"My condolences to his daughter Kwai Lyn Kennedy. We met Richard 24 yrs ago when his daughter came into his life. He was very loving and productive of her I am so sorry to hear of his passing. Be strong Kwai love Debby,Bill and Tai Lee Dottery. "
In loving memory of
Richard Paul Kennedy
May 21, 1940 - June 20, 2020
Richard Paul Kennedy, of Fort Washington, PA, formerly Bethlehem, PA, passed away Saturday, June 20, 2020 after a brief illness. He was 80.
Born May 21, 1940 in Washington, DC, to the late Orian Kennedy and Margaret Kennedy (Wasmer), he was the oldest of five children. Richard graduated Boca Ciega High School, St. Petersburg FL in 1958 and had a choice to study voice at Juilliard or fulfill his vision to become a doctor. In 1965, he graduated from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and then entered the US Air Force. He completed his internship at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hospital, Dayton, OH, and was then stationed at USAF Wethersfield Hospital in the United Kingdom as a flight surgeon. While he lived in England, Richard learned how to play golf and thus became an avid golfer.
Following his tour of duty, Richard completed his radiology residency at Philadelphia General Hospital. During his time in Philadelphia, he pursued his love of singing and performed with the Mendelssohn Club.
For over 50 years, Richard was a radiologist at Pocono Medical Center, retiring in 2016. He was an active member of the Monroe County Medical Society and was CME Coordinator for Pocono Medical Center, presenting a weekly CAT I Radiology conference. Dr. Kennedy was a Clinical Assistant Professor for Radiology at Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University, and the Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Richard was a Fellow of the American College of Radiology and the American College of Nuclear Medicine. Retirement was difficult for him as his work was a very important part of his life.
When not playing golf, Richard enjoyed reading, traveling, and cooking for family gatherings with his wife Elaine (Rose-Kennedy).
Richard is survived by his daughter, Kathleen (Paul Hecht), son Daniel; grandchildren, Emma Waltz (Tyler), Jonas Detweiler (Kayla), and his great-grandchildren Keira Waltz and Orian Detweiler. Richard leaves behind his siblings' brothers, Michael (Myra), Hank (Patricia), Margaret Yingst (Gary), and his sister-in-law Nancy (deceased brother Joseph) and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his stepchildren, Amy Francek (Peter) and Patrick Rose (Allison) and step-grandchildren Luke and Jay Francek and Emily Rose.
A private funeral will be held at Washington Crossing Military Cemetery in accordance with COVID 19 guidelines.
For those who wish to honor Richard, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to Disabled American Veterans https://www.dav.org or the Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Tributes and photos may be shared at www.UrbanFuneralHome.com
Tributes
"We just received word of Dr. Kennedy's passing. On behalf of the Nuclear Medicine Department at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, I wish to say farewell to our Medical Director, mentor, and friend of so many years. "