Jeannette Faye Kennedy

Jeannette Faye Kennedy was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who passed away October 1, 2025.

Jeannette was brought into our world on the 27th of January, 1943, by her parents, Claude Bell and Esther (Sims) Bell. She is survived by her children: Terri Brei and her children, Andrea (husband, Madhu, and their daughter, Avani), Kole, and Jordan; Charlene Goodman and her son, Ben; Fred Brei; Melanie Kennedy and her daughters, Kayla (husband, Ryan) and Erica (husband, Riley); and Joshua Kennedy along with his wife, Shyla, and daughter, Audra. Also survived by sisters, Evelyn Sale and Peggy (husband, Kim) Fortney, as well as many nieces and nephews. 

Preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Wayne (and wife, Carol) Bell and Larry Bell; grandson, Nathan Rudnitzki; and nieces and nephews, who are all remembered with love.

Faith and family were Jeannette's two highest priorities. She was a resilient, self-disciplined, hard worker, who not only kept providing for her children through many hard times, but also survived cancer twice. Through it all, Jeannette took the time to teach her children important morals and values from the Bible in addition to life skills that will be passed down for generations to come. Jeannette instilled in her children the value of love, empathy, and kindness toward others and took every opportunity to demonstrate those qualities in her own life. She was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on March 11, 1967, and spent nearly 60 years of her life as a volunteer minister, several of which she served in the deaf community.

Jeannette enjoyed cooking and was very good at it.

She had a love for parks and nature, and gifted that love to her children as part of their earliest memories. Her children and grandchildren share memories of delicious dinners and picnics, outdoor activities, card games and board games, and thoughtful gestures such as a wooden candy box that was always kept full for the grandchildren. Jeannette had an adventurous spirit and was always up for fun, even riding rollercoasters, taking long bike rides and hiking, especially during autumn, her favorite time of year. She had a great sense of humor and was known for her frequent laughter. Her kind spirit and laughter will indeed be missed.

In the final week of her life, Jeannette was kept comfortable with children and grandchildren by her side. She was loved dearly by many, many family members and friends, who will treasure a lifetime of memories spent in her company.

Funeral arrangements are on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 520 Kettle Moraine Road, Hartford, WI 53027. Visitation will be held at 1:15 PM, followed by funeral talk at 2:15. Burial is private. 

A Zoom link is available for those who cannot attend in person: Meeting ID 680-298-7477, Password 144000, or dial in at 312-626-6799. 

Flowers or memories may be sent to the Kingdom Hall, deliveries accepted on Friday, November 7, from 12-4 PM.