Daryl Ann Kyle, 76
Beloved by all who knew her, Daryl Ann (Hatch) Kyle, 76, passed away unexpectedly Aug. 28, 2023, from undiagnosed leukemia. She died peacefully surrounded by her husband Al and nearby family.
Daryl was born in Chicago on Nov. 13, 1946, to Charles Weston ("Wes") Hatch and Margaret Ann ("Meg") Jensen. They were living in Seattle, Wash., when sister Holly was born in 1949. Moving to Cedar Mountain Farm near Athol in North Idaho in 1950, Wes and Meg began developing a dairy farm; their third daughter, Laurie, arrived two years later. The three sisters learned to milk cows at an early age.
Trained as a concert pianist, Wes taught the girls piano, and music became Daryl's passion. She played trombone in the Coeur d'Alene High School band, string bass in the orchestra, served as Drum Major for the high school marching band, and graduated with Honors in 1964.
Daryl continued her music studies at the University of Idaho in Moscow. One evening at church, a cheerful, perceptive young man (a Forestry major, she would learn) asked if she was walking home alone afterward; "Yes," she replied. "You're not anymore," he said.
Al and Daryl married in 1967 just after Al graduated and the two then went to Los Angeles for Al’s first duty assignment. Daryl finished her Bachelor of Music degree at USC in 1969, and then her education credential at Cal State Long Beach the following year. That summer of 1970 Al was transferred to New York (Griffiss AFB in upstate NY) and Daryl taught in a special education school in nearby Utica. During the two years there they adopted their first child (Eddie), and Daryl also earned her private pilot’s license.
After leaving the Air Force, Al studied for two more years for a Master's degree in Outdoor Recreation in Fort Collins, Colo. Ever the farm girl, Daryl milked cows at a local dairy in exchange for housing in the countryside. In her “spare time,” she earned her glider rating and almost broke an altitude record with her instructor (32,000 ft). They also adopted their second child, Mary, while in Colorado. In 1974, they returned to the forested North Idaho family farm at the base of Cedar Mountain with Daryl's parents. Over the next few years, they adopted Angela, Rob, Nancy and Tony, and raised their first grandchild, Samantha. Cows, sheep, goats, a llama, ponies, rabbits and many more animals found their home with the growing family.
Daryl and Al handcrafted two log homes from timber harvested off the property with help from family and friends. As their children left to start their own lives, their dwellings were transformed into guest accommodations — Daryl says the Cedar Mountain Farm Bed and Breakfast was built with love from the ground up.
With unbounded generosity of spirit, energy, candor, and wit, Daryl walked the talk of unconditional love and service. Her greatest joy was interacting with friends and family through music and especially children’s choirs at church. Even in deafness favorite hymns would play through her mind bringing a renewed sense of peace.
Daryl was predeceased by her parents Meg and Wes Hatch and her daughter Nancy Kyle. She is survived by her husband Al, five children, over 40 grandchildren, a growing number of great-grandchildren and sisters Holly Wilson and Laurie Hatch.
A celebration of her life is planned for this Saturday (Sept. 9) at noon at Cedar Mountain Farm, 25249 N. Hatch Road, Athol, Idaho.
