John A. Kinder, 93, passed away July 24, 2014, at Villa Maria Rehabilitation Center.
He was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Washington, Penn., where he attended local schools and graduated from Washington High School in 1939.
John was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II serving on the Destroyer USS Taylor in the Pacific. He moved to Santa Maria in 1950 and worked for NH3 from 1950-55, then worked for Union Oil Co. from 1955-58.
John then started a career in automobile sales and finance with Van Wyk Pontiac-Cadillac in 1964 and worked for Iversen Motor Co., moving to Clark & Larsen VW in Lompoc in 1968. He then returned to Iversen Motor Co. in 1972, becoming the finance and insurance manager until retiring in 1982, although he worked part-time until 1992.
He was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, a member of the American Legion and a member of the Elks Lodge for 55 years.
John is survived by several cousins. He is preceded in death by his father, Arbie E. Kinder, in 1975, his mother, Stella E. Kinder, in 1988 and his sister, Geraldine Martin, in 1996.
A graveside service with full military honors will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1 at the Santa Maria Cemetery.
Arrangements entrusted to Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary.