David Kendall

David Jerome Kendall April 10, 1942-October 13, 2021 Hard work, dedication, perseverance, humility. A commitment to lifelong learning and helping others -- and his cabin. He loved his cabin. David Jerome Kendall, 79, of Cudahy, died on October 13, 2021, after a long battle with diabetes and despite the best efforts of an amazing caregiver who probably kept him in our lives for at least five extra years: his wife, Barbara Kendall. But that's the end of a story that humbly began on April 10, 1942, when Dave was born to Lenora and Elroy Kendall in Milwaukee, the second of 10 children. He attended West Division High School, but never graduated -- him making that right is part of his story later in life. Dave instead joined the United States Marines Corps on Aug. 17, 1959, at the age of 17. He would spend much of his service in the South Pacific, earning the rank of corporal in H&S Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Division before being honorably discharged in 1963. Dave completed Food Service School, earned his M-1 Rifle Marksman Badge, and won a Good Conduct Medal for "honest and faithful service in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps." Soon after returning home, he met Charlotte, and they married in 1964. Their son, Kenneth, was born in 1965, and daughter, Denessa, was born in 1966, and they made their home on the South Side of Milwaukee. Denessa fondly remembers fishing adventures with her dad and trips to see Grandma and Grandpa Kendall at their home near Montello. Dave remarried in 1985, and he and Barbara would enjoy (most of the time) more than 36 years of marriage before his death. He and Barbara would raise Erik and Sarah as if they were his own, as they moved from the South Side of Milwaukee to St. Francis to Franklin, where they would build a home. Dave worked at a bakery and then mostly as a truck driver early in his life -- noble professions, for sure, but he wanted more. So he began to reinvent himself in the late 1980s. After remarrying, Dave quietly got his GED and soon began a new career at the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked for more than a decade. At the same time, Dave began teaching himself personal computing, starting in the basement of his and Barbara's St. Francis home. He spent hours learning PC operating systems and computer hardware and software, often through trial and error. But this was more than a hobby. After gaining a certificate from Milwaukee Area Technical College and working in the MATC computer lab, Dave began a new career -- in the IT department at Johnson Controls, from where he retired. So, how does a former truck driver end up at a Fortune 500 company with a GED and no college degree? That's where hard work, dedication, perseverance, and commitment to lifelong learning come in. He would carry those traits into his final years, as Dave, limited to a wheelchair, nearly blind, and on almost daily in-home dialysis -- and in between John Wayne movies and episodes of the "The A-Team," "The Rockford Files" and "Magnum P.I." -- became an expert baker. To his last days, he supplied his extended family and friends with breads, soups and other delights he experimented with in his Cudahy kitchen. Some of his best work still sits in Erik and Sarah's freezer because they couldn't keep up with the almost daily deliveries of fresh loaves. When he got around more easily, Dave loved his Harley, auto racing, and his cabin on the Wisconsin River near Rhinelander. He loved to fish, a passion he enjoyed frequently at the cabin and passed down to his kids and grandkids, building lifelong memories through a hook, a line and a sinker. He loved being a grandparent, as Grumpy or Grandpa Dave, depending on who was with him at the time to hear his wry sense of humor shine through what only appeared to be a gruff persona. He sought out ways to help others, often in the background -- from buying anonymous Christmas gifts to baking loaves of bread for a needy family. In the end, diabetes caught up with Dave and robbed him of some of his passions, like when he had to sell his Harley and give up fishing, or when he and Barbara sold their cabin earlier this year. But, again, that was the end of the story. The full version is worthy of happy celebration -- an inspiration for the people he leaves behind. Even in failing health, he never gave up. He lived as full a life as he could and tried his best to be a part of his grandkids' lives, from making sure Christian stayed on top of managing his type 1 diabetes and properly feeding him while he sat through a Grandma Barbara tutoring session, to helping Katie and Marie with their "grasshopper and frog villages" and "crawfish circuses" as they camped in the backyard at the cabin. Dave also attended Shelby's plays or Christian's basketball games despite barely being able to see the stage or the court -- because he knew the importance of simply being there. Dave was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Harry (better known as Butch), Barbara, Michael, Patricia and Daniel. He is survived by his wife Barbara; his children, Kenneth (Holly) and Denessa; and his stepchildren, Erik (Sarah) Brooks and Sarah (Rocco) Koers. He is also survived by siblings Joe, Robert, Lynn and Christopher; eight grandchildren; and countless friends. A celebration of life is planned for 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 20, at the Bucyrus Club, 1919 12th Ave. in South Milwaukee. A social hour is planned from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by a brief service at 5 and a buffet meal, including SOS (a Dave favorite, learned from his time as a military cook and refined in his kitchen). Burial at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery will occur on November 17th, 2021 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Mt. Meru Tumaini Health Clinic Inc., which provides quality health care, community development and educational programs for the people of the Meru region of Tanzania, including the Ndoombo Community Dispensary. Learn more at www.MMTHC.org or on Facebook and Instagram. Donations can be sent c/o Pastor Denise Mbise, 1708 Lakeview Ave., South Milwaukee, WI 53172, or you can give online at the clinic website.