Peter Gerard Kenny

Today, we want to honor our father, Peter Gerard Kenny (Jerry), for the life he lived before illness ever touched him; the strong, vibrant, and tough man he was at his core.

Our father was born in 1948 in Manhattan, the fourth of eleven children born to two remarkable people, Mary and Jack Kenny. They were a beautiful and strong couple, and they raised a family that knew love, grit, and loyalty. When they moved to Staten Island, our grandparents became the second family to move into the Stapleton Projects. That’s where our father grew up, surrounded by siblings, music, and community.

He had a good childhood. He sang doo-wop on the street corners and attended Curtis High School, where his life would change forever. That’s where he met his sweetheart, our mom, Helen Rasmussen. She was a twirler, and he fell completely head over heels. They were high school sweethearts, deeply in love from the very beginning.

Life wasn’t without heartbreak. One devastating day, our father learned that his best friend, his brother, Johnny, had been killed in Vietnam. That loss shook him to his core. Wanting to honor Johnny’s memory, our father made a courageous decision: he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Words like strong, tough, and brave don’t fully capture who our father was. He was built different. His mind and body were not meant to be broken.

From 1966 to 1968, he served in the United States Marine Corps honorably. He fought in one of the deadliest places, the battle of Khe Sanh, Vietnam. He was with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines also known as “The Walking Dead”. And through it all, he wrote beautiful letters home to his sweetheart, Helen. The letters were filled with love, hope, and devotion.

When he returned home, he made what he always said was the best decision of his life: he married our mother, Helen, in 1969.

One day, our grandfather Otto, our mother’s father, caught them kissing and said he was going to get his shotgun. Our dad never ran so fast down that dirt road away from our mom’s house. But of course, he always came back.

Together, our parents built a life they loved. They bought homes. They raised a family. For 10 years, our father was dedicated to his work at Mount Loretto, helping children who needed support, kids struggling in ways most people never see.

One story he told our family has always stayed with us. Around Christmas time, he caught a young boy stealing a bottle of ketchup and some silverware. Instead of punishing him, our father asked the boy why. The boy said he wanted to give them to his mother because they had nothing. Our father could have made an example of him, but that wasn’t who he was. Instead, he got wrapping paper, tape, and scissors, and helped that child wrap the gift with dignity and kindness.

After his time at Mount Loretto, he went on to work for the New York City Department of Sanitation. He spent 20 years of service as a sanitation worker in Borough Park, Brooklyn. During this time, there was a major building explosion of propane tanks. He was picking up garbage near the area and quickly went over to the scene and helped save victims from the disaster.

That was Jerry.

A man of strength and compassion. A Marine. A protector. A helper. A man who understood that sometimes the greatest thing you can give someone is grace.

Today, we honor the life he lived, the love he gave, the courage he showed, and the example he set. That is how we remember him. That is who he will always be.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Helen Kenny (Rasmussen), their three children: John Kenny (Keri), Kathleen Andriulli (Rocco), and Mary Scarpato (Richie); eight grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Kayla, and John (John and Keri), Rocky, Lia, and Milania (Kathleen and Rocco), and Richie III and Jack (Mary and Richie); siblings, Michael Kenny, Patricia Colon, Margaret Ann Kenny, Kevin Kenny, and Diane Kenny.

Jerry was predeceased by his beloved parents, Jack and Mary Kenny, and his siblings, Elizabeth Ann Donnelley, Jacqueline Harsche, John Kenny, James Kenny, Maureen Rivera.

Jerry is also survived by many nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.