May 13, 2015

Kenneth M. Kennedy Jr., 88, of Prairie Village, Kan., died Monday, May 11, 2015. Visitation will be from 9-10 a.m., and funeral following at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at Porter Funeral Home, 1835 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, KS 66102. Burial will be in Pleasanton, Kan., on Monday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church, Kansas City, Kan., where he was a member for over 50 years.
Kenneth was born Feb. 15, 1927, to Myrl and Esther (Harmon) Kennedy in Kansas City, Mo. At age 2, he moved to the family farm outside Pleasanton, Linn County, Kan., homesteaded by his great-grandfather John Quincy Kennedy. He graduated from Pleasanton High School and Fort Scott Community College, after which he moved to Kansas City, Kan. In Kansas City, he drove a taxi, and worked for Riverview Bank before joining Santa Fe Railroad. He retired in 1990 as a railway clerk after 34 years of service. Kenney served in the Kansas National Guard. He was a member of Brotherhood of Railway Clerks #121.
Kenney joined the Oxford Fellowship group in the early 1950s, where he met his future wife, Reta N. (Boyd) Kennedy. They were married on Sept. 3, 1960. In 1961 they moved to the Turner neighborhood of KCK where they raised two children, and enjoyed gardening and traveling together for many years. Kenney was very considerate of those less fortunate, and collected thousands of aluminum cans, volunteered, and raised funds for Cross-Lines and Youthville.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Reta N. Kennedy; two children, Gayle K. Callahan (Mike), Prairie Village, and Warren B. Kennedy (Gisela), Bonner Springs, Kan.; sister, Wilma Stark (Dale), Wichita, Kan.; and three grandchildren, Connor Callahan, Cameron Kennedy and Brianne Kennedy.
Condolences may be expressed at www.porterfuneralhome.com. Arrangements: Porter Funeral Home & Crematory, 1835 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, KS, (913) 621-6400.