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Robert Kennedy Obituary
AGE: 74 • Naples, FL
Robert William Kennedy, 74, of Naples, formerly of Rumson, NJ and Southampton, NY, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, at home. He was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather (PopPop). Bob and his wife Patty were married 50 years and together presided over an adoring family including 13 beautiful grandchildren.
His passion for sports allowed him to mentor thousands of young men and women across the globe and continues today as they do the same. He was a pioneer in youth basketball and founded Pocono Invitational Sports Camp, Blue Mountain Sports Camp, The Wade Trophy, Kodak All American Teams, and many more. These programs continue to be run by the Kennedy family today under the umbrella of Hoop Group. Affectionately known as "Chief," Bob's personality endeared him to everyone who knew him. He was a visionary who's kind, loving, generous nature and wonderful sense of humor drew you in and there you remained forever. We will truly miss this legend of a man!
Bob is survived by his wife, Pat Geary Kennedy of Naples, FL; son, Rob Kennedy (Gina) of Spring Lake, NJ; son, Brian Kennedy of Fairfield, CT; daughter, Kristi Kennedy (Dan Labs) of Naples, FL; and grandchildren, Robbie Kennedy, Shannon Rieger, Erin Kennedy, Taylor Kennedy, Brian Kennedy Jr., Jennifer Labs, Liam Kennedy, Quinn Rieger, Tatum Kennedy, Julia Labs, Megan Rieger, Kelly Kennedy and Sean Kennedy.
A memorial mass to celebrate his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 10 at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to The De La Salle Blackfeet School, P.O. Box 1489, Browning, MT 59417. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.fullernaples.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Robert Kennedy
Bill Magarity
August 5, 2014
Dear Pat, Recently learned of Bob's passing. My sincere condolences to you and the family. So many fond memories of those summers I spent at PIBC. A great sense of humor and lots of laughs! My sympathies for your loss.
August 3, 2014
So sad to hear of Bob's passing. What a great man, who inspired so many! As a woman, I was always so appreciative of him and Patty and their efforts to get women's basketball the respect it deserves(d). Such happy memories of Pocono Invitational, the best camp in the country at that time. Patty, thank you for sharing Bob with us all these years. Many blessings to you and your family. I look forward to seeing you at his memorial. I feel stories coming and laughs everywhere. All Hail to the Chief!! Liz McGovern, CT
July 30, 2014
Dear Pat, so sorry to hear about Bob. Hope you are doing better each day, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Fondly, Gail S.
Christmas Trees...
Kathleen Kennedy Carozza
July 27, 2014
Jack Gallagher
July 26, 2014
Dear Pat and Family: Just learned of Bob's passing. He was my first basketball during the initial years of St. Anthony's high school. They were great years and. to a large extent gave me a solid basis for my later life. Bob certainly had a lot to do with that. I seem to remember working his very first basketball camp in Yardville, New Jersey. Those were the days! My sympathies on your loss.
July 22, 2014
Brian and Rob, Mrs. Kennedy, our most sincere condolences on the passing of the "Chief". May you remember all the good times you shared together in NJ, Pa, and Fla. God Bless, the Gene Mahon family
Tim Kramer
July 21, 2014
Pat - Please accept my condolences on your loss. I enjoyed playing for Bob at St. Anthony's and working with both of you at the Trenton CYO Camp and in the Poconos. For several years, he was a big part of my life. We'll all miss him.
Evan Goldman
July 21, 2014
As a fellow resident of Keyport, to a camper at Pocono, followed by 8 years of working for Bob at the camp and then my years as his attorney, Bob has never been far from my mind. To say he has been a big influence in my life is not to give him his due. He has touched me like he has touched no others. While Bob never wanted to be thought of as a soft touch, he was extremely caring and probably one of the reasons why he got involved in the camp business in the first place. He mentored and touched the lives of thousands of young men and women. Many went on to great things, and not just in basketball, but in all facets of life. Bob never thought himself as anything other than one of the guys but we all knew he was much more than that. His passing will leave a whole in my heart, as I am sure it will leave one for all of those he has touched.
I cannot say enough about his wife Patty, his three children and his grandchildren. Patty was the rock that kept him steady and his kids were always there for support and love. There was no family like the "Kennedy" family, and while I know a big presence will now be gone, his memory and legacy will far outlive him.
I don't think I will ever forgot that biting voice telling me that I have been fired (for probably the 50th time). Bob, I will miss you.
Jack Muehlhan
July 21, 2014
Patty -
I will always remember Bob. We had some great times. Sincere sympathy to you and your family.
Jack and Paula Muehlhan
July 20, 2014
prayers tom ilaria
July 20, 2014
We have fond memories of staying at the basketball camp in the Poconos with Bobby, Patty, Wally and Helen just before it opened. We felt right at home and had a lot of fun with great people. We are so sorry to hear of Bob's passing and would like to extend our most sincere condolences to the entire Kennedy family.
Punkin and Barbara
July 20, 2014
We have fond memories of staying at the basketball camp with Bobby and Patty and Wally and Helen before it was officially opened. We felt right at home and had such a wonderful time. We are so sorry to hear of Bob's passing and would like to offer our most sincere condolences to the entire Kennedy family.
mary tooker jerkowicz
July 20, 2014
My deepest sympathies to the kennedy family. Bob was my mother, betty kennedy tooker"s nephew. I heard so much over the years about the basketball ball camp in the poconos
Michael Riismandel
July 20, 2014
Deepest condolences from Michael, Katie, Andrew, and Cooper Riismandel. He was always such a nice man at PIBC, the shore, and anywhere we ran into him.
