Marshall "Bud" Kennedy

Marshall L. “Bud” Kennedy of Horseheads NY died peacefully on February 16, 2023, at the age of 96.

Bud was born on March 8, 1926 to the late George and Zada Storrs Kennedy of Troy PA. He was the eighth of 10 children and the youngest boy.  He attended Troy schools, graduating from Troy Area Senior High School in 1944.  After graduation, he immediately enlisted in the Army and was training to become a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps when the WWII ended.  After his honorable discharge in 1945, he worked in jobs ranging from butcher to railroad worker to Fuller Brush salesman and process server for Carson Finance. With the help of the GI Bill, he eventually received a bachelor’s degree in math and science from Mansfield State Teachers College (now University).  Bud taught for a few years, then became an agent with Nationwide Insurance in Troy for the remainder of his working years.

In 1950, Bud married the late Elizabeth Scaramucci with whom he had four children.  This marriage ended in divorce.  He was remarried in 1986 to the late Doris Gray Quattrini and moved from Troy to Horseheads NY, which became his second home. Bud remained an active part of the Troy community, driving himself the short distance across the state line on at least a weekly basis.  He and his “gang” were fixtures at the Troy Lunch, enjoying Wednesday morning breakfasts together there for years.  He was a member and president of the Troy Rotary Club and was very active in the student exchange program. He was the longest living member of the American Legion and volunteered at the Troy Fair into his nineties. 

Bud was an avid hunter all his life and after marrying Doris became a golfer as well. He maintained a large vegetable garden and loved showing off his flowers.  He learned to fly private planes as a hobby, using his skills gained in the army. He enjoyed taking his boat on Seneca Lake with his wife, Doris, and visiting restaurants there.  He was a voracious reader, with a special interest in the American Civil War, World War ll, and Mark Twain. He made an effort to visit as many Civil War sites as he could through the years, often accompanied by his daughter Patricia. He taught himself to speak French—badly—to communicate with locals during his moose-hunting trips to Canada and on a special visit to France to honor friends lost on D-Day.  He took up ballroom dancing with the Senior Dance Group in Elmira and became an enthusiastic pie maker as well. A late blooming sports fan, he cheered on the Buffalo Bills, discreetly, since he spent most fall Sundays in Cowboys territory.  He had the world’s smartest and best-behaved dogs, Buddy and Abby, who travelled with him everywhere.  He loved Red Cat, Friday night fish fries, pancake breakfasts, and Snickers bars.  He laughed at Everybody Loves Raymond and would not miss Stanley Tucci’s series on Italy.  He knew everyone and all their relatives. He remembered everything.  He was grateful for every day—and said so. “Aren’t I lucky!” and “I count my blessings” were two of his most-used phrases.

He’ll be fondly remembered for his sense of humor, (he loved practical jokes), his love for and interest in people, his curiosity, and his “Everything in Moderation” approach to life.  He was a life-long learner and was always looking forward to new experiences. Bud was a mischievous storyteller which earned him the label of “Raconteur “ with the Rotary Club.

Bud is survived by three daughters from his first marriage, Marsha (Nick) Maggio of Joliet IL, Patricia Kennedy (Ben Schulte) of Aurora CO, and Ruth (Jim) Keegan of Pittsburgh PA.  An infant son, Karl, predeceased him in 1959.  Bud is also survived by six grandchildren; one sister, Mary Kennedy Bachman of Pine City NY; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Bud was a voracious consumer of life and all it had to offer. He was a loving husband and a caring father to his children, always supportive of their interests and enthusiastic about sharing his own with them.  He intentionally scheduled work around family time. He kept this poem on the wall above his desk:

SUCCESS
“You can use any measure when you’re speaking of success. You can measure it in fancy home, expensive car or dress. But the measure of your real success is the one you cannot spend. It’s the way your kids describe you when talking to a friend. “

This is how he lived his life, with family as priority. Thank you, Dad, for sharing your life with us.

Family and friends invited to a memorial service at 12 PM, Saturday, February 25, 2023, at the Gerald W. Vickery, Jr. Funeral & Cremation Services Inc. 1093 West Main Street, Troy, PA 16947 with Garry Zuber officiating. Interment with Military Honors will follow in Glenwood cemetery, Troy, PA.

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