Laura Goodrich Kennedy

Laura graduated from Huntington High School followed by the University of Michigan, where she earned a degree in Business Administration in 1970. Laura was a member of the Sigma Kappa Sorority. After graduation Laura traveled to San Francisco to work for Wells Fargo, where she met her future husband Dan in 1970. They were engaged on Christmas that year, and were married on May 29, 1971.

They became serious campers and hikers, and hiked the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mount Whitney, part of the Appalachian Trail, and eventually travelled to Nepal. When they returned they found their way to jobs in Dallas, Texas, where they purchased their first house, and adopted their first dog of four over many years.

In 1984 Laura and Dan relocated to Fairfax Virginia. At this time, Laura was part of a consulting team of programmers. This was no ordinary team; in a time before remote workers were even thought of, Laura’s skills were so in demand that she was working remotely with people all across the country.

In 1987 Laura began her favorite career, Motherhood. Ann Kathryn was born May 4, 1987 followed by her brother Daniel Charles on January 5, 1989. An active and involved mother, Laura was a troop leader for the Girl Scouts and the Cub Scouts. Learning never stopped, as she taught Ann and Dan geography, art, history, programming, and astronomy, and passed on to them her love of reading. Laura also had a great love of music: she was an accomplished pianist, and enjoyed attending musicals, especially those of Gilbert and Sullivan and Andrew Lloyd Webber. She was a gifted water colorist and artist (like her father), and created beautiful needlework. And in her spare time, she was an enthusiastic genealogist, collecting and carefully annotating family photos dating back over a century, as well as an extensive family tree. She was a detail oriented individual, both organized and methodical.

Laura was an excellent cook and homemaker; her kitchen was always a warm and friendly place where family and friends could gather for fun and gourmet delights, and usually some great wine too! Sometimes the gourmet delights included Popeye’s and long games of Trivial Pursuit.

She could prank with the best of them and had an eclectic and wonderful sense of humor. She loved British Humor, especially Jeeves and Wooster. She was an accomplished, well learned and deeply loved person, who above all enjoyed spending time with her loving family and friends.

Laura is survived by her loving husband Daniel Kennedy in Fairfax Virginia; her son Daniel Kennedy in Virginia; and her daughter Ann Kennedy, married to Ralf Becker in California. Laura also leaves her sister Peta Adovasio, her brother Charles Goodrich and his wife Janey, all in Florida; as well as many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association in Laura’s name.