MARYSVILLE – “Mr. Marysville” Dennis Kendall, former mayor and longtime cheerleader for the city with his ever-present smile and positivity, died Monday at the age of 72.
A memorial service is scheduled for Monday, March 30, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 4200 88th St. NE in Marysville. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Marysville Boys & Girls Club.
He was eulogized by Mayor Jon Nehring, the City Council and city staff at the council meeting. A moment of silence was observed.
Many said they were shocked because they had visited Kendall within the previous week in the hospital, and he was in good spirits.
“I saw him about a week ago. He talked about his accomplishments as mayor. He was sharp as can be. I’m shocked he’s gone,” council president Jeff Vaughan said.
Vaughan said Kendall’s idea to bring his favorite restaurant, Applebee’s, to town because of their ribs turned the city in a new direction. He said Kendall and the council were criticized for “thinking big. We were a bedroom community and trying to shake that” image.
“He was one of the greatest economic pushers Marysville has ever seen,” he said.
Nehring said even last fall he was playing golf with Kendall. “It was a constant joke-fest,” he said.
The mayor said up until Kendall’s health started to go bad five months ago, the former mayor would come up and dig around his office each week for an update of what’s going on and to give advice.
“I greatly miss those now,” Nehring said. “We appreciate people more when they’re not around.”
He added that Kendall transformed the office, with the mayor now getting out of the office and into the community.
“He was the chief salesperson for Marysville,” Nehring said. “God bless Dennis.”
Parks director Jim Ballew said Kendall was a great soccer player until his knees gave out. At the dedication of the Strawberry Fields years ago, he played soccer with Seattle Sounder players who came to the event. “He went to town with them on the field.”
He also said Kendall loved to sell Marysville through ribbon-cutting events. He was the one behind getting the huge scissors to cut the ribbons.
“There’s a ribbon-cutting going on somewhere today,” Ballew said.
Police Chief Rick Smith said Kendall “loved to talk Marysville up. He had a passion for people here.”
Smith said Kendall gave him great insight to the city when he was hired. Never short on opinions, Smith said Kendall would get his word in if given even a small opening.
“I’m gonna miss him,” Smith said. “Prayers to Sue (his wife) and the family.”
Gloria Hirashima, community development director, said Kendall loved to talk. “When I saw him coming, I would think, ‘I’m going to lose a half-hour,’ ” she joked as all laughed. “We will all miss a wonderful man.”
Council member Jeff Seibert said Kendall loved playing with kids. Seibert said when a new park would open, “Dennis would be the first one down the slide.”
Council member Donna Wright agreed with Vaughan that Kendall liked to eat, even though you couldn’t tell by looking at him. She recalled a master builder’s all-you-can-eat event, with crab and shrimp shells piled up on his plate.
Council Member Stephen Muller added, “Dennis was Marysville. When he had an idea he saw it through.”
Even the younger council members – Kamille Norton, Rob Toyer and Michael Stevens – got to know Kendall.
“Marysville has lost a great citizen. He’s left a great legacy,” Norton said.
Toyer added, “He talked to me when I first decided to run,” adding Kendall had joked about charging a consultant fee.
Stevens said something similar. “He got me started” when I first came to town. “He was Mr. Marysville.”
Kendall as mayor
When he took office in 2004, Kendall vowed to promote economic development to stimulate commercial activity and jobs, create a more livable community with better infrastructure and services, and forge partnerships built on collaboration.
Among his accomplishments, the city:
• expanded the sales tax base through new retail businesses and major shopping center development;
• completed long-term infrastructure investments for transportation, water, stormwater and wastewater utilities;
• developed new regional parks and athletic fields;
• launched the Marysville Healthy Communities Project to combat obesity;
• signed a historic accord with Tulalip Tribal leaders to pledge mutual government support on issues of vital importance;
• approved several large annexations that brought more uniform growth management planning.
Kendall helped the city and Tulalip Tribes go from adversaries to partners, realizing they can accomplish more together than separately.
He had said population growth from 28,370 to 58,040 was his greatest accomplishments, along with the growth in business. Marysville’s boundaries crossed over to the west side of I-5 to include a new shopping center in Lakewood.
Kendall had hoped to bring a NASCAR speedway to town and/or a branch campus of the University of Washington. But opposition to the first and the recession in the second killed both ideas.
With 17 months left in his second term, Kendall retired to spend more time with his family. Nehring, who had been elected to the council in 2001, was named his replacement.
Nehring has continued what Kendall started in the desire to have people live, work and play in Marysville, so they don’t have to deal with the traffic going south.
