Neil Forrest Kendall

1936 - 2024

Neil Forrest Kendall

August 19, 1936 - September 23, 2024

Lynnwood, Washington - Neil Forrest Kendall was born August 19, 1936, in Lakewood, Ohio. He passed away on September 23, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington.

Neil was a kind, witty, generous man. From a young age, he devoted himself to family; first his mother and his brothers, and then the great love of his life, Mildred Anne (M.A.) Schmidtman Kendall.

Neil leaves behind his daughter Katherine Anne (Kendall) Kirkpatrick of Garden City, Idaho; his son Bruce William Kendall and his wife Sara Schreiner Kendall of University Place, Washington; his daughter-in-law, Dori Shoji of Seattle, Washington; his grandchildren: including Patrick Kendall and his wife Margaux Faris Kendall; Jackson Kendall and his wife Victoria (Tory) Stolper; Casey Kendall and his wife Emily Xu Hall; Kendall Anne Kirkpatrick; and Caroline Kirkpatrick; and his great-granddaughter Madelyn Kendall.

He also leaves behind his brother Russell Kendall of Winchester, Virginia and his wife Linda Kendall; his brother Owen Kendall of Lakewood, Ohio; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Neil was preceded in death by his wife, M.A., who died seven days before his passing (see adjacent obituary). Neil was also preceded in death by his son Stephen (Steve) Kendall; his son-in-law Dana Kirkpatrick; his brother Darryl Kendall; his sister in-law Virginia Kendall; his sister-in-law Marylou Kendall; and his cousin Roger Konrad.

Neil was the son of Helen Gorman Kendall and William Calvin Kendall. Neil devoted himself to his education and worked various jobs to help support the family. He was elected senior class president at Lakewood High School (1954). During junior year a new girl arrived at LHS and joined his class. She may even have voted for him, but they never socialized. Little did he know.

With finances tight, Neil anticipated staying close to home after high school. On a dare, he took the exam for entrance to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. While at the academy Neil had the chance to get to know that new girl from back in high school as M.A. was attending neighboring Connecticut College. They fell in love, became engaged, and were married in the academy chapel soon after graduation.

The Coast Guard had Neil and M.A. on the move for the next 30 years. Their marriage took them from New London (CT) to Port Angeles (WA), Athens (GA), Ketchikan (AK), back to Port Angeles, Rockville (MD), Bellevue (WA), Oxon Hill (MD), Governors Island (NY), Washington DC, Groton (CT), and Marysville (WA). During his early career Neil served aboard numerous Coast Guard ships. His favorite was the Winona, a 254 foot cutter, where he was the executive officer. Neil's forte with numbers led him into finance, including two tours in Washington, DC working for the Coast Guard's office of the comptroller. After his retirement from the Coast Guard in 1988, Neil and M.A. moved to Marysville (WA) to begin their next chapter. They were active in their community, reveled in family gatherings, and enjoyed showing overnight guests the wonders of the Pacific Northwest.

Neil and M.A. moved into the Quail Park retirement community in Lynnwood (WA) earlier this year. Five years ago, Neil suffered a stroke and had been in slow decline. M.A. fell ill and passed away on September 16th. Neil passed one week later.

A Celebration of Life for Neil and M.A. will be held in early 2025. In lieu of flowers, please make a gift to Coast Guard Mutual Assistance or OxFam. A more complete obituary for Neil can be found at: https://earthfuneral.com/obituary/neil-kendall-09232024/.