JOHN THOMAS KINSEY's Obituary
John Thomas Kinsey 81, born on June 30, 1927 in Steubenville, Ohio, passed away at home January 25, 2008 in San Bernardino, CA. Raised in Weirton, West Virginia, John graduated from Follansbee High School where he was active in student government, football and track. After a brief courtship, including 3 dates and several letters a day from college football training camp, John and Marjory Knotts, also from Weirton, were married on September 2, 1945 by the justice of the peace in Bennettsville, South Carolina. The young couple lived in a rented room and ate with the football team while John played football at Wake Forest. In 1946, he was drafted into the Army and served for one year before returning to Weirton to work at Weirton Steel. In 1953, with two daughters in tow, the young family moved to California where John worked at Kaiser Steel. In 1961, he opened John T. Kinsey Insurance Agency. He remained active in the insurance business for 36 years, owning agencies in both Fontana and San Bernardino. Both John and Marge were avid golfers. Over a several year period they were members at El Rancho Verde, Victoria and Arrowhead County clubs. During their golfing years, they traveled throughout the United States, including Hawaii, and to Scotland to golf. John recorded two hole-in-ones at the same hole at Arrowhead County Club. John’s third love was ocean boating. Over a 20 year period he owned three different boats with moorings at Dana Point, Long Beach and San Diego. Survived by Marjory, his wife of 63 years; daughters Debra Teeter and Connie Franks; son Mark Kinsey; sons-in-law Gary Teeter and Ron Franks; grandchildren Heather Reed, Ryan Teeter, Cory Franks, Katherine Kinsey-Sawhill, Erin Vorachek, Joshua Franks, and Nathaniel Kinsey; grandsons-in-law Michael Reed, David Sawhill and Matt Vorachek and six great grandkids. When asked, John would say he loved his wife and lived a life he would have never imagined as young man.
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