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Margaret Kennedy Obituary
November 5, 1944 - March 24, 2025
Margaret Kennedy, lovingly known as "Maddy" by family and friends, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and unwavering care for others.
Maddy was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, on November 5, 1944, to Dorothy and John Stack. She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Jim, her brother, Billy and her parents. She is lovingly remembered by her children and their spouses, Susan and Kevin McDowell and James and Eileen Kennedy, as well as her five grandchildren-Molly, Aidan, Grace, Danny, and Meg-who were the light of her life. Nothing made her prouder than being their grandmother.
Maddy's early years were shaped by resilience and determination. After losing her father at the age of 13, she felt a deep call to help others a calling that led her to nursing. She trained at Bayonne Hospital and she dedicated nearly 60 years of her life to nursing, working tirelessly for decades at JFK Hospital. She was always the first person that friends and family called in times of need, never hesitating to step in and help.
She shared an extraordinary love story with her husband, Jim Kennedy. Together for 64 years and married for 57, they built a life rooted in hard work, determination, and love. They raised their two children, Susan and James, in Fords, New Jersey, working tirelessly to give them the opportunities they never had. She adored her grandchildren and believed that her next mission was to be their guardian angel.
Maddy cherished her lifelong friendships, always surrounding herself with a close-knit circle of friends who became family. She had a way of making people feel special-always checking in when someone was struggling and ensuring that no one felt alone.
A memorial service will be held, for Jim and Maddy at St James Church in Woodbridge, New Jersey on March 29 at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Maddy's memory to Nurses Educational Funds, Inc.
Rest easy Mom. We love you.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sarah Henderson
April 4, 2025
Aunt Maddy was a safety for me throughout young adulthood. She was fierce and she knew herself and what she wanted and what she could accomplish and I always admired that. We bonded on the fact that we were both scorpios and sometimes could even come across as "difficult" to others. We always laughed it off and got some cookies afterward.
She would buy me a winter coat every single year without fail and when I was younger I didn´t quite understand how that memory would stay with me forever. For someone that I didn´t see every single day to still remember me in times of quiet and care enough to come over and take me out for a shopping trip because she never wanted me to feel the cold.
I feel that Maddy was that person to a lot of people. Someone who thought of you even in the quiet of her own home and her own life. She cared about people and she cared about me.
I can only hope that the legacy of bringing someone else that comfort and care she displayed me and my family throughout her whole life could live through me and all of us alive that she touched.
I deeply wished to be at the funeral to bid her goodbye and the information didn´t reach me in time. God bless her closest family in their time of mourning.
Vincent Henderson
April 4, 2025
Maddy and I shared a deep friendship, we could talk about anything.
When my mother was being evaluated for a condition she was placed in a ward waiting for her turn to be treated.
Maddy walked in, arms crossed, surveying the floor. She recognized my mom and I. Suddenly my mom got first class treatment.
She was a guardian angel for many people, I miss her greatly.
Rechel Delantar
March 31, 2025
My deep condolences to the family.
Michele Emmons
March 29, 2025
So sorry for your loss. Maddy was one of a kind. She will never be forgotten. May she rest in peace. Michele Emmons
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Beverly Cech
March 29, 2025
Maddy, you and Jim were always so good to me, and I will miss you both. RIP dear ones. Love, Beverly Cech.
Robert Kennedy
March 29, 2025
Maddy, loving wife, mother and friend. You will be missed but you will never be forgotten. Your brother-in-law, Bob Kennedy
Tim
March 27, 2025
I didn´t know Maggie, but many of her kind, generous and caring qualities -aforementioned - are certainly shared by my friend, her son Jim Kennedy.
My condolences to friends and family.
Russell Kowal
March 27, 2025
So sorry for your loss Suzie and Jim. Your Mom meant a great deal to me. She was always there to help with whatever we needed. She was a true giver in life. I'll always smile when I think of her. Love you guys. Butch
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