Another version of the following was originally published in February of 2016 …
The Fair Haven Fisk Chapel AME Church is home to many community founders and their families. Its history juts deep into the entrenched roots of Fair Haven life.
The modest little place and its humble, welcoming people have a very rich history all their own. A lot of the names and faces are traceable back to the early days of the church, back in the mid-1800s.
Sometimes there’s a call for a little jaunt along the coastline south of the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
And sometimes the timing is just right. Tuesday was that time.
The sun blazing along the Atlantic in southern Monmouth County, clouds were rising from the sea and reaching toward formations that looked like an ethereal netherworld.
Former longtime Rumson resident John P. Kennedy passed away peacefully on April 27 after a long, courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was 81.
John P. Kennedy Photo/courtesy of Thompson Memorial Home
Born in Brooklyn, John moved to Rumson at the age of 5. In his later years, until his death, he lived in Oceanport. John graduated from Holy Cross Grammar School and Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School.
A basketball player at RBC, he had many fond memories of his experiences on the hard court, which ultimately led to his volunteer coaching roles at Holy Cross and various other youth basketball leagues, his obituary said.
John was a 25-year volunteer and past president of the Oceanic Hook & Ladder Fire Company. He was also in the Army Reserve.
Before retiring from Henderson Brothers on the New York Stock Exchange in 2000, John worked for JCP&L for many years.
In his retirement years, he enjoyed “playing golf, walking the boardwalk, and watching his grandchildren’s sporting events,” his obituary added.
John was predeceased by: his parents, John and Mary Kennedy, of Rumson; his twin brother, Eugene, of Rumson and Middletown; and his brother, Edward, Red Bank.
John is survived by: his wife of 58 years, Patricia Gerrity Kennedy; sons, JP Kennedy, of Sea Bright, Kevin E. Kennedy, of Red Bank, Gregg J. Kennedy (and his wife, Amanda), of Rumson, son Kyle L. Kennedy (and wife Lori Valvano, of Hoboken; daughter, Kerry Kennedy Kroll (and husband Kevin), of Michigan/South Carolina; and grandchildren, Karleigh Kroll House (and husband Nicholas), Brendan Kroll, Jimmy Kennedy, Wesley Kennedy, Maren Kennedy, and Mason Kennedy.
He is also survived by: Frances Kennedy, the wife of his late brother Eugene; and Patricia Kennedy, the wife of his late brother Edward; and nieces/nephews, friends, and former NYSE colleagues.
A mass celebrating John’s life will be scheduled for the future. The family gratefully acknowledges The Bayside Manor Nursing Home Staff and the Hospice Staff for the care, comfort, and assistance provided during his illness. The Thompson Memorial Home is entrusted with the arrangements.
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