Obituary
An avid tennis player, local contractor and civil engineer, resident of New Smyrna Beach, Florida since 1956, Doyle Kennedy passed to be with his Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, on May 23, 2018. Services are Saturday, June 2nd at the First NSB Church, 200 Faulkner St. New Smyrna Beach 32168 at 1 pm. Honorariums for John G Kennedy Family Cemetery Trust (Coeburn, VA) are welcomed in care of P O Box 1111 NSB FL 32170. Share a memory with the family at www.BaldwinCremation.com.
Our brother in Christ was born the son of Kermit DeWitt Kennedy and Tessie Colley Kennedy June 1, 1932 in Clintwood, Virginia. He was raised in Clintwood County on Caney Ridge and graduated with his Senior Class of Clintwood High School with highest academic honors as the youngest student in his class and the youngest at that time to graduate from Clintwood High School, as documented by his mother. Surviving are his three daughters Beverly Kennedy Lynn of New Smyrna Beach, FL, Shirley Lou Kennedy (Sanders) of Myrtle Beach, SC, and Peggy (Margaret Tessie) Kennedy Raynor of New Smyrna Beach, FL; son, David Armand Kennedy, and daughter, Danielle Calnin.
His surviving grandchildren are Dr. Lindsey Sanders Calcutt with Stephen Calcutt (Taylors, SC), Allison Sanders Green with Keaton Green (Charleston, SC), Reagan Douglas Lynn with Sarah Russi Lynn (Tallahassee, FL), McIntyre Kennedy Sanders with Elizabeth Thompson Sanders (Simpsonville, SC), Chelsey Ann (Lynn) Nelson with Derrik Nelson (Louisville, KY), Melissa Shannon Raynor (Port Orange, FL), Patricia Sanders Merritt with Dustin Merritt (Fountain Inn, SC), Leslie Sanders Turner with Drew Turner (Charleston, SC), and Jason Robert Raynor (Port Orange, FL). And, recently added, Mazie Catherine Kennedy. His surviving great-grandchildren are Mason Thomas Sanders (Mac and Elizabeth), Kennedy Jude Merritt (Patricia and Dustin), Emerson Faith Sanders (Mac and Elizabeth), Brenley Elizabeth Calcutt (Lindsey and Stephen), and Kaiden Brent Green (Allison and Keaton), all grandchildren of Shirley L Kennedy. His three additional great-grandchildren are expected to be born in 2018. Doyle is predeceased by his great- granddaughter, Emerson Iris Sanders.
Doyle served his Senior High School Class of ’48 as the business manger for the yearbook Green Knight staff and Senior Class Vice-President. He was a member of the National Beta Club, based on scholastic standing, and the Monogram Club, composed of athletes who won a letter in athletics who organized to promote sportsmanship and interscholastic athletes as well as preventing illegal wearing of the school colors. He was a member of the boys basketball, football and baseball teams. Doyle was elected Most School Spirited by his Senior Class. At the request of an admissions representative for Duke University, Doyle then attended Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia one year and graduated with highest academic honors. Doyle graduated from the Duke University department of Civil Engineering with highest academic honors in 1953.
While attending Duke University, Doyle worked as a surveyor in North Carolina with his father and he also supervised the night construction shift in the building of the largest, at that time, dam in the world, the Folsom Dam in California, the summer after his college freshman year. Doyle served our country in the US Army Corp of Engineers and by June, 1949 successfully completed nine months of instruction in the Senior Division Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with the grade of Private E-2. He married and his first daughter was born three months before his honorable discharge, with both the National Defense Service and Good Conduct Medals, after his two years of service during the era of the Korean War.Doyle then relocated his family to Indianapolis, Indiana to serve as a lead civil engineer for Shell Oil Company. A year later, in 1956, he relocated with his family to New Smyrna Beach, Florida to begin Kennedy Construction Company, Inc. He later established his Civil Engineering Consulting Company, Colley Corp. In Florida, Doyle enjoyed boating, fishing, and the beach. He served the community through the Kiwanis Club and First Baptist Church of New Smyrna Beach. He also contributed years to both First Presbyterian Church of New Smyrna Beach and Epiphany Catholic Church in Port Orange, Florida. His construction company expanded beyond building homes to building commercial buildings such as schools, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, condominiums as well as other project developments. He obtained first his single-engine and then twin-engine pilot licenses to use for business and pleasure.
Doyle enjoyed snorkeling and became certified as a sport scuba diver, sometimes using these skills in his construction/engineering business. He coached his daughters in scuba diving and enjoyed international diving trips with his Scuba Diving Club. For decades, Doyle loyally followed his sports teams. Duke basketball, various high school, college and professional football teams, and many high school and college school sports, including cheerleading, played by his children and grandchildren.
In the early 1970s, one Scuba Diving Club destination was not reached. Instead, the group was forced to land in Cuba. With the last name of Kennedy, Doyle was still able to get two messages back to the US to communicate with family. Two weeks later a large “landing fee” was paid for their large airplane, an airplane formerly owned by the previous ruler of Cuba, Batista.
In the later 1970s, Doyle focused building his skills with tennis doubles. He enjoyed participation and administrative leadership with local tennis associations. After many years of enjoying tennis and tennis friends, his final doubles tennis competition listed Doyle as ranked eleventh (in the world) for his age group in doubles. His explanation was that he simply started the game at an older age, preventing the need for joint replacements, and played to an older age, without retiring from the game to spend more time with family. Doyle was active in his research of political candidates: local, state and national.
Several files were devoted to his archives of candidate research. His front window still displays his TRUMP poster. This most recent presidential election, according to Doyle, was the first election he chose to post his political support for a US Presidential Candidate.
(Kermit) Doyle Kennedy helped many people in New Smyrna Beach and other places, including Virginia. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him as he passed into the presence of his Savior, Jesus Christ, on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.
Doyle will be laid to rest with his parents in the family cemetery near Coeburn, Virginia. His family requests honorariums to benefit the John G Kennedy Family Cemetery Trust in care of PO Box 1111 New Smyrna Beach, FL 32070 in lieu of flowers
Leave a reply