a great friend that I have fond memories always a fun guy to talk to. we will all miss his wit and humor rip to a former brother in blue.


Ruby and Family,  Jimmy and I were so sorry to read of the passing of W.T.  We always enjoyed running into you both at the Korner and catching up on all that was happening in our lives.  We love you.

Continuation and correction:  
Wanted to share a picture from Boar's Head Resort. 💖

     Thanks for showing us that life needs an equal balance of hard work and play.  Thanks for showing us the value of family and friendships.  Thanks for being at the big events and the times in between.  Thanks for lending an ear and being willing to help. Thanks for always being true to yourself.  Thanks for introducing me to and fostering a love of the Outer Banks. Thanks for always making me feel special whenever we saw each other. Thanks for sharing your sincere smile with me.  Thanks for family breakfasts at the Board Head Inn.  Thank you for telling our dad to call you daddy so you could be a class act grandpa and great grandpa.
     Ruby, we are thankful you found each other.  The love and devotion you will always have for each other is inspirational.



We were so sorry to hear of Thomas passing.  We send our love and prayers to the family.  Thomas always held a special place in our hearts.  
Love,
Millie and Amos Morris

Always had a smile, always had Ruby by his side❤️

I found some pictures at OBX and thought I would share.

Uncle Tom was larger than life. He had a fantastic smile, a voice that could draw you in for hours and arms that were perfect for hugs. He truly never met anyone who didn't become a friend. 
I will never forget the summer Outer Banks trips with him, Ruby and my mom.  Those memories are priceless. I also will never forget Christmas morning at Uncle Tom and Aunt Ruby's house. Uncle Tom always shared a shot of Peach Schnapps with me, even if I was only 15.
He loved his life; enjoying of course golf and breakfast at the Korner, but really it was his family that meant the most to him. Hosting a fish fry at the Elk's after the annual Sept/Oct Outer Banks fishing trips, Father's Day cookouts on the river and numerous celebration at his own home were just some of events I consider myself lucky to have been a part of. I will miss you incredibly, Uncle Tom.
Ruby, I love you.  "Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear".

Class act!  W.T. was a gentleman, without a doubt.  He always greeted those he knew with a smile and a friendly greeting.  
He was good Elk and friend. We will miss him!

i see WT as a man with the perpetual smile and a person who loved people (and golf).  He was a rock and a devoted husband.  Ruby - sincerest condolences.  we are all here for you.

As Always,
Stephen

Short Eulogy for My Dad
I first met W.T. Kennedy in the spring of 1953 after he and my mother were married. I was living with relatives in Staunton and had just completed the first grade of school. He and my mother had come to take me with them to form a new family. He was a young seaman in the Navy and the three of us left together in his 1947 Ford coupe bound for Norfolk where he was stationed.
 We all rode in the front seat of the car. Being the curious kid that I was, I opened the glove compartment to see what it contained.
In those days, if you purchased a cup of coffee to go, you were given a small, paper wrapped, hard block of sugar to unwrap and drop in the hot coffee to dissolve. They would also dissolve in your mouth. I found two of these blocks amongst the contents of the compartment.
I asked him if I could have them. To this day, I remember what he said exactly. "Yes, you can have the sugar if you call me Daddy". I couldn't pass up a proposition like that and at that moment a bond was formed that lasted from that time on.He became my dad and did all of the things a devoted dad would do. I recall him buying my first bicycle, providing my first car and financially supporting me through college. All the time he tried to set the best example for me to follow. The marriage to my mother didn't last. But, the fact that he was my dad never changed.
Daddy grew up on a farm only a stone's throw from his final resting place. He learned early that in order to have something then you had to work for it. His early jobs out of the Navy mostly dealt with route sales and delivery. The result was that he got to meet and talk to lot of people and he discovered how to gain their trust and sell them products. He never met a stranger or an enemy. You were just the same to him if you were the guy who swept the floor or the president of the company. You were going to be his friend and be treated equal.
To be continued



Short Eulogy for my Dad Pt. 2
He used these skills and molded a long and prosperous career in the insurance business. He developed the most marvelous ability that I could never master. Daddy never minded doing the work, but he also loved outdoor recreation activities. He formulated a perfect balance for both. It was though he had an inner philosophy. "I am in this life to work and play, to have a good time doing both, and not to let one overtake the other".
He continued on the journey of life with his devoted wife and partner, Ruby. He was, in return, devoted to her and they had a wonderful life together. She told me that he had recently expressed his contentment for the "good life" he had experienced. That life was one that he had created for himself, as if he knew in the end, that he was the one that needed to be satisfied with it.
William Thomas Kennedy, was, and always will be my dad, the wonderful father in law to my wife, Jackie, the grandfather to my children and the great grandfather to my grandchildren. I will be eternally grateful to him.So it was, on that day back in 1953, for two lumps of sugar, he purchased the rights to be my father. It was the best deal I ever made.
Rest in peace, Daddy. We will all be with you someday.
Ed Kennedy



What a wonderful man!  W.T. always had a smile on his face whenever and wherever you saw him.  He loved the game of golf as well as the people who played it with him.  Joan and I will miss him as it was always a pleasure to talk to him and hear his melodious voice.  Our most sincere condolences to Ruby and the family and may the many pleasant memories of the past help carry you through this time of grief and sorrow.

Well "T"  you taught me everything I know about insurance. But the main thing you taught me was treat the insureds like you would want to be treated and you will go far. I enjoyed so much always being in the office with you and you would say you didn't know who was crazier me or you. I remember coming in the office before I started work and you and Teddy were there and Teddy said well all of Batesville is here now.  I will miss you so much especially the memory when we sat at the stop light on 29 and we had to race up Hydraulic road to see who would get in the office first. I won that day and you about died laughing at me. You always had a smile and a good things to say or a joke that would make your sides hurt. My friend God Speed I will see you again. Ruby my heart and soul weeps for you because I know T loved you so much.
Martha Wade

I knew my great uncle as “WT” and I always appreciated how much he loved his sister, my grandmother Lillian. I can remember WT taking care of her lawn and mowing the grass after Willis passed away. When I started my first job out of school I was very surprised that my engineering manager already knew WT… from the golf course and the golf store. He never met a stranger and always had a good story to share.

We will certainly miss Thomas. I don't think he ever met a stranger.  If he met you, he would never forget you.  He was like his Uncle Les...a wonderful storyteller!

Thomas loved to bake fresh apple cakes with black walnuts.  My parents, Dick & Mary Canody, would always be a recipient of one of those cakes.  And, of course, I sampled some of their cake! It was delicious.  This was a ministry for him--he loved doing it and giving them away!

My sincere condolences to Ruby and his family.

Take care, and God bless,

Brenda Gail

Tom always had a smile and good story to tell, life of the party. He certainly will be missed.

OBITUARY

William Thomas Kennedy

June 18, 1932 – July 16, 2021

Teague Funeral Service

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