Passages: Remembering N. Paul Kenworthy

N. Paul Kenworthy Jr.

1925 - 2010

N. Paul Kenworthy Jr., longtime Sierra Club member, award winning film maker, camera systems inventor, entrepreneur, and one of the Disney Legends passed away Friday October 15, 2010 in Ventura, California with family at his side.

Throughout his life Paul was an active climber, skier, back packer and hiker. A long time member of the Sierra Club, Paul spent many weekends on Sierra Club back packing trips. In more recent years, Paul helped with trail construction and maintenance in the local mountains. Some of this trail construction work is documented in the short film that Paul made titled Building the Garapito Trail.

Paul was born on February 14, 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in Patton's 10th Armored Division during the Second World War.

After the war, Paul attended Cornell University receiving a degree in Economics, then UCLA where he obtained a Master's Degree in Cinematography. Paul's Master‘s Thesis was the basis for the Academy Award winning Disney film The Living Desert. This was followed by his work on the Vanishing Prairie that also received an Academy Award. Paul co-directed the Disney Film Perri and directed Rusty and the Falcon for the Disney television Show in 1957. Paul received the 'Disney Legends' award in 1998.

Paul co-invented the Snorkel Camera that was later modernized in collaboration with Bob Nettman into the Kenworthy/ Nettman Snorkel Camera System. The Kenworthy/Nettman Snorkel Camera was used in many films, commercials, and music videos and is still in use today.

Paul received an Academy of Motion Pictures Technical Award in 1977, Outstanding Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 1994 as well as the Academy of Motion Pictures John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation in 2001.

He is survived by his brother Joe, daughter Carol, sons Kirk and Rob, four grandchildren two great-grandchildren and long time friend and companion Norene Charnofsky.

The family wishes to express gratitude to the staff of Cypress Place Senior Living and Assisted Hospice for their gentle care of Paul during his last months.

In lieu of flowers, if so inclined, donations can be sent in Paul's name to the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, 3250 Wilshire Blvd. #1106, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

A private memorial service is scheduled for December 5 in Ventura CA. Contact Norene for information