Kirsten Marie McKinnon-Kinzle, 59, finished her fight with breast cancer and passed away June 27, 2024, her laughter will now be heard echoing off the walls in God’s kingdom. She was born February 2, 1965, in Los Angeles, California to Jean Tullius and Walter Hahne.

Kirsten, a vibrant, strong, and beautiful soul held many titles in her life with her most cherished including daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandma, best friend, niece, and animal advocate. She is survived by her mother, Jean; father, Walter; stepmother, Patty; brothers, Randy, Jason, and Joey; sister, Jeanine; children, Brandon, Nathaniel, Kayla-Jean, and Korionna; grandchildren Jaden, Kaida, Benjamin, Lillian, and Oliver; best-friend Sandy; forever faithful and ever-loving dog, Buford and many other loving family and friends.

Kirsten at the age of 15 met her first husband Darren age 19 at the wedding of his older brother Duane. She recalled lovingly how he gathered his courage (including liquid) and asked her to dance before one of his other brothers could and spun her away to the dance floor. Just after turning 18, she married Darren on May 8, 1983, they spent the majority of their marriage living in Hesperia, California raising their four children, they were married 22 years before separating, but continued to have a deep and loving friendship. She married David Kinzle on April 26, 2013. They both preceded her in death.

Kirstens education includes getting her general education diploma at 17, graduating with her associates from Victor Valley College, graduating the High-Desert fire academy in 1994, and obtaining her realtor’s license in the early 2000s’. She had many jobs in her life with the most important ones including stay at home mom, loan officer, restaurant owner, caregiver, and realtor.

While spending most of her time in southern California, Kirsten lived briefly in Idaho, South Carolina, and Nevada. Her love of travel and music had her travel across the United States more than once and across the seas. She was a frequent patron of country concerts and theatre. Throughout her life Kirsten had a deep love of horses, she spent many years volunteering for the San Bernardino County Sheriff equestrian unit and was recently able to start riding again through a horse rescue.

Kirsten had an infectious laugh that was known to all who heard it, it was high-pitched, loud, unapologetic, and expressed with her whole being. Her love and advocacy for animal rescue was renowned and expanded upon by her children continuously finding and bringing home animals. Her loving companion Buford was her last rescue and will spend the rest of his life being pampered in Idaho, chasing birds and squirrels.

Her legacy of perseverance, strength, and laughter will live on in our hearts, stories, and cherished memories.

Her celebration of life will be a private event held in the High-Desert. Instead of sending flowers you can donate to a charity in Kirsten’s name. Bestfriends.org, a partner of the High Desert Animal Coalition Rescue, is aimed at helping shelters around the country become no-kill shelters; cityofhope.org, helping patients and families fighting cancer; t2t.org, Tunnel to Towers Foundation supports families of fallen American Heroes. 

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