John Cyril Kenney was born on a farm near Paris, Illinois on October 26, 1930. His father and mother were Aloycius Kenney and Mary Josephine Curran. He was the youngest of three children, including sister Joan and brother David. After a several years of trying to scratch out a living on the farm during the Great Depression, the father moved the family to Indianapolis, Indiana where the kids grew up.
John went to St. Phillip Neri Catholic School for eight years and to Cathedral High School for four years after that. While in high school he met Mary J. Deardorf, a girl from Little Flower Parish, with whom he would fall in love, marry, and spend the rest of his life. After graduating from Cathedral, he enrolled in Butler University, majoring in business. He graduated from Butler in 1952. On Jan. 26, 1952, while still a student at Butler, John and Mary were married.
He first worked as an accountant at Indiana Gear Works until the late 1960s. He then started a business of his own, until he again took on a full time position at Mid State Chemical, where he worked until his retirement in 1995. During this time, Mary and John had six children born to them: Kay, Mary Carol, Joe, Anne Michele, Teresa, and Jim. John Kenney was 100% of Irish heritage and proud of it. He had a remarkable memory, and loved to tell stories of the old Irish farmer folk back in Illinois. Salt of the earth, honest, hard-working, stoic, genuine, and more than just a little stubborn.
Just like him. Besides this, he was a great listener, and a pleasant companion. John was ever loyal to his family and generous to his children, well beyond their child-hood always assuming the fatherly role. The meat and potatoes at the dinner table were always "tender as a father's heart", which he often pointed out, with a smile.
Dad had strong convictions: He was a life-long member of the Roman Catholic faith, and spent many hours volunteering for Holy Spirit Parish. He was a dyed-in-the wool Democrat; he felt that party best represented the interests of the common people. He always identified with the underdog (unless the underdog was playing against Notre Dame), and never forgot his own humble roots.
This gentle grandfather loved his grandkids: Josie, Lauren, and Dylan Reeves, Marty Kenney, Sarah and Willa Hegarty and Jordan and Emily Smith. John C. Kenney passed away of a heart attack at his home on March 12, 2001. He was 70 years old. His death, both sudden and unexpected, left his survivors to mourn, saddened by his passing, but comforted in the knowledge that he has gone to a better place. He lived a life of devotion to family, of hard work, and sacrifice. His family and friends will never forget his unstinting generosity, his gentle personality, and his quiet grace. Now he has shed his earthly shell and replaced it with a mantel of glory. We will always cherish his memory; may we strive to follow his example of a good and kind Christian life.