Ken Brynestad

Kenneth Ward Brynestad passed away peacefully on Christmas morning 2017 having suffered a stroke two days earlier.  He was born on June 29, 1926 in Tacoma, WA to Carl and Agnes Brynestad.  He graduated from Stadium High School in 1944 and joined the Navy to become a Naval Aviator and finished training after the war ended.  He later joined the Naval Reserve and flew both Navy fighters and carrier patrol aircraft from Sand Point Naval Air Station in Seattle.  There he met and married Allice, the love of his life for the next 64 years.  He graduated from the University of Washington majoring in forestry in 1953.  He worked in the forestry field near Aberdeen and later took part in surveying the route for I5 through the Seattle Tacoma area.  He returned to aviation, his true passion, and became an air traffic controller at Sea-Tac Airport and later at the Seattle Center in Auburn.  With a friend, Ken spent 11 years building a couple of homebuilt biplanes.  From that he developed a reputation among the local aircraft homebuilders for excellent wood-working and attention to detail building or repairing the wooden ribs, spares and stringers of wings and tails.  Two of the projects he worked on were awarded winners at the Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-in in Oshkosh.

Ken was a gentle man of quiet faith and strong convictions whose actions spoke louder and more often than his words.  He was a faithful member of Mt. View Lutheran Church since 1962.  He and Alice sang in the choir for many years and he served as President of the Church Council. He attended men’s Bible studies and worked on the “Honey Do” maintenance projects around the church and loved to chat over a cup of coffee after worship services.

Ken is survived by his wife, Alice (Gill) Brynestad, sister, Joyce Gilham, sons, Mark (Susan) Brynestad, Dale (Julee) Brynestad and Dean Brynestad; 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Agnes (Hauge) Brynestad.  A memorial service was held, at Mt. View Lutheran Church, Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. An inurnment service will be held, Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA. 

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