Eric Kindsfater gives his address as somewhere near Enola. 

With a job as a lab technician waiting for him, Kindsfater moved from San Diego to Conway and has spent the last 20 years working in one of Arkansas’ fastest growing cities. At Conway Regional, he has moved from lab technician to supervisor and now director of Security, Safety, and Telecommunications. He is known for his reliability, hard work, and sense of humor. 

But, Kindsfater considers his most important role as that of husband and father. “Vicky and I are blessed with great sons, a daughter, son in law, and daughter in law. They’re good kids; they’re hard workers.”  Over the years, many of his family members have joined him at Conway Regional. “I highly value the family atmosphere at Conway Regional,” he said. “I’m proud of my kiddos. I like that they enjoy helping and serving others, and Conway Regional is a great place to serve.” 

His youngest son, Farrell, is a supply tech in Conway Regional’s Materials Management Department. His daughter, Mazie Dobbs, is a surgical tech in the OR, and her husband, Tony Dobbs, is a maintenance tech in the Maintenance Department. Eric’s oldest son, Mason, worked at Conway Regional while in college. Mason now works for a media consulting firm in Little Rock and his wife, Alisa, is a teacher in the Mount Vernon Enola School District. Vicky’s mother, Faith Cox, worked at Conway Regional for 22 years as a ward clerk. 

In February of 2019, the Kindsfater family moved from their home on Sunny Gap Road in Conway to Enola, nearly 40 minutes away. So why the move?

Eric Kindsfater learned to appreciate quiet and privacy while living and working on a 450-acre farm near the Black Hills of South Dakota. Enola takes Eric back to his roots, where he developed his philosophy for raising children. 

“I was really spoiled growing up on a farm, then I went into the Navy and ended up in San Diego, CA,” said Kindsfater. “Holy smokes!” 
Kindsfater served at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, which is located north of San Diego, for six years and “never set foot on a ship.” He explained, “I was a hospital corpsman and went to advanced training for clinical laboratory. There are only a handful of naval hospitals aboard ship, so Camp Pendleton is where I was stationed.” He added, “But, it was huge. You could fit all of San Diego inside of Camp Pendleton.” 

Hard Work Philosophy 

Eric learned the importance of hard work at an early age. “My dad (Jack) taught me the value of hard work.  I don’t recall specific ‘words of advice’, but his actions spoke loudly,” Kindsfater said. “He was a farmer and livestock producer and pressed on in spite of often-difficult circumstances.”  Eric noted that irrigating and working the crops and caring for the sheep and cattle, which numbered in the hundreds, was difficult.  

He began driving a tractor at the tender age of eight. “Dad would say I will be back to get you or come home when you’re done. There wasn’t a lot of time to be a kid,” Eric recalled. He said his father and grandfather had to be “hard men” to survive. Eric’s grandmother, Evelyn, was a registered nurse and his mother, Kayla, helped the family as a homemaker and Saturday mail carrier. 

Eric leans heavily on lessons taught by his grandfather, Manuel Kindsfater.

Eric explained, “He was my grandpa, so I always thought that was just a grouchy, old South Dakota farmer thing to say: ‘We’re going to get on this tractor and work all day and if you don’t like it that’s tough.’” After looking at his grandfather’s high school yearbook, Eric changed his mind. “He’d been saying this since he was a senior in high school. I have carried that tradition on to my family.”

Manuel also encouraged Eric to leave the farm. “My grandfather was the only kid of seven to graduate high school. He wanted to be a veterinarian, but his father (John) died before he graduated from high school, so he had to run the farm.”  

Family Tradition 

Eric Kindsfater has also begun a tradition of his own, the weekly family day for intentional, quality family time. The point is to get them to “slow down and spend time together as a family; cooking and baking; preparing a meal together.” Tony Dobbs said, “I like that we get together at least once a week and really just relax and shake off the outside world.” 

While Eric prefers peace and quiet, he does not shy away from technology. In fact, that’s how he met Vicky. 

Victoria Marie Uelani Cox has a degree in radio and television communications and was working for AETN when they met in a chat room in November of 1996. “It was crazy. We started talking and we both just knew. I asked her to marry me over the phone, and we had sent actual photographs through the mail.” 

Vicky and Mason, 6, would join Eric in California in the spring of 1997 and the family stayed there until Eric’s enlistment ended in 1999. “We had a decision to make,” Eric said. They chose Conway due to the health of Vicky’s dad and job opportunities. “I had a job before I had a house. Vicky’s mom (Faith) told me about a lab tech position at Conway Regional. It was a total blessing and I started here in June of ‘99.” 

Twenty-one years later, it is common for the Kindsfater clan to cross paths in the hallways of Conway Regional Medical Center. 

“I enjoy being able to talk about my day with my family since we work in the same place.  They are understanding and can offer more feedback or advice,” said Mazie Dobbs. Eric added, “I enjoy unexpectedly seeing my kids during our workday.  I like to watch their growth and skill development in their chosen careers.” 

 Tony Dobbs added, “I think it’s pretty cool to say that almost all of my family works (or has worked) at Conway Regional.  That’s how you know it’s a good place.” 

Over the years, like most fathers, Eric has given plenty of advice to his children. Some of this includes: 

Farrell Kindsfater: “Two things: ‘In all things, look for the silver lining.’ and ‘You can’t control what others do, only how you respond.’’  

Mazie Dobbs: “If you’re emotional about a situation and need to address it with someone, wait until the emotions are less-heightened so you can rationally discuss the situation with the other person.”  

(Originally published in Faulkner County Lifestyle magazine)