Deacon Wesley Earl Kidwell Jr

Deacon Wesley Earl Kidwell, Jr., age 83, of St. Augustine, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2022, at his home with his family by his side. He was born in Washington, D.C. to Wesley Earl and Cecilia Pearl Kidwell, the oldest of five children and grew up in Silver Spring and Wheaton, Maryland. Earl served his country as a Cryptography Operator in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years. He attended the University of Maryland graduating with a Bachelor Degree in History and earned his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He married the love of his life, Linda Dianne Marks on October 11, 1969, in Rockville, Maryland. Earl worked in corporate management with Nationwide Insurance Company for many years in California, Missouri and Illinois. A longtime and devout catholic, Earl answered the call to ministry in the latter part of his insurance career, studying in the Diaconate program at University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Chicago, Ill. After moving to Florida in the early 2000’s, Earl served as a Deacon at St. Luke Catholic Church in Middleburg. In 2005, Earl and Linda moved to St. Augustine and Earl continued serving as a Deacon at St. Ambrose Catholic Church and Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church. Most recently he was a member of and had been serving as a Deacon at San Sebastian Catholic Church in St. Augustine. Earl was loved by his church family and community. He always approached life with a sense of humor, he was giving, compassionate, and had a wonderful openness to people. He was a man and yet not afraid to approach life with an innate sense of empathy and vulnerability. Above all he cherished his family. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, and the Coquina Crossing Veterans. In his free time, he enjoyed his grandchildren, studying history, reading and music. He will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife, Linda D. Kidwell; a daughter, Teresa D. Wells (Greg) of Temecula, CA, a son, Brandon E. Kidwell (Carrie) of Jacksonville, FL; sisters, Judith Brady (Gary) of Maryland, Mary V. McKinstry (Thomas) of Maryland; brothers, Robert S. Kidwell (Helena) of California, Richard C. Kidwell (Kathleen) of West Virginia; grandchildren, Derek Paine (Rebecca), Devan Wiles (Garret), Layton Wells, Olivia Wells, Brayden Kidwell, and a great granddaughter, Josephine Wiles. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 am on Monday, May 23, 2022, at San Sebastian Catholic Church with Father Ron Camarda, LMHC, (US Navy Ret.) officiating. Interment with military honors will follow at 1:30 pm on Monday, May 23, 2022, at Jacksonville National Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 3 to 4 pm, with a Vigil service at 4 pm on Sunday, May 22, 2022, at St. Johns Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Earl’s memory can be made to St. Anne’s Center for Children and Youth (A division of Catholic Charities), 4901 Eastern Avenue NE, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, or to the American Lung Association. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Deacon Wesley Earl Kidwell Jr

December 13, 1938 - May 11, 2022