James Clarence Kennedy, Jr.

Dr. James Clarence Kennedy, Jr., of Worthington, Ohio, died on March 9, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. Born in Huntington, West Virginia, on October 5, 1935, Jim—known affectionately as “Pete”—was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his six children, Michael (Antoinette) Kennedy, Erin Kennedy, Maureen (Frank) Perez, Mary Bronwyn (Carmelo) Trujillo, Kate (Matt) Kennedy, and Timothy (Kaitlyn) Kennedy, along with fourteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by his wives, Sheila (Haptonstall) Kennedy and Patricia (Hayes) Kennedy; his parents, James Kennedy, Sr., and Gussie (Jolly) Kennedy; his brother, Daniel (Linda) Kennedy; and his sister, Judi (Charles) Gumpel.

A proud Purdue University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, Jim went on to earn a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from The Ohio State University. He spent six decades as an old-school engineer, teaching demanding undergraduate courses at Ohio State, developing defense systems at North American Aviation and Battelle Memorial Institute, and serving in national leadership roles on engineering, defense, and transportation committees. He later retired from EMC2. Among his many contributions, he led important government research programs, including improvements to the GAU-8 cannon on the A-10 aircraft, F-16 battery systems, and advanced modeling techniques for pavement and railroad track structures. As a manager at Battelle’s National Defense Division, he earned deep respect from his team for his dedication and support.

Jim remained athletic throughout his life, enjoying basketball, running, and tennis with characteristic competitiveness. In his later years, he cherished playing tennis with Pat on Fripp Island, South Carolina. He was also a passionate reader of history, particularly World War II, devouring books at a remarkable pace even into his nineties. To his family, Jim will be remembered as stubborn, funny, unfiltered, sentimental, brilliant, opinionated, and direct—a man of uncompromising integrity who embraced life’s joys with exuberance and faced its sorrows with dignity.