Thomas "Tommy" Wendell Kenney

Thomas “Tommy” Wendell Kenney passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on August 23, 2026. 

Tom was born July 27, 1940, to Richard T. Kenney and Josephine Lyday. He graduated from West High School in Salt Lake City in 1958, where he was a proud member of the ROTC, steadily rising through the ranks to earn the highest designation of Captain during his senior year.

Tom married his sweetheart, Elaine Chapman, on June 22, 1959, in the Salt Lake Temple. They recently celebrated 67 years of marriage. Together, Tom and Elaine raised six children: Rick, Mike, Shellee, Sherri, Cathy, and Candy. In 1960, they bought their first house in Granger, Utah. In 1970, they moved to Sugarhouse, living just a few streets away from Tom's parents for nine years. During Christmas vacation in 1979, the family moved to their final home in the area that would later become Cottonwood Heights.

A true "Mister Fix-It," Tom possessed an unmatched expertise; there wasn’t anything he couldn’t repair, from vehicles and appliances to complex home renovations. He lovingly finished his own basement and spent countless hours helping his children with their own home projects. His willingness to help whenever called upon will be deeply missed.

Tom worked hard at various jobs throughout his life. While working full-time, he edged through night school at the Weber State College Ogden campus for two years to learn diesel mechanics. He went on to work the graveyard shift as a diesel mechanic for IML Freight Inc. for 25 years until the company closed in 1984.

During his time at IML, Tom started a side business repairing cars at his home, eventually moving operations to Fine Drive in South Salt Lake. When IML closed, he transitioned to running his shop full-time as Tom's Repair. As the business grew, he moved to a new building steps away on 700 West and Fine Drive, renaming the business Pro-Tech Automotive. Tom understood machinery from the ground up, seamlessly bridging the gap between "old-school mechanics" and modern computer diagnostics.

He operated Pro-Tech with unwavering honesty until it closed in late 2016. Tom cared about people just as much as he cared about cars. He was incredibly generous, often offering discounts and going out of his way to help those in a tough spot find a safe, affordable way back on the road. His children and grandchildren fondly remember Tom giving them coins to use his Coke machine—or sneaking the key to help themselves, always knowing that he actually knew. His grandchildren also hold dear the sweet memory of the cookies, usually Oreos, that he always kept tucked inside his desk.

Tom disliked idle hands and always needed to stay busy. In 2019, he accepted a position in the plumbing department at the Sandy Home Depot, where he thoroughly enjoyed working for six years before retiring in 2024. When he wasn't working, Tom could be found in his large garage, nicknamed "the barn." There, he crafted beautiful clocks, doll cradles, stepstools, and paper towel holders. He regularly entered his woodwork into the Utah State Fair, frequently taking home first, second, and third-place ribbons.

A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tom served in many capacities. He was a dedicated Veil Worker at the Jordan River Temple from 1993 to 2000 and later served at the Draper Temple. Tom and Elaine also served together as service missionaries at the Bishops’ Storehouse from 2004 to 2005.

Tom lived life to the fullest. He loved camping in his camper and trailer, bait and fly fishing, target shooting, taking photos of flowers, and woodworking. He was passionate about four-wheeling—first in his Ford Bronco and later in his 4x4 truck—cherishing trips around Moab and participating in the Easter Jeep Safari over many years. He also loved touring the country on his motorcycle with the Honda Goldwing Riders Association and the Temple Riders and took great pride in driving his 25th-anniversary model 1989 Fox-body Ford Mustang convertible.

Tom is survived by his loving wife, Elaine; his son, Michael (Robin) Kenney; his daughters, Shellee (James) Marlar, Sherri Latimer, Cathy (Terry) Gonzales, and Candy (John) Parker; his daughter-in-law, JoAnn Warner-Kenney; 19 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Richard A. Kenney, Marcia Collings, Mary Olsen, Judy Van Tienderen, Dr. Howard Kenney, and Debby Kenney. He was preceded in death by his son, Richard Kenney; his parents; and his brothers, Ronald Kenney and David Kenney.

The family extends a special thanks to Fresenius Kidney Care Wasatch Dialysis for the dedicated care they provided Tom over the last year, as well as the caregivers at Rocky Mountain Home and Hospice Care.

Services will be held Friday, September 4, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Cottonwood Creek 4th Ward building, 1834 E. Creek Road. 

A viewing will be held one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 to 10:45 AM.