Obituary of Karl Winfried Guenther

Karl Winfried Guenther, born December 18, 1938 to late, Winfried and Mary (Durlin) Guenther, passed away on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at the Penn Yan Manor. Karl was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated from U W Platteville and received his Masters in Civil Engineering from M.I.T. He had worked for Westinghouse Airbrake and Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority in Ann Arbor, MI and was a share holder in Coach & Equipment in Penn Yan, NY. He co-owned K-Ventures from 1982 to 2017. Prior to moving to Penn Yan in 1978, Karl was the Executive Director of Ann Arbor Transportation Authority systems for 6 year, one of the places where a Dial-A-Ride system was implemented. Karl and Kathy moved to Penn Yan where Karl was a share holder at Coach & Equipment and then decided to begin his own business with his wife Kathy-a charter and tour bus service- in 1982. The first buses were purchased from Coach & Equipment and thus the business began. At one time, K-Ventures, owned 5 minibuses and had a customer mailing list of approximately 1,000 customers. Trips to Broadway shows, shopping, concerts, and other venues were offered to customers on a monthly basis. The unique aspect of this business was that customers were picked up at their homes and dropped off after the trips. The business also provided private charters for weddings, winery tours, and family outings. Many wonderful friendships and great memories were formed over the years. K-Ventures was his passion. He made sure whoever went on a K-Venture trip was treated kindly and made sure they had a great time. He always told that Dial-A-Ride was an achievement; not a career. He proved them wrong. It was his career for 36 years. His life was built around K-Ventures. Karl leaves behind his wife, Kathy Beaumont Guenther, married 1975; sons, Kevin and Katie Guenther and their children Heidi, Nik and Holly; Kreig and Mao Guenther and their children, Kevin and Kendall; and daughter, Kourteney Guenther; nephews and nieces, Roger, Jeanne, Sara and David Kuhns. And his great grandson, Karl of Okinawa, Japan. In addition to his parents, Karl was he was predeceased by his sister, JoAnn Kuhns in 2018 and a grandson, Karl Guenther in 2010. Besides K-Ventures business, Karl enjoyed car racing events and was part owner of a street stock car in the '80's that competed at Dundee Speedway and Canandiagua. He enjoyed watching as a spectator at an event or watching on television. The passion for cars was formed as a child. A memorial service celebrating Karl's life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made in Karl's memory to the Penn Yan Education Foundation, PO Box 265, Penn Yan, NY 14527. Fond memories of Karl maybe share with his family and friends at townsendwoodzinger.com