Gord Kennedy

Gordon (“Gord”) Kennedy of Parksville, BC passed away peacefully on April 19, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. 

Gord was born in the Ottawa Hull Region of Ontario and was the oldest of 8 children.  He has been welcomed into heaven by his parents Mary and Gord Kennedy Sr., and his siblings Jack, Marilyn, Gary, Jerry, Colleen, Jeffrey & Michael.  He grew up in Dundas, ON, later raised a family in Flamborough, ON, and then retired on Vancouver Island.  He is survived by the love of his life, Marian, to whom he was married for 62 years, and his children Richard (Melody), Kevin (Mary-Beth), and Karen (Gary).  He was an incredibly cherished Grandpa to Lindsay (Remy), Michael (Deanna), Bryan (Amber), Laura (Ken), Melissa (Daniel), Steven (Victoria), Angie (Sean), Johnathan (Valentina) and proud Great-Grandpa to Jake, Jackson, William, Isabel, Abe, Finlay, Josie, Aubrey, Maeve and Braeden.

Growing up as the oldest sibling in the 1940-50’s gave Gord the leadership skills he utilized and carried through to many roles in his life.  Growing up in Hull Quebec in his early years and then moving with his family to the Dundas area, leaving behind his beloved grandmother and many aunts and uncles.  Many summer trips back home to spend summers with his grandmother, afforded him a very special childhood with many warm and happy memories of his time spent with her.

In 1957 he met and then courted the love of his life, Marian (Reisenweber), they then went on to marry and, it wasn’t long before they welcomed their son Richard (Rick) into their lives, followed only a few short years later by son Kevin and then daughter Karen.  They left behind the city life for the country life, building a house on weekends and nights, next to the farm Marian grew up on. 

As many children growing up in the 50’s times were not always easy, and there were many hills to climb to and from school in the snow, as he would often tell of his struggles, so his kids would always have appreciation for the things they had, always striving to make their life easier than his.  His gift for the gab and his love of telling stories were cherished times spent around the campfires and anyone that was lucky enough to enjoy this time with him, always left with a full heart and happy memories

Always the protector of his family he took his job of the eldest seriously, always checking in on his parents and siblings and making sure they were not only okay, but that they had everything they needed.  He was quick to share what he had, and had empathy for others and their situations.  He instilled this trait into his children, making sure they knew it wasn’t always just about them and that love of community and volunteering your time when able were important contributions to make.

Over the years Gord was involved in many organizations but the majority of his time was spent at Strabane Baseball Park, volunteering his time on committees, participating in organizing and running the infamous Chicken BBQ which took place every summer at Strabane Park.  

When fall approached and the bats and balls were put away, Gord quickly shifted gears to Hockey and enjoyed many years playing the sport, and some of his best memories was the time spent on a travelling team traversing the province of Ontario and enjoying the comradery of his team mates as they made their way via convoys to games.

With his great love of the outdoors, he became an avid camper and was challenged by the theory that the one with the most toys in the end wins.  He bought his first RV in the late 70’s and enjoyed many camping trips with friends and family, in his later years he spent a few winters in the warmer climates of Texas and Arizona, enjoying those years with his lifelong friends.

Saltron Television was a fixture in Hamilton, ON for over 30 years, and as the owner of this family business, Gord set the example of a strong work ethic and made sure all his children knew the value of hard work, bringing them on board at a young age in various jobs in the business.   After closing the business in 2008, he made the difficult decision to move west to enjoy the warmer climate in his retirement, leaving behind many cherished loved ones, and moving closer to his daughter, son-in-law and grandsons out west, to continue his enjoyment of the active lifestyle he lived for.  When year round baseball happened with the opening of the inside baseball sports arena, Gord truly thought he died and went to heaven; who would have ever thought he could play his favorite sport all year long.

Always one to easily meet and connect with new people and seemed to be given a nickname of “The Mayor” everywhere he lived.  With a twinkle in his crystal blue eyes, he’d tell you a great story and make you laugh.  He had a big heart and leaves behind a rich legacy that lives on in his family.

Please join the family in celebrating the life of Gord on Saturday April 23rd at 11:00 with lunch and refreshments to follow at Yates Funeral Home.  In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to your local Salvation Army.

Lives Cherished and Celebrated