Karl Kermit Kinney, of Swanton, Vermont peacefully slipped away on November 6, 2013 at Our Lady of the Meadows Memory Care Center in Richford, Vermont, where he spent the last 3 years of his life due to complications of Alzheimers Disease.
Karl was born on May 8, 1933, in West Berkshire, Vermont, son of Hugh and Lucille Kinney. Karl spent the first years of his life on the family farm in West Berkshire, Vermont. From there, the family moved on to another farm in South Alburgh, Vermont, and as an adult, Karl began work on the second family farm in North Hero, Vermont. Moving on from there, Karl worked at several different jobs, retiring from the Swanton Electric Company, where he worked for several years as a Power Plant Operator. He was always ‘tinkering’ on engines and even after retirement continued to repair small engines, sometimes for cash, sometimes just to be kind.
In 1954, Karl married Ursula Jarvis and together they started a family of five children. After the children were raised, the couple were divorced and eventually Karl met Romaine Greenia, with whom he shared 25 happy years.
Karl often looked gruff on the exterior but had a very gentle nature and was generous to a fault. He was generous with praise for his children, and generous with whatever needs anyone he saw might have. Quick with a joke or a laugh, he was always fun to be around. He loved to play cards, go fishing, and spend time in the woods. As a younger man he would hunt in the woods, but in recent years, he was more likely to just be out in the woods, enjoying being there. What would he do when he saw a bear in the woods? Stand tall, wave his arms, and shout “go away, Bear!” Karl’s jokes often came in the form of insults with a smile, and he and his companion, Romaine, together were masters of the craft. His home of 43 years, on the river in Swanton, had an open door policy and many, many people passed through it, feeling free to drop in anytime unannounced, and always feeling welcome.
Predeceased by a young brother Sterling Kinney, in 1927, his father Hugh Kinney, mother Margaret Lucille Deuel Kinney, older brother Paul Kinney, older sister Esther Kinney Morrill, companion of 25 years, Romaine Greenia, and special cousin and friend, Asa Wilson, Karl leaves behind his 5 children who love him and will miss him very much – Dwight Kinney of Orange, California, Lori Kinney Fleming of Newport News, Virginia, Joline Kinney of South Burlington, Vermont, Bonnie Kinney of Hinesburg, Vermont and Kate Kinney of North Hero, Vermont, his sister, Wilma Kinney of Seal Beach, California, and brother, Ross Kinney, of Bradford, Vermont, 10 grandchildren – Dawn, Katie, Meghan and Adam Kinney, Callie Holt and Andrew Pelcher, Caleb Kinney, Jessica Paquette, and Jacinda and Jonathan Fleming, and 3 great grandchildren, Laney, Hailey and Kaydance. There are also cousins, nieces and nephews too numerous to mention by name, as well as the children and grandchildren of Karl’s longtime companion, Romaine Greenia.
Words cannot express our deep appreciation for the wonderful staff and owners at Our Lady of the Meadows Care Home in Richford, Vermont. Not only have they allowed Dad his dignity for the last 3 years, but every one of them took care of him with open love and extended that loving care to our family during the last few difficult days of his life. We felt safe and comforted in their hands. Thank you.
There is no official funeral and no internment in the cemetery, as he was cremated, but there will be a celebration of his life at the St Albans Legion Post on Saturday, November 9th, at 4:00 in the afternoon. Please join us and bring a story or remembrance to share, as well as a covered dish. A memorial stone for Karl will be set in the family plot at the Berkshire Cemetery on Reservoir Road in West Berkshire.
In lieu of Flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Berkshire Cemetery Association c/o Gary Fiske, 2503 Duffy Hill Rd, Enosburg Falls, VT 05450.