Kenneth Lewis Kindorf

Kenneth Lewis Kindorf, age 91, passed away peacefully at his daughter's home in St. George, Utah. In his later years, Ken lived with vascular dementia, a challenge he faced with quiet dignity while being lovingly cared for by his family. He moved from Woodinville, Washington with his daughter and son-in-law to the St. George area in 2024. Ken was born on July 15, 1935, in San Francisco, California, to Harry Lewis Kindorf and Mabel Delicia (Byford) Kindorf. He joined his older brother Harry Donal, who was five years his senior. Ken spent the first ten years of his life in San Francisco, where he enjoyed an idyllic childhood filled with neighborhood friends, bicycle adventures, and endless boyhood explorations. His favorite childhood memories were the summers he spent with his cousins and Grandfather at the family cabin on Kidd Creek in Cazadero, California. His family later moved to Oakland, California, where he spent the remainder of his childhood and young adult years. His extended family was exceptionally close, and his cousins remained among the greatest joys of his life. That love for family never faded, and throughout his life he made a point of keeping in touch with everyone. Ken met the love of his life, Kay (Brown) in junior high school. They remained part of the same circle of friends throughout their years at Piedmont High School in Oakland, although they didn't begin dating until several years after graduation. When their paths crossed again, their friendship quickly blossomed into a lifelong romance. They were married in the Los Angeles Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 13, 1959. Their son, Scott Alan, was born in 1960, followed three years later by their daughter, Penny Eileen. Ken joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1958 while dating Kay. Even as a young boy, he felt there was a loving Heavenly Father watching over him and often attended a neighborhood church on his own, where he loved to sing. As he learned more about Kay's faith, he was inspired to investigate the Church for himself and eventually chose to be baptized. Throughout his life he served faithfully in many church callings and later served in both the Seattle Washington Temple and the Rexburg Idaho Temple. In 1964, the family settled in Pleasant Hill, California, where they built a home filled with love and lasting memories. Ken loved camping and fishing, and many weekends and family vacations were spent along the South Fork of the American River. He also found great satisfaction in woodworking, including building pieces of furniture with Kay often by his side. His workshop was one of his favorite places, where he loved tinkering, repairing, and creating. Ken and Kay also enjoyed ballroom dancing, and he especially loved the Big Band music of the 1940s and jazz. Ken enjoyed a rewarding career as a telecommunications sales engineer. He worked for Pacific Telephone in the San Francisco Bay Area beginning in the mid-1960s. His career allowed him to meet people from all walks of life across the country. He genuinely loved people, enjoyed hearing their life stories, and was always ready with a good joke. He had a remarkable ability to find common ground with someone he had just met and quickly made them feel like an old friend. In 1981, Ken and his family relocated to Issaquah, Washington, where he continued his career with AT&T and later Boeing. Although leaving the Bay Area after 46 years was a tremendous change, he quickly came to love the friendships he built in Washington. Combining his expertise in telecommunications with his love of airplanes made his years with Boeing especially rewarding. From 2003 to 2005, Ken and Kay served together as missionaries in Budapest, Hungary. Supporting young missionaries and serving the people in the communities where they lived became one of the greatest blessings of their 53 years of marriage. They devoted every day to serving others, placing the needs of those around them before their own. The friendships they formed during those years endured long after they returned home and settled in Rexburg Idaho, home to BYU-Idaho, where they enjoyed having many of their former missionaries in their home for meals. Those who knew Ken will remember his sense of humor, generous heart, endless curiosity, and gift for making strangers feel like lifelong friends. Whether he was telling a story, helping someone solve a problem, or sharing a laugh, he made people feel welcome and valued. His greatest legacy is the love he gave to his family and friends, and the example of a life lived with faith, kindness, and joy. Ken loved life. When Kay passed away in 2012, life was never quite the same. He missed her deeply and looked forward to the day they would be reunited. As a family, we find comfort and peace in knowing that they are together once again. Ken is survived by his son, Scott (Michelle) Kindorf; his daughter, Penny (Devon) Hughes; nine grandchildren; and fourteen great-grandchildren; two beloved nephews; and several cousins. In keeping with their wishes, Ken chose cremation, just as Kay had. Their ashes will be combined and shared with loved ones and scattered in places that held special meaning throughout their lives.