Will Kinney, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, died in San Diego of complications due to Parkinson’s at the age of 86. Will was born to Willard and Elvira Kinney in Sacramento in 1937. He graduated from Sacramento High School in 1955 and Sacramento State University in 1960. He later earned a master’s degree in management from the University of Redlands.
Will worked odd jobs in Sacramento, from cannery and field work to designing and painting the art for shop windows. At the age of 17, he joined the Marine Corps reserve unit in Sacramento. Upon graduation from college in 1960, he was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer.
Will met his wife, Hannah Armanino, at Sac State where he pitched for the Hornets, and she was the sports editor for the yearbook. The couple married in 1963 and had four children. The family lived in various places in California and Hawaii while Will served in the Marines, including Escondido, 29 Palms, Stockton, Oceanside, Pearl City, and San Diego. Will served three tours overseas, and he was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for service during the Vietnam War.
Will attained the rank of major and retired from the military in 1980. Then the family settled in San Diego, and Will worked in planning and logistics for aerospace companies for another 20 years. He loved to spend time with his family and especially enjoyed taking his grandkids to the track at Del Mar. Last year, Will and Hannah celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Will was a lifelong fan of baseball. He played baseball in high school, college, semi pro, and American Legion. Will coached little league, softball, and all stars. Will could recite stats from the Baseball Encyclopedia, and he visited Cooperstown with Hannah in his later years. The couple loved to root for the Padres and attended the local World Series games in 1984.
Will is survived by his wife Hannah, children Shannon Rouiller (Michael), Erin Machado, Kerry Hornby (Russ), and Bill Kinney (Rebecca), sister Diane Basler Leflang and her family, and his eight grandchildren: Laura and Brent Rouiller, Katie and Sarah Machado, Tommy and Jacob Hornby, and Samantha and Tyler Kinney.
Will’s family would like to thank the many caregivers, neighbors, and friends who supported him through his illness. We are especially grateful to Otto Zambrano.
A funeral mass will be held at 9:30 am on May 23rd at All Hallows Catholic Church in La Jolla, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in honor of Will to the Semper Fi & America’s Fund at 825 College Blvd, Suite 102 PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057, or a charity of your choosing.
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