Betty Kendall, 97

Betty Alice Jepsen Kendall passed away Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, just short of her 98th birthday. She grew up in North Hollywood, Calif., with her parents, Rudy and Clista, and two younger sisters, Elaine and Jerry. 

Betty enjoyed painting, drawing and working with other creative media, including textiles. She knitted many ski caps and sweaters. She was an avid skier, spending many winter weekends at Mammoth Mountain when she was young. 

She worked as an assistant engineer for Pacific Telephone in L.A., where she met her husband, Thomas Kendall. They were married in 1961 and moved to San Diego. They had two children, Greg and Eydie, and shared their love of the outdoors and exploration around the West with their children. The yard was filled with gardens, and animals and trees were planted as young saplings. 

Betty became an avid genealogist, tracing the family history back to the revolution. She also loved the zoo and was a member of the Zoological Society in San Diego. She was fiercely independent and had an inquisitive mind, tenaciously learning about varied subjects.  

Tom and Betty moved to Redding, Calif., in 1992, where they explored the Shasta-Trinity Wilderness until Tom passed away in 1996. Betty moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2006, then back to California (Simi Valley) in 2012. 

She is survived by her children, Greg Kendall (Sharon Levine) and Eydie Kendall and numerous nieces and nephews.