Dr. William Starkey Kidder DDS

I was born on a stormy Thanksgiving evening in Bingham Canyon, Utah after my loving parents (Melvin William and Lola Grace Starkey Kidder) trekked from Park City to find their doctor. They treasured me, taught me to have compassion for others, to love, to do good and to be inclusive of everyone. We moved to West Jordan, where my mother became the first special education teacher in the state. My father was a respected grocer and butcher.

At age 11, I became a dairy farmer and milked 40 head of cattle morning and night for $5 a day. In 1952, $5 went a long way. At 14, I became a diesel truck driver and hauled sugar beets from the field to the factory. At 15, I became a steel hauler and hauled drill steel from different mines around the area. (I had no driver's license of any kind!)

I graduated from Bingham High School where I received a good education with many friends, associates and wonderful educators. I was the class secretary. I then earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's in wildlife biology from the University of Utah.

I married Cheryl Bateman and we had two lovely daughters Michelle Johns (Blair) and Kathy Meyers (Jake). Michelle and Kathy each have three daughters: Maren, Megan, Morgen; and Brooke, Skye, Sunny. All are successful, healthy, beautiful, skilled and bring me great joy.

During my years at the University of Utah, I became a horse wrangler for the Utah Fish and Game. We packed into the high Uintas Mountains and surveyed lakes. I learned how to be a cowboy and that I did not like horses in any way. That was a great job and adventure.

I completed dental school at the University of Washington in Seattle, was a student body officer there and served in the US Army for two years during the Vietnam war. I practiced dentistry for 47 years and had the pleasure of serving five generations of patients and working with the most exceptional staff. Since retiring from my dental practice, I served as a supervising dentist for the dental hygiene programs at Salt Lake Community and Fortis colleges until this spring. It was truly rewarding work with dedicated students and outstanding faculty. I have loved helping train these young professionals. I have been very grateful to all of my friends and associates. Life has been wonderful.

In 1990, I married Claudia Jensen Allen. She has been the light of my life, my joy and my companion for 36 years. We are avid fly fishers and have cast everywhere from Costa Rica to Alaska. Claudia brought two wonderful children Sarah Erwin (Ben) and Ryan Allen (Amy) to the marriage who I lovingly helped raise. Sarah has five children: Elisabeth, Ben, Sam, Gabe and Hannah - all bright and filled with gratitude. Ryan has two lovely and talented daughters Kimber and Kendra.

I love this beautiful earth and have tried to take good care of it and the people on it. I served on the SL County Board of Health for nine years. I had the opportunity to serve as chairman of the SLC chapter of Ducks Unlimited in the '70s and have been a member for 40 years. I love coordinating access for Audubon's annual shorebird count on our wetlands. I raised two generations of outdoorswomen/men and am proud of the stewards they have become.

If you want to know what I think matters most for mankind, it's that we treat each other with kindness, love and inclusion. I even learned to like tattoos because they are important to people. You can't imagine how people light up when you notice what matters to them.

It's been a blessed 85 years. I've worked hard and played hard through all of them.

Do good,

Bill

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Bill's service will be held on October 10 at 11:00 a.m. at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park chapel. His family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support. Though flowers are appreciated, a contribution to your favorite conservation or educational organization would honor him equally.