John F. Kenney died at his home in Brockton on November 18, 2022. He was 78.

John was born in Quincy on June 23, 1944, to James J. Kenney and Gertrude M. (Harkins) Kenney. His father was a civil engineer and his mother was a homemaker. He spent most of his childhood in South Weymouth before moving with his family to a new Campanelli home in the Brookfield section of Brockton in 1959.

A natural-born salesman with a gift for blarney, John was drawn to sales after graduating from Brockton High in 1962. He spent over twenty years in the field, including the heyday of cable expansion as an award-winning sales manager for Continental Cable. He then changed careers to pursue his long interest in design as a kitchen and bath designer for various firms in southeastern Massachusetts over another twenty years until his retirement.

John's true passion was being a good neighbor and trying to make wherever he lived a better place, and he lived these commitments through politics and community service. He was a strong partisan and faithful Democrat in the New Deal tradition, and served on the Ward 7 Democratic Committee and the Democratic City Committee in Brockton. He loved campaigning and worked for many candidates in Brockton, including Carl Pitaro, Fran Mara, William O'Malley, Louis Angelo, Bob Coffin, and Win Farwell.

As a parent, John was especially focused on schools as a member of the Raymond School Parent Advisory Council and the Concerned Citizens Committee for Excellence in Education. He was a volunteer fixture at the Raymond for many years, chaperoning trips, working book fairs, and helping to organize Raymond Fest. He also served on the Pembroke Jaycees and the Old Colony YMCA board as a young man and the Brockton Council on Aging toward the end of his life. Less formally, he was generous with his time and continually helped his neighbors with little tasks, from carrying groceries to fixing broken plumbing with a part from the impressive collection of miscellaneous hardware he spent his life squirreling away for just such an occasion.

Among his personal interests, he was a good athlete and particularly talented at running and racquetball, before a serious back injury limited him. He loved entertaining, whether large Sunday brunches at Madrid Square in the 1970s, stuffing his house with six-foot rounds for the big fights on cable in the 1980s, or simple backyard barbecues. He was an avid player of bridge and cribbage, something of an audiophile, and favored Marconi, Old Silver, and Nantasket beaches.

John is survived by his brother James J. Kenney of Middleboro and his sister Cynthia Hunnewell of Lakeville; several cousins, nieces, and nephews; his former wives, Linda Kenney Logan and Susan Kelley; two daughters, Erin McAuley and Kathryn Cardillo; two stepsons, Philip and Michael Czaplicki; and six grandchildren.

Private services will be held.