Submitted by: Dan Rich

Kenneth Armel

May 9, 1919 – Dec. 2, 2004

South Bend Tribune 12/5/2004

Kenneth Armel, 85, of South Ironwood Drive, South Bend, Ind., formerly of North Wenger Avenue, Mishawaka, Ind., passed away at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, in St. Paul's Retirement Community. Kenneth was born in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 9, 1919, to the late Chester and Hester (Jones) Armel. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Kay Armel, at the age of five in 1961, and by a brother, Clyde Stephen Armel.

On Aug. 15, 1948, in Terre Haute, Ind., he married the former Mary Rachael Lancet, who survives along with their son, Dr. Donald Armel of Statesboro, Ga.; a granddaughter, Dana Allison Armel of Statesboro; a brother-in-law, Dr. Robert Lancet of Carmel, Ind.; a cousin, Mrs. Sparks Holland of Suffolk, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.

Kenneth attended Arsenal Technical High School and graduated in 1937. He worked at Commercial Publishing Company in Indianapolis for five years in the print shop. He joined the Navy on Dec. 11, 1941, with the rating of Printer 2nd Class Petty Officer. He was assigned to the new construction of the battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts and was promoted to Printer 1st Class. He remained on the ship until the last six weeks of the war when he was transferred to the Navy's Photolithography school in Washington, D.C., and was discharged on Sept. 15, 1945. He enrolled in the Carnegie Institute of Technology that same month and graduated in 1949 with a B.S. degree in printing administration.

He started teaching graphic arts at Mishawaka High School in 1949 and then received his M.S. from Butler University in 1955, retiring in 1984. Kenneth worked with Boy Scout Troop 120, Mishawaka, as committee chairman for 27 years. After that, he served on the board of the Mishawaka Res for four years. He received his 50-year pin from Logan Lodge, 575 F&AM, Indianapolis. He was a member of Sigma Nu, Carnegie and Phi Delta Kappa, Butler University. He was the secretary of the finance committee, and taught Sunday school and friendship class for many years at First United Methodist Church, Mishawaka.

Funeral services First United Methodist Church, Mishawaka, with Rev. Ron Bowman officiating. Burial at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, Ind.

Memorial contributions in Kenneth's name may be made to First United Methodist Church, 201 E. Third St., Mishawaka, IN 46544; or to Riley's Children's Hospital Memorial Association, 50 S. Meridian St., Suite 500, Indianapolis, IN 46204-3540; or to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601.