Obituary of Dorothy "Dot" Mae Kendall

Dorothy “Dot” Mae (Russ) Kendall died peacefully from natural causes at a local facility in Albuquerque, NM with family by her side on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, at the age of 88.

Dot was born on November 18, 1934, in Blountstown, FL to Allen and Stella Russ. She moved with her family to Bainbridge, GA and ultimately to Panama City, FL where she graduated from Bay High School in 1952. In Bainbridge, GA, later that year on September 1^st she married her beau SSgt Gerald “Bill” Kendall of Tyndall AFB (Panama City, FL). Dot was stationed with her husband at air bases at Tyndall, Randolph, and Hickam finally landing at Eglin AFB near Valparaiso, FL in 1962.

Dot and her husband spent fifty years in Valparaiso where they raised two wonderful sons while serving the Lord at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church (Valparaiso, FL), Immanuel Anglican Church (Destin, FL), and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Niceville, FL). They moved to Rio Rancho, NM in 2011 finding their home at Calvary Lutheran Church. Dot was a very loving and caring wife, mother, grandma, great-grandmother, neighbor and friend. She and her husband were avid square dancers with the Circle Squares Club of the Playground Area Square Dance Council in the 1960s-1970s (Niceville, FL). She was extremely proud of her life as a homemaker and took care of her family, home and yard, winning many Yard of the Month awards and often being praised as the pride and joy of Valparaiso. She loved to read and cook for her family and friends, especially for church gatherings.

Dot was preceded in death by her parents, Allen H. Russ and Stella Moise (Young) Russ, both of Panama City, FL, her sister Mary Louise (Russ) Whitehurst and her husband of 67 years, Gerald Kendall, who passed away in 2020 in Rio Rancho, NM.

Dot is survived by her two sons Michael Allan Kendall (Jana) of Albuquerque, NM and John Christopher Kendall (Judy) of Sarasota, FL; five grandchildren Mysti Dawn Degani (Nick) of Washington, D.C., Cherron Kofford of Baltimore, MD, Kristina Michelle Kendall and Jonathon Tyler Kendall both of Rio Rancho, NM and Adam Gerald Kendall of Sarasota, FL; and two great-grandchildren, Emily Joy Degani and Alexander Felix Degani.

Pastor Adam DeGroot will officiate the funeral service scheduled for Tuesday, September 19^th at 11:00 AM at Calvary Lutheran Church, 305 Unser Blvd SE, Rio Rancho with internment thereafter at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or the Guardians Of the Children (GOC) Rio Grande Chapter, P.O. Box 14492, Albuquerque, NM 87191. Condolences can be sent to 305 Unser Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124. The family thanks Pastor DeGroot and the many kind parishioners of Calvary Lutheran, her personal caregivers Chris Hautz and Jackie Abeyta, the care teams at Spanish Trails Rehab Suites and Ambercare Hospice program, and to all her life-long friends in Florida who Dorothy communicated with regularly.