Roger Glen Kennedy

1930 - 2023

Roger Glen Kennedy

Roger Glen Kennedy, age 92, passed away peacefully from heart failure on July 4, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and special friend to many. He truly enjoyed sharing his love of music, photography, travel, trains, hobbies and life, in general, with others.

He was born September 6, 1930, in Bellbrook, Ohio, and shared an active rural upbringing with his parents, Fred and Nellie Kennedy and older brother, Harold. In 1948, Roger graduated from high school as the only boy in a class of 11 total students. He then pursued his love of music at Ohio Wesleyan University. It was there that he also met the love of his life, forever accompanist, and wife of over 70 years, Joanne Strickling.

After receiving his Bachelor of Music Education Degree, Roger and Joanne married, and then he was off to Berlin, Germany. He served our country in the 298th Army Band for 2 years. While there, he discovered a new passion, photography!

Upon his return, Roger and Joanne settled in Cleveland and began their careers as music educators. His newly acquired interest in photography and audio-visual technology resulted in earning a Master's Degree from Kent State University. Shortly thereafter, Roger accepted a Technological Media position at the University of Toledo. Roger and Joanne gathered their growing family of three young children and moved into a home in the nearby university community of Ottawa Hills. After raising their family, they remained in that home, living there for 33 years. Roger was an asset to the developing UT Tech Media Department and served in a variety of positions for decades. We're not entirely sure if he ever officially retired!

Roger shared his love of travel with his family and enjoyed adventures in all 50 states and abroad. He combined his love of travel and photography into beautiful slide shows set to music. These were enjoyed not only at family gatherings, but presented to community organizations, as well.

A man of many talents, Roger tackled many DIY household projects, from building furnishings to remodeling entire rooms. Inspired by stained glass windows, Roger taught himself how to create stained glass windows and art objects. He expanded his photography hobby to include creating and selling note cards, matted prints and framed pictures at art shows. Additionally, Roger always had a keen interest in trains, whether it was collecting them to create indoor or outdoor displays or traveling in them, he enjoyed being a part of it!

Throughout their 70 plus years together, Roger and Joanne remained actively involved in church music, always generously sharing their gifts and talents with many churches in the Cleveland and Toledo area. Somehow, they always found time to host special gatherings with family and friends in their home. These memorable times included bridge groups, school and choir potlucks, and special birthday and holiday celebrations.

If you knew Roger, you would be blessed to have spent time with this quiet, humble, gentle, loving, and always smiling soul. He will be greatly missed by everyone who has known him, especially his wife, Joanne; son, Chuck Kennedy; daughter, Sherri Kennedy; and granddaughter, Kirsten Cousins. He was preceded in death by his youngest child, Karen Kennedy Binder.

Roger's Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 29, at 2:00 in the chapel at Ohio Living Swan Creek. Please join the family, either 30 minutes prior to or following the service, for a special media presentation honoring Roger's life. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Toledo Zoo, the Toledo Metroparks, or the Epworth United Methodist Church Music Department.