Joyce Ann Bagby Kennedy

KENNEDY Joyce Ann Bagby (Jones) Kennedy a pioneer in innovative methods of early childhood education, died on October 21, 2002 at her home on Lake Beluthahatchee, St. Johns County. She was born on August 18, 1931 in Leeds, Alabama to Hubert Spence and Birdie Garrett Bagby. She moved to Jacksonville in 1939. She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School where she was president of the TNT Sorority. In 1974, she obtained her bachelors degree " cum laude", as a member of the University of North Floridas first graduation class. She received her Masters degree in 1983 also at UNF. For the last 27 years, she taught Kindergarten at San Jose Elementary. Mrs. Kennedy was the first in Duval County-and one of the first in the state and nation-to employ the theories of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in the classroom. Dr. Howard Gardner of Harvard University developed the methodology. She touched the lives of thousands of children during her years of teaching and for her ESOL students was their initial contact with the English language. She was one of the first teachers in Duval County to host and maintain a web site for her school. She received the " Teacher of the Year" award three times during her career. She is listed in " Best Teachers of America," has been an active member of the Duval Teachers Union (since 1974), Sunshine State TSOL, and board member of the Northeast Florida TSOL. Mrs. Kennedy was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society and was an active fund-raiser for the Museum. She was among those responsible for the successful placement of the Mandarin Store & Post Office on the National Register of Historic Places. She was predeceased by her son, Leslie Burton Jones, III. Survivors include her husband of 30 years, Stetson Kennedy, four daughters: Katherine Burton Jones (Norman Hurst) of Cambridge, MA, Rebecca Jones Gay (Ron), Karen Jones Roumillat (Randy), and Leslie Jones Reda (Kip) of Ft. Lauderdale, her stepson, Loren Kennedy (Barbara) of North Carolina, her sister, Betty Neidermiller (Ken) and six grandchildren: Fetoun Reda, Ramie Roumillat (Ben Stradley), Ashley Reda, Greg Burton Garmil, Tessa Gay, and Sean Kennedy. The family would like to express thanks to the 7th Floor (Tower) nurses at Baptist Medical Center, led by Gwen Frazier, to her many friends for their support during her brief illness and special thanks to the Red Team of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida for the care, guidance and support they provided to our mom and the family. She will be greatly missed by all of us. A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior, 12236 Mandarin Rd. on Saturday, November 2, 2002 at 2:00 p.m. The Reverend George Young and Mother Davette Turk will be the Celebrants. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society, P.O. Box 23601, Jacksonville, FL, 32241. Please sign the Guestbook at Jacksonville.com