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Kevin Lee Chamberlin, 57

With a final rev of the engine and a howl at the moon, Kevin Lee Chamberlin joined that “Sturgis rally in the sky” on Dec. 16, 2017, at the all-too-young age of 57. For a man that never rested, Kevin finally found that perfect beach.

While Kevin was born in Boise, Idaho, in 1960, his roots were North Idaho through and through. After his father, Leland Marley, passed away in 1963, his mother, Evelyn Marley, moved the family to Sandpoint, Idaho, where Kevin, his sister, Kara, and brother Kurt established childhood memories of days at the lake, Dub’s Ice Cream and visits to Hope, Idaho.

Kevin’s family later moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he met and married the love of his life, Gail. In typical Kevin fashion, they first met in the summer ’79 along Third Street in Coeur d’Alene, while he was attempting to do a handstand on a skateboard. His attempt was just that, an attempt, and Kevin proceeded to fall directly in front of Gail, hitting the sidewalk in a less-than-macho moment than he probably had envisioned.

While Gail was smart enough to date one of Kevin’s friends after that amusing day instead of the boy on the skateboard, sometimes fate has a way.

Gail and Kevin ran the same circle of friends for the following summer, and fate persisted — an unplanned run-in here, and small chat and a catching glance there. One day, Gail, ever so innocently, brought Kevin to meet her dad. After a male-to-male face-off in the form of a vise-like handshake and sheer will to win, Gail’s father, Paul, gave her his blessing to dump the friend, and date Kevin. And as any good daughter would, Gail took her father’s advice. Two years later, in 1981, Kevin and Gail were married, and for the last 38 years, have built a life of memories, accomplishments and friendships in Coeur d’Alene. Not everyone’s career resonates with one’s passions or personality, but Kevin was meant to be a builder. From his roots as a tradesman, he took over operations of the family firm, Stewart Construction, in 2001 with Gail. Here he found an outlet for his natural attention to detail, passion for working with his hands and love of the grand challenge that is custom home building. To those that worked with him, he was the guy that actually whistled while he worked. He found meaning in helping others turn their dreams into reality, and his legacy of work lives on through some of the most grand and iconic homes in the region. But outside of his work, he found great joy in the spectrum of life’s grand activities and small pleasures. From Harley rides across the Western U.S. and Canada with his wife and friends, to lawn mower rides in the backyard with his grandchildren on his lap, each held a special place in his heart and showcased his love of sharing his life moments with the people he cared about most. There were vacations to his special places, Beyond Hope, Idaho, and Maui, Hawaii, with family at his side. There were summer evenings with his daughters, teaching them the intricacies of the perfect jump shot in the driveway at dusk. Kevin left no doubt here on earth that he knew how to enjoy life, but more importantly, he knew how to teach others how to do the same.

For all those moments that add up to one’s life, all men live a few moments that bring so much joy to their lives that it carries on with them for eternity. For Kevin, the marriage to his love Gail, the weddings of his two beautiful daughters, Kristin and Jaime, and the birth of his three grandchildren, Kendall, Kimber and Jackson, establish his legacy and his memory for generations to come. His remembrance is carried on by them, his brother Kurt, his sister Kara, and all the cousins, nieces, nephews, son-in-laws and family members that loved him most. For all the homes built, for all the fun had, Kevin’s greatest legacy was always that of a tight-knit and loving family.

Kevin was a man who knew not only how to have a good time, but held one of the greatest traits of a person ­— the ability to make sure that everyone around him enjoyed life as well. He was a person who led with kindness, generosity, and above all, happiness. He will be missed, but his imprint on the lives of those who knew and loved him will carry on for eternity.

And so, in remembrance to his legacy of family, friendship and laughter, a gathering will be held on at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29, at Lake City Church, 6000 N. Ramsey Road, followed by a celebration starting at 3 p.m. at Paddy’s Sports Bar, 601 W. Appleway Ave. Please view and sign Kevin’s online guest book at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.

In keeping true to the fun that was Kevin’s style and love of life, the family has asked guests to not only bring their favorite memories of Kevin to share but are also encouraged to wear their favorite “Kevin outfit” in dedication to his memory — a Harley Davidson bandanna, Hawaiian shirt, Gonzaga gear, or if you dare, socks and sandals. To the man who was a master of asking the questions, let’s join one last time and ponder what seemed to be Kevin’s biggest question of life, “WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?”