Richard C Kendall, 75, of Wolfeboro, died unexpectedly Monday, Oct. 8, 2018. Rich liked to give people a hard time, and if he gave you a hard time once or twice, or perhaps every time he saw you, it’s likely he considered you his friend.
Rich was born in Nyack, NY, on March 20, 1943, to Sara (Appleman) and Martin Kendall. His father died when he was just six months old, and he and brother, Fred, were raised by their mother, who had her work cut out keeping her two sons and their friends in line. He was a graduate of Nyack High School.
Rich also served in the Army National Guard and was both a police officer and volunteer fire fighter. For many years, he owned and operated State Line Fire and Safety with his brother. In 1966, he married Nancy (Walters) Kendall.
They moved from Nyack to Park Ridge, NJ, in 1972. Having vacationed in Wolfeboro each summer for more than a decade, the couple moved their family here in 1980 and established roots in the community. Together they raised two daughters, and the family enjoyed many summers on Rust Pond.
Nancy passed away in 2012 after a long battle with cancer. In New Hampshire, Rich began a career in the automobile business. He sold cars to hundreds of people in the greater Lakes Region and was known for taking his customers vehicles in for service.
For the past 22 years, Rich owned and operated Weston Auto Body in South Wolfeboro with his daughter, Heidi. You would often drive by and see him keep watch over South Wolfeboro with a Coca Cola in hand. Rich’s hobbies included gardening, hot rods, and a great fondness for ice cream at The Bubble.
He would plant as many as 20 tomato plants each summer so that he could share his harvest with family and friends. He loved Wolfeboro and could often be found chatting up a storm at the post office or Corner Store. His greatest of pride were his grandchildren.
He shared his life in recent years with Diane Wetherell-Martin and their four, well-loved cats: Sara, Inky, Mitt, and Max. He also leaves behind daughter Heidi Kendall-Hadfield, and her husband, Dale Hadfield, of Wolfeboro, and granddaughter, Peyton; daughter Stacy Kendall Trites, and her husband Tom Trites, of Wolfeboro, and granddaughters Grace, Madison, and Kelsey; and brother and sister-in-law, Frederick and Gwen Kendall, of Pearl River, NY, and their three adult children. He also remained close to his cousin, Doug Kendall, of California.
A Memorial Mass will be held at noon on Saturday, October 27, at Saint Katharine Drexel Parish, in Alton. A reception will follow from 1 to 3 pm at The Inn on Main, in Wolfeboro. Arrangements are being handled by the Lord Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Rich’s memory may be made to the Lakes Region Humane Society, PO Box 655, Ossipee, NH 03864.
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