City Councilman Ken Gose Dies at 75

CAMARILLO — City Councilman Ken Gose, a retired government teacher at Channel Islands High School, died Saturday from complications of a brain tumor. He was 75.

Gose won his first of two council terms in 1990, defeating seven other candidates by receiving 9,200 votes.

“Nobody had ever heard of him and he just blew them away,” said Gose’s son, Gregory Gose, of Camarillo.

“I had helped a couple of friends with campaigns and one day he said he’d like to serve on the City Council. I tried to talk him out of it. But he was just the kind of guy that [set] a goal and would go for it,” Gose’s son said.

Following the landslide victory, Gose was an active council member, working on numerous committees. He served as mayor in 1993, and in November of that year was elected to a second term. In July, 1996, Gose was appointed to the state task force convened to study potential uses for Camarillo State Hospital.

It was not surprising that Gose, a die-hard sports fan, became active in a plan to bring a sports stadium to the city.

“We both tried to bring a sports and entertainment complex to the city and we both agreed that the way to do it was with no taxpayer dollars,” former Councilman Mike Morgan said.

“I’m just sorry that it didn’t happen while he was still here.”

Gose was found to have a brain tumor Nov. 3. Doctors operated two days later, and Gose’s health improved. He took a turn for the worse recently, his son said, and the family was in the process of deciding whether he would return to the council. He had been on excused absence from City Council meetings since October.

The council could appoint a replacement or hold a special election to fill the seat.

Gose was born March 22, 1921, in Luttrell, Tenn. He served as a naval flight instructor in Pensacola, Fla., during World War II. As the war was ending, Gose married his “Tennessee sweetheart” Ola. He graduated from the University of Tennessee and throughout his life was a fan of Tennessee football.

First-term Councilman Bill Liebmann said Gose “looked at issues and saw the one or two core points, and then applied a common-sense approach to solving a problem or setting a policy.

“I had looked forward to serving with Ken on the council. The city is really going to miss him,” he added.

In addition to his wife and son, Gose is survived by another son, Mike Gose of Malibu; one daughter, Kenna Gose of Manhattan Beach; and five grandchildren.

A public memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Camarillo Church of Christ. A burial service will follow at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park in Camarillo.

Memorial donations may be made to the Charles K. Gose scholarship fund administered by the Ventura County Community Foundation, 1355 Del Norte Road, Camarillo.