M. Anna Kennedy

M. Anna Kennedy, 87, of Rowley Avenue, passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 with her loving family by her side.

Born on April 23, 1932, in Butternuts, NY, Anna was the daughter of Fred and Verna (Sliter) Johnson. She was the valedictorian of her Gilbertsville High School Class of 1947. For 40 years, Anna sold Avon products, and very much enjoyed getting to know her customers. At the age of 33, in 1965, Anna was widowed with the sudden death of her first husband, Ray Cook, and was left to raise her six children alone. For five years, Anna was her children’s sole provider until her marriage to Thomas J. Kennedy in 1970. Together they would raise their blended family and were happily married until his death on April 16, 2013. More recently, and for the past three years, Anna volunteered more than 700 hours at the Pink Door clothing consignment shop in Norwich. Throughout her life, Anna was an amazingly strong woman.

In addition to her husbands, Anna was preceded in death by her daughter, Victoria (Cook) Hendrickson, her sons, Earnest Cook, Laurence Kennedy, and Thomas J. Kennedy III, one grandson, Jason Cook, and siblings, Ralph Johnson, Don Johnson, and Doris Seeley. Anna is survived by her children, Jaqulin (Cook) Bowman, Jane (Cook) Simmons, Annette (Cook) Monday, and Thomas Cook, as well as 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, her sisters, Jean Markiewicz, Charlotte Wenzel, and Marjorie (Mickey) Johnson, and many nieces and nephews. As the matriarch of her large family, she will be sorely missed.

A memorial Mass for Anna will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2019, at the Church of St. Bartholomew, where the Rev. Ralph A. Bove, pastor, will officiate. Burial will take place at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, in Oxford, and at the convenience of the family. There will be no calling hours. Contributions in Anna’s memory may be made to the Chenango Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Pink Door, 179 N. Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815, or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 22478.