Obituary of Thomas Henry Kennedy

Thomas Henry Kennedy, age 68, of Tafton and formerly of Hawley and Jessup, died Sunday, January 4, 2015 at home. Born on November 16, 1946, he was the son of the late Thomas Joseph and Lucy (Curtis) Kennedy. Tom was a 1964 graduate of St. Patrick`s High School in Olyphant, PA. He was a 1968 graduate of St. Francis University, Loretto, PA, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Secondary Education. In 1972, Tom earned a Masters Degree in Education Administration from the University of Scranton. He was a retired elementary school principal of the Wallenpaupack Area School District, where he worked for 40 years. Some of his most beloved school projects included the fifth grade overnight camping trip to Camp Watonka, the annual Veterans Day assembly/community event, and infusion of local history into the fourth grade social studies curriculum. In retirement, Tom worked as a local history consultant for the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit, supervised student teachers for Marywood University`s education program, and coordinated numerous local history tours. Tom was former chairman of the Hawley Area Sewer Authority for over 20 years and an active member of the Hawley Public Library Board for over 30 years. He was an active member of Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church for the last 38 years and had been a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus for 35 years. Tom enjoyed taking walks, working in his garden, traveling with his wife, playing and watching basketball, spending time with his children, grandchildren and all of his friends and family and generally all things trains, local history and Notre Dame. Tom is survived by his wife of 45 years, Laura Catherine (Christie) Kennedy, his daughter, Christie (Kennedy) Augustine and her husband, Michael, his son TJ Kennedy and his wife Valerie, his daughter, Shannon (Kennedy) Dallahan and her husband, Michael, and the special lights of his life, his grandchildren: Sean Kennedy Dallahan, Morgan Mykayla Augustine, and Elizabeth Lucy Dallahan, his brother, Dr. Paul R. Kennedy and wife Patricia. Additionally, Tom is survived by his sisters-in-law, Janet (Christie) Keyser and her husband Bill, Donna (Christie) Conover and her husband, Bob, nieces & nephews: Suzanne Kennedy Robinson and her husband, Warren, Fred Walcott, Bill Keyser and his wife Deb, Kerry Keyser Cossman and her husband, Joe, David Conover and his wife Trish and numerous loving cousins and great nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be Friday, January 9th from 5 to 9 PM at Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School Gym, 187 Atlantic Ave,Hawley, PA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, January 10th at 10 am at BVM Queen Of Peace Roman Catholic Church, 314 Chestnut Ave, Hawley. Interment will be in B.V.M. Queen Of Peace Cemetery, Hawley, at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hawley Public Library, 103 Main Ave., Hawley, PA 18428; BVM Queen Of Peace Roman Catholic Church, 314 Chestnut Ave, Hawley, PA 18428 or St. Francis University, 117 Evergreen Dr., PO Box 600, Loretto, PA 15940.