Edward William Kinghorn

Edward William Kinghorn (71) died of natural causes while hiking in Laie, Hawaii on June 13, 2025. He was born October 27, 1953, to Kenneth Wright Kinghorn and Erma Tuckett Kinghorn in Richmond, California. He spent his early years in Spokane, Washington and Billings, Montana, before his family settled in Hayward, California. After graduating from Mt. Eden High School, he served as a full-time Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Montana/Wyoming Mission, working mostly on Indian Reservations. He met his wife Lee Anne Ririe less than 24 hours after he returned home from his mission, in the back seat of a car at a drive-in movie. They were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple on November 22, 1975, and welcomed 10 children into their family over the next two decades.

Ed planned to farm potatoes with his father-in-law in Idaho, but he decided to attend Ricks College instead. He earned an AA at Ricks where he took a psychology class from Dr. Ed Malstrom that changed the entire trajectory of his life and career. He continued his education at BYU earning a BS in Psychology and an MS and PhD in Experimental Physiological Psychology. Ed was a highly regarded researcher, and he loved working in the lab. His research on prenatal brain development was recognized internationally and cited by many of the world’s top brain researchers, some of whom he developed close personal and professional relationships with. His clinical and research interests also included the neuropsychology of stress, functional neuro-imaging (fMRI), and cortical language brain mapping in epilepsy.

While he was finishing his doctoral research, Ed was hired to teach at Ricks College and served as a faculty member in the Psychology Department for 21 years. During those years Ed was selected for a Rotary Group Study Exchange to South Africa; completed a Post-Doctoral Clinical Research Fellowship in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Utah; volunteered as a mental health professional for the American Red Cross in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks in New York City and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; spent 5 years teaching on the Geology Field Expedition at Ricks, and was the Democratic Candidate for Idaho’s 2nd US Congressional seat in 2002.

After a semester-long sabbatical teaching at BYUH, Ed and LeeAnne fell in love with Hawaii and returned to teach at BYUH for the last 10 years of his career. While at BYUH, Ed served as chair of the Psychology Department; served on numerous accreditation committees and as a member of the University Disaster Task Force; facilitated educational opportunities and traveled with students to New Zealand and Tonga; taught classes in the Marshall Islands; and gave a BYUH devotional address in 2016. In 2011, Ed was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, America’s oldest and most selective academic honors society. After retirement, Ed lectured at the National Youth Science Camp in 2023 and gave a TEDx talk at Marshall University in 2024. He was also a licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist in Hawaii, Utah, and Idaho.

Ed loved being outdoors and instilled a love of nature and outdoor recreation in his posterity, the youth he served in his church callings, and many others around him. Whenever he had the opportunity to get outdoors, he could be found fishing in Idaho, Montana, or a small boat in the Marshall Islands; climbing in the Tetons; backpacking in Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, or Southern Utah; surfing or body surfing in California or Hawaii; mountain biking; and hiking wherever he got the chance. Ed also loved to travel but despised the idea of being a tourist. He traveled to see people he knew and expected to have a local experience. He loved the experience of traveling throughout Africa and meeting a witch doctor in Swaziland, standing on the edge of the World at Victoria Falls, and seeing lions on the kill and 3 bull elephants in Kruger National Park. He also enjoyed returning to his roots in Scotland and having such an amazing conversation with the lady at the ticket counter of the military tattoo at Edinburgh Castle that she gave him a ticket to the sold out event; going to Israel and Jerusalem to visit his Palestinian friend/former student; visiting his sons in Hong Kong and New York City; and exploring Samoa, Tonga, and Guatemala while serving missions there.

Ed loved serving in his church callings and spent most of his life serving with the Young Men, including scouting. He also served faithfully in many other callings, including Bishop of a BYUH Married Student Ward. After his retirement, Ed and Lee Anne served their first full-time mission managing Church Family Services in Samoa and Tonga. They then served two additional missions as Area Mental Health Advisors for Central America living in Guatemala City. At the time of his death, they were preparing to serve another mission. They felt like the greatest gift they could give to their posterity was serving the Lord.

Everywhere he went, Ed made new friends, many of whom he considered family. He was also bestowed with many names/titles from the people he loved and served. His trail name was Fast Eddie; the people he served in Samoa called him Tupuseu, and the youth in the Laie 2nd Ward called him Chief White Cloud. He sometimes jokingly called himself “Special Ed,” but his most important titles were that of husband, Dad, and Grandpa. He loved and served his family and left them with a legacy of daily family prayer, honoring the priesthood and his callings, and constant Christlike service to the people around him.

Ed is survived by his wife Lee Anne; children Brian (Leah), Ken (Donna), David (Kanoho), Julia Harmon (Aaron), Philip, Michael (Tasha), Lauren Callejas (Felix), Suzanne Hill (Bradley); brothers, Don (Kay) and Tom (Connie), Sister Valerie Boyle; 24 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his in laws Clive and Beth Ririe, infant older brothers Kenneth Jr and John Roger, and infant twin daughters, Angela and Andrea.

A Memorial Service will be held in Laie, Hawaii, on June 30 at 11:00am in the Laie Stake Center. At his request, no food will be served.

The Funeral will be held on July 8 at 11:00am, 5017 W Grand View Peak Dr. Riverton, UT

Internment July 9 in the afternoon at the Ririe-Shelton Cemetery

In lieu of flowers or monetary contributions, the family suggests donations to your Ward Missionary Fund or the American Red Cross.