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John Curtis (Jack) Kinsley passed peacefully from this world on Jan. 15, 2025, at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife, Joyce (Reuber), daughters Mary Jo (Kevin) Mosby, and Lorri (Jon) Reilly, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was particularly close to his nieces Monique Hemingway and Marcheal (Leo) Brady and their children, who will miss him very much. He is also survived by his sister, Neva (Jim) Bullington, and their three children, who have fond memories of their uncle. Jack was born Nov. 7, 1944 in Wallace, Idaho, and grew up in Powell, Wyoming, where his family ran the town’s bowling alley. His youth was spent riding horses in the stunning backcountry surrounding Powell, as a scholar and athlete who excelled at multiple sports throughout high school, and working and bowling at the family’s bowling alley. He met Joyce, the love of his life, at Powell High School in 1962, and spent the next 62 years loving her and their two daughters.
Jack and Joyce moved to southern California in 1967, and while they loved the beauty of their home state and visited often (in summer), they never once regretted their decision to leave the snow and winter weather of Wyoming. Jack worked for over 30 years as a bookkeeper and then a lineman for Southern California Edison, and was a proud member of IBEW. His work at SCE began something of a legacy — one son-in-law and one grandson also work for SCE.
Jack was a professional bowler for most of his life, and bowled his last major tournament in Las Vegas in 2022. For over 40 years, Jack’s favorite pastime was boating on Lake Havasu, Lake Mojave and Lake Mead. Jack and his family began water-skiing in the 1970s, and he spent countless hours happily and patiently towing Joyce, their daughters, their daughter’s friends, and ultimately their grandchildren, around those lakes.
Jack was an iconic “girl dad” before that phrase existed. He did not limit expectations of his daughters, and always encouraged them to achieve in sports, in academics and in life. He taught them to properly throw footballs, baseballs and basketballs, and made lifelong athletes of them. Unfortunately, although they were taught the essential skills of bowling and despite his best efforts, neither daughter has ever been a very good bowler. He was, however, extremely proud that both daughters earned advanced college degrees and had successful professional careers.
As great a dad as he was, Jack was a quintessential grandpa to Jake, Jessica, Paige, Hannah, Quinn and Sean. With six very active grandchildren, it probably cannot be calculated how many soccer and volleyball matches he attended, let alone baseball and football games, and track meets. He and Joyce attended every middle school promotion, and high school and college graduation for their grandchildren.
Jack delighted in being a great-grandpa to Reilly, Peyton, Deke and Blake, and was constantly amused and entertained by the antics of those four little humans.
Jack retired from SCE in 1996, and he and Joyce spent months at a time traveling around the western United States in their RV. They also went on a number of cruises, and made an unforgettable trip to Denali National Park in Alaska.
Jack and Joyce moved to Tucson in 2012. In addition to attending many football and men’s basketball games, they were season ticket-holders and avid supporters of the U of A women’s softball and basketball teams. They loved happy hour on their patio overlooking the washes and mountains surrounding the city.
Jack was an excellent man who lived an excellent life, and he will be missed every day.
No public memorial services will be held. Please think of Jack when you hear a good (or terrible) joke that makes you laugh out loud, when you see a stunning sunrise, or watch a particularly close football or basketball game, as he loved to laugh, appreciated nature and was fiercely competitive. If you can whistle, whistle a tune (off key, please) in his memory. And in the unlikely event you come across a wild donkey in the desert, tell them Jack says hello.
