In Memoriam
DUDLEY KENDALL

June 8, 1933 - August 30, 2024



~OBITUARY~

By Cassandra Kendall Stephens

In the Mountains and in Memory:

Dudley Delarvin Kendall, age 91, passed away on August 30, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of artistry and an adventurous spirit. Born in San Diego, CA on June 8, 1933, he was known for his love of the outdoors and his remarkable talents in painting and piano.

Although our time together was limited in my early years, we shared many meaningful adventures once I was older. Hiking through the Sierra Nevada mountains, he showed me the world as he saw it—full of beauty, color, and life. Our conversations about music and art were moments I cherish deeply, glimpses into the passion that defined his life.

His friends and family remember him as an artist at heart, a lover of the natural world, Yosemite National Park, and someone who found expression through brushstrokes and melodies. He leaves behind a legacy of creativity and wonder, which he shared with those around him.

In accordance with his wishes, plans are underway to honor his memory by laying his ashes to rest on a mountaintop high in the Sierra Nevada. This special celebration of his life and legacy is anticipated for summer 2025. Until then, his remains are with me, his daughter, in southern Arizona.


Dudley & The Large Cherry Tree; photo: Cassandra Kendall Stephens
Dudley & Cassandra

Dudley at his Favorite Cafe photo: Cassandra Kendall Stephens


Photo: Laura Clingman Prendergast

Rose Garden, photo: Cassandra Kendall Stephens
MUSICIAN'S EYE

Dudley Kendall had two arts--music and painting--a quandary over which he and Ansel Adams once commiserated in the bar at the Ahwahnee Hotel.

While Adams deliberately chose photography over a promising career as a concert pianist, Dudley performed a balancing act between the two. His biography is worthy of a book. 

Dudley retired as long-time pianist at The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, and spent his last years in Eugene, OR
--Tom Bopp


Dudley painting "The Canyons of Hoffman" (Photo: Tom Bopp, Dec. 1986 in "D-Dorm" Tecoya housing, Yosemite Valley)


ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHTED

Half Dome 20"X 16" (1994)



Tuolumne Meadows




Ribbon Fall




Foothill Scene  (2001)




Foothill Oaks  (2001)


The Canyons of Hoffman 23"X 29" (1986)




Autumn Oaks, Tehachapi, California


Bodie Hills Sunset



Oak  (2001)




Winter Scene  (2001)