Winfred W."Wimpy" Kenner was employed in the Helicopter Division of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

Kenner's story may sound like many St. Louis men of his generation. The Affton resident graduated from McKinley High School, served heroically in Europe during World War II, then returned home to start a family and work hard at a good job with McDonnell Aircraft.

Where the 86-year-old differs from the average person is how he has given his time to helping others during his retirement. You can find him all over the city, from Clayton to south St. Louis County, filling volunteer roles and supporting the causes he cares about most. He will be honored with an Ageless-Remarkable St. Louisan Award from the St. Andrew's Resources for Seniors System at its annual event on Nov.14.

"I'm not much of a homebody, so I like to get out and do things as much as I can. I'm afraid of becoming a couch potato. And I joke with my kids that it keeps me out of the taverns," Kenner said.

Kenner spends several days a week making history come alive for visitors at the Jefferson Barracks Museum, where he gives tours of the Powder Magazine. He began volunteering there when funding for staff dried up.

"A lot of organizations can't afford to pay people for these jobs right now. The Friends of Jefferson Barracks put out the call five years ago and we had 87 people step up. But our number is down to around 65 and we need more people to fill in," Kenner said.

During tax season, Kenner helps with St. Louis County's Older Residents Program (CORP) by scheduling appointments for those who need assistance preparing their forms. He is a board member of the University of Missouri Extension Service, where he works with a group that oversees spending and programming.

Kenner also serves on the board of the American Railway Caboose Historical Education Society. This means that he gets to help Santa with holiday appearances and assist with train tours to places like Kansas City and Chicago.

"I think the best thing about me getting this award is that it will give a little publicity to the organizations I work with," Kenner said. "I've often said that they are the best kept secrets in St. Louis County. There are people who live within a few miles of the museum and don't know it's there or who have never heard of the train tours."