Jon Kyl’s Family & Children: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Jon Kyl, a former Senator who retired in 2013, has been chosen to fill Sen. John McCain’s seat. When he retired from the Senate, he left so that he could spend more time with his family. Read on to learn more about Kyl’s family, his wife, and his children. This is a developing story.

1. Jon Kyl Is Married to Caryll Collins Kyl & They Had to Flee a Fire in 2011

Jon Kyl is married to Caryll Collins Kyl. She stays mostly out of the spotlight, although she does sometimes make public appearances with her husband. When he announced that he was not seeking re-election, she was right by his side during the press conference.

In 2011, the couple was in the news when they had to flee the Wallow Fire near Greer. They were at their cabin in Greer when they were told the fire might be threatening their area, AZ Central reported.

Jon Kyl told AZ Central: “We took what we could, but we left almost everything. The smoke was very thick, and there were times when you could hardly see the ridge a mile away. . . . You’re talking about the prettiest area of the state, at least in my opinion, and much of it will be gone.”

2. Jon Kyl Has Two Children & Multiple Grandchildren

FacebookJon Kyl Facebook post by a relative

John and Caryll Kyl have two children: John Kyl (who is married to Renee Kyl) and Kristine Kyl Gavin. He also is the proud grandpa to four grandchildren. (However, the Arizona Bioindustry Organization’s bio indicates that he has seven grandchildren.) Proud relatives are already posting about his appointment on Facebook.

Kristine lives in the Washington D.C. area and John lives in Phoenix, according to The Arizona Republic. However, a LinkedIn profile for Kristy Kyl Gavin lists her as working in Phoenix for Worth New York, and previously working as a campaign scheduler in Phoenix for Sen. Jeff Flake. From 2016-2013, she owned Style Savvy LLC, based in Washington, D.C. Kristy graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in Broadcast Communication and Political Science.

3. Jon Kyl’s Father Was a Congressman & Assistant Secretary to the Department of the Interior

Jon Llewellyn Kyl’s father, John Henry Kyl, died at the age of 83 in 2002, according to his obituary. He had a master’s degree in school administration. He was a coach, a teacher, and director of the Wayne, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. He was also the anchor of the KTVO evening news in Iowa. John Kyl was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Iowa from 1959 until he was defeated in an election in 1964. He then recaptured his former seat in 1966 and was re-elected in 1968 and 1970. He was also assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior for four years and executive vice president of Occidental International Corporation in D.C. John Kyl also had a love for the environment and served on the Public Land Law Review Commission, the Lewis and Clark Trail Commission, and more.

4. Jon Has Two Sisters & His Father Passed Away from Diabetes Complications

Kyl’s mother was Arlene P. Griffith Kyl. John Kyl passed away from diabetes complications.

Kyl’s sisters are Jayne Kyl of Phoenix and Jan Martin of Des Moines.

5. Caryll & Jon Kyl Volunteer Their Time to Help Children in Need

Jon and his wife Caryll spend a lot of time volunteering to help children in need. In 2012, while he was still in Congress, he and his wife were both honored with a ‘Decades of Dedication Award’ from Childhelp for their support of children over the years, Revamp reported. They’ve received the award numerous times, including in 2017 when they received the 2017 Childhelp Spirit of the Children Award.

In 2012, Jon Kyl was honored with a gold medallion at the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation’s annual Honor Ball, for more than 25 years of service to Arizona. His mother Arlene, wife Caryll, and son John and John’s wife Renee were there for the presentation.