William John Kitchen

William John Kitchen was born to Edith Morene Raper and John William Kitchen in Belton, TX on July 25, 1952.

William (“Bill”) graduated from West High School in Bakersfield in 1970.

 He immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Thailand in support of the Vietnam war effort, where he specialized in microwave radio repair and developed his life-long fondness for Thai cuisine. Bill’s final duty station was at Ft. Hood, TX where he became a member of the Advanced Marksmanship Team – he remained an avid shooter and hunter for the rest of his life. Upon discharge from the Army, he returned home to pursue his education at Bakersfield College, and later California State University Bakersfield. Bill went to work at Rockwell International in Arvin, CA where he worked on the B1 bomber project before beginning his television career at KERO in Bakersfield, from 1978 to 1986. He then went to work at NBC headquarters in Burbank, CA where he earned three Emmy awards. He was a staple in broadcast engineering from 1986 until his retirement in 2012. He enjoyed a comfortable retirement, caring for his mother until her death in 2015. He moved to Pahrump, NV in 2019 to begin life at his desert Oasis. He remained a resident there until his passing.

Bill had many close relationships and rarely met a stranger; he was always one to help a person in need, especially if they were family. He will forever be remembered for his sense of humor, and his generosity.

 Bill is survived by his children, his sisters, his many friends and extended family throughout the country, as well as all who loved him.

We will always carry your memory in our hearts.

 Rest in peace.