On a crisp, beautiful Friday morning, March 4, the Wherry family of Seminole County surrendered to Heaven our longtime friend, husband, father and hero, Kendell Wooldridge Wherry. A pillar of the legal community in central Florida for over 50 years, Kendell is best known for his commitment to uphold the rule of law, fairness, ethics and civility in courts and legal proceedings as a representative of the U.S. Department of Justice. In the early 1960's, Kendell was one of the original Assistant United States Attorneys in the newly established Middle District of Florida, and hired by the first United States Attorney for the District, Eddie Boardman, an appointee of President John F. Kennedy.
Kendell was born to Byron and Dorothy Wherry in Chicago, Illinois, on April 13, 1926, joining the family as their second son. The family lived within blocks of the iconic University of Chicago and expansive Lake Michigan where Kendell enjoyed swimming in the summer. With a powerful build and a commanding height of 6'2", he was a star athlete in high school, excelling in many sports, but his focus was baseball. His ambition was to play professional baseball, however his obligation to his country called first. Immediately upon graduation from Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Kendell enlisted in the U.S. Navy and soon was off to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center as he prepared to serve for two years during World War II. His duty was dangerous, serving aboard the minesweeper, USS Fitch, in the Pacific Ocean. With Kendell on board, the Fitch swept for mines at the entrance of Tokyo Bay and his ship was present on the historic day when the Empire of Japan surrendered to the United States and General Douglas MacArthur aboard the USS Missouri.
Returning to his home in Illinois, Kendell embarked on his baseball career, and over the course of two years he played in the minor leagues for several teams, eventually securing a spot on the farm team for the famed Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Unfortunately, a serious leg injury dashed his hopes to move up to the major leagues. Kendell then turned his attention to college and enrolled at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He was a political science major and upon graduation, enrolled in law school at the University of Miami. There, good fortune smiled upon him when he met the love of his life, the beautiful Lila Abraham who was working at the school as administrative assistant to the Dean of the Law School. On October 4, 1957, they were married in Miami and such began a partnership that would last nearly 59 years.
In 1958, Kendell graduated from law school and was admitted to the Florida Bar. The newly married couple moved to Tampa where they began careers serving the federal judiciary of the Southern District of Florida. Hired practically as a team, Kendell worked for Chief Judge Barker and Lila worked for Judge Whitehurst. There they had the opportunity to see the federal court practitioners in action and develop many friendships. Kendell had his heart set on becoming a federal prosecutor and began inquiring about the possibilities. Very few positions existed at that time and the door did not open. After two years, Kendell accepted the opportunity to join the legal department of Pan American Airlines at their office on Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County. Successful in that job, Kendell earned the respect and friendship of many, including esteemed attorney Hervey Yancey with the Miami law firm, Smathers & Thompson. Once Hervey learned that Kendell aspired to become a federal prosecutor, he took action and contacted his dear friend, Eddie Boardman, the newly appointed United States Attorney for the newly created Middle District of Florida. Things clicked into place this time. Kendell was hired as an Assistant U.S. Attorney on November 17, 1964 and he returned to Tampa to join Boardman's team. Boardman was not just a boss to his assistants, but rather he took them under his wing and mentored them in all aspects of lawyering, professionalism, and leadership. It formed a bond that was never broken.
Back in Tampa, Kendell was in familiar surroundings in federal court. Most notable among his colleagues was Assistant U.S. Attorney E.J. Salcines, a Tampa native and person whose skill and devotion to the practice of law, to the community, and to his family deeply impressed Kendell. Throughout Kendell's life, he treasured his connection to E.J., who later became the elected State Attorney for Hillsborough County and an appellate judge, and all the goodness he represents. In 1966, Kendell was assigned to open the Middle District's Orlando office, and he and Lila then settled their family there. By then, three children had been born: Kendell Todd, Karin Dorothy, and Kim Lila.
Orlando had become a hub of legal activity, with the assignment of U.S. District Judge George C. Young to the Division. Judge Young, a Naval Officer during WWII, was brilliant and demanding, and he ran a tight ship. Boardman's decision to assign Kendell to Orlando to keep pace with Judge Young proved to be a strategic win for the U.S. Attorney's Office and the judiciary. For nearly two decades, Kendell led the Orlando office as it grew in size and complexity of caseload. According to U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney colleague and friend, Judge Young and Kendell Wherry were the "dynamic duo" of the Middle District in those early years.
Success in the office was also due to the great work of Kendell's friend and colleague, Robert Leventhal who joined Kendell later in the 1960's. Further into the 1970's, opportunities were opening for women lawyers. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Orlando, with Kendell at the helm, hired Elizabeth "Libby" Jenkins, one of the brightest graduates from the University of Florida. Libby broke new ground and her successes were noted by many, including Kendell's two daughters who were then in high school. Kendell counseled his daughters to consider a career in law, and as proof that women matched or exceeded anyone else's talent, he pointed to Libby Jenkins. Encouraged by her example, Karin and Kim continued their education, both becoming lawyers. Kendell's choice proved to be prophetic as Libby eventually was elevated to the federal bench as a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
During Kendell's 44 years in the U.S. Attorneys Office, he developed friendships with agents in all the law enforcement agencies he served, in Washington, D.C. at the headquarters office of the Justice Department, in every Division of the Justice Department, by numerous U.S. Attorneys General, by the Director of the FBI, by the Director of the Secret Service, to name a few. Simply, Kendell enjoyed his work and the people with whom he worked. He never stopped thinking of his colleagues and friends, even long after he retired in 2008, in particular retired Secret Service Agent Dick Hulcher, with whom he handled countless cases over the course of his 44 years of unbroken service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Kendell was honored with many awards during the course of his career, but the capstone occurred in 2014 with the AUSA Attorney's Association creating the Kendell W. Wherry Award, to be given to a current AUSA who demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the mission of the office.
Kendell is preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Dorothy, and his brother, Bryon, Jr. He is survived by his beautiful wife of nearly 59 years, Lila, his three adult children, Kendell (Michelle), Karin, and Kim (Mitch), eight grandchildren, Hannah, Kayla, Marshall, Dana, Nick, Natalya, McKenna, and Kendell Kate, and sisters-in-law Gisela Wherry and Eleanor and JoAnn Abraham.
To honor Kendell, a memorial service will be held on Monday, March 21, 2016 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Knowles Memorial Chapel, Rollins College. Inurnment will follow the service at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Brevard County. Arrangements are being handled by DeGusipe Funeral Home in Maitland.