Hal passed away at home on 4 June 2018, shortly after a family gathering to celebrate his 70th birthday. Hal is survived by his wife Wendy, their three children Kathy Featherstone, Caralee McLiesh and Michael Kendig, their spouses and five grandchildren; and by his two brothers, Scott and Brad, and their families in California.
Harold Leroy Kendig (‘Hal’)
1948 Born in Glendale, California, to parents Harold (‘Buddy’) and Elizabeth, eldest of their three sons
1966 Graduated from Arcadia High School, California
1970 Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Davis, with major in sociology, minors in biochemistry and humanities
1973 Master of Planning from University of Southern California, School of Public Administration and Andrus Gerontology Centre
1975 PhD from University of Southern California, School of Urban Studies and Andrus Gerontology Centre. Dissertation: Neighborhood conditions of the aged: Urban change and public policy
1975-1989 Research Fellow, Fellow, and Senior Fellow in the Urban Research Unit, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University (ANU). Head of the School’s Ageing and the Family Project from 1980-86
1989 Elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia
1989-1998 Director, Lincoln Gerontology Centre for Teaching and Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, and Personal Chairs in the School of Behavioural Health Sciences and in the School of Public Health
1998-2005 Dean and Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
2003 Awarded Prime Minister’s Centenary Medal, for Outstanding service to aged care and healthy ageing through social science
2005-2008 Research Professor of Health and Ageing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, and National Convenor, ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Ageing Well
2008-2012 Head and Director, Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
2011-2013 Node Leader, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), University of Sydney
2013-2017 Professor of Ageing and Public Policy, Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing (CRAHW), Research School of Population Health, ANU, and Chief Investigator, CEPAR
2018 Emeritus Professor, Research School of Population Health, ANU
Numerous awards and honours, including:
Life membership of Council on the Ageing Australia (1992) and National Seniors Australia (2005)
International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Chairman’s Award for “Outstanding contributions to the development of gerontology and service to the Asia/Oceania Region” (2015)
Honorary Life Member, Australian Association of Gerontology (2016)
A memorial service was held at the Australian National University on 24th August 2018
The Memorial Service Programme can be viewed here.
A number of the people who spoke at the service have kindly agreed to make their notes available here:
Other speakers at the service included:
- Jane Halton, AO, PSM. Ms Halton is currently chair of the global Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and in March 2020 was appointed to the executive board of the Australian National COVID-19 Coordination Commission.
- The Hon Mark Butler MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House, Federal Member for Port Adelaide
If you would like to give a tax deductible donation in memory of Hal Kendig, please contact [email protected]. Donations will be administered by the AAG Research Trust to support early career researchers, in accordance with Hal’s wishes.
We also have a Vale Emeritus Professor Hal Kendig page that a includes a number of tributes to Hal.
For information regarding the AAG Research Trust Hal Kendig Research Development Program
A transcript of the Obituary written by Keryn Curtis and published in both the Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times on 4th September 2018 can be viewed by clicking here.
Not there yet: A gerontologist’s lament - Written by Hal and first published by the Australian Journal on Ageing - 7th August 2018 can be viewed by clicking here.