Marvin was born on November 14, 1937 in Gurdon, AR. He was raised in Marshall, TX and after graduating from high school, he joined the Navy and served his country for four and a half years while getting educated to become an Electronics Technician. Upon his discharge, he was immediately hired as an ET for the United States Air Force Civil Service at the Barksdale Air Force Base receiver site. After ten years, he was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration as an ET for their Radar Approach Control (RAPCON). He frequently attended classes at the F.A.A. Academy in Oklahoma City, OK to learn how to work on new equipment F.A.A. acquired. Even before his retirement in January, 1993, he and a co-worker and friend, J.C. Barnett, became self-taught Master Electricians and formed B&K Electric. After a few years of that, they retired again.
Marvin has been an avid sportsman from boyhood, fishing and hunting quail, squirrels, deer, and even wild hog and alligators, He enjoyed years of playing softball, boating and water skiing with his family. He had a nice vegetable garden yearly and tended to his mayhaw trees for the jelly he loved. Marvin also had a ham radio for a while which he would listen to while he turned out some of the most excellent woodwork. He was a Dallas Cowboy and Texas Rangers fan and liked to keep his lawn looking good. He was a gun collector of sorts and reloaded his own shells.
Marvin could do most anything he wanted to. He built the family camp on Caddo Lake, clearing a large, wooded lot to building the house from the ground to the roof, dug a well, plumbed it, wired it, ran the butane lines, installed a septic tank, built a boat pier and built a driveway. Years later he bought a mobile home for a camp on the river side of Caddo for the grandchildren to enjoy, building a seawall, a boathouse for a party barge with a pier and deck alongside.
Over the years, Marvin built onto his home a large workshop, a master bedroom and bath, and a large den with a fireplace for his three girls to entertain friends. He also taught them to fish, shoot and waterski. He also supported them in all of their extracurricular endeavors. Marvin was a great dad and husband. He also gained his private pilot's license. He enjoyed old westerns and war movies on TV and was an avid reader of William Johnston's Western novels.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Marvin E. Kendrick, Sr. and Viona (Adkins) Kendrick; and sister, Eloyce Kendrick Moore.
Marvin is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Wanda Boyd Kendrick; daughters, Cindy French, Karen Richardson, and Connie Kendrick; grandchildren, Heath Macon, Blake Cyrus, Katie Macon, Alex Richardson, Amanda Janzen and husband, Jason, and Heather Evans and husband, Matt; along with eight great-grandchildren, Michael Doiel, Kaylee Doiel, Dane Macon, Gavin Cyrus, Tinsley Cyrus, Gage Macon, Aiden Evans, and Oliver Evans.
Services will be held to celebrate Marvin's life beginning with a visitation at 1:00 pm on Friday, May 3, 2024 at Hill Crest Memorial Chapel and service at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow at Hill Crest Memorial Park.
Honoring Marvin as Pallbearers will be Heath Macon, Blake Cyrus, Alex Richardson, Ricky Raney, Brad Stevens and George Whitaker.
