John Murry Kuykendall

John Murry Kuykendall died peacefully on November 7, 2024, at Hospice of West Alabama surrounded by his family. He was born on March 26, 1945, in Samantha, Alabama to Murray and Lera Mae Kuykendall. He was the second of three children and an avid Northside High School and Chicago Cubs baseball fan.

Friends and family knew him as an active member of the Northside community and long-time volunteer coach during any season of sport. He never shied away from a stranger and always had a piece of history to share. He met the love of his life Pauline and married her in October of 1964. The duo moved to Chicago, Illinois and John, who inherited a love of baseball from his father Murray, was able to attend numerous games at Wrigley Field and watch his Chicago Cubs play. His love of the game, and the Cubs, continues with his children and grandchildren as faithful Cubs fans.

He spent his life working hard to teach and show his children and grandchildren the world he didn’t see as a child. He never complained a single time about the long hard hours at the top of a telephone pole truck, but instead always thought about the smile a new baseball glove or set of majorette boots would bring. He took them to many places and taught them many lessons. The lessons were often historical, but also personal and about hard work.

He spent his career at BellSouth and after 32 years he retired in 2000. He was a devoted “pawpaw” always catering and spoiling his grandkids rotten. He spent more time in the school line picking up grandkids than he didn’t. He always had the same cassette tape playing, even when his grandkids didn’t know what a cassette was. When he wasn’t in the carline doing the New York Times Crossword, he spent his time taking daytrips around the state and nation visiting natural parks. His life was spent making loving memories with his family and friends.

From all of us one last time, “Cubs win, Cubs win.”

He was preceded in death by his parents, Murray and Lera Mae Kuykendall; and brother, David Kuykendall.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Pauline Kuykendall; children, Calvin (Angie) Kuykendall, and Teresa (Ed) Cooper; grandchildren, Kayla, Ty (Briana), John Ellis, and Matt; sister, Dora Bell Christian; and many loving cousins, nephews, and nieces.

Pallbearers will be Ty Cooper, John Ellis Kuykendall, Matt Kuykendall, Donny Phillips, Dowel Phillips, Daniel Watson, Michael Kelley, and Marc Sherril. Honorary pallbearers are all the little league players he has coached through the years.

Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Magnolia North Funeral Home with visitation one hour prior.

 In lieu of the flowers, donations should be directed to Hospice of West Alabama or Phillips Chapel FWB Cemetery Fund.