Patrick "Pat" Kennedy

Patrick "Pat Joseph Kennedy, age 86, passed away on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in The Villages, Florida.

Pat was born in Oberlin, KS on December 17, 1938, to parents Fred R. and Ellen M. (Fiala) Kennedy. Pat grew up in Bartley, Nebraska where he worked on the family farm and traveled with his father custom cutting wheat from Texas to Montana. Pat was an all-state football player, holding the Nebraska state touchdown record for several decades. He graduated from Bartley High School in 1956. He then attended McCook College on a football scholarship and helped lead the team to a National Championship in 1958. Following his time at McCook he attended and graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln while earning a degree in Business Administration.

Patrick met Joyce Beth Cross in Bartley. They were married in June of 1959 at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Indianola, NE. They were blessed with four children: Michael, Troy, Michelle, and Thomas. Pat and Joyce were together for 63 years until Joyce’s passing in 2022.

Pat worked for Ford Motor Company for 40 years and owned a Ford Truck Dealership for several years. During his professional life, Joyce and Patrick moved nine times, making many lifelong friends in the different states they resided in. Travel was also something Joyce and Patrick enjoyed. He was fortunate enough to have visited almost every state in the USA, including Alaska and Hawaii. They travelled to several countries overseas as well; some of their favorite countries were Ireland and Germany. Through their love of travel, both within the states and overseas, Joyce and Patrick were able to meet many new people who became good friends.

He was a proud Nebraska Cornhusker fan who enjoyed watching football and cheering the team on. He enjoyed golfing and was devoted to his Catholic faith where he was a past member of Knights of Columbus.

Pat is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Joyce Kennedy; brother, Jon Kennedy; and brother-in-law, Lyle Shirley.

Those who will cherish their memories with Pat are his children, Michael (Hannah) Kennedy of Georgia, Troy (Amy) Kennedy of Michigan, Thomas (Lisa) Kennedy of Texas, and Michelle (Chelsey) Dillon of Florida; brother, Fred (Holly) Kennedy of Indianola, NE; sisters, Sally (Larry) Sitzman of Lincoln, NE and Kathryn Shirley of Gering, NE; sister-in-law, Gloria Kennedy of Lincoln, NE; 8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.

There will be a final farewell book signing with family greeting friends on Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 4:30-6:30 at Carpenter Breland Funeral Home, McCook, NE.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:30 am at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Indianola, NE, with Father Michael Houlihan as celebrant. Lunch will be served in the Church Hall immediately after the memorial service.

Private family inurnment will be at Cedar Bluffs Cemetery in Cedar Bluff, Kansas following lunch.