Van A. Kinney

Van Arthur Kinney, 65, passed away on June 3rd, 2020 after a brief recurrence of renal cell carcinoma. Born May 11, 1955, Van was the 3rd of five children born to Harold Kinney and Kathryn Towle Kinney.

Van grew up in Easton, Maine, and was described by Mum as a “willful child” chalking it up to his red hair. Van had a mischievous streak often ‘pushing the envelope’ at home and throughout his school years at Easton. If not for his exceptional intellect and high grades, he may have found himself in much more trouble than he actually did. Upon graduating from high school in 1974, Van attended the University of Maine at Presque Isle as an English major later transferring to the Orono campus and graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.

Van had an easy smile, loved to have fun, tease. and over the years, cultivated a quick wit that he carried through to the end. He was recently told that Jane had planted some flowers outside his front door to brighten the entryway…”impatiens” and without missing a beat, he softly replied, “I can’t wait to see them”.

Van had a strong work ethic attributed to being raised on the family’s potato farm where hard work began very young. Early in life, Van developed a love for all things fast and had numerous motorcycles growing up. He started skiing with his siblings at an early age and remained an avid skier throughout his life taking many ski trips all over the country and Canada with family and friends.

After graduating from the University of Maine in 1977, he relocated to Hampton, VA to start his first job as a business analyst. It was during his travels for work that he met his future wife, Susan. The two married in 1983 in Woodbridge, VA, and later divorced in 2002. Van took a position with the Federal Government and relocated to Fairfax, VA. He went on to receive his Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. They had their first son, Joseph in 1991, and their second son, David in 1993, both born in Fairfax, VA. Van’s two sons were very active in sports, and he often volunteered to coach his son’s teams. He was always there for his son’s games, loudly cheering them on.

Van worked for the Federal Government for over 35 years spending the last 30 years working at the Pentagon for the Department of Defense (DOD). Van was working at the Pentagon the day of the 9/11 attack(s) and stayed inside to help EMT’s evacuate the injured. He retired from the DOD in January of 2020.

In his later years, Van developed a love for running and cycling, completing his first marathon at the age of 56 in 2011. Van also rekindled his love for motorcycles, recently purchasing a Harley Davidson and riding at every opportunity.

Family meant everything to Van. He was a loving Dad and Father-in-Law and immensely proud of his sons, Joe and David and his daughter-in-law, Mady, bombarding them all with terrible ‘dad jokes’ at every turn. Van was also a devoted friend, a great brother (mostly), a wonderful uncle who took the time to teach of the art of spitball throwing to his then 10-year-old niece…classic Van. His integrity and quiet strength will be missed, leaving those of us who loved him with an extraordinary emptiness in our hearts.

Van is survived by his children, Joseph Kinney and his wife, Madeline (Mady), of Fairfax, VA and David Kinney of Fairfax, VA; his former wife Susan Kinney-Perkins of Centreville, VA; his sisters Lorraine Adams of Newport News, VA, Jane Kinney of Kennebunk, ME, and Sara Dennis of Hanover, NH. Van was predeceased by his parents, Harold and Kathryn Kinney, his brother R. Andrew Kinney, his nephew LCpl. Joshua Kinney, and his brother-in-law, Jerry Adams.

There will be no service or calling hours at this time. The family will have an intimate service in Easton, Maine at Estes Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to express their wishes to donate to the Kidney Cancer Association in hopes of finding a cure for this disease: https://secure.kidneycancer.org/np/clients/kca/donation.jsp