Obituary of Kennard Webster

KENNARD WOOD WEBSTER Mr. Webster, 89, of Concord, NC, previously of Palm Desert, CA, died peacefully on October 14, 2010. Born in Moravia, NY on January 22, 1921, he was the son of the late Stewart and Mary Wood Webster. Ken graduated from Moravia High School in 1937 and from Bentley College of Accounting and Finance in 1940. He moved to Rochester, NY, worked at Taylor Instrument, and attended night school at Niagara University. After Pearl Harbor, Ken enlisted in the Marine Corps as an aviation cadet, received his wings at Pensacola, and was stationed at Ewa Air Station on Hawaii. During the last year of the war, he flew R5C Commanders over the Pacific, transporting men and material to such destinations as Midway, Johnston, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Tarawa, and Guam. It was all open water flying. On September 6, 1943, he married Jean Davies in San Diego. Because of the war, Jean took a train, by herself, from Moravia to their wedding. They were married 57 years and had two children, Evan and Karis. After the war, Ken took advantage of the GI Bill and finished his degree at Niagara, graduating with honors. He began his accounting career in Rochester with Jackson & Zaehglein, passed the CPA exam, and was made a partner in the firm. In 1956 the family moved to Chatham, NJ, where they had many joyful years, and he began his consulting career with Haskins & Sells in New York. At that time, large accounting firms were starting to formalize management consulting as a service, and Ken soon became a leader. Haskins & Sells would subsequently transfer Ken to Philadelphia and then Los Angeles. Ken retired in 1983 and shortly thereafter moved to Palm Desert, CA. He and Jean enjoyed the desert life, playing golf, and traveling. Ken is survived by his two children and their spouses, Evan Howard Webster and Marcia Gibson Webster of Davidson, NC and Karis Jean Chodzko and James Chodzko of Encinitas, CA; their children Andrew and Rachel Webster; Sarah Chodzko Hickey; and Peter, Stephen, and Evan Chodzko. There are two great grandchildren: Henry Emerson Chodzko and Seamus Evan Hickey. The family wishes to thank the Taylor Glen staff for their exceptional professional care and affection. The family will have a visitation at Wade Funeral Home in Moravia on Friday, October 29, 2010, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. There will be a graveside service on Saturday, October 30, 2010, at 11:00 AM in Indian Mound Cemetery in Moravia, NY. Memorials may be made to the Baptist Retirement Homes Foundation at PO Box 11024, Winston-Salem, NC 27116 in memory of Mr. Webster.