William C. Kinnes, 85, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday March 12, 2025 with his beloved wife Kathleen by his side. They were married for an incredible 62 years. He was the son of the late William and Marion Kinnes.
Bill was a submarine qualified Navy veteran who served during the height of the Cold War. His assignments included crewmember on the USS Sablefish (SS-303), and nuclear power plant operator on the USS George Washington (SSBN-598), and the USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628).
After his time in the Navy, in the midst of raising a family of four children with Kathy, Bill ran a successful small appliance business while simultaneously pursuing a degree at the University of Rhode Island. In 1973, he graduated from URI with a Bachelors Degree in Engineering.
Bill dedicated his entire working life to the submarine construction industry, primarily with General Dynamics/Electric Boat in Groton CT. As a former submariner Bill was an extremely meticulous Nuclear Quality Control Inspector. He spearheaded the development of innovative, computer based statistical modeling processes to ensure submarines were built with only the highest quality parts while significantly increasing inspection speed.
Bill was heavily involved in coaching for many years of his life, often juggling responsibilities on the baseball diamond, the soccer field, as well as in the hockey rink. In his adult years Bill also enjoyed playing softball and hockey himself.
In addition to his wife Kathy, Bill is survived by his daughter Suzanne (Paul) , his sons Will (Brenda) , Dick (Lisa) and Michael (Isabelle) as well as eleven grandchildren, Kyle, Ryan (Jack), Joshua, Justin, Luke, Liam, Sofia, Kellen, Teagan, Brenna, and Grayson, one great granddaughter Bo, and his sisters Diane, Marion, and Carolyn (Mike).
His funeral will be held at 11am on Friday, March 21, 2025, from the Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Home, 2435 Warwick Ave., Warwick. Interment with Full Military Honors will immediately follow at the RI Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Visiting hours will be from 4pm-7pm on Thursday March 20, 2025.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Bill’s memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
