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Reverend Timothy James Kidney

Reverend  Timothy James Kidney obituary, Sunnyvale, CA

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Timothy Kidney Obituary

Reverend Timothy James Kidney
October 27, 1945-October 13, 2018
Resident of Cupertino
Father Tim Kidney was born in LaPorte, Indiana, the son of John and Dolores Kidney. He attended Catholic elementary schools in Illinois and Minnesota. His first two years of high school were in Minnesota; moving to California, he graduated from Serra High School in San Mateo.
Father Kidney entered Saint Patrick's College Seminary in Mountain View in 1963, and did his theological studies at Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park. He was ordained at Saint Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco on May 29, 1971, by Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken.
After serving at Saint Justin Parish, Santa Clara, Father Kidney was associated with the Society of Saint Sulpice, dedicated to the formation of future priests. After earning a doctorate in Moral Theology at the Catholic University of America, he was assigned to the faculty at Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, from 1976 until 1983, becoming a priest of the newly established Diocese of San Jose in 1981.
For a year, Father Kidney served as Chaplain in Residence at Presentation Center in Los Gatos, then as parochial vicar at Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose, and as Chaplain of the Newman Center for Stanford University, located at Saint Ann Chapel.
In 1987, Father Kidney was assigned as Pastor of Saint Maria Goretti Parish in San Jose. At the end of his term, he was missioned to seminary formation work for three years at Saint Dominic Seminary in Lusaka, Zambia. Returning to the Diocese of San Jose, he was Pastor at Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish from 1996 until 1999, and worked for the diocesan Office of Vocations from 1999 until 2000. He became Pastor of Saint Cyprian Parish in Sunnyvale in 2000 and at Saint John Vianney Parish, from 2004-2006.
When the Bishop of Montego Bay requested help to train lay people in roles of leadership, Father Kidney volunteered to be sent to that Jamaican diocese. He later served as Administrator of Saint Joseph Parish in Mountain View, a role he relinquished due to failing health. Father Kidney retired on July 1, 2010, eventually taking up residence at the diocesan retirement home for priests in Cupertino. Earlier this year, he moved to Sunrise Villa in the Evergreen area of San Jose.
Father Tim Kidney will long be remembered as a man who was straightforward in his ministry and in communication. He touched the lives of many through his parish assignments and his work as seminary professor and formator. He will also be remembered for his great generosity and his dedication to the work of the Church, especially in areas of social justice.
Father Tim is survived by his brother, Jack and sister-in-law Donna, their children, Debra Palmer and Sandra Amador, and nephew John Bunch, son of his late sister, Mary Bunch, as well as many friends.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, 5111 San Felipe Road, San Jose, on Saturday, October 20, at 11:30 am, followed by a reception. A viewing will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos. Donations in lieu of flowers to St. Francis of Assisi Lunch Program or Maryknoll Missions.


View the online memorial for Reverend Timothy James Kidney

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Published by San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on Oct. 18, 2018.

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Ryan Soriano

October 12, 2025

Rest in peace Fr.Tim. It´s your 8 years anniversary in heaven

Tere Ertola Charney

December 27, 2024

Father Kidney was a deacon at my church, St Matthias in Redwood City in the late 1960´s. When I was to be married at Stanford University Memorial Church in 1986, Father Kidney was assigned to Mark, my husband and I in an interfaith service with Rabbi Charles Familant. Father Kidney trusted me as a Catholic and was very thoughtful to us. I wanted to reach out to him and our rabbi to let them know we will be celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary next June. I am sad to hear that he passed away. He was a very conscientious human being.

Micca

January 21, 2021

Thank you so much Father Tim for your golden heart, your kindness and amazing words of advices. You will always be remembered. I miss you ,Love you.

joefil saldivar

July 7, 2019

my dear tim you will stay always in my heart and i love you

Micca Cabanas

November 5, 2018

Fr. Tim thank you so much for your kindness,big heart , great advice and being there always for me . I will miss you and i love you .

Bruno & Christi Martinez

October 20, 2018

Father Tim is very powerful force in my life. I often feel alone because I have a unique intellect and some see it many negative things from know it all to too intellectual. The first time I set up a meeting with Father Tim, he immediately saw me for what I was. Once he did, he put me to use. He would constantly test my limits, which I very much enjoyed. We would have long conversations about Theology, Liturgy (he made me his de facto Liturgist), Morality. He was a font of knowledge and so very focused, I was always in awe in him. He was very literally brilliant. He shared that with me. He made use of the Blessings, Gifts and Graces given to me.


He was misunderstood my some. He had issues with large crowds, they unnerved him. So he was very to the point. Some saw this as abrupt, which was not his intent, just his anxiety. I wish people who thought he was abrupt spent time breaking bread and speaking with him in a more interment setting. It is truly their loss.

I feel extraordinarily Blessed to have had Father Tim in my life, I know my wife Christi feels the same way. She is a no nonsense businesswoman as well. She definitely gets results as did Father Tim, I know he admired that about her.

I enjoyed our lunches where we would have intellectual sparing contests. From the outside it must have looked like we hated each other. Yet as soon as we were done, he would smile and laugh, as would I.

One thing no one could deny was his powerful Homilies. They challenged the Assembly to actually think about how the Gospel would come to life in their everyday life, and lived out by them. I know for a fact that he affected quite a few people to become better versions of themselves.

His funniest in Mass moment was far and away at the completion of the entrance procession, but before the Collect, Father Tim reminded everyone to turn off their phone, unless they were expecting a call from God. At that very moment, the cell phone in his pocket rang. No, it was not God. However, he rolled with it, was self deprecating and the whole Assembly laughed with him.

I pray that the Reverend Doctor Timothy James Kidney, is met at the Gates of the Lord God's Heavenly Kingdom, with warm welcome and embrace from Saint Peter and Jesus Christ. I offer this prayer in the most Precious Name of Jesus Christ, amen.


Christi and I will always love you and hold you close to hearts, our minds and our Souls. Thank you Father Tim for all that you achieved, served, lived, loved and given while you were with us.

Catherine See

October 18, 2018

Rest in peace Fr. Kidney. You truly lived your life always in the service of Christ. Truly a doer of the word.

Catherine See

Teresa Altman

October 18, 2018

Mentor, Pastor, Father, friend, leader, confessor, spiritual director, teacher, welcomer, Fr. Tim was all this and more to me. He profoundly impacted my life and I will never forget him in my praise and prayers before God. Because of his blunt, honest, no nonsense ministry style, which was exactly what I needed, when I needed it most, I am rejoined to holy Church and have the hope of eternal life. I look forward to seeing him again. With deepest respect and affection from Teresa Altman, St. Joseph's Mtn View, CA.

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10:30 a.m.

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish

5111 San Felipe Road, San Jose, CA

Oct

20

Funeral Mass

11:30 a.m.

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish

5111 San Felipe Road, San Jose,, CA

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Lima & Campagna Sunnyvale Mortuary

1315 Hollenbeck Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087

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