Richard Kennedy

1933 - 2022

Richard Kennedy
09/29/1933 - 04/18/2022
Richard Edward Kennedy, 88, of Madison, beloved husband of 62 years to Marilyn Joan Kennedy, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2022. Born September 29, 1933, in Jamaica, NY, he was the son of the late Richard and Augusta Kennedy.
Dick grew up in Woodhaven, NY, and graduated from Franklin K Lane High School in 1951. He then began working at NW Ayer & Sons, a New York Advertising firm. While working days at Ayer he attended Cooper Union at night and graduated in 1962. He rose through the ranks at Ayer and worked on many accounts, including General Motors, Sealtest, and Du Pont. The client that he was proudest of, though, was the US Army. He supervised the Army account during the difficult period from the mid-1970s to the 80s, while the country was recovering from the Vietnam War and the Army was transitioning to an all-volunteer force. Advertising Age magazine ranked the "Be all that you can be" US Army campaign as number 18 in the top hundred advertising campaigns of the entire twentieth century.
Dick was even busier when he wasn't working. Serving as an assistant coach for his sons' Little League teams, helping with the boys' Boy Scout troop, and volunteering with organizations like FISH and Meals on Wheels were all important to him. But he also devoted a good portion of his life to his local church in Floral Park, NY, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church. There was very little that he did not do at Christ Lutheran, council member and president, Sunday school teacher and superintendent, usher, lay minister, and generally the guy to turn to when you wanted something done right.
When he and his wife, Marilyn, retired in 1997 they relocated to Madison, Connecticut. Never one to sit still, Dick got to work immediately. Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels, serving various roles at his local Lions Club chapter, and also filling many roles at his newly adopted church, Trinity Lutheran of Centerbrook. He also found time to devote to his first passion, Art. Over the years in Connecticut, he painted dozens of paintings and was featured in many art exhibits at the Madison Art Society.
Dick loved to travel. When his family was young, they went on many vacations to Upstate New York and Maine as well as a trip to Ireland. Later he took several excursions to Europe and Bermuda with Marilyn, but his favorite location was Hawaii. Dick and Marilyn traveled there each winter for an extended stay from 2007 to 2019. He always looked forward to relocating for the winter to his second home.
As if this wasn't enough, Dick devoted himself to his family and was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Always ready with a corny joke or an anecdote from his many experiences, he was a delight to everyone lucky enough to know him.
Along with his wife, Dick leaves behind his sons, David (Lisa) Kennedy, Daniel (Ruth) Kennedy, Douglas Kennedy, and Dwight (Megan) Kennedy; grandchildren, Caitlin, Thomas, Zoë, Ewan, Aidan, and Kaiden; and extended family and friends.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 25 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Centerbrook. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either Trinity Lutheran Church of Centerbrook, CT, or to the CORE Ukrainian Refugee Crisis relief.