Contributions to the tribute of Brian J. Kennan

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John Kennan posted a condolence

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

It is very difficult to say goodbye to my brother Brian. Brian was 5 years older than me, and during my childhood, I looked up to him, but was intimidated by his intelligence. I remember when he rescued a baby squirrel after a storm. He named the squirrel Cassivellaunus. It is only due to the age of Wikipedia, that I learned that Cassivellaunus was a ‘legendary’ tribal chief who tried to defend the UK against Julius Caesar. Who knew that stuff? And when I got to my first day of high school chemistry, I recall Mrs. Stillwaggon calling off the roll and stopping at my name and asking if I was related to Brian. After class, she called me aside and related the story of when she reminded Brian that his lab reports were late. The very next day, he turned them all in, however; apparently not liking having been rushed, he had written them all in Latin. Mrs. Stillwaggon was rather proud of the fact that she pulled out a Latin dictionary and graded them as is. She really gushed about him as a student. I tried very hard to lower her expectations of me. Brian was in a class of his own. Brian was multi-lingual, studied chess (I was an early victim to 4 or 5 move checkmates), was a classical music fan, and had numerous interests. He had a very dry and subtle sense of humor. He didn’t break out laughing. He just cracked a smile. But that smile really lit up the room. After he finished high school, I saw Brian much less. He moved away from NY, and by the time he came back, I had gone off to grad school before settling down in Michigan. After that, my memories are mostly limited to family gatherings during the summer or at Christmas. It was at one of those Christmas family gatherings that Brian established himself as first judge of what was to become the annual Kennan family Christmas bake-off. It was a very funny event. My younger brother Richard faced off against my niece in a cookie challenge that Richard had attempted to rig with judging categories such as ‘flatness’. Brian was the sole judge of this competition. Brian ran through the numerous (or should I say, ludicrous) categories, just smiling as he carefully assigned scores – certainly keeping track of the totals in his head. The result was a narrow victory for my niece and a devastating defeat for Richard. This set off years of fun-filled competition. We will always miss our star judge. Brian faced many challenges in his life, especially regarding his health. He never complained and always tried to move forward. I will miss him always and I will always remember that smile. Rest in peace Brian. Love, John

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Rich Kennan posted a condolence

Friday, December 11, 2020

Brian was a wonderful loving brother. When I was a child, he always inspired me to be curious and I admired everything he did which is a big reason I went on to study science. I tend to take for granted how influential he truly was to me and I will miss him very much. I love you brother and rest in peace. Richard

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Rita Reid posted a condolence

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Brian grew up in Levittown and like the rest of his siblings he had a wonderful childhood under the tutelage of loving parents. Brian usually excelled in school. He attended Division Ave HS, Michigan State University, the University of Virginia (BA) and later obtained an MBA from Boston University. Brian was interested in many and varied subjects: science, math, astronomy, languages (including a smattering of Latin, Russian, Gaelic, German). He was still taking German tele-lessions up until the time of his death. Brian’s work life was similarly varied. In Virginia, he worked in the publishing industry. He lived in Boston for many years working in financial services for various companies before finally retiring on disability from State Street Bank. Brian had many health challenges, but he was not one to complain. He did the best he could and tried to enjoy life to the fullest. When he lived in Boston, he loved going to the movies and for many years he saw just about every movie that came out. He liked stamp collecting. He watched classic movies and television. He accumulated a large collection of classic movie posters and lobby cards. Brian loved travel and family vacations. Whether going to Europe, Disney World, San Diego, the Jersey Shore or the Rocking Horse ranch, Brian enjoyed being with people and sharing the joy of the lives of all his family members. He would often send out an e-mails with information about things that he thought others might like to know about, perhaps something he noticed online about the University of Connecticut for Ryan or some rare comet sighting that he thought Erin might like to see. Brian was a faithful Catholic. He was a Guardian of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Clements Eucharistic Shrine when he resided in Boston. When he moved to back to Long Island 20 or so years ago, Brian attended St. Kilian Parish. He joined the Knights of Columbus although he was never quite able to make it to the meetings. When Brian moved from Farmingdale to Massapequa about 5 years ago, he remained at St. Kilian because he loved the parish, and he especially loved the annual St. Patrick’s Day party. Brian will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Oblates of the Virgin Mary https://www.omvusa.org/ways-give/masses-memorials/perpetual-mass-enrollment/ or Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts 854o Kenosha Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80908 https://www.sistersofcarmel.com/

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The family of Brian J. Kennan uploaded a photo

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

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Brian J. Kennan

1950 - 2020

Brian J. Kennan

1950 - 2020

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