Philip Andrew Kennedy

OCTOBER 8, 1960 - APRIL 14, 2026
Philip Andrew Kennedy of Raleigh passed away in his sleep on a peaceful Tuesday morning with his dog, Yoko by his side.

Born in White Plains, NY, Philip moved with his parents and four siblings from their home in Ridgefield, CT to Cary, NC in 1972. He was a bright and creatively gifted child, his imagination always a step or two ahead of everyone else.

The right friends found Phil quickly after settling into the new neighborhood. Afternoons and weekends were devoted to sports cars, airplanes, and James Bond movies. Summers brought the O'Neill cousins down from up north, and with them came full scale filming productions. JAWED and Dr. Elvis were undoubtedly regarded as masterpieces by their creators, and nobody argued otherwise.

After graduating from Apex High School in 1979, Philip set his sights on a future in the US military. But his father, a WW2 and Korean War veteran who felt he had already served enough for all of his sons, firmly encouraged him to come up with a different plan. Phil wore a few different hats in those early years - among them bar bouncer, a role his dedication to weightlifting and physical strength had practically built him for.

It was a family connection in 1984 that eventually shifted everything, pointing Phil toward a position with Domino's Pizza that would turn out to be career-making. He started at the bottom, learning the business fast, and quickly rose to area supervisor, all while keeping his sights firmly set on becoming a franchisee. In 1991, Philip became the owner of a Domino's Pizza store in North Raleigh. One store had been the dream, but two stores became the reality because North Raleigh's growth made sure of it. The hard work had paid off.

Among the ambitions Phil had carried since boyhood, one stood above the rest. To fly. And in 1993, with the same quiet determination and capability that was continually defining every chapter of his life, he proudly earned his pilot's license. Phil flew any chance he got, and loved every single moment of it.

Business success was one thing, taking to the sky was another, but Philip's proudest achievement walked on two legs. His son, Luke arrived in 1995 during his first marriage, and though that chapter eventually closed, his dedication to being an exceptional father and co-parent remained absolute. Ask Luke what his dad was like, and the answer lives somewhere between a Godfather quote, a random reference to Pepe's Pizza in New Haven, a war history documentary, and a 1960s tune that somehow always knew when to show up. Luke most certainly looked up to his father. Phil was his Superman - invincible, steadfast, and larger than life.

In 2004, Phil met his forever partner, Tiffany. They married in 2011, and Phil's life fell beautifully into place. They built something simple and lasting - a life of mutual support, shared parenting (of both human and canine children), and the deep contentment of two people who had found exactly what they were looking for. In their cozy and quiet world, she grounded him and he anchored her.

Nearly 40 years with Domino's behind him, Philip retired in 2023 and found his next great passion in woodworking. He designed and created everything from custom shelving - to a ramp lovingly crafted for his aging Great Dane, Moose - to an exact replica of Captain Kirk's command chair from Star Trek. The man was a machine.

Retirement brought two more unexpected and perfectly fitting titles. The first: "World's Best Dog Sitter". The dog whispering gene his mother had passed down had found its moment. The second: "Grandpa". Luke and his wife, Kayla welcomed baby Josie in September of 2024.

To know Philip was to know a man of extraordinary discipline, determination, and dependability. He was a man of many talents who met every obstacle with the same unwavering resolve. He survived cancer. He endured two knee replacements and came back stronger each time. Somewhere along the way someone might have labeled Phil bionic, and they wouldn't have been wrong. With his departure this world has lost something rare. He was one of one.

Philip was preceded in death by his sister, Susan Elizabeth Shefte; his mother, Mary Elizabeth "Betsey" Kennedy; and his father, Thomas Edward Kennedy.
He leaves behind his wife, Tiffany E. Kennedy; his son, Luke A. Kennedy and his wife, Kayla; his stepson, Evan P. Tolman; his granddaughter, Josephine E. Kennedy; his brothers, Stephen A. Kennedy, Jonathan E. Kennedy and his wife, Elaine, Christian M. Kennedy and his wife, Wendy.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary on High House Road at 11am on Friday, April 24th.

A celebration of Philip's life will be held on Saturday, April 25th from 1-4pm at Prestonwood Country Club, 300 Prestonwood Parkway in Cary.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Philip's memory to Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love, the SPCA of Wake County, and the American Humane Society.