Ronald E. Kennedy

In the early morning hours of Thursday, September 5, 2024, the ‘just shy of fabulous’ Ronald “Ron” Kennedy, age 93, took his last breath and the Gates of Heaven opened in anticipation of his arrival. His Lord Jesus presumably said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23)

Ron Kennedy was born on April 21, 1931, in Waukegan, Illinois, to the late Arthur and Doris (nee Newell) Kennedy. On September 28, 1953, he married the love of his life, Sophie (nee Cychosz), in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He served in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician and was stationed in multiple locations including Texas, Japan, and Hawaii for a year. After completing his service, they lived in Milwaukee until 1971, when they moved to Appleton for his work. His last notable position was as a Sales Representative at Honeywell.

Ron was a very good and reliable dad and taught his three daughters many things including how to garden, ride a bike, play baseball, cribbage, chess, and drive a car. He enjoyed the challenge of growing beautiful, fragrant roses, often receiving compliments from passersby. He loved tending to his vegetable garden, growing it mostly from seed. One of his hobbies was having aquariums with a variety of tropical fish – and he loved to go fishing as well. He enjoyed woodworking and proudly renovated the basement of their first home in Appleton in British-style pub décor with his daughter Sue as his helper. He also taught his daughters that sometimes, it was better not to tell Mom certain things. But ultimately, what he taught them was through his personality and actions including his selfless giving, inability to feel depressed or hold a grudge, and that every day was a great day no matter the situation. His persistence, patience, love of life, and ability to roll with the punches when life threw him curveballs will continue to inspire all who knew him.

Among other medical conditions, Ron suffered from degenerative blindness, primarily as a result of glaucoma, which began affecting him in his fifties. For the past two decades, he was completely blind – yet never complained. His response when asked why he didn’t was, “What good would that do?” He had a dry Irish sense of humor that materialized when you least expected it. When asked how he was doing, he would sometimes respond, “Faaaaaantastic!” or “Just shy of fabulous” – and those phrases continue to live on for those who heard them.

Ron is survived by his three daughters: Karen Kennedy, Ann (Joe) Hewitt, and Susan Kennedy; grandchildren: Camille (Nicole) and Jacob Felten, Ashley (Brittney) and Rachel Pollex; great grandson: Roman Ronald Young Felten; bonus great grandchildren: Raven, Jace, and Trae Young; sisters-in-law: Loretta Kennedy, Lori Bannach, and Agnes Katzmark; he is further survived by many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws, beloved wife Sophie (2016), and all of his siblings including: half-brother Robert Kennedy, Alan Kennedy, Kay (Donald) Drinka, Janet (Robert) Kintz, Michael Kennedy; brothers- and sisters-in-law: Irene (Ed) Omernick, Chester (Mickey) Cychosz, Stanley (Cordelia) Cychosz, Fred Bannach, and Dave Katzmark.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, beginning at 10:00am at Evergreen Retirement Community’s Chapel (1130 N. Westfield St., Oshkosh, WI, 54902), followed by a Memorial Service officiated by Pastor Steve Wood at 11:00am with full military honors to follow. Ron will be laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery in Appleton.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the skilled nursing staff at Evergreen’s Creekview Health Center for the great care and compassion they provided to Ron for more than four years; Pastor Steve’s profound kind-heartedness and dedication to serving the residents and the Lord; and to Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh for their grace, kindness, and invaluable assistance in his final days.

For those wishing to give a donation in memory of Ron, he was an avid listener of books on tape, totalling over 2,000 books, that he received on an ongoing basis, free of charge, from the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL). Having lost his eyesight and ability to read, these books on tape were invaluable to him over the past 30+ years. Please send a check written out to WTBBL, with a mention of Ron’s name, and mail it to: WTBBL, 813 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI, 53233-1436

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