Emory Tench

Emory Ernest Tench
Born November 28, 1930
Died February 2, 2023 at 92
Emory Tench was born in Cleveland Ohio to James and Mary Tench as the 2nd child but oldest boy. Loving brother of: MaryAnn DeSantis (deceased); Edward Tench (deceased); Theodore Tench (deceased); Rozella Siegel; Alex Tench (deceased); Jerry Tench and John Schilthorn (deceased). Two siblings remain, Rose Siegel in Parma Ohio and Jerry Tench in San Francisco, California.
As Emory was born in the wake of the depression, he went to work at a young age and quit school to help support his family. He worked on farms and eventually as a cook. At 16, Emory met the love of his life, Barbara Frederick, who was 13 at the time. Two years later, Emory and Barbara eloped to Kentucky on a greyhound bus and got married in June of 1949 at the home of an ordained farmer with his wife as the witness.
After three months, the pair returned to Ohio as they were out of money. Emory was promptly jailed as Barbara was underage at 15 with him being 18. Barbara’s mother convinced her father to have him released after the weekend since well, they still needed a cook at their restaurant. They were married 66 years until her death on August 27, 2015.
After Emory was a cook, he was an apprentice and eventually became a journeyman machinist, working on government contracts during the war. One of his proudest moments was meeting General James “Jimmy” Doolittle who complimented him on his precise measurements.
The first of four children and only boy Richard Emory, was born in 1950. Valerie Jean followed in 1954 and Pamela Jo in 1955, all in Ohio. There were numerous picnics and family gatherings with an extremely large Hungarian and Ukrainian Catholic family.
Tired of the weather and looking for work, Emory and Barbara decided to head west in 1962 but of course not until after Christmas (if you knew mom, you would get this). They landed in Simi Valley and never looked back. He had 3 jobs in just as many days and they began to live the California dream. Their fourth and final child, Roxanne May was a surprise and arrived in 1967, five years after moving to California.
During this time Em and Barb lived on the east side of Simi Valley on Helene Street and Marshall and then a mobile park after the older kids were grown eventually ending up in 1983 on a ranch on Tierra Rejada. For work, Emory was a machinist at Deluxe Film labs in Hollywood during the heyday of movies and films and retired at 62 years old.
Family was everything to Emory and Barbara and there were so many gatherings particularly at Christmas and Easter on the ranch. They went to weddings, graduations, bridal and baby showers and too many sporting events to count. Of course there was one holiday that was unofficial but real to them, Superbowl Sunday. If you knew Mom and Dad you knew Sunday and Monday night football was a planned weekly event. Plus, Dad usually had some money on the game.
Emory and Barbara traveled around the country in their 5th wheel travel trailer during the summer and came home in the winters. They would also fly back and forth for family events in Ohio. In their later years, they went up to Twin Lakes in Bridgeport and stayed for 5-6 months and enjoyed fishing and playing cards and of course, gambling. They made numerous friends along the way.
They are survived by all four of their children, Richard Tench, spouse Darcy; Valerie Craig, spouse Larry; Pamela White, spouse Dirk, Roxanne Elliott, spouse Tom. Emory and Barbara have 11 grandchildren: Jennifer Ahles; Wesley Tench; Jack Kaufman; Justin Kaufman; Stacy Hanlon; Natalie Ruecker; Richard White; Chris White; Breeanna Hazuka; Megan Elliott and Trevor Elliott. They were also blessed with 19 greatgrandchildren with one of them being born after Barbara’s passing. Emory and Barbara will be together again in death as her ashes will be placed with him in his coffin at Simi Cemetery.
Services are to be held at Reardon Mortuary on Sycamore Avenue in Simi Valley on Monday February 20th @ 12:00 with visitation of the public stating at 11:30 am. All are welcome who knew and loved Em and Barb, or as so many knew them Mom and Dad.