Richard "Dick" & Betty Kernighan

Richard (Dick) Kernighan passed away on May 23 in Yakima, Washington, at the age of 93. Betty, his wife and devoted life partner for 66 years, passed away three days later. They were blessed to enjoy long and full lives together. They are lovingly remembered by their two daughters, Pat and Barbara, their sons-in-law Paul Gordon and John Edgerton, grandchildren Zach Edgerton, Andy Edgerton, Hannah Gordon, Ariel Gordon Davis, grandson-in-law Nathan David and great-granddaughter Madeleine Davis, as well as many dear friends.

Dick was born in Tacoma, Washington, the adored only child of Darrel N. Kernighan and Lennie (Kreutzer) Kernighan. Dick had fond memories of an idyllic childhood in Dupont, Washington, a close-knit village that was a company town for the Dupont explosives plant nearby. As a child, Dick had trouble learning to read (he later learned he had dyslexia), so school was a struggle for him, but he never gave up. He attended Stadium High School in Tacoma, where he was an Eagle Scout, was on the marksmanship team and received the Kiwanis Youth Award for his good character.

Dick attended college at Washington State College (now University) before joining the Army and serving in the Pacific during WWII. After the war he returned to WSC and his fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa. There he met Betty Hansen (of Naches Heights) and they married in August 1947 following their graduation. Dick and Betty moved to Newport, Washington, where Dick taught high school. Shortly after the births of their two daughters, Patricia and Barbara, Dick was called back to the Army to serve in Korea for 18 months. On his return from Korea, the family moved to Kennewick. Dick taught history and government at Kennewick High School, then became the first Vice-Principal of the newly built Highlands Junior High school, and later became the Principal. Former Highlands students will remember “Mr. Kernighan” as the tall, thin man walking the halls with an expression on his face that warned “no nonsense!” Despite his serious demeanor, Mr. K was a very caring and fair administrator. After his retirement, a student award was created in his honor, the Richard E. Kernighan Citizenship Award. In 2012, 40 years later, Dick was interviewed about this award by the Highlands librarian, who posted it on the library blog. Dick said it was an award for a good all around student, someone who tries their hardest, doesn’t quit with adversity, is a helper and shows great citizenship. That is a pretty good description of Dick himself.

As a break from his responsibilities as a principal, Dick loved to be outdoors fly-fishing and pheasant hunting. Dick and Betty were active members of the Kennewick Presbyterian Church, where Dick was an elder, from 1959 until1975. The family made many dear and life-long friends in that congregation.

After Dick’s retirement at age 55, they moved to Naches Heights, Betty’s childhood home. They grew apples there for several years before building a new home, designed by Betty, on a beautiful site on a basalt bluff overlooking the Naches river valley. Both of them loved living there, gardening, cooking and living peacefully. Until Dick was 80, he enjoyed helping out on the orchards of his brother-in-law, Walt Hansen, and dear friends Varin and Florene Sasser. During their 34 years in Naches Heights, Betty and Dick attended the Naches Presbyterian Church, which was their religious home and community of dear friends.

Dick was a person of exceptional character. He believed in living honorably and responsibly and he lived according to his values. The stern disciplinarian of his principal years mellowed into a man of the sweetest, gentlest nature. His big sunny smile radiated his love for people and gratitude for life.

In the last year of their lives, due to advancing Alzheimer’s disease for Dick and Parkinson’s disease for Betty, they moved temporarily to live with daughter Pat in California. But both of them yearned for Yakima. They returned there in April. We, their famly, didn’t expect to lose them so soon, but we are glad that they made it home and were able to see many of their friends before they passed away.

A joint memorial service for Dick and Betty Kernighan will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 6, at the Naches Presbyterian Church, 201 E. 2nd, Naches, Washington. A lunch reception will follow. All who knew them are welcome.

Betty Kernighan passed away on May 26, 2014, just three days after the passing of her beloved husband of 66 years, Dick Kernighan. The passing of this lovely twosome is a deeply felt loss to their two daughters, grandchildren and their many friends. Betty and Dick are survived by their daughters Pat Kernighan and Barbara Kernighan, sons-in-law Paul Gordon and John Edgerton, grandchildren Zach Edgerton, Andy Edgerton, Hannah Gordon, Ariel Gordon Davis, grandson-in-law Nathan Davis, and great-granddaughter Madeleine Davis.

Betty was the daughter of Walter F. Hansen and Katherine (Leuning) Hansen. She grew up in Naches Heights on their ten-acre apple orchard, along with her older brothers, Bud and Walt Hansen. Betty was an excellent student and graduated at the top of her class at Yakima High School. She went to college at Washington State College in Pullman. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering, one of very few women in 1947 to earn an engineering degree. (Her math and engineering aptitude has been inherited by her daughter Barb, who is a Civil Engineer, and her granddaughter Ariel, who is a Transportation Engineer.)

Betty met and fell in love with Dick Kernighan in her senior year of college. Dick had just returned to WSC after serving four years in the Army during WWII. Making the decision to get married, which they did in August 1947, was a big decision for Betty as she felt she had to make a choice between marriage and the career she had worked hard for. Fortunately, times have changed for the better in that regard, but her family is glad she chose to marry Dick!

Betty and Dick had two daughters, Patricia, born in 1949, and Barbara, in 1951. In l952, Dick was called back to the Army from the Army Reserve to serve in Korea. During his 18-month absence, Betty and young daughters lived in DuPont, Washington, near Dick’s parents. Upon his return, the family moved to Kennewick where Dick had gotten a job teaching high school. Betty worked as a draftsman at the Public Utility District while the girls were in grade school and later worked as a construction estimator for a metal building company. Starting in 1959, Betty, Dick and girls joined the Kennewick Presbyterian Church, where they were active members and made life-long friends. Betty and family also remained close with her two brothers and their families. Pat and Barb fondly remember many summer camping trips with Uncle Bud, Aunt Jean and the cousins.

Betty was an exceptionally gifted seamstress. In many ways, sewing was her life’s work. She made almost all the clothing that Pat and Barb wore until they went away to college, and later made exquisite wedding gowns for each of them. She crafted beautiful garments for herself also, including suits and coats. She shared her sewing skills with others as a 4-H leader when the girls were young. Her daughters were always proud of how smart she looked in her well-tailored clothes.

Betty was also known for making fabulous apple pies. Many in her family tried to replicate her pies, but none could match her tender and flaky pie crust or the perfect balance of tart and sweet in the baked apples, all of which she did without a recipe or measuring the ingredients (very unlike an engineer!).

When Dick retired from teaching in 1975, they moved from Kennewick to Betty’s childhood home in Naches Heights. One of Betty’s great accomplishments and joys was designing and building their house in Naches Heights in 1981. Beautifully sited on a basalt bluff overlooking the Naches River valley, the house and yard were a source of great pleasure and comfort for Betty and Dick for the 34 years that they were blessed to live there. Also during those years, Betty and Dick were active members of the Naches Presbyterian Church. The friendships they were blessed to build there were very meaningful to them.

Betty Kernighan will be greatly missed by her loving daughters, grandchildren and dear friends. We will fondly remember her independent spirit, her competence, intelligence and strong opinions, and, most of all, her love and devotion to her family and beloved husband.