Obituary of John S. Kennedy

John S. Kennedy, III was born October 20, 1917 in Pittsburgh County, OK to John S. Kennedy, II and Arra Jane (Pollard) Kennedy and passed from this life on November 20, 2017 at the age of 100.

His parents moved the family many times to find work in Oklahoma and Texas.  John graduated from High School in Wetumka, OK during the Great Depression and was unable to find work for nearly 4 years.  He finally was determined to be the first of his family to go to college.  He borrowed $35 from his sister and then hitchhiked to Norman, OK where he enrolled in the University of Oklahoma.  During the next 3 ½ years he attended classes majoring in Drama with a minor in Education.  He lacked only one semester to graduate when World War II began and he entered the Army Air Corps.  During the next 4 years he was deployed to Europe where he met his future wife, Aliki, in Athens, Greece.  After the war, he returned to the University of Oklahoma, obtained his BA and MA degrees and was employed by Sapulpa Public Schools as an elementary teacher.  Shortly after, Aliki moved to the United States and they were married.  He taught in Sapulpa for two years and then in the Tulsa Public Schools.  John and Alice (as she was known stateside) moved to Tulsa in 1953 where they had 3 sons; David, Dicky and Danny.

John taught for 31 of his years at Eliot Elementary School, a public school that had always had a reputation of great achievements by students and teachers alike.  He taught Speech and Drama there and produced many memorable programs most which were original plays written by himself.  He retired from teaching in 1981.

John is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Alice N. (Fortuna) Kennedy; and his son, Dicky Kennedy.  He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, David & Trish Kennedy and Danny & Jana Kennedy.  Also surviving are grandchildren, Ben, Josh, Bailie, Cory, and Allie and his great grandchildren, Halle, Felix, Heath, Luke Land and Luke Kennedy.

John will lie in state from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 28, at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home.  A memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 29, at the SpiritLife Church, 5345 S. Peoria Ave. 

Ninde Funeral Directors, Brookside Chapel (918) 742-5556 www.ninde.com