Obituary of Michelle Lynn Kinard

Michelle Lynn Kinard, 46, resident of Spring Valley, CA, passed away unexpectedly on June 6, 2018. Immediate survivors include her mother, Cynthia Pinckard Johnson (Dennis, deceased), Spring Valley, CA; sons Mario Burton, 19, and Aiden Talbot, 10, Spring Valley CA; brother James Kinard (Robin), El Cajon, CA; step brother Daryl Johnson, Jamul, CA; step sister Sarah Johnson, San Diego, CA; step mother Delena Kinard (Mitchell, deceased) The Colony, TX; nieces Hali Sarrault, Jamul, CA, and Breanna Kinard, El Cajon, CA; nephews Tyler Kinard, El Cajon, CA, and Nicholas Sarrault, Jamul, CA. Michelle was preceded in death by her dad, Mitchell Lynn Kinard (whom she was named after), formerly of Valley, AL, who passed away in Dec. 2016. At the time of her death, Michelle was engaged to Michael Talbot, Spring Valley, CA, formerly of Oceanside, CA. Born in Langdale, AL, at Lanier Memorial Hospital, Michelle lived in Valley (formerly Riverview), AL, until age four when the family moved to Yorktown, VA, where her dad, Mitchell, was stationed at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station for two years. Michelle attended kindergarten in Williamsburg, VA, before her dad was transferred to ACU1 at the Navy base in Coronado, CA, in 1978. The family lived briefly in Imperial Beach near Coronado where Michelle attended 1st grade before moving to Murphy Canyon Navy housing. There Michelle went to Hancock Elementary and played league baseball and softball for several years. She enjoyed softball the best and was a good home run hitter. Michelle also loved going to the roller skating rink and the movies on the weekends with her friends. The family moved to Chesterton Navy Housing in the Linda Vista area of San Diego when Michelle was in 6th grade. Michelle worked as a volunteer candy striper at the nearby Kearny Mesa Convalescent Center while attending middle school in Linda Vista. When her parents divorced in 1985, Michelle moved to El Cajon, CA, with her mom, her grandmother Sara Lorene Barber (deceased and formerly from LaGrange GA) whom Michelle affectionately called “Rena”, her brother James and later with her step dad Dennis whom her mom married in 1986. Michelle attended schools in EL Cajon and Point Loma before moving with her dad to duty stations in Yorktown, VA, and Puerto Rico. In both middle school and high school, Michelle sang in the school choirs. Her friends in middle school nicknamed her “Giggles” because she liked to giggle and laugh a lot and was always smiling. After graduation from Bruton High School near Williamsburg, VA, Michelle returned to San Diego to live with her mom and stepdad while attending and graduating Je Boutique College of Beauty in El Cajon. While a student at Je Boutique, Michelle competed in several hair styling competitions, receiving merit awards for her talent. Her mom, Cynthia, recalls one of the happiest days the two of them shared was when they went to Los Angeles for Michelle to take her state board exam for her cosmetology license. Neither one slept the night before exam day but after a grueling day of testing, Michelle passed with flying colors. Michelle loved hair styling and worked several years as a stylist at several shops including Fantastic Sam’s in Rancho San Diego. At age 3, Michelle’s mom and dad knew she was destined to be a stylist after an incident at a friend’s house one evening when she and her friend, also age 3, quietly slipped off into the restroom where they found a pair of scissors and proceeded to “trim” her friend’s waist long hair to a short Pixie cut. Fortunately, short hair was in style at the time and Lisa’s mom and dad was gracious, laughed and said it would grow back. Sadly, Michelle eventually had to give up her career in hair styling after she began having problems standing a lot on her feet due to her diabetes. In 2004, Michelle moved to Las Vegas, NV, with her son Mario and fiancée Michael to be near her dad who had retired from the Navy and was living in LV with his wife Dee. In 2008, her son Aiden was born. Michelle worked as an alarm dispatcher for Alarmco on the downtown Las Vegas strip. While employed at Alarmco, she began having more complications from her diabetes resulting in her first below the knee leg amputation. Her Alarmco co-workers were extremely supportive to her and her family during that difficult time. Moving back to Spring Valley in the fall of 2012 with her family, Michelle eventually had her other leg amputated in Oct. 2014, also due to complications from type 2 diabetes. Despite the challenge of being a double amputee, “Chelle” stayed strong and was able to walk again with prosthetics for both legs. Due to further health challenges, in late 2016 Michelle went on kidney dialysis until October 2017 when her kidney function actually improved enough to discontinue dialysis, which was much to her doctor’s surprise. About a month after she was able to end dialysis, Michelle began having seizures on a regular basis. It was reported that Michelle had a seizure at the time of her death, however, official cause of death has not yet been determined pending autopsy and toxicology results. Despite Michelle’s health and physical challenges, she was always strong minded and strong willed with an outgoing personality and always willing to help others. She enjoyed attending Rock Church East County in El Cajon occasionally with her mom and her sons Mario and Aiden. She especially loved hearing the Christian group The Katinas when they would perform at the Rock. Her favorite Christian song was Blessed Be the Name. Michelle will be truly missed. Plans for a memorial gathering have not been finalized at this time.