los Gatos Phone Company, and Pacific Bell, retiring after 43 years. Ken had a full life after retiring. He built a cabin by himself on Vinalhaven overlooking Carver´s Cove and he spent every summer there for the past 25 years. He traveled all over the world, on one trip biking through Europe for 6 months.
He always kept active; walking, biking or kayaking every day, reading, hunting, playing games with friends and family, and staying in contact via ham radio. Ken was active radio amateur licensed with call sign W6IMX. His passion was advancing the state of the radio art through the adoption of new technology and the use of higher radio frequencies. He was an active member of the Telephone Pioneers radio club, the American Radio Relay League, and the Quarter Century Wireless Association. In retirement he maintained contact with his work associates by actively participating in retired telephone employee organizations. He was married three times; Marion, Elizabeth and Lorraine and had other close friendships over the years. He raised his family in Palo Alto, San Jose, Los Gatos, and Sacramento, California.
CREDITS
Obituary/biography: The Sacramento Bee
Photo #1: The Sacramento Bee