Conrad "Curt" Richard Kinard

Dr. Curt Kinard passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, Saturday, October 26, 2024. With timing that will certainly become legend, he drew his last breath shortly after his beloved LSU Tigers lost to Texas A&M and Coach Kelly was beginning his post-game press conference.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Curtis and Inez Kinard; his brother Robert Curtis, his first-born, Jim Curtis, and his first wife, Dorothy Scarborough Kinard. He is survived by a throng of blended family including: his wife, Dana Gilson Kinard; his daughters Kelly Kinard Fleming (Shannon) and Kris Kinard Prince (Chad), Susan Prince, Polly Prince Johnson (David); sons Paul Prince, Jr. (Michelle) and Mark Prince (Ellen); grandchildren Drew Herget (Ryan), Will Prince (Eden), Katy Bludau (Tucker), David Jr. and Daniel Johnson, Megan Roddy, Michael Prince (Kelsie), and Paul and Jimmy Prince; his dear sister and late-night phone buddy Lavinia Glover; nephews Chuck and Scott Glover; and many more extended family.

Curt was born in El Dorado, Arkansas and raised in Cotton Valley and Jena, Louisiana. He was a graduate of Trout-Good Pine High School and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was once named Airman of the Month on Okinawa, which earned him a 10-minute phone call back to the States. Upon discharge, he received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana Tech University. He met and married Dorothy Scarborough; he was her student teacher, and their first date was the night of her graduation; they married 3 months later. He then began a teaching and basketball coaching career at Jena High School. His first year as coach, the Jena Giants lost in the state finals to Ruston (much bigger, mind you) by three points. BUT, he was chosen to coach the North Louisiana All-Star team that year and they beat the South Louisiana All-Stars by the most points ever. He humbly said “I had the best players by far.”

After completing a master’s degree at LSU (he and Dorothy lived in student housing in the stadium for a time) he became the youngest principal in the state at Sikes High School. In 1965 he returned to LSU where he earned his Ph.D. In 1968 he began a 15-year career at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. While there, in addition to teaching (he especially loved the graduate research classes), he served as Chair of the Department of Special Education and Director of the Special Education Center. He was president of the Louisiana Council of Exceptional Children and the Association of Directors of the Special Education Centers. He was president of the Natchitoches Rotary Club and the Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony Society. He was the first King of the Mystic Krewe de Saint Denis in 1978.

Following the loss of Dorothy in 1977, the ever-resilient Curt created his next wonderful chapters with Dana and their expanded family tree. The pair opened Yours Mine & Ours, a women’s clothing store on Front Street in Natchitoches (which couldn’t make money because he was dressing five women out of that store!); they travelled the Ark-La-Miss in a motorhome selling women’s clothing and maintained a showroom in the Dallas Apparel Mart. They made new friends at every turn. They discovered Gulf Shores, Alabama when it was a sleepy little beach town and made many memories there for themselves and family. Their natural sales abilities brought them great success with We Care, a multi-level skin care line (they ranked #5 in the country). Along the way, Curt stumbled into selling postal uniforms, the perfect retirement gig which lasted 20+ years and is only just now being taken over by a grandson. Yes, at 94 years old, Curt was still selling uniforms to his old USPS friends and new clients.

At his 94th birthday, everyone present shared a favorite memory and story of his impact on their life. There was a recurring theme: he made everyone feel important, loved, and encouraged. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, uncle and friend. A family friend observed, “He was always a coach.” A coach of life.

He loved a good vocabulary (“quaff” was a favorite) and good lyrics (Kris Kristofferson and Billy Joel’s The Piano Man). He loved golf, tennis, snow-skiing and history (a class taught by Pulitzer Prize winner T. Harry Williams at LSU was a favorite). He could recite Lincoln’s Farewell Address to Springfield by heart and with great aplomb; he maintained a file of jokes and speech material; he loved going to the grocery store, or any store for that matter. He squirreled away his Snickers, and always had a glass of milk and a cookie before bedtime. He was a man of faith, sustained by God and is with Him now.

The family will celebrate Curt Saturday, November 9th in Natchitoches at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home. Visitation is at 10 a.m. with a service at 11 a.m. The family requests you wear purple and gold—you will already be dressed for the LSU game that evening. Geaux Tigers!

Daughters Kris and Kelly are forever grateful to daughters Polly and Susan for showing up with love every day for years. The family is forever grateful to caregivers Diana Davis and Kathryn Moore for their sweet care of both Curt and Dana, and to Foundations Hospice staff, especially Natasha Terrell, whose empathy and support in the last days and hours were a gift.

In the end, there is only thanksgiving for this man.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Northwestern State University Foundation (memo line: Kinard Excellence in Education Fund) or a worthy cause of your choosing.