John Bruce Kennedy M.D.

1932 - 2021

 

John Bruce Kennedy, opera buff, medical doctor, and what some would say was one of the nicest guys they've ever known, passed away on Dec 3rd. Bruce would have been 89 years old on New Year's Eve.

 

He was born to Dorothy and David Kennedy, at Everett General Hospital, where his mother Dorothy was chief pharmacist, for decades.

 

Bruce started caring for people at his first job- bagging groceries at C-Van Grocery Store, two blocks from his family home on Grand Avenue.

He would bag and deliver groceries and then in the years to come he would deliver those same customers babies and their grand babies.

Bruce moved to Seattle after the passing of his wife in 2005, but couldn't get back to Everett area fast enough.

 

Bruce was one of 4 children. The Kennedy children were raised that you give back to your country and all Kennedy children spent time in the service. Bruce was an MD in the Navy, based on a spy ship (unbeknownst to him at the time) in the Middle East, where he played bridge with the Admiral. Bruce traveled the world with his brother Duff, and favorite sister, Mary but his all time favorite spot was Paris- where he would wander the streets with his pipe and a map that he would never reference.

 

He was a supportive uncle to his many nieces and nephews and a devoted husband to Judge Faye Collier Kennedy, an Appellate Court Judge. Bruce and Faye had one son David, a graduate of Duke University, who died in 2016.

 

Bruce was the 4th child from his family to go to college. Going to college was expensive- especially at Stanford University. It looked impossible until their neighbors, the Robinson family, made the generous offer to pay Bruce's tuition. This enabled Bruce to join his sister Mary at Stanford, and then go on to medical school at UW and then U of Texas Medical School at Galveston, Tx. This generosity was never forgotten by Bruce, who cared for the Robinsons in their later years. Bruce joined Dr Edwin Chase and Dr Chuck Trask in private practice. Bruce loved doctoring and caring for the people of Everett.

 

Bruce loved the opera, gardening, cooking, dogs, Paris, and watching British murder mysteries with friends. Although he loved sailing he wasn't the best at it, but somehow always found the happy hour meeting place up in the Gulf Islands. He somehow always made it back to the docks in Everett.

 

He is survived by his brother Duff Kennedy, sister in law Sharon Kennedy, his niece Kristine Lehn, and nephews Tal Kennedy and Michael, Jno and Ryan Shuler.

 

Bruce Kennedy was who you hoped to be seated next to at a dinner party, a true raconteur, and was generous with all he came in contact with. He was quick with a joke and a quote and a ready smile, and is sorely missed by all.

January 31, 1932 - December 3, 2021