Rhonda Corrine Kingwell

• 

Details

Category: Obituaries

Created on Friday, 09 October 2015 13:39

Hits: 9095

Rhonda Corrine Kingwell, a Sitka resident for 30 years, died at her home here Oct. 5, 2015, after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

Her wishes were to be cremated and to have her friends celebrate her life by having a party; that will be Oct. 17 at Halibut Point Recreation Area, starting at noon.

Rhonda was born Dec. 7, 1959, in Wenatchee, Wash. While growing up in Washington, she spent summers with her grandparents, Orwan and Barbara  Simpson, aboard the fish buying scow Nefco 11.

After graduating from high school in Everett, Wash., she attended Chemeketa Community College, Salem, Oregon, earning a certificate in commercial food production.

She moved to Petersburg in 1978, where she worked in the seafood industry. She came to Sitka in 1995 and attended Sheldon Jackson College,  where she met her husband Timothy R. Kingwell. They graduated in 1990, she with a bachelor of science degree.

Their son John O. Kingwell was born in 1991 and Andrew W. Kingwell arrived in 1993.

In 2008, Rhonda earned an associate degree in business concepts and computer applications from the University of Alaska Southeast.

She worked many jobs in Alaska, and was a valued employee. Her last employer was Sitka True Value, where she was a bookkeeper. She loved her job, and felt she was treated very well.

Rhonda enjoyed playing cards, camping, cooking, traveling and taking care of her family. She will be sorely missed.

Rhonda was preceded in death by her mother, Delores C. Kerslake; her father, Ronald B. Simpson; and her grandparents, Orwan and Barbara Simpson.

She is survived by her sons, John Kingwell of Okinawa, Japan, and Andrew Kingwell of Sitka; her husband Tim of Sitka; her siblings Sandy, Ken, Bob and Bill, all of Washington state;  her in-laws Victor and Shirley King-well, John and Melynn Kingwell and Steven and Barbara Kingwell, all of Nevada, and Tom and Rebekah Boyd of California; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She also leaves many close friends in Sitka, who spent much time and effort helping her cope with her devastating illness.