Maurice Dean Kunkel

Born in Duquoin, Ill. on July 18, 1938. He graduated from Christopher Community High School and married Judith Lorraine Prater on the same day. Maurice served 23 years in U.S. Air Force, retiring as Senior Master Sergeant, while working at Special Operations Weather Technician (Airborne) and culminating as advisor to California Air national Guard in 1979. In that time, he spent 6 years in Southeast Asia, where he became fluent in Thai and Lao languages. He was awarded two bronze stars, 6 Air Medals, a joint-service commendation medal and was a lifetime member of VFW and retired enlisted association, TREA. After military service, he worked as a realtor and notary public, later brokering is firm for over 20 years, where he specialized in the Eastern Antelope Valley. He also earned Associate Degrees at Antelope Valley College. He was President of Antelope Valley Foothill Board of Realtors in 1992. Concurrently, he sat as a hearing officer for the Assessment Appeals Board at multiple locations in Los Angeles Count for 25 years. For 28 years he served on the Wilsano School District Board of Trustees and the Antelope Valley School Boards Association and served as a Board member and Treasurer of Lake Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for 28 years. Hobbies included dual-sport motorcycling, scuba diving, where he once traversed San Pedro to Catalina in an inflatable boat, and RVing in both Class A and C. He also owned several classic Chevrolet trucks. in 1982, he hiked Mt. Baden Powell and Mt. Whitney with his youngest son, Kevin. Maurice is survived he by his wife of 62 years, Judith and two sons, Rod Kunkel and wife, Linda, of Lake Los Angeles, and Kevin Kunkel, and wife Joanne, of Reston, VA. He was preceded in death by his son Rick, who passed away in 2013. He leaves 5 grandsons, 3 granddaughters, nine great granddaughters and 1 great grandson. He has two sisters, Phyllis Pearson of Sesser, Ill. and Karen Kunkel of Kissemmee, Fla. Maurice succumbed to cancer on August 7th, 2018. Funeral will be held 10 am on August 25 at Joshua Memorial Park in Lancaster, Calif. He will be laid to rest at Lancaster Cemetery with military honors.