Mr. Kiser was born Aug. 16, 1923 in Grandfield, Oklahoma to Joseph and Sarah Kiser. He grew up on the family farm in Grandfield. He married his first wife, Mary, in 1942 and they came to California.
Mr. Kiser joined the Air Force and served in Washington state and Alaska where he worked with the Search and Rescue Firefighting Unit. Upon discharge, he returned with his wife and daughter, Karen, to Santa Paula where they settled and later had son, Jeff, and daughter Denise.
Mr. Kiser had an extensive career in the oil industry that spanned over forty years. It started in Ventura County with Drilling & Exploration Co. (D&E) which became Santa Fe Drilling. He ultimately went to work with Global Marine. His work took him and his wife Mary all over the world. He was Drilling Superintendant on the Glomar Hughes Explorer, a deep sea drilling ship that was involved in many projects, including the recovery of a Russian submarine from the ocean floor. He also supervised the construction of the Beaufort Sea I, a drilling island/platform that was built in Japan and floated to the North Slope of Alaska.
After spending many years developing his 40 acre ranch in Auberry, California, he retired there from Global Marine in 1986 with his first wife Mary, who tragically died of cancer shortly after. He married his second wife, Marilyn in 1988. They spent many good years at the ranch and on cross-country trips in their RV.
In his younger years, he enjoyed flying his planes at the Santa Paula Airport and waterskiing and camping with his family.
Mr. Kiser had a lifelong love of country and gospel music. He played the guitar and sang at home, at the Santa Paula Nazarene Church, the Auberry Nazarene Church, and eventually the Oakview Baptist Church in Auberry. He even became part of a group of Auberry locals called the “Barn Jammers” who perform regularly at the Sierra Senior Citizen’s Center in Auberry.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Marilyn of Auberry; his children, Karen (Bud) Doble of Scottsdale, AZ; Jeffrey (Jeannie Uffen) Kiser of Clovis; and Denise Fort of Ventura; grandchildren, Nancy Kremin of Granada Hills, Cheryl Wooten of Valparaiso, IN, Michelle Dotson of Yucca Valley, Amanda Fort-Seamon of Interlaken, NY, Kristen Day of Prather, and Matthew Kiser of Clovis; twelve great-grandchildren,and one great-great grandson; step-children Tim and Ted Owens of Fresno, Terri Johnson of Scotsdale, AZ; step-grandchildren Karson and Kristina Kovacovich of Sacramento and Atascadero, Vincent Owens of Fresno, and Aimee Holland of Corona, CA, and their children; brother F.D. “Red” Kiser of Garden Grove; niece Debi Kiser Chance of Anaheim, CA, and nephew Robert E. Kiser of Eugene, OR.
He is predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Mary; his elder sister Laurene Kiser Sowell, and his son-in-law Glen L. Fort.
A graveside service will be held at Pierce Brothers Cemetery, 380 Cemetery Road, Santa Paula, at 2:00pm on Thursday, Jan. 12. A reception will follow at the Glen Tavern Inn, 124 N. Mill St., Santa Paula. A memorial will also be held 11:00am on Monday, Jan. 16 at Oakview Baptist Church, 31701 Lodge Rd., Auberry, CA
Arrangements are in the care of Skillin-Carroll Mortuary, 738 E. Santa Paula St., Santa Paula, 525-3391.
Donations may be made to your local Hospice Care.
Special thanks go to his wife, Marilyn, and his neighbors at the ranch whose support and friendship helped him greatly in his last years: Delores Kuhrt, the Kirk Flores Family, Gordon Wordal, Brad and Cathy Mallory.
