Kenneth Scott Gambrell

Kenneth (Kenny) Scott Gambrell succumbed to complications of COVID-19 on December 31, 2020 while being treated at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, LA.  Kenny was born on August 16, 1952 at Gary Air Force Base in San Marcos, Texas to Melvin and Isabelle Gambrell.  While his father served in the United States Air Force, Kenny lived in Scranton, PA, Anchorage, AK, Asheville, NC and San Antonio, Texas.

He graduated from Palestine High School in 1970 and then he attended Texas State Technical Institute in Waco, Texas where he earned a degree in dental prosthetics.  Kenny continued his education through a fellowship at MD Anderson hospital and ultimately earned his MPT and CDT.  Kenny settled down in Grand Prairie, Texas and began a prestigious career in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and at Parkland Hospital.  For over forty years Kenny dedicated his life to medicine and education.  Kenny mentored over 260 Parkland residence graduates and left his mark on all that knew him.  He published several articles in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and World Neurosurgery.

While Kenny’s passion was medicine and public service, his true love was for his family and the Lord.  Upon retirement, Kenny moved back to the woods of East Texas to be close to family and raise cattle on property owned by generations of the Gambrell family.  He developed a special attachment to Alaska where he would fish with family. Kenny attended the Church of Christ of Palestine where he was a faithful servant to the Lord.

Kenny is survived by his daughter Tiffany and husband Wade Cloud; grandchildren Trinity and Wesson of Boerne, Texas; brother Melvin Gambrell and wife Nancy of Palestine; sister Emily West and husband Bob of Palestine and brother Howard Gambrell of Palestine.  Kenny was loved and adored by his many cousins, nieces and nephews and will be greatly missed by all.

Honored to serve as his pallbearers are Robert West, Greg Gambrell, Max Slicker, Daniel Gambrell, Jeff McAlister & David Kneip.

A Celebration of Life Service for Kenneth Gambrell is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, January 8, 2021 in the Rhone Memorial Chapel, 3900 S. State Highway 19, Palestine, Texas 75801.  Interment will follow at Palestine City Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Thursday from five o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening at Rhone Funeral Home.

For those unable to attend the service, live-streaming will also be available via the Rhone Funeral Home Facebook Page.

Kindly note that for the protection of all who visit our funeral home, current protocols and guidelines are in place where masks and social distancing are required.

In lieu of flowers, a foundation has been created to honor Kenny at the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Please make a donation to the Kenneth Gambrell Alumni Foundation; Attn: Kenneth Gambrell Foundation, 2235 Kessler Woods Ct., Dallas, TX, 75208.

Funeral services for Kenneth (Kenny) Scott Gambrell are in care of Rhone Funeral Home, 3900 S. State Highway 19, Palestine, Texas.  

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