Obituary of Kenny Colwell, 88
Kenny Colwell.
Dec. 29, 1936 – Feb. 11, 2025
– Long-time Paso Robles resident Kenny Colwell crossed the finish line on Feb. 11, 2025. Proud father, grandfather, and husband to Linda for 66 years, Kenny will be remembered for his quick wit, unassuming manner, love of his family, and his patient, gentle soul. He also was an uncle, great uncle, cousin, and friend to many.
After graduating as a Bearcat in 1955, Kenny worked for Arden Farms, followed by ownership of the well-loved original A&W on Spring Street. When the A&W sold, he retired just long enough to purchase an auto supply route which he ran for many years, finally giving up his work clothes at age 83.
Kenny and his family enjoyed many happy days water skiing at Lake Nacimiento and snow skiing in the winter. Other travels included Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and a favorite trip to England and France. A highlight of that trip for Kenny was taking the “Chunnel” from London to Paris.
Beyond his love for his family, Kenny’s pride and joy was his 1937 Chevy. Handcrafted by him and local car enthusiasts, his street rod won Best of Show at the Oakland Roadster Show along with many other awards over the years. The Chevy was also featured in Hot Rod and Street Rodder magazines. The Chevy is retired and proudly displayed at the Woodland Auto Museum.
With Kenny’s love of classic cars, he was instrumental in creating the original Paso Robles Cruise Night in the mid-1980s and the A&W Drive-In became the perfect gathering point for the cruisers.
Kenny was known to his daughters Karrin and Lisa, and granddaughter Casey, as Mr. Fixit – a family slogan was “Keep calm and let Papa fix it.”
Kenny started most mornings with coffee downtown with his long-time buddies. He was a 30-year member of the Paso Robles Lions Club and in later years volunteered at Woods Humane Society. Kenny loved animals. All of the Colwell cats and dogs lived their best lives.
The family will hold a private Celebration of Life in April.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Kenny’s name to Woods Humane Society or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital:
https://woodshumanesociety.org/donate/?give=8NDR96EK
When making an online donation to St. Jude, select “Dedicate your gift…” and fill out the required fields before completing your transaction.
For more information, please contact Eddington Funeral Services, King City, (831) 385-5400, www.EFS-Cares.com.
The Paso Robles Daily News accepts and publishes local obituaries and death notices free of charge from individuals and local funeral homes. See information and tips here on writing an obituary. Please submit the obituary a few days before services, if possible. To submit an obituary, please email it to skye@accesspublishing.com with “obituary” in the subject line. Please email a photo along with the obituary.
