Obituary: Kinley, Ronald

KINLEY, Ronald Jesus Christ, who began a good work in the heart and life of Ron Kinley, has faithfully completed that work and called him home to his side.

Ron left to see his heart’s desire, his Lord and Savior, on February 18, 2014, just one month shy of his 80th birthday.

Ron was born in Sumas, WA., on March 18, 1934, the only child of Howard and Hilda Kinley.

Howard died eight days before Ron was born, so Ron is just meeting his Dad for the first time.

Ron came to know the Lord at The Firs, a Christian conference/retreat center and camp in Bellingham, WA.

He graduated from Nooksack Valley High School where he played football, was ASB president, and played trombone in the marching band.

Ron graduated from Whitworth College in 1956.

He was an offensive lineman for the 1953-1955 Whitworth football teams, which won three straight Evergreen Conference Championships, a first in Pirate football history, and were inducted into Whitworth Athletics’ Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame.

He majored in Business and held several campus leadership positions: Junior Class President, Dorm President, Dorm Proctor, and Young Life Leader.

He was also in the Naval Reserve.

He met his wife Kay there, and they were married in 1955.

After graduating from Whitworth, they soon started a family and had three children born in just two years (daughter Sally, followed by twins Tim and Sue).

In 1957, Ron started his career with Mutual of New York Life Insurance Company and continued there for 26 years.

He was Man of the Year in 1970 and 1981.

Then, he started Cornerstone Financial Corporation where he continued to care for clients until his passing.

At the age of 41, Ron learned he would become a father again.

His fourth child, Todd, was born in 1975.

Ron began serving at Fourth Memorial Church as an elder at age 24.

He was a church soloist and choir member for 38 years.

He was the Building Chairman for the Christian Education Building and the new Sanctuary.

He was Chairman of the Riverview Bible Camp Committee for many years.

Ron was the Chairman of the Festival with Luis Palau in Spokane in 1989.

He served on the Northwest Teen Jamboree Board for 32 years and was a founding member of the Circle Bar J Boys Ranch.

At the time of his death, Ron was serving on the elder board of South Hill Bible Church and the Whitworth University Crimson Club Board.

Ron was a generous, compassionate, bold man with a great sense of humor.

It was very important to him to share Jesus Christ with everyone he met.

He gave grace, forgiveness and second chances to family, friends and strangers alike.

A deeply loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, friend, and brother in Christ, Ron is survived by his wife of 58 years, Kay Kinley; their daughter, Sally (Kurt) Fullmer and grandchildren, Mikayla (Erik) Hoffman, Dan (Liz) Fullmer and daughters, Kinley and Eliana, and John Fullmer; their son, Tim Kinley and grandchildren Trace (Ashley) and children Addison and Logan, Max, and Charlie Anne; their daughter, Sue (David) Michaelsen and grandchildren Angie (Phil) Haugen and children Kali, Grace, Aiden and Olivia, Rob Michaelsen, Melinda (Max) Parker, and Melissa (fiance Seth) Michaelsen; and son, Todd (Jamie) Kinley and grandson, JonJon.

A memorial service will be held at Fourth Memorial Church, 2000 N. Standard, in Spokane on Tuesday, February 25th, 2014 at 4 p.m.

Donations could be made to South Hill Bible Church.

They will be sent to Casa Aleluya Orphanage in Guatemala, the place where Ron’s grandson JonJon lived until adopted by Todd and Jamie or South Hill Bible Church Missions.