Aug 4, 2020

Larry Leroy Kennedy, 63, went to sleep Thursday, July 30, 2020, and woke up in the arms of Jesus. He was born October 11, 1956, in Waynesburg, to the union of Leroy and Marie Elizabeth Davis Kennedy. He spent his childhood growing up in the tiny coal mining town of Pitt Gas.

He was educated at the Jefferson Morgan School District in Jefferson, where he was on the basketball and track teams. He later went on to attend the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and majored in photography.

His employment history includes work in the parts department of Palleta Ford in Fredericktown and Solomon Auto Group in Brownsville, where he was employed for many years until his forced retirement due to illness in October of 2019. He loved his job at Solomon Auto, where he was a highly valued employee who was loved by everyone in the company.

Larry was the pride and joy of his mother, Marie, who devoted her life to ensuring that he became all that she knew that her Lord had created him to be. It was because of her nurturing that Larry began taking pictures as a child. She discovered that he had a love for electronics, music and photography in particular at a very early age and bought him his first black and white Polaroid camera. It was then that he began taking pictures of life seemingly non-stop. He became absorbed in the lens of the camera as he captured special moments in the lives of many people throughout the years. Graduations, weddings, anniversaries, reunions, church and community functions, as well as nature, cars and sporting event photos filled his room. As he mastered his craft, he became well known around the schools in Washington and Greene counties for the amazing sports and event photos that he would take as a freelance photographer, photos that he would often donate to the local newspapers and high school yearbook staffs. At any given moment he would appear at a church event in the tri-state area, camera and tripod in tow, taking pictures and capturing video of moments so that the memory of that time would be indelible.

Larry was baptized in First Baptist Church of Pitt Gas in 1969. He later became a member of St. John Baptist Church (now St. John Bible Center) in Lawrence in 1980 and served faithfully in many areas, including choir member, Sunday school teacher and deacon. He attended Shiloh Bible Institute in Washington from 2001-2003 and obtained a Diploma in Ministerial Studies. He was ordained a deacon by Pastor Melvin Wilson in March of 2009.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Marie Kennedy; a sister, Norva Lee Lett, and sister Joyce Marie Wilson.

He is celebrated and survived by his sisters, Augustine Truewell, Lillie Daniel and Pastor Cheryl (Frank) Jones-Ross, who was his caregiver as well as a host of loving cousins, nieces, nephews and a wonderful company of family and friends.

Larry was a kind, gentle man, who loved his Lord with all his heart and intentionally walked in righteousness throughout his entire life. He was always doing for others without expecting recognition or returned kindness. Even in his quietness he left an impact on the lives of everyone who encountered him in any way.

Viewing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, in Greater Hope Restoration Ministry, 1700 Bower Hill Road, Upper St. Clair. A funeral service will take place at noon on Thursday, August 6, in the church, with Cheryl Jones Ross, pastor. Interment at Forest Lawn Gardens.

Final celebration has been gently placed in the hands of House of Jackson Memorial Chapel, 546 Thompson Avenue, Donora, Karl Jackson, funeral director, 724-379-5420.

houseofjacksonmemorialchapel.com/admin.