Through teaching, the Air Force and firefighting, art stayed closed to Neal Kimball’s heart

Some kids want to be soldiers when they grow up. Others dream of becoming artists, firefighters, or teachers.

Neal Kimball, 80, did all of the above, but art remained his calling and his passion.

“As a fifth- or sixth-grader, I recognized I was given some gifts and talents in visual communication,” he said.

His earliest projects were for friends and family.

“In those days, we didn’t have printed T-shirts,” he recalled. “Someone would use permanent markers to draw whatever they were interested in on a shirt, so that’s what I did.”

But his real art career began in 1964 at Wenatchee Valley College. While studying fine arts, he met commercial artist Walter Graham.

Graham hired Kimball and his younger brother to build a float for the Apple Blossom Festival.

The artist recognized Kimball’s talent and subsequently enlisted him to create a mosaic for the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane.

Working from a drawing provided by Graham, Kimball and fellow artist Chet Endrizzi crafted a stunning 8-foot-by-12-foot mosaic of St. George the Dragon Slayer.

“We used Byzantine glass and tile pieces,” Kimball said.

When the piece was ready for installation in the small chapel within the Cathedral, Graham flew the two artists to Spokane in his private plane to install it.

“The architect, Mr. Whitehouse (Harold), was still alive, and he made wooden crosses covered in gold leaf which we added to the mosaic.”

Two years later, Kimball married his wife, Connie, in the Cathedral, and they posed for a wedding photo in front of the mosaic.

The couple had moved to Spokane, where Kimball enlisted in the military.

“I joined the Air Force in July 1967, because our first child was on the way.”

Assigned to the Military Airlift Command (MAC), he was assured he wouldn’t be sent overseas.

“Thirty days before Patrick was born, they sent me to Okinawa, and I didn’t get to see him until he was 6 months old,” recalled Kimball.

When the base commander learned he had an artist in the ranks, he quickly put Kimball to work.

“The first thing I did was paint the base sign,” he said.

During a brief home leave to meet his son, he learned his family would be able to join them if he paid their way overseas. In 1967, a $500 bank loan enabled their move.

In 1968, they welcomed their son, Joel, and in 1969, their daughter, Loree, completed the family.

Kimball’s artistic endeavors continued on a larger scale in Okinawa. When his commander wanted to make the day rooms in the barracks look homier, he enlisted the artist.

“I did three large murals, one in each barracks,” Kimball said. “It was the first time I got to use my own designs.”

He designed his unit’s patch, and when Christmas neared, he was asked to create a large Nativity scene on plywood. The following year, he painted a Christmas card for the MAC on the base.

“I did it on two 8-foot squares, so it opened like a card,” he said.

With five months left on his enlistment, the family returned to Spokane, only to find Kimball was scheduled to be transferred to MAC headquarters in Illinois.

He reached out to Rep. Tom Foley, who intervened, and Kimball was allowed to finish his time in Spokane.

Kimball joined the Air National Guard and served from 1971 to 1983. He designed the patch for the 141st Air Refueling Wing, which is still used today.

“In 1983, I designed and edited the Washington Air National Guard’s 60th anniversary yearbook, and last year, I edited their 100th anniversary yearbook,” Kimball said.

He took advantage of the GI Bill and earned two degrees at Spokane Falls Community College. One in fine art and the other in commercial and advertising art. He then transferred to Eastern Washington University and received a bachelor of arts degree in Fine Arts in 1978.

That year, he began working at Mead High School, where he taught graphic arts, photography, printing and yearbook until 1986.

“The district print shop was located at Mead,” he recalled.

He and his students designed and printed letterheads, stationery, and a host of other products for the district.

In 1981, he began volunteering for Spokane County Fire District 4 and designed their logo.

Over the years, Kimball taught in several schools, including a stint in Alaska, before returning to Spokane to serve as principal of Riverside High School in 2001.

During his 10-year tenure at the school, he developed and taught the fire science program in partnership with Fire District 4.

The students learned about wildland fires, structure fires and first responder skills. One of his former students is now a lieutenant with the fire department.

“I’m proud of that program – it lasted seven years,” said Kimball.

Many years ago, he and his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.

“I created six stained glass windows in the portico of the temple in Spokane Valley,” he said. “I’ve been given a gift to serve others. I’ve always used art to communicate with people.”

His illustrious career might surprise his elementary school art teacher.

When Kimball was in third or fourth grade, his mother questioned his teacher about the “B” her son had earned in art.

“The teacher said, ‘Oh, he’ll never become an artist,’” Kimball recalled. “I thought, doggone it! I’ll show you! And the rest is history.”