I know now that death is not the end, but is the real beginning! Jesus saves my soul, and His word saves my mind. His love is everlasting – for you and for me.
Obituary
Mary Ellen Kennedy was 97 years young when she passed away peacefully at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 10, 2025.
Mary was born “Mary Ellen Whittlesey” on January 29, 1928, in Brooksville, Florida. She was welcomed into the world by her parents, the late Roy Horace Whittlesey and Kleber Miller Whittlesey.
Mary had three sisters (Jo Millsaps, Ethel Linda McPherson and Minta Orange) and one brother (Horace Miller Whittlesey) who have all passed into eternal life. She also had three half-brothers (Roy, Jim and Jack Whittlesey) and two half-sisters (Dorothy and Ruby Powell).
Mary graduated from Oak Ridge High School in Tennessee in 1945, near the end of WWII. Mary recalled living in the famous Oak Ridge community during wartimes where she had a charmed teenage life. She spoke of teen dances every weekend on the tennis courts and long described herself as an excellent jitterbug dance partner.
After high school, she continued her education at Tennessee Tech, where she received a Bachelor of Science degrees in Math and English in 1949. She was also crowned Miss Tennessee Tech that same year. Mary was later awarded her master’s degree in Remedial Reading at the University of Miami in 1951.
On June 10, 1950, she married Walter (Wally) Charles Hmielewski and they were blessed with seven children: David Dean (deceased) (Kathy), Timothy Jon (deceased) (Gail), Richard Lee (Sharon), Susan Marie Karcher (Guy), James Walter (deceased) (Dedra), Michael Charles and Cynthia Jo Nixon.
Mary lived a blessed and busy life with her family in Summerville, New Jersey, as well as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Plantation, Florida. She taught remedial reading at North Miami High School, Roger’s Junior High, and New River Junior High in Florida and was a reading supervisor at Summerville Public School in New Jersey. With seven children, she also spent a tremendous amount of time in the bleachers, never missing a match, race or game.
In the summers, Mary would plan elaborate camping adventures with her family, from numerous state parks to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. They also had many great weekends barbecuing and picnicking on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Mary was quite the adventurer and usually had many of her siblings, nieces and nephews, and eventually grandchildren, joining in the fun.
She was always a wonderful host, inviting her Bridge club and friends to Bridge parties at her home in Plantation. This love of hosting and gathering never changed and became the norm with her large family, evolving into big family reunions, and Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with extended family and friends, new and old.
When she retired, she moved to Townsend, Tennessee and opened a general store called “Our Father’s Place” and became owner and manager of a small hotel called “The Hillbilly Hilton” in 1970-80s. She also lived in Maryville, Tennessee until her return to Fort Lauderdale in 1984. She later taught GED preparation for several years to inmates at the Broward County Jail beginning in 1995.
On December 30, 1998, Mary married Jack Kennedy, who she had met at a St. Patrick’s Day party in their condo community room. Her marriage to Jack blessed her with another eight stepchildren, and she henceforth often described herself as blessed 15 times over. Her family grew to include Pat Kennedy (Mike), Betsy Foster (Jack), Peg Kennedy (deceased), Barbara Kennedy (Tom), Jack Kennedy (Dot), Ed Kennedy, Carol Kennedy, and Bobby Kennedy (Leah). Jack precedes Mary in death, having passed to eternal life on March 29, 2015.
Throughout their more than 15 years of marriage, they had many wonderful adventures together, including many cruises, a family trip to Costa Rica, and a trip up and down the entire east coast in their camper they named “Kennedy’s Cram-a-lot-Inn”. They also spent many summers at Lake Tansi in Tennessee, frequently visited by their grandchildren. During these visits with grandkids, they would often play Go Fish, Boggle, Backgammon and Scrabble, and work on some of their biggest puzzles – it was not unusual to see Mary and Jack working on a 2,500-piece puzzle.
