Bertha “Bert” Barbara (Marx) Kennedy, 80 years old, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2019 in South Carolina. Bert was born on June 19, 1939 to Geraldine Marie (Otcovsky) and Charles Joseph Marx in Cleveland, Ohio. She was one of five children. Bert spent her childhood growing up on the family farm and graduated from Newbury High School in 1957. In high school, Bert played violin in the orchestra and was active in the 4H dairy cattle club. She was the class valedictorian and went on to graduate from Huron Road Nursing School in 1960. She married Charles “Chuck” Richard Kennedy in 1962 and they raised two boys, Shawn Charles and James Henry.
In 1968, the family moved to Belgium for three years as part of Chuck’s job promotion at Caterpillar Corporation. When they returned in 1971, they purchased the house on Cedar Road in Chesterland that she lived in up until her death. Bert was the Director of Nursing at the Metzbaum School and Residence for the mentally challenged working tirelessly for 25 years to protect the health and welfare of the live-in residents and students. After she retired from Metzbaum in 2002, her devotion to serve continued as she began volunteering in 2007 at Hillcrest Hospital until just months before her death; the hospital administration recently recognized Bert for over 10,000 hours of service. She is survived by two siblings, Marcia Marx and George Marx, her sons Shawn (Laura) and Jim, a granddaughter Morgan, and two grandsons Patrick and Daniel.
Friends may call at GATTOZZI AND SON FUNERAL HOME, 12524 Chillicothe Rd. (Route 306 N. of Mayfield Rd.) Chesterland, from 4-7pm on Friday July 26, 2019, where services will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 10am. Interment Chester Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to The National Park Foundation www.donate.nationalparks.org or The Greater Cleveland Food Bank www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org, 15500 South Waterloo Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44110. Online condolences at www.gattozziandson.com.
