Jeanne Anne Kennedy

Jeanne Anne Kennedy née Rigge passed away unexpectedly on December 11th, 2023 at home in Round Lake Beach, Illinois. She was 73 years old. Her family is deeply saddened by her sudden death. Jeanne was born in Toledo, Ohio on November 7, 1950. Jeanne is survived by her loving husband, James Kenneth Kennedy and her son, David Wayne Kennedy. She is also survived by her siblings, Carl Jeffrey (spouse Bonnie) Rigge, Laura Sue (spouse Richard) Cummings née Rigge, Lawrence (spouse Janet) Rigge, Marilyn Warren née Rigge, her brother-in-law, Patrick Donald (late spouse Donna) Kennedy, and her many nieces and nephews. Jeanne was predeceased by her son, Michael James Kennedy, her parents, Carl Gustaf Rigge and Jeanne Olive Rigge née Shirk, her parents-in-law, Donald James Kennedy and Betty Darlene Kennedy née Miller, her sister-in-law, Terry Joy Scanlon (late spouse Gary) Grace née Kennedy, her brother-in-law, Daniel Lloyd (spouse Cynthia) Kennedy, her uncle-in-law, Kenneth Gotlieb Kennedy, her aunt-in-law, Louise Wilma Mason Yarborough née Kennedy, and her cousin-in-law, Gordon Henry Mason. Jeanne grew up in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. She graduated from Crestwood High School in 1968. She was in high demand as a babysitter. She once saved a child she was babysitting who was turning blue choking on a toy. She also saved children at camp who were lost in the wilderness. After high school, she attended Michigan State University. She at first pursued a veterinary degree, but left that program after a year. She changed her major to Fisheries and Wildlife, and received a Bachelor of Science degree with a secondary teaching certification. Jeanne met her future husband, James, through her brother, Carl. The men met during their time in the Army and formed a lifelong friendship. Jeanne and James were married in Waukegan, Illinois on November 23, 1974. James and Jeanne bought a house in Round Lake Beach, IL in Fall of 1977. Friends from the Wheelmen Motorcycle Club helped them fix up the house, specifically a professional electrician, Dwayne Fonzac, and a roofing company owner, Lance. James' father, Donald, helped with changing the galvanized water pipes to soldered joint copper pipes and knocking out parts of walls to replace them with support beams. Around 1979, they tore out and refinished the interior with fiberglass insulation and drywall, and painted the interior. James and Jeanne enjoyed taking road trips to interesting places. One time they went on an 8-hour motorcycle ride to a southern Illinois state park. It was sunny when they left, but then it poured rain during the trip. Fortunately, it was sunny when they arrived. They immediately went to a laundromat to deal with their wet clothes and saddle bags. At the campsite, they were seemingly the only ones who were in a tent, as everyone else was in an RV camper. They collected fallen wood that looked very good for a campfire. It turned out to have poison ivy, and they were dealing with the rashes for weeks afterward. Overnight, their tent blew down three times from strong winds. Jeanne woke James up each time to fix it. Finally, James decided to get more string and tie the tent to nearby aluminum framework. That worked, and the tent held up for the rest of the night. When Jeanne would tell the story, she would say that other women at the indoor restroom asked her the next day if she slept well, with a wry smile. She replied that their tent blew down three times. The women told her that a tornado had moved through the campsite! How fortunate that they were not injured or worse. In 1981 James and Jeanne had twin sons, Michael James and David Wayne. Jeanne read books to them starting at six months of age and fed them a diet primarily of whole natural foods without refined sugar. They ended up excelling in school, graduating as salutatorian and valedictorian at Round Lake High School, later studying Computer Science at University of Illinois, and entering technology careers. She taught them many values, including being moral people and lifelong learners. One of Jeanne's favorite vacations was a road trip to Mackinac Bridge, Washington Island, and Rock Island circa 1989. She wanted to teach her sons good biking habits at a remote area with no cars on the road. A highlight was the ferry ride to transport the family's minivan and bikes to Washington Island. Michael and David were wearing maritime themed hats, and the captain of the ferry allowed them to steer the ferry for a while. Another highlight was biking on nature trails on Rock Island, where no cars are allowed. If the historic buildings, nature sights, and iconic bridge weren't enough, there was a subsequent visit to the Soo Locks and a trip across the border to Canada. Souvenirs of Canadian currency were brought back. James stopped denying that he had been to the Soo Locks when the VHS videotape was shown to him where he was present at the Soo Locks. Jeanne had artistic talent in many different mediums including pen and ink, watercolors, photography, and sewing. She was an avid gardener with an interest in sustainable gardening featuring native plants. She loved animals, especially horses, dogs, and cats. She was a strong environmentalist and advocated for clean water, opposition to an incinerator, limits on mosquito adulticiding, and other issues in her community. She contributed to genealogy primarily by writing detailed family history accounts. She always wanted to include the stories of the people she was researching and not just the facts. Jeanne's work history included babysitter, veterinarian's assistant, US Postal Service clerk and carrier, artist for forest preserve trail signs, reading and speech assistant at Round Lake Area grade schools, and information desk associate at the College of Lake County. Misty Dawn Scanlon née Kennedy, niece-in-law of Jeanne, said that Jeanne had shown unconditional love toward her and her children. She said, "Your support and love has gotten me through dark days, and I will forever hold your words in my heart and pray my actions make you proud. Thank you for being in my life." James said, "Jeanne had many projects. I was one of them, and for 49 years she was my anchor." Jeanne cared very deeply for her family and other loved ones. She was intelligent, witty, sensitive, and incredibly compassionate. She made an impact on many lives. She will be forever missed. May her life be celebrated and the values that she taught live on in those who survive her. Authors: David Kennedy, Laura Cummings Contributors: James Kennedy, Cynthia Kennedy, Misty Scanlon

Jeanne Anne Kennedy

November 7, 1950 - December 11, 2023