Rex Thompson Kidwell

On a cool spring day, March 23, 1957, Rex Thompson Kidwell came into this world as the youngest child belonging to Joshua Tilford and Ethel Bess Kidwell. Being the baby, he was named by his older siblings for their favorite animal-the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Their family moved to the Kansas City area from Versailles, MO the following year, and Rex graduated from Oak Park high school in 1975 where he played saxophone-a discipline his great niece, Audrey Kidwell, has carried on. He graduated from Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City in 1977. He, then, graduated from Rolla with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering in 1985.

He was employed by the McDonald Douglas aircraft corporation, where he had a direct hand in developing the propulsion systems for weapons used on the Apache helicopter and the F-15 fighter jet-something he only spoke of late in life due to the top secret security clearance needed. Later, he was employed by BellSouth, who was purchased by AT&T where he retired from just two years ago.

Rex loved Golf and was willing to travel almost anywhere to play the courses he loved. He had an affinity for fine wine and fine cigars. Towards the end of his life he fell in love with cooking as well.

He was a mentor and a father figure to many, despite never being married or having kids of his own. If a mantra could be applied to this life, it would be quality over quantity as Rex never failed to attain only the finest accouterments for his passions. His untimely passing is a tragedy, and he will be dearly missed by those who knew him as he was perhaps one of the kindest people you would ever have the pleasure of knowing. He was preceded in death by his parents and older brother, John Joseph Kidwell. He is survived by his other siblings Becky Huber, Samuel Kidwell, and Robin Kidwell. He leaves his nieces, Melissa Poppa and Kari Douglas, and his nephews, Daniel Kidwell and Thomas Kidwell. He also leaves a multitude of great nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to https://gofund.me/46fe5fdc for the purchase of a monument at the golf course he lived on.