William Joseph Kennedy

William J. Kennedy, Sr. of Washington Crossing, PA died peacefully at Pickering Manor in Newtown, PA surrounded by his family. He was 85 years old and lived his life to the fullest. Bill was born in Brooklyn, NY and attended high school in Denville, NJ. He graduated from Lafayette College in 1959 and worked in insurance, while earning his J.D. from Temple Law School at night.  In 1961 he married Camille McGrath in her hometown of Lost Creek, PA and in 1968 moved their young family to Bucks County. They lived in Southampton and Doylestown before retiring to Washington Crossing. They spent their winters in retirement in Jensen Beach, FL.

Bill was a trial lawyer and partner at Dechert law firm in Philadelphia, specializing in environmental and contract law. Throughout his career and retirement, Bill served as President of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, the Traditions Home Owners Association Board and Welcoming the Stranger.  He also was a member of the Traditions Senior Issues Committee, Upper Makefield Township Council Rock Senior Citizens Board, and Northampton James E. Kinney Senior Center Board of Directors.  Bill was a devout member of St. George’s Roman Catholic Church in Titusville, NJ where he served as a lector and member of the scholarship committee. He also served as a lector at St. Joseph’s Church in Stuart, FL.

Bill is survived by his three children Caryn (Russell M Smith) of Titusville, NJ; Bill Jr. (Wanita Villarreal Kennedy) of Needham, MA; and John (Julie Appel Kennedy) of Alexandria, VA; and his grandchildren, Andrew, Rusty, and Kevin Smith, Maria, Julia, Bill III and Catherine Kennedy, Aidan and Samantha Kennedy, and 4 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his two brothers Brad and John D. Kennedy.  Bill was preceded in death by Camille, his wife of 54 years, his parents Evelyn and John C. (Jack) Kennedy and his grandson Ryan Kennedy.

Bill played tennis and skied with his family and enjoyed countless games of golf, bridge, trivia and bocce with his many friends in Pennsylvania and Florida. He loved listening to Irish music, cheering Philadelphia sports teams, vacations to Long Beach Island, NJ and traveling the world with Camille, visiting all seven continents together.  He was known as a true gentleman for his integrity, untiring work ethic, good humor and strong sense of civic duty.

Family and friends are invited to meet the immediate family at 10 AM on January 13, 2024 and attend his funeral mass at 11 AM at St George’s Church 1370 River Road, Titusville, NJ 08560 followed by interment at Pennington Cemetery, 30 E Delaware Ave, Pennington, NJ 08540 and a luncheon. For more information or condolence messages to the family, please visit Blackwell Memorial Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Welcoming the Stranger, P.O. Box 1156, Langhorne, PA 19047, or to Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), PO Box 872, Trenton, NJ, 08605.