ROY WILLIAM KOSCHNITZKI was born April 28, 1917
at home, 6525 Dover
Avenue, Oakland, Alameda County, California to
Albert Jacob Christianand
Celia von Arx Koschnitzki.
Roy William was baptized at the
pastor's residence in Berkeley, California.
Certificate of Baptism
Roy William, son of Albert Koschnitzki and his wife Celia Koschnitzki born April 28, 1917 Oakland was baptized November 4, 1917 at Pastor's residence Berkeley . In the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Sponsors were: William H.T. Koschnitzki and Nell Fulton
By Harvey M. Leech, Pastor St. Michaels
Dad's mother decided on a short name for her second son, as she felt Koschnitzki was too long for anyone to write out. That is how his first name of Roy came about. His middle name is after his uncle, William Koschnitzki. Then, Dad's father Albert, got together with his brothers and came to the conclusion that it would be best to change their family surname. As it was a difficult name to spell, it was also very difficult to pronounce. They all decided on the surname of "Kay", with the exception of one brother, Fritz, who decided to keep the family name. Koschnitzki was officially changed to Kay on September 4, 1923. In later years, Dad said it was easier than before. All he had to do was write out Roy W. Kay rather than Roy W. Koschnitzki!
Approximately in 1924, the family moved to East Oakland to 3854 Rhoda Avenue and their phone number was Andover 6875. There wasn't too much building in the area (called the Fruitvale District), so coyotes ventured down from the hills into Dad's neighborhood. Dad recalls that one time a neighbor's goat "bit the dust" from a wandering coyote.
In the neighborhood, there was a street nearby called Peralta Avenue, later changed to Coolidge, where there was a hill. During the dry grass season, Dad and his brother Al, would take their sleds, wax the wooden runners and go sledding down the hill. He also recalled the Fred Finch Orphanage, located behind their home.
Roy attended Sequoia Elementary School on Lincoln Avenue in Oakland, Bret Harte Junior High on
Coolidge, then he was off to Roosevelt High School (now a Middle school) where he graduated June 21st,
1935 with a class of 173. 
While attending Roosevelt High School,
Dad would only go half day in the afternoon. In the mornings he would attend the Central Trade
School, near Lake Merritt, studying electricity theory. He felt it was interesting as quite
of bit of learning was "hands on" such as building batteries. He was an average student,
excelled in workshops such as metal and woodworking. He made a beautiful floor lamp made
in his junior high woodworking class, that has been handed down to one of his three daughters.
Dad had a very creative mind and had a lot of talent; capable of building anything, from his
own home shop to a doll house. He took pride in the things he made.
He also enjoyed guns. He was a member of the NRA and would always go to the pistol range when he was a kid. He joined the ROTC in school as he didn't care for Physcial Education. He said "it was a good start for me for a good part of my enjoyable life." In high school, Dad was very active with the ROTC. Once a week, they got to wear the uniforms and practice parade, but were unable, because of age, to take firearms home, with the exception of a .60.06 rifle, which he would carry home while riding a street car. In the basement of Roosevelt High, there was a 22 caliber rifle range where he practiced and his instructor's name was Sgt. McDonald, from the ROTC. He remembers him fondly; a nice gentleman who knew how to handle the kids. He was gentle and soft spoken.
Dad's first gun was bought at Montgomery Wards. It was a left hand bolt action 22 caliber. He enjoyed shooting hand guns as they were "more of a challenge, especially when loading and making the ammunition." When Dad got serious about this hobby, such as loading and casting bullets, he got lead from various jobs and from other electricians, as the electrical cables were lead covered (this was when he was an apprentice). He would go into junkyards and get tin and antimony and mix into the lead. Dad would take a fingernail to scratch the surface of the bullet. If the scratch mark was a certain way, it was ready. He didn't have, what he thought was called, a Burnell hardness tester, so the standby nail test worked just as well. He would then cast bullets; #1 no mars and #2 could have a few mars. Dad used them in competition around the Oakland-San Francisco area, especially at Fort Funtson, which was near the Presidio. Dad was also a member of the Oakland Police Rifle and Pistol Club. His first medal was "Tyro". During World War II, ribbons were awarded rather than medals, as metal was used in the war effort. The highest award Dad received was called "Sharpshooter", which was a step down from the top award of "Master". Dad did obtain various awards at different matches in his classification, which he was very proud of until he died. At his home, Dad made a firecracker pistol out of an old gun barrel. He gave the pistol to me on a plaque he mounted it to, which I hang proudly today.
The Kay family spent a lot of time in the great outdoors; fishing, hunting and camping. They camped quite a bit at Casadara and at Riverbank. Albert and Celia were very close to all family members, but especially Jack and Mary Kay. Both Koschnitzki brothers married von Arx sisters and it always tickled Dad knowing he and their children were double cousins! Dad recalls his family driving up to Yacolt, Washington with his Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary, to visit with his Aunt Marie and Uncle Carl Johnson, who had a ranch up there (it's still in the family!). A few days after arriving, they all rode into town in a horse and buggy where Uncle Carl bought everyone an ice cream. Dad remembered the road as being so muddy from the rains, that trees had been cut and laid across the road, side by side, called corduroy, so one could pass over easlity. The year was 1926 and Dad was 9 years old.
