Obituary of Ruth M. Kennedy
Ruth M. Kennedy
(nee Mortenson)
Ruth M. Kennedy (nee Mortenson), age 82, of Joliet, IL, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Thursday, October 11, 2018, at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center, after a brief illness. Born in Barnesville, MN, Ruth earned her degree from North Dakota State University. Shortly after graduation she met her future husband, Daniel Lennon Kennedy, while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Ruth was a pioneer in politics and a lifelong environmental and animal activist. She was elected to the Will County Board where she served from 1974 to 1996. While a member of Forest Preserve Board, she spearheaded the acquisition and expansion of forest preserve land throughout the county. Ruth was also one of the founding members of the Will County Humane Society, the original no-kill facility in the county. Ruth's garage served to house the first kennels until property was purchased in Shorewood, where the Humane Society still operates today.
A loving mother, Ruth is survived by her children, Daniel (fiancée Gigi Studer) Kennedy, Hayes (Gloria) Kennedy, and Thomas (Laina) Kennedy, and her beloved grandchildren Erin, Madeline, Neera, Ahsha, Kieran and Cash Kennedy, and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband of 45 years, Daniel Lennon Kennedy, Sr., she is also preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Erlyce (nee Nelson) Mortenson and siblings, Renee Edenstrom, Bud Mortenson, Anne Daly, Edna Christenson, and Harriett Gooddahl.
Visitation for Ruth Kennedy will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m., at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black at Essington Roads, Joliet. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, at 9:15 a.m. from the funeral home to the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, 604 N. Raynor Ave., Joliet, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in her name can be made to the Will County Humane Society. For more information, please call (815) 741-5500 or visit her Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com
