Kevin Francis Michael Courtney

Courtney - Kevin Francis Michael Kevin Francis Michael Courtney, 80, of St. Petersburg, FL, died October 5, 2020. Mr. Courtney was born in Buffalo, NY, to John "Jack" and Mary (Browne) Courtney. The son of immigrants from County Kerry, Ireland, Mr. Courtney was named after the Irish patriot Kevin Barry. Mr. Courtney grew up in Hamburg, New York, and was the third of eight children. He graduated from Baker Victory High School, Lackawanna, NY. He earned his bachelor's degree from Canisius College, Buffalo, NY, and his MBA from Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL. Mr. Courtney was also a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Italy during the Vietnam war. His professional career began at the New York State Department of Education in Albany, NY, where Mr. Courtney worked as a computer programmer analyst. Much of his career, however, was spent at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, FL, where he taught computer science classes. He lived in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area for fifty years. Kevin was famous for his generosity and hospitality. When his parents retired, he opened his home to them annually so they could escape the cold winters of western New York. Soon his siblings, nieces and nephews also set up rituals of traveling to spend time with Kevin. As a host, Kevin entertained with a full agenda of trips to festivals, flea markets, historic sites, and quaint towns. His nieces and nephews grew up knowing the extraordinary warmth and fun of their uncle Kevin welcoming them into his home. One of his brothers said, "no one gave more to my family than Kevin". When sharing a meal, he would often raise his glass and say "to peace in the world" and he meant it. Kevin had great compassion for all people. He was also known for his ever-present sense of humor, once suggesting to his younger siblings whom he was babysitting that 4:11 p.m. was their new bedtime. He said he fancied his martini with olives because he liked a salad with his meal. His trademark sign-off for emails and phone calls went something like this, "give your sister a kick in the doon for me so she knows I love her". There have been a tremendous number of gentle kicks to the doon delivered over the years with love and laughter. Travel and foreign language were two of Kevin's passions. He visited Spain and Guatemala and immersed himself in Spanish language classes. Kevin and his beloved dog Sam once road tripped from Florida to Alaska, stopping along their great adventure to visit national parks and of course, family. He was a lifelong student and kept up on the latest in computer programming and continued his language studies well into his retirement. Kevin is already deeply missed by his family and friends and will often and forever be joyfully remembered. Mr. Courtney will be laid to rest in Hamburg, NY, with his parents, as he wished. He is survived by his brothers John (Patricia), Terence (Sue), Thomas (Martha), Patrick (Glenda) and Maurice Kerry (Joanne); and sisters, Maureen (Charles) Doran and Patricia Courtney; multiple cousins, both in the U.S. and Ireland; and twenty one nieces and nephews and their families; he was predeceased by his parents, John and Mary Courtney; brother-in-law, Charles Doran; sister-in-law, Patricia Courtney and dog, Sam Courtney. A Celebration of Mr. Courtney's Life will take place at a family reunion in Hamburg, NY, during the summer of 2021.