David Kenny

Dr David Kenny, VMD (10/9/1951) left this earth on 12/11/25 after a well fought health battle that he could no longer fight.

Dave was born in Staten Island, attended Essex Catholic high school in Newark and Manhattan College in the Bronx were he was the "star" pole vaulter on their track teams. He and his wife Meg married in September of 1973 and set up a home in Montclair, NJ. When his boyhood dream of becoming a vet started nagging, he applied and was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania's Veterinary School in 1980.

Upon graduation in 1984 they moved to Connecticut where Dave was one of 7 vets in a thriving large and small animal practice in New Bolton. After 2 years, with experience under his belt, they moved to Denver for his next stint as an intern at the Denver Zoo. That position, as veterinarian to a large and varied collection, sealed his passion for wildlife forever. Dave even had the privilege of being an interim vet in Rwanda for the Dian Fossey Mountain Gorilla study group. Having a juvenile gorilla climb on his back was the highlight of his career. The 2-year internship ended so Dave and Meg packed up for the Bronx, where Dave became their zoo's resident for the next 2 years. Luckily, the Denver Zoo added a second full time vet to their program in 1990 and Dave was asked to return.

He soon became the chief vet and spent the next 20+ years there, eventually moving to the conservation department to do veterinary field work for global projects. During the vet years he helped hand raise polar bear cubs Klondike and Snow - a Denver media sensation; ran the halls of the zoo hospital with a baby rhino; brought an orphaned baby black bear from Montana to Denver; hand reared a gorilla baby, lion, tiger, warthogs....the list goes on. He helped with wildlife capture courses in Mexico and Peru; tagged vultures for study in Mongolia and Africa; and worked on a deer mitigation project in his hometown of Staten Island. He developed a passion for wildlife photography which resulted in him and his wife traveling to places far and wide for unique and incredible experiences. He planted milkweed to attract and study Monarch Butterflies; he volunteered for a local non-profit, administering rabies vaccines but mostly having fun with the puppies.

During Covid he started painting, turning his love of nature into another art form. He cooked, told great jokes, worked out religiously and enjoyed life to the fullest. Dave was recently awarded the Conservationist of the Year by the Katie Adamson Conservation Foundation for the life's work he's done for wildlife. He was so fortunate to have been friends with people all over the world.

Dave leaves behind his loving wife of 53 years, Meg (Froehler); sisters Kathy (Steve) Fischer, Laura and brother Patrick; many nieces, nephews, friends and colleagues.

A celebration of life will be held this April - details as yet undetermined.

In lieu of flowers you can donate to the following non-profits in his name. If you wish to make a donation please click the links below.