Joe at 102 years - photo courtesy Kerry Cotton

A great many people have already inquired about a service for Joe, something he did not wish to have and so his family is honoring that wish. With so many who cared for him, though, we recognize that having a way to come together across the miles and perhaps reminisce with stories old and new or pay tribute is an important ritual also worth honoring.

To accomplish both, we have set up a virtual memorial in place of the traditional in-person service.

Should you wish to visit that memorial site (http://joseph-e-kimm.forevermissed.com), we hope you will take a moment to say a few words about your relationship to Joe and what he meant to you, to share with the rest of his friends and family.

Blue skies and safe landings, Joe, wherever you are. You are truly missed.

To my friends and friends of all things historical and aviation!

 I had to break an appointment last Thursday with a very remarkable man who was part of my “growing up years”.  Joe Kimm was a quiet mentor, when to our church growing up, and was a favored co-worker of my dad’s, who joined Northwest Airlines in 1937.  Joe lived down the street and personified the “Captain Kimm” image with his professional demeanor, quiet confidence, service attitude, matter of fact nature, and a 1958 Lincoln Continental.  Not that he lived large, but there was and is a quiet “presence” to his personality that is both magnetic and humble. 

 Joe called to break our appointment due to a sudden interview by KOMO radio and TV on that day.  We’ll hopefully meet in another day or two when the excitement and family commitments die down a bit.  I can’t imagine what it’s like to reach 100 but I can sure respect it and respect the fact that Joe to this day lives life to the fullest.

 In the attached links, Joe tells what it was like back in the “glory days” of the airline era.  Actually it was damn tough and risky work.  My father did not have the adventure of an engine dropping off a Ford Tri-Motor (that was about five years before his time), but he had his fair share of flying by the stars, feeling it in your ass (on how to handle an adverse condition), handling ice and hail, and thinking through every alternative if fuel or a failed engine became an issue 3000 miles out  in the ocean, and yes, the corporate and  labor problems then as now.

 To understand Joe Kimm is to put an addendum on his story on retiring at age 60.  Both Joe and my father were involved from time to time in the pilot’s association affairs and Joe was the guy who was just enough older where Northwest did not grant him the training to finally fly the flagship of the airline, the new 747.  Joe lobbied and succeeded in getting NWA to allow my father to qualify and for the last two years of his career, Dad drove the 747 while Joe Kimm soldiered on flying the now second-tier 707-320 until the required 60^th birthday occurred.   Never a big deal made of it, but that’s just the type of guy he is.

 Joe, there’s a reason you’ve lived the long and rich life.  Nobody deserves more to be celebrated in reaching the true golden year.  Congratulatons!!

 Bill Allen

In the picture, it seems like an intimate setting, just the four of us. There is no clue at all that there at least one person there for each of Joe’s one hundred years and that I had to wait for 45 minutes or more for even a chance to briefly say hello and congratulations and happy birthday because so many other people wanted to do the exact same thing. I believe Joe was equal parts surprised and happy at the great turnout.

Next, we’ll be talking about the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April. It seems a long way off now, but I imagine the time will go by a lot more quickly than we realize!

First, Patti Payne called him for a piece in the Puget Sound Business Journal. Reading it, I actually found it eerie how closely she hit some of the same top points I’d shared here first thing this morning.

Then, later in the morning, he spent quite a lot of time with Elisa Jaffe of KOMO 4 News. That interview must have gone very well indeed as he clearly gave them so much material that they found it easy to produce more than one version of the story.

The 4pm story focused on the 1933 survey flight, barf bags, and dropping the engine into the farmer’s field instead of the river. There is also an extended interview segment where he goes into more detail about dropping the engine, that is just fabulous.

Although I haven’t seen it online yet, the 6pm story is one of my personal favorites, where Joe tells how every single passenger made an important contribution that allowed them to land the plane safely after having a serious landing gear problem. Hopefully that one will become available too and if and when it does, I’ll post the link for that as well.

As if that, and his record 42 years of commercial flying weren’t enough, today Joe is now a full 40 years past retirement from the airlines, during which time he has learned and done a great many more important things in his life. For example, though Joe took up scuba diving while he was still flying, it was late in his career and he kept up the hobby well into his 70′s. He didn’t even take up snow skiing until just before retirement (certain he’d break a leg, he felt that using up some of his long-accumulated sick leave would be a good way to deal with not getting to fly the 747) and then skied until his mid 90′s.

Other post-retirement activities included learning how to repair televisions,  a skill he used to help his mother-in-law and other shut-ins, and buying and learning to program and operate his first computer – a TRS-80. Until his late 90′s, he was delivering Meals on Wheels to senior citizens decades younger than himself and in fact, still drives today though he’s given up the volunteer work finally.

So – not only has Joe had a storied career as an aviation pioneer, he is also an amazing human being, a role model for us all, and my hero.

Today he’s all excited to be interviewed by KOMO 4 News about his induction into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame and have dinner with his children and their spouses. Saturday, we’ll have a larger celebration so all of his neighbors and extended family can participate – the event for which the poster was made. I know he’s honored and overwhelmed at the same time, but no matter how you look at it, the praise is well-earned, the love is real, and we’re all so very glad to continue to have Joe in our lives.

Happy Birthday, Grandy!

Joe Kimm - 100 yr old Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame inductee

One of the by-products of my time with Joe last summer has been to be a resource for Jim Anderson who has had a huge passion for seeing my grandfather nominated for consideration as an inductee into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. Last fall, Jim put together an amazing booklet full of biographical information and a list of aircraft Joe has flown along with some of his more important contributions to aviation history. It was a complete package, which he then very kindly copied for members of Joe’s family to have as a keepsake and which we have appreciated greatly ever since.

Jim’s efforts paid off. Late last night, he received notification from Noel Allard, MAHoF Executive Director, that Joe officially is to be an inductee at the April 2012 Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame awards banquet.

Once I was brought into the loop regarding the announcement, Jim and I tested our web camera conferencing capabilities and I called and invited myself to dinner with Joe. Over dessert, I told Joe I had a surprise for him and set up the laptop so that Jim could share his big news. Not too surprisingly, Joe was nearly speechless at learning of the honor and totally thrilled at the opportunity to speak with Jim “face to face.”

This news comes just two weeks ahead of Joe celebrating his 100th birthday, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect. April is a ways off we know, but I also know that Joe is likely to derive a great deal of enjoyment over this well-earned honor for a long time.

Happy Birthday x 100, Joe!