Obituaries

Joan Adele Kennedy

Joan Adele Kennedy

Joan Adele Kennedy passed away peacefully Aug. 8, 2017. She was born in Brooklyn April 9, 1933, to Joseph and Elsie Sanchez

Joan graduated Callicoon High School in Callicoon, N.Y.,  in 1951. She earned a diploma in nursing from Jewish Hospital Medical Center Brooklyn School of Nursing. In addition, she completed a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Adelphi University. Joan had a love for people and a passion and for helping others. She worked for more than 40 years as a nurse, 20 of them at Huntington Hospital.

Joan married Jack Kennedy Feb. 5, 1956. They met at local establishment in Kings Park while Joan was doing psychiatric rotation. They quickly fell in love and created a loving family of six children that blossomed into 16 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

In 1985, Joan and Jack bought a home on the eastern end of Long Island in Orient, as a getaway for their family. Orient quickly became a place of family bonding through fishing, clamming, bike rides and long walks on the beach; the home still being used for that purpose today.

Joan was a faith-based woman who found strength and love from God. All who loved her will remember her generous spirit and deep faith. One of her many gifts from God was her creative nature. She enjoyed painting and creative activities. She appreciated passing her gifts of painting, knitting and passion for life down to her many grandchildren, family members and friends.

Joan will be remembered as a strong, creative, kind, independent woman. Her love for life brought her around the world visiting 33 countries. She inspired everyone in her life to travel and enjoy what life has to offer. She taught others about the simple pleasures of life like taking a dip in the cool salty ocean on a hot summer’s day and going to the library to find a good book. She experienced the pain of losing her husband and two children, but she never lost faith, and despite hardships her attitude towards the world remained as loving and kind as ever. She showed those she knew that life is a gift. She was the most generous, thoughtful woman and she will be missed so dearly.

Memorial donations may be made in Joan Kennedy’s name to Oysterponds Historical Society, P.O. Box 70 Orient, NY 11957 or online at oysterpondshistoricalsociety.org/donations.

This is a paid notice.