Mary loved games and was an avid Bridge player but is best known for her incredible skill at Scrabble – easily cracking at least 150 points a game, and often upwards of 200 points. The handful of her children and grandchildren who managed to beat her in even one game of Scrabble would remember that achievement for years to come. Mary also taught many of her grandchildren how to play chess. She enjoyed Soduku, and more recently, she had picked up playing Rummikub around the pool and even playing Bridge on the internet – and she never missed the daily Wordle.
Mary was also incredibly talented at sewing. She made all of her own clothes as a teenager and young woman. She slip covered couches and made curtains. She made dresses for her mother-in-law, daughters and granddaughters, including many bridesmaid dresses, baptismal gowns, doll clothes, costumes and dress up gowns, and one wedding gown, worn by her youngest daughter Cindy. Quite tech-savvy, she also made hundreds of cards on her computer for all occasions over the last 15 years, sending thanks, sympathies and happy birthday wishes to her friends and family.
A southern belle at heart, Mary also had an affinity for all the southern fixings: tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches, coleslaw, butter pecan ice cream and buttermilk. It was a rite of passage for visiting family and friends to accidentally pour themselves a glass of buttermilk, expecting regular milk, which would typically then be poured down the sink.
Mary Kennedy was a lifelong Christian who joined the Catholic Church during her courtship with Wally. Mary enjoyed leading bible studies, hosting Pentecostal prayer meetings, and teaching “Life in the Spirit” seminars. She was President of the Women’s Guild at St. Gregory’s Catholic Church when she lived in Plantation. After moving to “condominium life” in Fort Lauderdale in 1984, she became an active Lector and Eucharistic Minister at Saint Sebastian’s Catholic Church. She was vital in continuing meetings of her Parish’s bible study group during COVID shutdowns via Zoom. In 2018, Mary was awarded the honor of Arch Diocese of Miami’s Catholic Woman of the Year.
Throughout her life Mary has been known by many names: mom, Aunt Tee, and Grandmary. At last count, Mary has 21 biological grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren, and as a devoted grandmother and great grandmother, Mary attended many tea parties, talent shows and puppet shows.
She was also known to take perfect strangers in under her wing, always seeing the best in people and quick to witness the goodness and mercy of Jesus to others. Mary also treasured her many friendships, especially those from her Church community and Bridge club.
As Mary would be quick to tell you, you can’t use proper nouns in Scrabble, but if you could, “Mary” by itself is worth 9 points. However, Mary could have easily made that a 27-point turn. And that’s sort of how Mary was in all things – if you came to her at a 9, time in her company, her thoughts or her prayers, could transform you to a 27.
Mary was a treasure to all who knew her, and her example as a friend, neighbor, aunt, mother, grandmother and Christian will continue to inspire us and touch our hearts for years to come.
Shortly before her 90th birthday, Mary compiled a memoir of her life and in reflecting on her relationship with Christ she wrote, “I know now that death is not the end, but is the real beginning! Jesus saves my soul, and His word saves my mind. His love is everlasting – for you and for me. If this seems like a fairy tale, it is better than that. We really do live happily ever after!"
Arrangement Details
As was her long standing wish, Mary’s body was donated to Science Care for research and will later be cremated. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday May 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., which will be followed by a luncheon at the Parish Hall. A visitation and remembrance celebration will be held in the community room of Mary’s condo building, Atlantic Towers, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. on May 7, 2025.
At a later date, Mary’s ashes will be laid to rest in Oliver Springs, Tennessee, next to the final resting place of her beloved big sister Minta, her son Tim, and her great-nephew Isaac.
Gallery
Memory wall
Praying for all of us who will miss her.
for the many years you kept us entertained, fed, both mentally with food snd spiritually. It was a medicine you gave to everyone.
You were a bright light for two lonely Canadians,
We treasured the time we spent with you In Fort Lauderdale and we so appreciate our many conversations and your thoughtful gifts of time and love.
We will always remember.🙏
To you and San Sebastian’s and all of your family that we had the honour to meet, as the song says “Thanks for the memories “💕
Wishing all of you much love .❤️
Sandra and Hans Hasenack
PS The photos are precious
All that have known her are blessed by her memory. Everyone can be at peace, she's in that Special Place God reserves for people like her!
Now you can personally walk with Him and talk with Him in the Garden
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