William Omega Kuykendall

On the 17th day of October 1956, in San Diego, California, Pinkney and Naomi Kuykendall were blessed with the birth of their sixth of eight children, William Omega Kuykendall. According to William and Webster’s Dictionary, the middle name “Omega” is the last letter of the Greek alphabet; and therefore, he should have been the last child. He has two younger brothers…

William was raised in the Church of Christ and was baptized into Christ by this father, Pastor P.F. Kuykendall. Upon being baptized into Christ, William used his talents as a song leader, member of the church choir, and his passion for God to lead others to Christ.

Even at a young age, William displayed leadership qualities. At Horton Elementary, he served as the Captain of the School Safety Patrol team. William graduated in 1974 from Crawford High School in San Diego, California and later received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of California, San Diego. He went on to receive both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Materials and Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). At UCSF, he was an active member of and held numerous positions in the Student National Dental Association, including President. He was very social and enjoyed friends, music, concerts, and shooting pool. Loved by everyone, he was nicknamed “William the Likeable” by his fellow classmates. This nickname stayed with him beyond his dental school days.

William started his professional career with his mentor, Dr. Ken Ponder, as an associate. He then worked at Folsom State Prison as a Dentist, and was later promoted to Chief Dentist. He was asked to establish the Inmate Dental Services Program for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Health Care Services headquarters. He went on to become the Statewide Dental Director. Based on his leadership and guidance, the program was established, new positions were authorized, and recruitment and retention problems were drastically reduced. He ended his career as the Chief Dentist of Training in headquarters. In addition, he worked for Job Corps for ten years, served as an Expert Examiner for the Dental Board of California for ten years, and conducted annual recruitment events for dental students at his beloved UCSF. To honor his legacy and contributions to the State of California, on July 27, 2017, the San Quentin State Prison Dental Clinics were renamed to the “Dr. William O. Kuykendall Dental Clinics”.

To know William, is to love him. He was a mentor to many and a friend to all. William was an avid music lover and the first person on the dance floor. He could frequently be seen doing many dance moves, some of which were “William Kuykendall” original dance moves. In his pastime, he enjoyed gardening, vacationing at Lake Tahoe, cooking, and his 2-3 weekly trips to Costco. On the weekends, William could be seen at the local casino or playing his music in his kitchen while cooking up his favorite meals. Above all, William loved socializing in his home with family and friends. Fellowship with his loved ones was the source of his joy.

On the 13th day of August, 2017, William closed his eyes for the last time and went to sleep peacefully. William is preceded in death by his parents, Pinkney and Naomi Kuykendall. William is survived by the love of his life, Yulanda Kuykendall; daughter, Nichole Kuykendall; son, Jon Paul Kuykendall; step-son, Nathaniel Allen III; sister, Winnie Hill; sister, Mae Shorter; sister, Pearl Kuykendall; brother, Pinkney Ford Kuykendall Jr.; brother, Harrison Kuykendall; brother, Lauren Kuykendall; brother, Roy Kuykendall; cousins, Elisabeth and James Cartwright; and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.