Ken Vogl

May 21, 1945 - July 30, 2019

Ken was a retired LAPD Detective until his retirement. He previously served with the Marines and was stationed in Vietnam. We were schoolmates and didn't live very far away from each other. At SPHS, Ken was a well-liked and popular guy. I remember being in his mother's huge blue car at the Santa Anita parking lot. Later, his mother bought one of the first Chevrolet Corvairs, a very different sort of car. We were still able to put it to good use and were going so fast on the Arroyo Seco Parkway (as it was called then) that he lost control. Fortunately Ken was able to direct the car to an offramp, where we safely spun out. It was all about cars in those days. 

After high school, he went to Vietnam and returned to join the Los Angeles Police Department and rose to the rank of Detective. We didn't see so much of each other then. He visited me once where I was working and parked his unmarked police car, in the red, hemming in another parker. Then, we rocketed to lunch, releasing that angry motorist. Ken really liked being a police officer and loved reminiscing about his exploits. Some of them were good stories. He was funny. It always seemed to me that he liked the citizens with whom he was working and treated them respectfully. He had a full police career, but was forced to retire early because of health problems. During his retirement he successfully raised three children, often on his own. The love of his life, Sharon, and he traveled and saw a little more of the world. Sadly, Sharon died around seven years ago.

When I think of Ken, I know that I will miss our conversations mostly on the phone, since I moved out of state. It was like being in high school again. We were polar opposites on politics. I know that he sometimes said things just to bait me and I would self-righteously respond. Then, we would change subjects. We agreed completely about religion. Like in high school, we talked about cars. On that topic, we were usually in agreement, although I never bought a Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep as he urged me to do. From beginning to end, he always was a lot of fun. Since he has died, I have missed telephoning him. Once in awhile, I will see something that I want to email to him, but I can't. I miss him.

Clifford Shank '63