Obituary: Carl William Kimmel, 1938-2023

Carl William Kimmel, 85, passed away on December 15, 2023, from natural causes.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he was born July 6, 1938, to Carlton William Kimmel and Adeline McKechnie Kimmel. Carl was a devoted Christian and family man, with a kind, loving heart and great sense of humor. He graduated from Eastern High School where he played tight end on the football team, receiving a scholarship to Centre College to continue football. He returned home to marry the love of his life, Judith Ellen Moore in 1959, whom he had loved since the age of 14. Magic was made.

Carl graduated from the University of Louisville in 1960, and enjoyed much success in the industrial and commercial painting business. In the 1960s, Carl and Judy settled in Anchorage, Kentucky to raise their family with plenty of land for horses, chickens, goats and other animals, then in 1995 purchased a home in Boca Grande, Florida, where they lived half of the year.

An avid runner, swimmer, tennis player, scuba diver and cyclist, Carl had an active, healthy lifestyle. He was a longtime member of the YMCA and often spent his lunch hour with his “running buddies.” One of his greatest athletic achievements was running the New York Marathon in 1980. Sharing his hobbies with his children and grandchildren were among his favorite joys. He loved cars. Carl had a boat, which he cleverly named “Impulsive,” along with a wave runner and tandem bike. He and his grandchildren spent endless hours of fun on the wave runner in the Ohio River, and Carl and Judy rode the tandem bike daily in Florida.

He was a wonderful, generous, energetic and loyal husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. He is survived by Judy, his adoring wife of 64 years, and their four children, Kathy Brooks (David), Kelly Kimmel (Mark), William Carl “Kip” Kimmel (Anitra), and Caroline Samuel, 13 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and many other dear family members. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

A celebration of life service will be held on January 20th at Owl Creek Country Club in Anchorage, Kentucky, with a reception/visitation from 10-11:30 a.m., followed by a service at 11:30 a.m.

Carl Kimmel July 6, 1938 – December 15, 2023