Kenneth Lee Gwinn's Obituary
Kenneth “Kenny” Lee Gwinn, 75, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, passed away on September 27, 2016. Kenny was born September 24, 1941 in Burkesville, Kentucky to Sellie Guy Gwinn and Hilda Ruth (Lee) Thomason, formerly Gwinn. He grew up almost civilized in those green Kentucky hills, working hard and playing harder, testing the limits of his guardian angel and God’s good graces. But then he fell in love with the beautiful Mary Margaret Gwinn. They married young and against all odds. Kenny likes to tell the story that when it came time to pay the pastor for marrying him and Margaret on September 23, 1961 that he asked the pastor how much he owed him for his services. The pastor told him whatever amount he felt the marriage was worth. Kenny paid him ten dollars because it was all he had, and Margaret was worth everything to him. With a young family to support, Kenny joined the United States Air Force and served as an airplane mechanic. He later took those skills that he learned and loaded up the Corvair with his wife and young son intending to go to aeronautics school in California. Engine troubles caused them to stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma and he decided to go to the Spartan School of Aeronautics. He then went to work for American Airlines, eventually transferring to El Segundo, California where he challenged himself by running a marathon, practicing juicing and fasting, and growing avocados. With their connections to the airline, Kenny and Margaret seized on the chance to travel and see the world with their son, Richard Bryan Gwinn, who frequently missed out on all the amazing sites and destinations because he was too busy missing his friends and baseball back home, a fact Kenny teased him about essentially every day since. In 1984, Kenny and Margaret returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Following their lifetime friends from Kentucky, James “Red” & Susan Garner, Kenny and Margaret opened a Taco Mayo franchise with their son Bryan. They poured everything they had into it, expanding to several locations and developing a reputation for their consistent quality, hard work, and loyalty to their employees and customers. In 1994, Kenny and Margaret decided to retire from the taco world and see what other adventures they could find. Kenny loved fast motorcycles, shooting guns, telling stories, and solving the world’s problems one conversation at a time. Everyone knew his laugh. He loved a good joke, or even a bad joke if it was told right. He was an excellent cook who rarely bothered to read recipes. He was known to play golf a time or two and loved to spoil his dogs with motorcycle rides, dried apricots, and coffee kisses. He has always been the best husband, father, and friend anyone could ask for, and he will always be remembered with love. Kenny is survived by his wife of 55 years, Margaret; his son, Bryan, and his wife, Barbara; and his brother Dale Gwinn. He is preceded in death by his parents, Sellie Gwinn and Ruth Thomason; his wife’s parents Preston “Pete” and Jewel Bryant, and his sister-in-law Imogene (Willis) Gwinn. As per Kenny’s wishes, no memorial services are scheduled at this time. For those who wish to honor his memory, please take the time to learn about the political issues facing our great nation and vote in the upcoming election.The family wishes to thank everyone for their kindness during this difficult time. There are no services planned at this time.“In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to the Garner-Stocker Foundation.” http://occf.org/garnerstocker/
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