James E. Kennedy D.D.S

James E. Kennedy D.D.S, 85, of Avon, husband of the late Louise "Nan" Douglass Kennedy, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 7th, 2021. A native of Troy, New York, James E. Kennedy received a B.S. degree from Union College in Schenectady. During study there he received the John Quinlan Memorial Scholarship. His D.D.S. was awarded by the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. After four years in the Army, which included a general dental internship at Fort Benning, GA, and duty as a dental officer at Fort Devens, MA, he entered the Periodontics program at the Eastman Dental Center, and received his certificate of training in that specialty along with the M.S. in Dental Science from the University of Rochester in 1969. Dr. Kennedy joined the faculty of the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University as Associate Professor and Chairman, Department of Periodontics in 1972. He was named Dean of the School of Dentistry in 1977. He left MCV in 1983 to become Dean at the University of Connecticut's School of Dental Medicine, the position he held until November of 1997 when he was named Dean Emeritus and continued his appointment as Professor of Periodontology. Dr. Kennedy retired on July 1, 2001. With the American Association of Dental Schools he has served as Chairman of the Council of Deans, seven years on its Executive Committee, Vice-President for Deans, and eventually President of the AADS for 1986-87. Dr Kennedy was the recipient of the Alumni Award of Merit by The University of Pennsylvania. In 1986, one of the research efforts he developed was recognized by the American Academy of Periodontology by selection of a paper describing results of the project for its Clinical Research Award. Dr. Kennedy is survived by his two children, Megan Kennedy Pattrell and her husband Charles and Edward Thomas Kennedy II, four grandchildren, Daniel Robert Pattrell, Stephen James Pattrell, Matthew Charles Pattrell and Elizabeth Montague Kennedy and many nieces and nephews. Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Saturday (July 17) from 9:00-10:00am. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be at 10:00am followed by the Funeral Liturgy in the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville at 10:30 am. Burial with full military honors will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Avon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the UCONN Health Center Auxiliary c/o Connucopia Gift Shop, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030-1125, in the memo line please put UCONN Survivor Program. To send online condolences to the family, please visit www.ahernfuneralhome.com.