Dad always remembers his parents as being very good to him. They would always make sure he had plenty of nickels and dimes for the trolley car. He described them to me as people "who did not want". I asked him one time if his mother worked. His reply was she "was a housewife, but really worked hard." He remembered "her doing laundry this one certain time, in a big copper oval tub, putting hadkerchiefs and other articles in, boiling it." He mentioned that "women in those days really worked hard."
Roy was staying at Al and Frankie's home recuperating from a hernia operation, when his brother came home and asked him if he'd be interested in going into business together in Sunnyvale, California. That was the day that Kay Electric Company was born. Al sold his home in Oakland and they both pooled their savings together and bought an old panel truck from their cousin, Clarence Kay , who was a car dealer. The brothers bought a house on Cresent Avenue near the El Camino in Sunnyvale. Eventually they rented space from Clarence at 248 Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale. Both brothers had the idea that electrical companies should also carry home appliances which later they found to be a falsehood. They eventually stopped carrying the products and stuck to what they knew best and that was being electrical contractors. Eventually business expanded and so did their location. They bought land on what was then called Lawrence Road and built their final building. The name of the road was then changed to Arques Avenue and their business address was 940 E. Arques Avenue, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara County, California.
Helen Leona was born February 26, 1928 in the family home on Hester Street in San Jose, Santa Clara County to Carl Edwin Jacobson and Mable Grace Pence and died March 4, 2009 in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California
.Roy met his first wife, Helen, through her mother, Grace Miller, who came out with her husband, Jake, to give a bid on painting the Kay Electric Co. building on Murphy.
After a brief a brief courtship, Roy and Helen married on November 2, 1947 and they had three
children:
i. NANCY "NANNY" HELEN KAY was born May 11, 1949 in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. She married DOUGLAS ARTHUR WHITE in Reno, Nevada on January 14, 1978. He was born May 28, 1951 in Palo Alto, Santa Clara, California and died on November 14, 1991 in Gilbert, Maricopa County, Arizona. Together they had one child, CHRISTINA "CHRISTY" KAY WHITE who was born May 31, 1985 in Alabama.
ii. CHERYL "CHARLIE" NELL KAY was born July 22, 1950 San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. She married KENNETH ALLEN JENSEN on August 18, 1976 in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada. Ken was born June 6, 1946 in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana and died April 2, 2000 in Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota.
Together they had one child who was born February 3, 1978 in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada.
iii. LIVING was born in 1954 in Mt. View, Santa Clara County, California. She married LIVING and together they had one child.
Roy had frequented Sunnyvale Hardware Store for business and personal purchases and there he met
JOANNE MARY GOODIN. Joanne was born August 14, 1924 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died October 25, 2005 in Chico, Butte County, California.
Joanne had 5 children from her previous marriage, which ended in divorce to
PETER ARNOLD FORSYTHE who was born August 26, 1922 and died November 5, 1990 in
Reno, Washoe County, Nevada.
i. LIVING was born December 17, 1946 in Alameda County, California. He married LIVING and together they had a son, LIVING who was born August 7, 1979.
ii. LIVING was born November 13, 1948 in Berkeley, Alameda County, California. She married LIVING and together they had three children, FEMALE LIVING who was born August 26, 1971, MALE LIVING who was born February 4, 1973 and MALE LIVING who was born May 05, 1983.
iii. MARY ELIZABETH FORSYTHE was born August 23, 1951 in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County California. Mary met LIVING and they had one child, KELLY MARIE DUSTON who was born September 26, 1970. Mary and LIVING'S marriage ended in divorce.
Mary met LIVING and eventually married on September 20, 1981 in Oakland, Alameda County, California.
iv. MALE LIVING was born January 16, 1956 in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California. He met FEMALE LIVING while stationed with the U.S. Army in Germany and eventually they married on April 18, 1978 in Kordel, West Germany. Together they had three children, MALE LIVING, JR. who was born June 05, 1981, FEMALE LIVING who was born December 13, 1985 and FEMALE LIVING.
All three children were born in Kordel, Germany.
v. GEOFFREY BLACKBURN "DUFF" FORSYTHE was born January 16, 1956 in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California. Geoff is more commonly known to his family as Duff or Duffy.
Roy and Joanne married on June 19, 1965 in the United Church of Christ and Episcopal Church
of Almaden,
6581 Camden Avenue, San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.
Roy and Joanne lived in Santa Clara, California for many years with her children until retirement. After the children had grown and moved into their own homes, Roy and Joanne moved to Sonora, California, then to Magalia, Butte County, California near Roy's cousin, John Kay and his wife Cathy. After living in their home for many years, it was decided to move into Sierra Sunrise Terrace, a retirement community in Chico, Butte County, California.
Dad became ill about 1996, complaining to the doctor that he had a "tickle" in his throat that he couldn't get rid of. The doctor diagnosed him as having liver cancer after many tests. His son-in-law moved in to take care of Dad, as Joanne was not able and living in assisted care. His son-in-law was at his side when he died on April 1st, 1998 in Chico, California. He was 80 years old.
Almost a year later, Dad's daughters and their immediate families, got together and scattered his ashes. This was on May 1st, 1999.