- Date Of Birth: July 2, 1957
- Date Of Death: September 28, 2020
- State: Arizona
Gone Fishing Kenny Cluff left us unexpectedly on Sept 28th, 2020. He was born on July 2nd, 1957 in Cottonwood, Arizona to Art and Charleen (Thompson) Cluff. He was 63 years old and passed after a long battle with the aftereffects of cancer treatment. Kenny was the great grandson of Jim James and Maggy Thompson, the first white settler in Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona. He loved fishing, hunting, and long rides on dusty dirt roads in his Polaris Ranger. He also loved time on the lake and on the ocean. For those of you that knew him, he was a grumpy, yet caring man. He would help you in any way he could and then complain that he had to do so. He was crass, abrasive, and an absolutely loving soul, willing to give the shirt off his back to anyone that truly needed it. He loved his fur babies and any other animals that tended to encroach into his yard, often leaving food and water out for animals that wandered around his home. He was passionate to a fault and incredibly generous. A true diamond in the rough. He grew up in Cornville, Arizona on the banks of Oak Creek and was a part of a long legacy of settlers in the Verde Valley. He worked in many venues, from a hand at the Verde Valley Manor, to construction, and 20 years at Yavapai County, driving trucks, running heavy equipment and ultimately ending his career as the Yavapai County road inspector. Kenny was a loving, caring partner, dad, papa, brother, uncle and friend, leaving behind his life partner of 36 years, Lea Matley; brothers, John Smithson, Rick (Dianne) Smithson, Rick Cluff, Jack Smithson (Lori), Jason Smithson (Stacie); sister, Debi (Roger) Humphries (Smithson); a Nephew and five Nieces; daughter, Junie (Donald) Rezzonico; Son, Jeremy (Missy) Matley; Grandkids, Bre (Diego) Noguez, Jordn’ Rezzonico (Luis Buzani), Dominic and Dontai Rezzonico, Barett Matley; three great granddaughters and his fur babies and many other friends and family.
He was a true outdoorsman loving the open spaces and open skies. He fought many battles and will be missed by a multitude. God speed Kenny.
