Eileen P. Kennedy

Dr. Eileen Kennedy, 83, daughter of the late Harry and Elizabeth Kennedy of Elizabeth NJ, died on April 14, 2013 at Overlook Hospital, Summit. Dr. Kennedy received her AB in English from the College of St. Elizabeth, her MA from Marquette University, and her Ph.D. from Columbia University where she was awarded the President’s Fellowship for Intellectual Excellence.

She taught at Marquette University, the College of St. Elizabeth, and at Kean University for 26 years. At Kean, she, with the late Dean Stephen J. Haselton, founded the graduate program, the M.S. in Liberal Studies, and directed the program for 20 years as well as playing a leadership role in the National Association of Graduate Liberal Studies.

She chaired many of the University’s important committees, including search committees for top administrative posts. She served as President of the National Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi and inaugurated the Research Paper Contest. Students in 1977 elected her the Graduate Teacher of the Year.

She was a productive scholar, publishing over 20 articles mainly on Modern Irish Literature which appeared in journals, such as the James Joyce Quarterly, Eire-Ireland, English Literature in Transition, Victorian Literature, The Wake Newslitter, as well as in three books on modern and contemporary Irish literature.

When she retired in 1996, she was named Professor Emerita. In retirement, she founded and edited The Link, the newsletter for Kean’s retired faculty and chaired the Retired Faculty Endowed Scholarship Committee.

A member of Holy Spirit Church, Union, NJ she was a lector there for over 30 years and trained new lectors as well. She was on the Pastoral Council and chaired numerous parish committees. For many years she was on the Board of the House of Hospitality, which is transitioned housing for the working poor, and served as their secretary.

Dr. Kennedy is survived by three sisters and a brother as well as eight nieces and nephews. After a Mass of the Resurrection at Holy Spirit Church on Friday, April 19, 2013 at 9:30AM, she will be interred at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield, NJ. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to McCracken Funeral Home, Union, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory may be made to Holy Spirit Church 971 Suburban Road Union, NJ 07083 and designated for the St. Thomas More Endowed Scholarship Fund. The fund, which she helped to establish, awards financial aid to students at Holy Spirit School.