A Tribute To Dad

On Wednesday, October 13, William Charles Kinard left his earthly body and went to be with his Heavenly Father.

We are saddened that we will no longer hear his voice, see his smile, feel his touch or be in his presence here on earth, but thankful for the power of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus.

It gives us strength to speak truth of the hope we have in Christ and the confidence that we will be with dad again someday in heaven.

He was born on March 30, 1937 in Warren, Arkansas, but the family moved to Detroit, Michigan not long thereafter.

Dad's father was a Tool & Die maker at Ford Motor Company and encouraged dad, at about age 20, to get into an apprenticeship program with Ford as a Metal Body Engineer in their Prototype area.

It was a career that would serve him very well over the next 35 plus years.

Little did he know that his life would change forever once he met Judith Ann Smith.

Voted prettiest girl in her class in High School, Judi caught dad's eye through family acquaintances at church and by the time she graduated high school, dad married her on June 21, 1958 and they settled in Dearborn, Michigan.

They had a baby boy in June 1959, and then four beautiful girls would be added to the family within the next 9 years.

We always thought dad felt a bit overwhelmed, having such a big family so early in life, so he became very good at Golfing and Bowling in the evenings.  Ha ha

Mom & Dad had their struggles early in marriage, and things became very rocky for a period of time.

Through much prayer and counseling and by God's grace, they were able to work through their differences, and we as a family have been so blessed because of their commitment to Christ and to each other.

Some of our richest memories came from Dad's commitment to take us on family vacations each year, starting when we kids were pretty young.  Camp Dearborn in the summers and a yearly trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were always highlights.

His comment on occasion was "I am not leaving anything for them, so they better enjoy what we have while I'm here."

PRICELESS !!!

As we kids got older, married and started our own families, the trips to Myrtle Beach continued, only we now had to find bigger rentals to house everyone.  Memory makers for sure.

What a rich legacy to still be vacationing with all our family each year, though now about 30 strong, we have begun enjoying "Pure Michigan" (making trips up near Mackinac, Traverse City, Holland and Bristol Lake).

Dad loved to fish and walleye feared him each time he put the boat in the water down the Detroit River or in Lake Erie.

Many good memories were made out on the water through the years and we reaped the benefit of Dad's cooking skills by enjoying the best tasting walleye and perch in the Midwest.

We attended Springwell's Baptist church in Detroit in the early years of their marriage and Dad enjoyed singing bass in the choir.

As kids we always loved getting to ride to church on Sunday evenings in the summertime with the top down in the convertible.  We would laugh as we sat up on the back of the seats near the trunk and let the wind blow in our face, though I imagine Dad would have been jailed for child endangerment these days.

We moved closer to home and started attending Dearborn Free Methodist Church in the early 70's, where God blessed our family with so many rich friendships and faith building moments.

Dad still enjoyed singing in choir and serving around church and for others that needed help.  In later years, he became the "Grass Cutting King", helping keep the grounds well maintained.

Most importantly, Dad loved the Lord.

The saying – "A child will not see a father in God, unless they see a bit of God in their father" rang true in our home."

Dad was a faithful servant, steadfast and kind of the "rock" in our home.  Even when dad disagreed   with our decisions as young adults, and we all had our moments with him, he was always there to love us unconditionally.

Matthew 5:13-16 says to "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Dad modeled this well over the years and we have been blessed recipients of his love and good deeds.

He is survived by his loving wife Judith and 5 children – Kevin (and Rhoda) Kinard, Kim Fonseca, Kelli (and Mark) Pickett, Kristi (and Dave) Dunstan, Kathi (and Lew) Yokom.  Numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Also survived by sister, Ann Rees, and brother, Jim (and Mary) Kinard.

We celebrate and thank the Lord for Dad's life and legacy. William's Memorial service will be Sunday 4:00 p.m. at the Dearborn Chapel of the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home.  Memorial gathering Sunday 1:00-4:00 p.m.