William J. Kennedy

Jerry was a retired archaeologist and former Chair of the Anthropology department (1973-1980) at FAU, where he worked for 31 years. He is survived by his wife, Marisa, daughter and son and law, Michelle and Kevin, and his two granddaughters, Alyna and Alyse. He has four step-children, Danielle, Davina, Fiorella, and Chiara; and step-grandchildren, Daniel, Rafael, Rafaela, and Donnacha.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, he attended elementary school (St. Rich’s) and high school (McBride H.S.) before entering military service. Upon his discharge from the USMC in 1952, he joined the family restaurant business in Crestwood, Missouri. During that time, he received his Commercial Flight Certificate and completed his BA degree in Anthropology at Washington University (St. Louis).

A recipient of a fellowship and tuition scholarship, Jerry completed his doctoral studies at Tulane University. During that time, he developed his deep interest in prehistoric archaeology. Dr. Kennedy has conducted research in Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Florida, and Ecuador. He is the author of dozens of articles and professional papers dealing with his varied archaeological excavations. He was a former Contributing Editor of the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS), an important research publication sponsored by the U.S. Library of Congress. Jerry enjoyed teaching students and was proud that many of his Master's degree students went on to complete their Ph.D. degrees at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. He retired in 2003 but maintained his scholarly interests in pre-Columbian archaeology. He has followed his avocation as a lover of the arts, nature photography, and has traveled extensively.

He was a kind, loving, and devoted son, father, husband, brother, grandfather, uncle, friend, and teacher. His life will be celebrated on April 5, 2021 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Kraeer Funeral Home, 200 West Copans Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33064. A funeral service will follow at 12:30 PM and a committal service will occur at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens at 1:00 PM followed by a reception.

Pallbearers: Kevin Woodall, Patrick Kennedy, Santo Tarantino, Mike Harris, and Nial Doyle