Kuykendall faced harsh criticism over refusing to extend full benefits to the families

FILE – In this Sept. 1, 2009 file photo, City of Prescott, Ariz. Mayor Marlin Kuykendall is seen during the primary election in Prescott, Ariz. Kuykendall, the former mayor of Prescott whose tenure included the tumultuous months following the deaths of 19 firefighters in a 2013 wildfire, has died. Prescott city officials confirmed on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, that Kuykendall died Sunday, Jan. 17 at his home. He was 86. (Matt Hinshaw/The Daily Courier via AP, File)

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — Marlin Kuykendall, the former mayor of Prescott whose tenure included the tumultuous months following the deaths of 19 firefighters in a 2013 wildfire, has died.

Prescott city officials confirmed on Tuesday that Kuykendall died Sunday at his home. He was 86.

His son, Patrick, told the Daily Courier that Kuykendall had been dealing with cancer for the past three years.

Kuykendall, a local businessman, served on the Prescott City Council in the ‘70s and ’90s. He became mayor in 2009 and was re-elected twice more.

It was his campaign for a third term in 2013 that was his toughest.

Kuykendall and the city faced harsh criticism daily over their refusal to extend full benefits to the families of all the firefighters killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire that summer. Thirteen of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were classified as temporary employees, which does not include full survivors’ benefits. The city said it could not legally do so.

Some of the men’s widows fought against the city’s stance and secured benefits through the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System.

The issue sharply divided the community and eroded most of the unity in the days after the tragedy.

Ultimately, family and friends say Kuykendall will be remembered as an “ambassador for Prescott.”

Besides his son, Kuykendall also is survived by his wife.

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