Gail Marquis
July 20, 2014
To a man who had as much to do with my success in basketball and life as my own father, Mr. Robert Kennedy, owner and businessman. He along with his wife, Patty Kennedy, launched the Pocono invitational Basketball Camp. As a coach at their camp, I learned basketball skills and fundamentals by teaching young girls how to play basketball. It was a unique setting!
Along with other future All-Americans and future Olympians, I got to play against the best and hone my skills. When I returned to college at the end of each summer, I was always better and continued to get better.
Mr. Kennedy always respected the girls who attended and the women who coached them.
In 1976, I was one of 3 Pocono Invitational alum on the first ever USA Women's Olympic Basketball Team. The first time our country has a women's basketball at the Olympic Games and 3 of us worked at Pocono.
After presenting my 1976 USA Olympic Silver Medal to my father and mother in Queens, NY, I was just as proud to take my medal to camp and show it to Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy. They were just as proud. ?
He was a gem of a man. He will be missed.
??
John Wade
July 20, 2014
Sorry to hear of Bob's passing. To me he was always known as "Fish" going back to our days in Keyport, NJ. Great memories and thank you for getting me started on my college life at Potomac State. I will never forget the good times we had.
July 20, 2014
Our sympathies to the family. Irene was my godmother. Jim & June Wilson
Vinnie Vella
July 20, 2014
“To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think -- spend some time time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that's a heck of a day.” - Jim Valvano.
How approriate that one camp legend can sum up the thoughts and emotions of any of us who had the honor and pleasure to be in the company of the Chief. There's no one else like him. Thank you, for all you've given to the people who knew you, and especially to me and my family. I love you and miss you.
July 19, 2014
Just great memories of Bobs wide grin and sincerity. I remember
early years on the Sea Bright beach.
Peace and prayers to each family member
In deep sympathy Jane Wuestefeld Wheeler, Stuart Florida
Rachelle Hopsicker
July 19, 2014
Hail to the Chief
Bob Kennedy Sr. September 28, 1939 - July 16, 2014
The basketball world lost a great man today! THE CHIEF as we so fondly know him, touched lives exponentially. He was a great mentor to many, whom in turn, became great mentors to many more. I am so proud to have worked with the Chief at Pocono Invitational Basketball Camp and The Hoop Group in the beautiful Cherry Valley. I learned so much from him, the work ethic and humor has stuck for sure. His giant laugh will remain in my mind and the time spent in the Poconos with “The White House”, “Smoke House”, “Hill Courts”, “Main Courts”, “Lake Courts”, the “Office”', “Floods”, the pool, cabin charts, Duffy, the “A-Team”, “Canteen”, “Dining Hall”, the “Attic”, “Coaches Lounge”, the “Retreat”, KFC on the weekends, “Gong Show”, “Shark Ball”, Dunkin Donuts, the mythical "Great White", the "White Wagon", Pizza from Old Mill, Converse, Great Bear, midnight swims, skunks, Doobie, Doobie, Doobie, unruly campers and midnight sprints, heading down town every night with the boys, NCAA Tournament Time, the blessing before meals, all the colleagues, coaches and campers, I could go on and on. They were all because of a vision that Bob and Patty had.
Robert W. Kennedy of Keyport, NJ and his trusted companion Patricia Geary of Red Bank, NJ married and came to Cherry Valley, Stroudsburg in 1963.They arrived on “White Horses” or should I say, they tied their luggage to the top of their old battered car and settled at the old YMCA Camp, Camp Dent on Featherman Rd. Upon getting out of the car they discovered there luggage on the top of their car was lost. Bob had no money but managed to pay the tolls to go back to New Jersey to find their luggage or so the story goes, to start this adventure. Here begins the story of one of the largest and most courageous basketball stories ever told. “The Beaver" that's Basketball Bob (he never ever quit) and “The Princess” that's Patty both had tremendous basketball foresight. Patty was a nurse with a tremendous love for people and a degree in nursing. Who would ever think their careers could work, so well, together to build, discover and pioneer the growth of both boys and girls basketball throughout the east coast.
There is no telling how many young lives that were touched by Bob and Patty. They began by building a basketball camp out of an old barn, an old stone house with an attached smoke house and a few old basketball and volleyball courts left them by the YMCA of Allentown. Each summer hundreds of kids from the area either worked their way as busboys or busgirls through the basketball camp or paid to learn all about the fundamentals of basketball. The Kennedy's exposed the areas rising high school basketball stars to pros like Dr. J, Calvin Murphy, Kelly Tripuka, Moses Malone, and Adrian Dantley. What people didn't realize that Bob and Patty also led the way for Women's Basketball in the United States in 1973. The Women who worked at the camp read like “Who's Who”. Are you ready, Carol “Blaze” Blazjowski (General Manager for the New York Liberty), Maryann Stanley, Dotty McCrea, Mimi Senkowski Griffin, Ann Donavin, Theresa Grentz (US Olympic Coach) and of course our own former Penn State Women's Coach Rene Muth Portland… We could go on and on but I do what to mention the avenues both Bob and Patty took and unselfishly forged. They are:
• Pocono Invitational Basketball Camp for Boys and Girls
• Blue Mountain Sports Camps which included Cathy Rush Girls Basketball Camps…some of which were run in about 14 states
• Kodak Women's Basketball Coaches Clinics
• Athletic Technologist Specialty …shooting gloves
• The Stayfree Women's Wade Trophy…which is recognized as the “Heisman Award” of Women's College Basketball.
• The Kodak All American Women's Basketball Teams
• The Atlantic City Marathon 1979 which changed the face of Amateur Athletics In the United States
• The Hoop Group—www.hoopgroup.com
I am forever grateful for the memories and time spent with you! HAIL TO THE CHIEF-Love you!
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