Kendall Ayers

On December 5th, Kendy Ayers died peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, following a brief illness. Born Kendall McVean to Charles McVean and Barbara Lillard, she grew up in Sherman Oaks, being raised by both her parents, stepmother Mary McVean and her beloved grandmother Charlotte McVean. She had two siblings with whom she would remain close throughout her life. She graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1960.

In 1962, she married Stephen Ayers, whom she had met during a summer job at Yellowstone National Park. The two would remain married for an inspiring 63 years. They moved to Saugus in 1967 and remained there until 2025. During that time, they would raise two sons, David Ayers and Thomas Ayers. She was a beloved grandmother to her four grandchildren, Allen Ayers, Brittany Ayers, Kelsey Ayers, and Ariana Ayers, as well as to her five great-grandchildren. 

She loved her community and her church and worked as a secretary at both the Santa Clarita United Methodist Church and at Bouquet Baptist Church for over a decade each. Kendy was a devout Christian and was a member of the Havenhouse Church for over a decade. She valued giving back to her community and, up until 2020, volunteered regularly at the Santa Clarita food pantry. She was an avid and talented stitcher, voracious reader, and a great friend and lover of cats. 

She is survived by her husband, Stephen Ayers; sister, Joan Hendon; stepbrother, Roger McEvoy; her two sons, David and Thomas Ayers; daughters-in-law, Fariba Bakhtiari and Pamela Ayers; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was deeply loved by her family and will be missed by all of those fortunate enough to have known her.