Henry Cochran Kendall, born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 8, 1922 passed
away peacefully at his home in Chesterfield on December 5, 2007, surrounded
by his loving wife of 28 years, Anita, and his children.
Henry graduated from St. Louis Country Day School in 1940. He began his
higher education at Bowdoin College in Maine, only to have it interrupted by the
attack on Pearl Harbor. He entered the military service in 1942 and became
a Marine Fighter Pilot, flying Corsairs. He flew many missions in the
Pacific and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross medal. He was honorably
discharged from the Marine Corps with the rank of Captain.
Henry married Elizabeth (Betty) Conant in St. Louis in 1946. They moved to
Boston where he graduated from Harvard with a BA in Liberal Arts in 1947.
Henry and Betty were blessed with six children: Elizabeth, Judson, Henry
Jr, Margaret, Faith, and Samuel. Betty died tragically in an automobile
accident in 1969.
Henry married Jean Milton Hamberg in 1970 and they divorced in 1975.
Henry married Anita McClanahan in 1979. They were blessed with three
daughters: Jessica, Jennifer & Jaimee.
Henry worked for the First National Bank, Longstreet & Abbott, Sligo Steel,
Clayton Brokerage Company & Milliken Publishing Company, retiring from
business in 1988. He has served on the Boards of the St. Louis Zoo, Animal
Protective Association, & SLARC (St. Louis Association for Retarded Citizens).
Henry’s biggest passion in life was the art of falconry. His passion started
at the age of 14, when he received his first bird of prey, a red-tailed
hawk. He has flown many different hawks and falcons through the years. He
shared other falconers’ and biologists’ concern for the decreasing number of wild
raptors and the fragility of their eggs. Having known of Renz Waller’s
success with breeding falcons in Germany, Henry built extensive mews for breeding,
and, with the hatching of the prairie falcon in 1967, became the first in
America to breed large falcons in captivity. He was studying albinism in
red-tailed hawks when he became ill.
Henry was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Sherfey & Rebecca Cochran
Stites Kendall; his first wife, Betty; daughter, Faith; & brother, Arthur
Sherfey Kendall, Jr.
He is survived by wife, Anita; children, Elizabeth Kendall, New York City;
Judson Esty-Kendall, Bangor, ME; Henry C. Kendall, Jr.& wife Joan Krevlin,
New York City; Mardi Kendall, Sydney, Australia; Samuel C. Kendall & wife
Cathie Zusy, Cambridge, MA; Jessica L. Kendall, Tampa, FL; Jennifer Kendall,
St. Charles, MO & Jaimee Kendall of St. Louis; grandchildren: Luke, Judd
& Gwynedd Esty-Kendall; Alexandra & Sara Kendall & Benjamin Kendall.