We are devastated to announce the death of our dear Kenna Marie Campbell Kobin, 32, of Lenexa, Kansas, who passed away in a horrible tragedy on September 29, 2023, from carbon monoxide poisoning. Words cannot begin to properly express how unfair and heartbreaking this is to us and everyone that knew her.
Kenna brought light and energy everywhere she went. She had an infinite well of love and positivity for everyone she came in contact with. She had an undying passion, motivation and vivacious appetite for life. Kenna’s corny sense of humor and love of a good joke were well known. She loved animals, music, physical sports and activities, traveling, gardening, and of course, tie dye. In her work as a high school educator and coach she had a gift for forging supportive personal relationships with her students and saw that as the most important and valuable part of her job. Her magnetism drew many kids–students, former students, and friends of–to come to her classroom or seek her out in the lunchroom or in the halls just to chat. Kenna wasn’t afraid to do hard things. She loved to set goals and work to achieve them, and she really tried to encourage others to pursue their dreams and be their best selves. Kenna is a state record holder in Women’s Powerlifting, and the sport is where she met and fell in love with her wife, Katie Lee King. They were married in September, 2020.
Kenna was born on March 28, 1991 in Seattle, Washington, to Steve and Cherrideth (Robinson) Campbell. She graduated from Woodinville High School, in Woodinville, Washington, then attended BYU-Idaho, in Rexburg, Idaho. After earning her degree, she moved to the Kansas City area to work as a high school math teacher. She taught at Washington High School for four years, during which time she earned a Master's Degree from Emporia State University, then taught at Shawnee Mission West, before becoming an Instructional Coach at Shawnee Mission North High School.
Kenna lived life to the fullest, and one of her passions was travel. She traveled to Germany as a high school band student, and as a college student spent a few weeks serving at an orphanage associated with a leper colony in India. In recent years, she went hiking in Peru, and traveled to Scotland, and Germany again.
Kenna is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Irving and Betty Jo (Goodman) Campbell, and by her maternal grandmother, Aliene (Smith) Robinson. She is survived by her wife, Katie, her parents, Steve and Cherrideth Campbell, her sister, Jonna (David), brothers Derek (Raegan), Ryan (Irene), Taylor (Mwendo), Marcus (Meagan), Ethan, Ben, six nieces and four nephews, and her maternal grandfather, Lee Robinson.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 14th, at 10:00am at Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia Street, Lenexa, KS 66215. The services will be livestreamed. A visitation will be Friday, October 13th, from 4-6:00pm at the same location.
As education was Kenna’s passion, our family is establishing an annual scholarship in her memory. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to the Kenna Campbell Kobin Memorial Stepping Stones Scholarship through the Shawnee Mission School District at this link.