Donald Roderick Kendall, Jr. passed away on September 4, 2026 while on a trip to the Republic of the Congo with the Jane Goodall Institute. He was 74 years old.

Born on May 10, 1952, in Northampton, Massachusetts, Don lived a life marked by intellectual curiosity and insight, a zany sense of humor, and a deep love for the people, animals, and natural world around him.

Don earned his B.A. degree from Hamilton College and his M.B.A. with high honors from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, where he was a Tuck Scholar and a recipient of the W. M. Bollenbach, Jr. Fellowship. He later served as a Trustee of Hamilton College and a member of the Board of Overseers of the Tuck School,

As a student at Hamilton College, Don competed as a pole vaulter and a diver and at Dartmouth on the Tuck wrestling and rugby teams. His love for activity continued throughout his life, as he became an avid cyclist, completing the MS-150 on multiple occasions until a multiple myeloma diagnosis precluded him from further cycling. As a cancer survivor of 14 years, he remained active walking, cross country skiing and tending to his Texas ranch property.

Don loved to travel, and especially enjoyed spending time in Africa. His sense of adventure took him to the summit of Kilimanjaro, and Everest base camp, to the boardrooms of Europe, to the sprawling Amazon, China, South Asia and a variety of countries in Africa including owning shares in game farms in Botswana (no hunting allowed).

Don had a collector's eye, gathering coins, stamps, artwork and vintage British porcelain. Perhaps what he was best known for, though, by friends and family was his penchant for pulling out photos of his children and grandchild, his beloved dogs, or his latest memorable trip and giving everyone an update.

Don built a remarkable career in finance, one that spanned decades and touched nearly every corner of the energy, power, and infrastructure industries. He was a General Partner of New Climate Ventures and the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kenmont Capital, LP, where he ran a distressed debt and credit-based hedge fund along with a top-performing private equity fund of funds. His expertise in energy and infrastructure also led him to serve as a portfolio manager for Carlson Capital, L.P., a multi-billion dollar hedge fund in Dallas. Earlier in his career, from 1993 to 1998, Don served as President of Cogen Technologies Capital Company, L.P.. He was also the founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Palmetto Partners, Ltd., a family office for a Forbes 400 family. Before that, he led project finance and leasing groups out of the New York offices of Credit Suisse First Boston, Drexel Burnham, and Morgan Stanley. His influence extended across many boardrooms. He served as Chair of the Special Committee of the SolarCity Board during its acquisition by Tesla (including negotiating with Elon Musk in the middle of the night on a rickety pier in Indonesia after eluding a poisonous snake.) He also lent his judgment to the boards of Talos Energy, American Midstream Partners, Syzygy Plasmonics, Tangent Energy, and Stream Energy, among others, and was regularly a judge of the Rice Business School Business Plan annual competition.

For all his professional accomplishments, Don’s truest passions were conservation and his family. He served as a Board Member of the Jane Goodall Institute, where he was a former Board Chair, and had been Vice Chair of Houston Zoo board and Chair of its Conservation Committee. His love of conservation spanned many institutions and species including serving on the boards of Longneck Manor Conservation Foundation, MarAlliance, Earthwatch International, and the Ecological Defense Group as well as being a supporter and board member of Bat Conservation International and the Prospect Park Alliance.

Don is survived by his wife of fifty years, Diane S. Kendall; his daughter, Dr. Corinne J. Kendall, son-in-law Dr. James Smoliga and granddaughter Bianca; his son, Lincoln R. Kendall and two dogs, Snoopy and Skye as well as his sister Julie Oberstoetter and brother Jeff Kendall- Anderson, brother-in- law Joe Kendall-Anderson and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held early in 2027. In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to honor Don to make a contribution to the Jane Goodall Institute toward the Legacy portrait of Jane Goodall, MarAlliance, or the Houston Zoo - all causes that reflect the conservation work he held so dear. Don lived fully and gave generously of his time, his talents, and his heart. He will be deeply missed by his family, his friends, and all who were lucky enough to share in his company.

The Jane Goodall Institute c/o Daniel Kemp 1120 29th St. NW, #520S Washington, DC 20036

Or by email to dkemp@janegoodall.org.

MarAlliance

https://maralliance.org/donate/

Houston Zoo

https://give.houstonzoo.org/campaign/778470/donate