03 Feb 1921 – 07 Sep 2006
Father John Francis Kenny,
born: 03 Feb., 1921
in Wichita, Kansas
died: 07 Sept. 2006
in Lakewood, Washington
Father Kenny was ordained to the Catholic Priesthood on Dec. 21, 1946
and served in the Wichita Diocese
and the Army until his retirement from Madigan Hospital at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
He is survived by his brother Wey Kenny,
his sister-in-law Agnes,
and a number of nephews and nieces
all in the Wichita Area. (as of 2006)
Memorial Masses were celebrated at St. John Bosco Church
on Sept. 10 and 11 (2006)
and his Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, 12 Sept. (2006)
at the Catholic Care Center in Wichita.
Memorials can be sent to
St. John Bosco Haiti Mission Fund.
10508 112th St. SW
Lakewood, WA 98498.
Please leave online condolences at
http://www.gaffneyfuneralhome.com .
Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home 253-572-6003.
Memories of Father John Francis Kenny: by Jose A. Munoz
Father John Francis Kenny was a big help to our family the Juan V and Mary Munoz family, when we first arrived in the USA back in 1952.
My mother and us five children arrived in Wichita, Kansas to join my father who had been working there for a few months. My father an engineer had been hired by Foster Wheeler Corporation and sent to Kansas to set up oil refineries.
I was five so I don’t remember much from that time, but I do remember Father Kenny coming to the apartment and I have seen him in many old family photos.
He also visited me at Fort Lewis Washington, when I was on my way to Vietnam in 1968.
The duty sergeant came running into our sleeping area all flustered yelling “Specialist Munoz you have a visitor”. The Sgt was flustered because standing in the duty office was this tall Green Beret Lt. Col. waiting for me. Father Kenny was a striking image in his uniform and would have impressed a civilian not to mention a lowly duty sergeant.
He took me out to dinner and later in his art studio, painted a portrait of me; as he was a painter in his retirement. He sent the painting to my parents. He returned me to Fort Washington and everyone at the base looked at me a little different during the rest of my tour of duty there, which I think was a few weeks.
Father Kenny was a wonderful man, priest and friend.
We are all very sad to see the 2006 obituary which my sister found on line…
We had lost contact with him years ago and wish we could have communicated with his family in their time of grief.
Thank You from the J. V. Munoz family.
His obituary can be found on his web page: https://www.gaffneyfuneralhome.com/obituary/Rev-Kenny
A memory can be typed into the funeral home tribute wall.
I hope this blog post remembering Father Kenny will reach many more people who knew father Kenny and maybe it will reach someone in his family who can add their own stories about Father Kenny in the comments.
Thank You.
Genealogical Collection 
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