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Stephen Estel Kimbrell, 78, of Beverly, West Virginia, died Saturday morning following complications from lung cancer and heart disease.
A son of Richard and Ruth (Webster) Kimbrell, he grew up in Shelbyville, Indiana, and was a 1966 graduate of Shelbyville High School. In his teen years, he was guitarist with the Indiana rock-and-roll band The Kandells, performing with the group during the mid-to-late 1960s. The Kandells won the Battle of the Bands in Indianapolis and Louisville. After high school graduation, the group continued as The Styx & Stonz in Miami, Florida, where they opened for popular musicians and recorded and released a few 45 rock singles.
Steve served four years in the U.S. Navy, (1968-72). After his military service, he earned a B.S. degree in Anthropology from Indiana University in Bloomington. A few years later, Steve and wife, Jane Adams, headed for the hills of West Virginia, settling in Randolph County where Steve worked for the Department of Health and Human Services until his retirement in 2014.
In his later years, Steve developed a deep passion for birding. With his keen hearing, he could identify many bird species by their calls and especially enjoyed weekly bird walks with fellow bird enthusiasts throughout the West Virginia hills.
Music remained an important part of Steve's life. On Wednesday evenings, one could find him playing Appalachian lap dulcimer at Pickin' in the Park sessions, and on Mondays, he participated in Fiddlers Support Group, who meet biweekly in the Randolph County Arts Center.
Steve is survived by his children, Cyrus, Owen and Juliana Kimbrell; his former wife and lifelong friend, Jane Adams Birdsong; his sister, Patti Bogemann (Mike); nephew, Dylan Kimbrell (Noel); nieces, Amber Prichard (Craig) and April Clark. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Ruth Kimbrell; and his younger brother, John Kimbrell.