Kenneth Wayne Walls made his own life, his own rules and a legend that will outlive us all. He picked up his vehicle for this life in June 22, 1941 in Tulare, CA. He ran the hell out of it until it quit running on July 18, 2017.
Between those points in time, he travelled hundreds of thousands of miles and never seemed to stop. He tirelessly and fearlessly loved and protected his family, his friends and even strangers who wandered into the crosswalks of life. He gave everything to everyone, but took no crap from anyone.
He knew no limits, no laws and no defeat. He was given horrible odds, but won by betting against them. By 6th grade, he dropped out of school and began supporting his siblings (preceded in death by all): Everett Don, Pearlene and Russell. Proving that education is far inferior to raw creativity and relentlessness, he had everything he imagined including an entire town.
His first wife and lifelong friend, Joyce, gave him his first children: Tonya and Donnie Troy. The four children to follow (who have nieces and nephews their ages: Troy’s and Tonya’s Children) were just another example of Ken’s inability to accept expectations. Doctors had claimed Ken would not see the end of his 30’s. He was almost 40 when Angela started up her trip with us, then over the next 14 years Jonathan, Kendra and Christopher joined the trip.
Fiercely loving and protecting each of us, we were untouchable. We knew no fear. We knew no limits. We also knew no boredom. Unpredictable and sometimes no less than unimaginable, our experiences made us strong, adaptable, resilient and creative.
Only 10 grandchildren were lucky enough to have been on the journey as well: Jason, Jordan, Natasha and Tiffany (Tonya’s children), Allison, Andrea, Angie, Jonas, Ryan (Troy’s children) and Ashlyn (Angela’s daughter). The rest to come will only get to listen to the stories and imagine the amazing man who was their grandfather.
We could all share some memories in detail, but if you did not know our dad, you would not believe any of them anyway. We are all thankful for him giving us all that he did. The road trip was an unforgettable adventure we will all cherish.
