Always a welcoming smile from George Kennedy, more recently and in younger days (Photo: courtesy of Colleen Kennedy)
by Colleen Kennedy
Valued member of the Swaythling Club International, George Dowd Kennedy passed away on Monday 5th October at the Abbott Northwest Hospital in Minneapolis following a short and difficult time suffering from pancreatic cancer.
He was 80 years old.
George was born in Duluth, Minnesota; son of Dr. George L. and Margurite Kennedy. Raised in Faribault, Minnesota he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; he graduated at the University of Minnesota, studying electrical engineering.
Known as Gus, he served for over three decades as an Executive Officer for the United States Table Tennis Association; his roles and service were national and international as a sports diplomat.
Additional to the Swaythling Club he was a member of the US Olympic House of Delegates, the International Table Tennis Federation, the Swaythling Club and was inducted into the US Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012.
Surviving are his wife, Carol Hill Kennedy who is of Ojibwe descent, son Roger Kennedy, daughter-in-law Deanna, granddaughter Olivia, daughter Colleen Kennedy and son-in-law Pasquale; his first wife, Mary Jean Kennedy died in 2001.
Later he married Carol Hill and lived in Minneapolis. They enjoyed many happy experiences together; dancing with their regalia at powwows, walking around Lake Harriet and attending concerts and social events.
A graveside ceremony and internment will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Please direct any donations to the Minneapolis American Indian Center to expand the teaching of the Ojibwe language.