Obituary of Delmer Warren Kiler

Delmer W. “Del” Kiler died April 2, 2011 at the age of 97. A native of Ontario, Calif., he was born Aug. 5, 1913, the second of two sons, to Daisy Clark Kiler and Warren Libby Kiler. Daisy was the first telephone operator in Ontario and Warren was the Assistant Postmaster. Del graduated from Chaffey High School in 1932 and Chaffey Junior College in 1934. Del joined the General Electric Company’s flat iron plant in Ontario in 1934. He gained additional training at Lowell Institute in Lynn, Mass., an extension of MIT, where he attended night school from 1936-40 while working days at GE. He returned to Ontario and worked at GE as a tool and die engineer fabricating steam and dry irons until retiring in 1973 at age 60. In 1941, just before World War II broke out, Del joined the U. S. Navy where he became a Chief Machinist Mate, and served until 1945. During that time he was stationed in New York and was on the U.S.S. Normandy when it burned down in port. He was sent to Midway Island to head up the power plant. Despite the education he had received, he attributed his exceptional mechanical skills to the hours he had spent tinkering on his Model T in his parents’ garage. In 1942, Del married Margaret Garrett and returned with her to Ontario after serving his four years in the Navy. They had two daughters, Eileen and Jacquelyn. After Margaret’s death in 1960, he married Norine Berry Garrett, but they divorced in 1968. In 1972 he married Judy Wright Arnold. After his retirement in 1973, he put his engineering talents to work at “Accuride” Standard Precision, located in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. He finally retired in 1987 to spend more time with his wife, Judy, until her death in 1988. He lived independently in the home they had shared in Upland, Calif. until age 95, so proud that his driver’s license was renewed until age 100. But health problems forced his move to Oregon in 2008 to be near family before he had a chance to use it. He will be remembered not only as a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather, but as an avid fisherman who enjoyed backpacking, traveling, and photography, but who was happiest when he was in his garage with his tools. Arrangements by Crown Memorial Center - Tualatin.