Lloyd E. Kennedy Jr. was born July 1, 1943, in San Francisco, Ca. to Lloyd, Sr. & Dolores Kennedy. He passed away peacefully on June 25, 2012 after a long illness. Lloyd was the oldest of the four “Kennedy Boys” and was preceded in death by his father, younger brother Larry, and his grandson Carson.
The family moved from Fresno to Riverdale in 1949 where Lloyd attended school and graduated from Riverdale High School. During this time Lloyd and his family were avid roller skating competitors. In 1963 Lloyd organized a family roller hockey team “The Kennedy Marauders” coached by their Dad. They went on to win the California State Championship and competed at the national level three times. Lloyd was also an accomplished figure skater who along with his future wife, Jolene Robinson, competed successfully in pairs competitions for several years. His love of skating led him to open and manage two roller skating rinks in the seventies.
He started his career in the hospitality industry in 1965 at the Hacienda Resort and Convention Center, where he was the Public Relations and Sales Representative. In 1967 Robert A. Schoettler, Director of the Fresno Convention Center offered Lloyd a position as the Director of Sales and Assistant Manager of the Fresno Convention Bureau. In 1986 he was promoted to the Executive Director for the Bureau. Lloyd held that position until he retired in July of 2005.
Lloyd was instrumental in the development of the Holiday Inn Centre Plaza, in downtown Fresno, now known as the Radisson Hotel, the new Exhibit Hall expansion and the revitalization of the downtown Water Tower as a Visitors Center. Lloyd started the first Sports and Film Commission for the City of Fresno, promoting sporting events and films utilizing our city, which brought millions of dollars to our local economy.
He booked hundreds of conventions for our city over his 38 years in the industry, such as the North American Spring Bridge Championships in 1980, the Miss California Pageant, the World Roller Skating Championships, the Promise Keepers with over 40,000 men in Bulldog Stadium, and for several years The Kennedy Cup Classic Roller Hockey Tournament. For his service to the City of Fresno a plaque honoring him has been placed in the new Exhibit Hall entrance.
Lloyd is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Jolene, his son David and daughter Shurene Gomez and her husband Joe. He leaves behind five grandchildren, Kyla, Cole, and Hudson Kennedy and Sinead and Sinclaire Gomez. Lloyd is also survived by his mother, Dolores, his brothers Daral and Garry and their families, father in law Hollis Robinson, brother in law Robbie Robinson and his family as well as Larry’s daughters and their families.
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