Kenneth Keith Coddington's Obituary
CDR Kenneth K. Coddington, USN, 89 of Leesburg, Virginia died on Wednesday, October 30, 2013.
Ken was born on Thursday, October 16, 1924 in Ossining, NY to the late Kenneth Coddington and the late Viola Maurer Coddington. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Marjorie Coddington who died in 2011.
Ken attended high school three years in Bellmore, Long Island and graduated from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware his senior year. His undergraduate degree was completed at Franklin & Marshall College with a Bachelor of Science in Bio-Chemistry. In 1948 he married Marjorie Ellen Coy, his devoted wife for 63 years.
During his senior high school year he was awarded the Boy Scout Medal of Honor for saving the life of an Air force Pilot who crashed his plane into the ocean off of the Delaware coast. Ken saw the crash and swam out over 300 yards to pull the Officer out of the sinking Aircraft and brought him safely to shore. This was done on a cold winter day during rough seas.
The CDR enlisted in the Navy and qualified as a Combat Air Crewman in 1943. He was Commissioned as an Ensign after completing Naval Flight Officer Training and then as a Pilot after completing Flight Training. His Navy active and reserve duty totaled 34 years.
As a business man he was employed by the Upjohn Company progressing from a Sales Representative to District Manager, to Manager of the Western Region Clinical Laboratory Division, to Field Epidemiologist for the western half of the United States including Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. He retired in 1990.
He is survived by his son, Keith Coddington of Herndon, VA; daughter Karen Marshall of Las Vegas, NV; 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Graveside services and interment will be held Thursday, March 6, 2014 in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
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