Kenneth Gossett

Kenneth L. Gossett, 81, passed away December 10, 2018. He was born May 2, 1937, in Indianapolis, IN. He spent his childhood in Indiana, but Pittsburgh was his home and where he raised his family until he retired to Jacksonville Beach in 2006.

Ken was a proud graduate of Purdue University, where he studied electrical engineering, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he received a master’s of business administration. He also served in the U.S. Navy as a navigator on a frigate that regularly patrolled the South Pacific seas.

Ken’s passions were his family, faith, golf and politics, and he was a voracious reader. In retirement, he could often be found on his porch, enjoying a new book or giving an old one another read.

He will be remembered for his gentle nature, wit and passion for sharing stories. One his favorites involved an encounter with a life insurance salesman when his daughters were very young. “Well, you’re lucky, with four girls that you won’t require expenses for college,” the salesman said. Without missing a beat, Ken replied, “It’s not a question of whether they will go to college. It’s a question of which graduate school they’ll attend.”

Ken is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Diann; daughters, Kim (Matt) of Jacksonville Beach, Julie Schlessinger (David) of Harrison City, PA, Tracy Stone (Eric) of Mountainview, CA, and Ashlie (Jeremy) of Jacksonville; grandchildren Gabrielle, Noah, Nathan, Ethan, Kate, Sarah, Henry, Eleanor, Olivia, Evelyn and Jonah; and his sister, Carol Weitzel of Frisco, Texas.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 14, 2018, at Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home, 3600 Third Street, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.