Burnell "Buzz" H. Kennedy

Burnell “Buzz” Kennedy, 75, of Lolo passed away Saturday, September 4, 2021 at Community Medical Center in Missoula. A funeral service with military honors will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 13, 2021 at Garden City Funeral Home with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Legion, Post #135, Lolo MT.

Burnell H. Kennedy, son of David and F. Elizabeth (Hershner) Kennedy, was born November 10, 1945 in York, Pennsylvania. He attended Northeastern High School in Manchester, Pennsylvania and graduated in the class of 1963. Buzz enlisted in the Air Force after graduation and worked as a Jet Aircraft Mechanic. While stationed in Great Falls, Montana Buzz met Jeanine Curtis and the two were united in marriage on September 9, 1967 in Wichita, Kansas. For most of his working career, Buzz was a heat and frost insulator with local #23 while also helping with the family sunglass business. Though he worked in York for most of his career, in 1993 he and Jeanine followed their kids to Big Sky Country and finally fulfilled their longtime dream of moving out west.

Buzz was a proud member of the American Legion Post #135, VFW, Loyal Order of the Moose, and the Big Sky Bassers fishing club. He was an avid hunter and fisherman who loved spending time outdoors. Buzz was always willing to lend a helping hand to friends and strangers alike and could fix nearly anything. He was a tinkerer and enjoyed staying busy with his many projects. He enjoyed participating in the Kid’s Fishing Clinic and promoting the American Legion’s Americanism essay scholarship contest. Buzz enjoyed spending weekends at the cabin in Trout Creek with his family and friends. He also loved extended trips to North Dakota to help out on the family farm and enjoy the peace and quiet. Above all else, he was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and friend who will be greatly missed.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 53 years, Jeanine Kennedy; son, John (Ann) Kennedy of Boise and their children, Samantha, Courtney, and Sean; daughter, Kristy (Steve “Dico”) Dicomitis of Missoula and their daughter, Kennedy; siblings, Robert Kennedy, James Kennedy, and Kenneth Kennedy; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family, and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Elizabeth Kennedy; siblings, Kaye (Kennedy) Harlacher, Faye (Kennedy) Evans and Glenn Kennedy.