Jon Kimberly Spain

Obituary

Gentle and kind, but also impatient, Jon was always quick to resolve the problems that life handed him. He was in a hurry to achieve his goals, and eager to get to his beloved boats. In his spare time, he liked to plan. He made lists, compulsively worrying every detail and nuance. Before he fell hard for boats, he wanted to fly. 

He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, became a fighter pilot and studied computer science. His flight career came to an end when he was accepted by Stanford Business School. After graduating, he set his sights on project management in space systems, earning additional credentials at UCLA in astronautical engineering while starting a professional career at TRW in Redondo Beach, CA. He was drawn to the precision that the field demanded of him.

At TRW, he met his future wife Pev while working on a satellite proposal. When the time came for him to meet her Mom and Dad – she brought him to a week-long family cruise on the Chesapeake Bay. Having grown up in Cincinnati Ohio, this nautical adventure on Pev’s parent’s boat was a new experience for Jon. The holiday on the water was a turning point. Jon never looked back. He married Pev, started a family, and bought a boat. 

Jon’s pride in service to his country continued to grow--beginning from his time in the Air Force and throughout his career managing space missions and operations for advancement of science and the nation. This pride was exceeded only by his love for his children. In his spare time, he introduced his family to cruising on the Pacific from Catalina to the Channel Islands. He taught his kids how to navigate, maintain diesel engines, and repair all kinds of marine systems. He led them to become certified scuba divers and took his son deep sea fishing. He earned his US Coast Guard captain’s license. 

After retirement, Jon became a volunteer port captain and maintained slips operated by Del Rey Yacht Club. He also gave time to his local government, serving his neighborhood infrastructure advisory committee. Significantly, Jon and Pev joined another couple on their boat to navigate up the West Coast past British Columbia, to Alaska and into Glacier Bay. The coastal adventure hooked Jon on long-range cruising.  

He and Pev subsequently purchased their own long-range cruiser, positioned it on the East Coast, and began exploring new coastal waterways from Florida to New England. Sadly, Jon’s adventures were sharply curtailed by a cancer diagnosis in 2022. In August of 2026, he hosted his children Kerry and Jon, adult nieces Katherine and Lauren Spain and nephew David Spain onboard for one last cruise. At the end of it, he handed over his checklists to his family and signaled that this cruising adventure would be his last. 

Throughout his life, Jon was known to his immediate family and childhood friends as Kim. He is survived by his wife Pev Hukill, daughter Kerry Spain (husband Wade Rittler) and son Jon B. Spain. He is the brother of Jeffry A. Spain of Colorado (wife Nancy L. Simon). Jon is a loving Uncle to many nieces and nephews--and Great Uncle to many more grand nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, Jayne Baker Spain and John Audis Spain.

Funeral services are Sunday, November 15th, at Christ Church IU, 23328 Lambs Meadow Road, Worton, MD at 12:30pm. A reception will immediately follow at Chester River Yacht and Country Club, 7738 Quaker Neck Road, Chestertown, MD.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, November 28th at 12:30pm at Del Rey Yacht Club, 13900 Palawan Way, Marina, Del Rey, CA. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Hunt Cancer Center. Two ways to give: Go online to the Torrance Memorial Foundation, and select Hunt Cancer Institute. Donate | Torrance Memorial Foundation. Or mail a check directly to: Torrance Memorial Foundation, 3330 Lomita Blvd., Torrance, CA 90505 Designate: Hunt Cancer Institute in the memo of the check. Federal Tax ID EIN #95-3528452. Phone: (310) 517-4703.