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 Kenneth
Earl Trygstad
Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marine Corps (Retired)
June 22, 1930--July 12, 1997
Kenneth Earl Trygstad, a thirty-seven year resident of Vista, California
died July 12, 1997 at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, California
of complications resulting from lung cancer.
Ken was born June 22, 1930 in Muskegon, Michigan, the son of Murray Raymond
and Vienna Lyylia (née Suomi) Trygstad. He grew up in Oakland, California
where he attended Oakland High School. He enlisted in the
U.S. Marine Corps in 1947 and following
training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, served
in a motor transport unit in Tsingtao, China until the Marines departed China
in 1949. Following completion of his GED exam and a year of service in the
Marines, he was awarded his high school diploma by Oakland High. He served
with the Marines in Korea and was part of the famous retreat from Chosin
Reservoir. Following his marriage to Greta Louise Paulson of Encinitas,
California in 1952, he was assigned to North Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia;
Quantico, Virginia; and then to the Marine Barracks, Washington D.C. (Eighth
& I) as the Senior Staff Non-Comissioned Officer of the Marine Corps
Institute Company. While assigned to Eighth & I, he served as the recorder
of the board that developed vertical envelopment (the delivery of Marines
into combat by helicopter) and as acting Sergeant-Major of the Post, Marine
Barracks Washington. Following completion of Electronics Technician "A" School,
at Naval Recruit Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois, he reported to Ground
Electronics at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe, Hawaii. After a tour with
the First Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California, he served with Third
Marine Recon in Okinawa, Japan; during this tour he assisted with the training
of Thai and Vietnamese Marines. He finished his Marine Corps career as an
instructor with the Electronics Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit
Depot, San Diego, California. Prior to his retirement as a Gunnery Sergeant
in 1966, he was selected for promotion to both Master Sergeant and Chief
Warrant Officer.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Ken was a successful businessman
in Vista; he was founder and president of Vectra Corporation, an electronics
and appliance repair firm that grew to have branch operations in San Diego,
Palm Desert, Orange County, and Camp Pendleton as well as the main Vista
location. He was active in church and community affairs, serving as Financial
Secretary and a member of the Board of Directors of Faith Lutheran Church
in Vista, as a troop committee member of Boy Scout Troop 764 at Faith Lutheran
and later as District Explorer Commissioner for the San Luis Rey District,
San Diego County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was also a lecturer
at Palomar College in San Marcos. For many years Ken owned and sailed a sailboat
moored in Oceanside Harbor, Oceanside, California. An avid computer hobbyist,
he was the Secretary-Treasurer of the North County Commodore Computer Users'
Group and was actively involved in Commodore Amiga computer user activities
up to the time of his death.
Ken is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Greta, of Vista, California;
his stepparents, Audrey & Ken Carruthers of Oceanside, California; his
sisters, Jane (Mrs. Al Nelson) of Irvine, California and Peggy (Mrs. Rob
Jones) of Truckee, California; his stepbrother, Mike Kelly of Phoenix, Arizona;
and by his children, sons Ray
of Naperville, Illinois, and Steven of Lincoln City, Oregon, daughter Tracey
(Mrs. Brad Crawford) of La Jolla, California, six grandchildren, and many
nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held at Faith Lutheran Church,
700 East Bobier, Vista, California at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday July 16, 1997.
His remains were cremated and scattered at sea (since the Coast Guard frowns
on traditional Viking funerals). Please send any donations in memory of Ken
to the American Cancer Society.
Picture Page One | Picture
Page Two | Picture Page Three |
Picture Page Four | Press
Coverage of This Site
Created
in loving memory of Ken Trygstad by Ray Trygstad <trygstad@charlie.cns.iit.edu>
Copyright 1997 Ray Trygstad, Naperville, Illinois.
May be freely copied and distributed if accompanied by this notice.
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