Joel R. Kimmel, 92, of Bluffton died at 8 a.m. May 10, 2014 at the Hilty Memorial Home, Pandora. He was born July 18, 1921, in Lima to the late Leslie and Minnie Bigler Kimmel.
On Aug. 17, 1947 he married Rebecca Hofstetter and she preceded him in death on Dec. 10, 1989. He then married Madlyn Isham Marquart on June 15, 1991, and she died March 10, 2012.
Mr. Kimmel had been an engineer at Westinghouse Corp., Lima. He was a member of Bluffton Presbyterian Church where he was active in church music and the choir, Mt Cory Masonic Lodge 418, Bluffton Senior Citizens where he was a past president, and had been active in Boy Scouts. He was a board member of the Bluffton Stone Co.
He sailed and raced with the Indian Lake Yacht Club. He played clarinet in the Lima Area Concert Band and the Bluffton University Band. He taught clarinet and repaired woodwind instruments. He graduated from Bluffton High School and received a bachelor of engineering degree from Ohio Northern University. During WWII he served in the Army Air Corps.
Survivors include a son, Alan (Pamela) Kimmel of Boswell, Pa., two daughters, Mary Kimmel of Concord, N.H., Jane Kimmel of Honolulu, Hi., a step daughter, Barbara Fett of Pandora, two grandsons, Robert (Jaime Lee) Kimmel and Thomas Kimmel and a great granddaughter, India Kimmel.
A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m., May 24, at the Bluffton Presbyterian Church. Rev. David Good will officiate. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Bluffton prior to the service.
Visitation will be from 4-8 pm Friday, May 23, at Chiles-Laman Funeral and Cremation Services, Bluffton with a Masonic service at 8 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lima Area Concert Band. Online condolences may be expressed at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
