Kenneth Champion

Kenneth R. Champion, age 93, passed away peacefully at his home in Gobles, Michigan on October 4, 2016. Ken was born in Kendall, Michigan in 1922, the oldest son of Ralph and Susan (Sackett) Champion. In 1941, he married Shirley Lynn Myers, who passed away in 2010 after 69 years of marriage. Ken became a private pilot in 1946 and was an early member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). In addition to flying, Ken designed and built airplanes in his home, and his work was honored with the prestigious EAA Outstanding Aircraft Design Award in 1959 for his "Jupiter J-1" airplane. He continued to build, design, and restore a variety of aircraft and other motorized vehicles, and he was restoring vintage Volkswagen Beetles at the time of his passing. He retired from Beach Products Company in 1986. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Doug Champion and Joe Champion, and is survived by his children, Judy and husband Larry Graff, and Randy and wife Cindy Champion, along with five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.