Christopher Max Kettlewell, 69, of Independence, Missouri, passed away on March 21, 2026 due to complications related to his Parkinson's disease.

He was born in Independence, MO to Max Kettlewell and Marilyn (Wismer) Kettlewell, both from Canada, on May 27, 1956.

Chris attended high school at William Chrisman, where he ran track, high hurdles, and played trombone in the band. During these years, he also spent a lot of time tinkering on car motors, particularly Ford, to make them work better.

He left high school in 1974, a semester early, to join the Air Force. When he returned, he worked as a line mechanic at the Ford dealership and was a skilled mechanic. In 1995 he started working for Food Equipment Repair and worked there for almost 30 years. He loved this job and he trained almost all of the technicians as they joined the company teaching them among other things that each tool had at least two other purposes than what it was intended for. He also had the talent to be able to calm frustrated customers down and could usually fix the problem the first time. He was considered among the best commercial refrigeration and equipment repairmen in the Kansas City area.

Chris was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was sealed to his wife Lisa in the Manti, Utah temple on June 19, 1992. He was well-loved in his community, and he loved to make people laugh and was always ready with a corny joke. He went above and beyond to provide service to those in need, sometimes even to his own detriment.

Chris was involved in Boy Scouts for a number of years as a leader and served on the scout council for a year. He planned many campouts and other scouting-related activities for his troupe. He was very passionate about providing great experiences for all the youth in his care.

He was a very kind and gentle man who deeply loved his family. He did his best to avoid conflicts and keep the home as peaceful as possible, always keeping his voice calm and outlook positive.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Max and Marilyn Kettlewell, and brother Paul Kettlewell.

He is survived by his wife, Lisa (Christensen) Kettlewell, children Mark Kettlewell (Elizabeth), Lisa Marie Kettlewell, Luna (Clay) Kettlewell, Crystal Reckman (Danny), Ben Kettlewell, 7 grandchildren, and siblings Ted Kettlewell, Dave Kettlewell, and Janey Bredeman.

Per his wishes, Chris was cremated shortly after his death. A memorial service will be held at 705 W Walnut St, Independence, MO, on Tuesday, March 31, at 10 am. A family luncheon will follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to @makettle111 on Venmo.