Sidney Lee Kennedy, Jr Obituary (1941 - 2024)

Sidney L. Kennedy Jr., 83, of Elmsford, NY, was born on June 29, 1941 in Catawba,NC. He departed this life on August 18, 2024, surrounded by his loving family.Throughout his journey of life, Sidney was affectionally known to his family andfriends under many aliases such as Sonny Boy, Sid, and Poppy.On June 9, 1973, Sidney married the love of his life, Sally Jean Gray, who heaffectionately called, Sal. To many, they became known as "Sid and Sal". Theywere inseparable - if you saw Sid; you knew Sal wasn't far away. Sidney was aloving husband and father that worked extremely hard, doing whatever it took toprovide and protect his family. He was actively involved in his children andgrandchildren lives, supporting all of their endeavors, even if he didn't agree.Sidney lived a life of generosity and was always ready to lend a helping hand toothers.Sidney accepted Christ in the late 1980s, marking a significant turning point in hislife. Those who knew him prior would remember, that Sidney did not tolerate anynonsense; he often said "Dont start none, won't be none." After histransformation, he became a dedicated and reliable member of Christ TempleChurch in Greenburgh, NY. He willingly took on many roles at the church, oftenwithout being asked, and accepted each one with grace and without seekinganything in return. He truly embodied his role as an usher, something he enjoyedand took seriously, becoming an usher at every church event, no matter where itwas held.Prior to his retirement in 2020, Sidney worked for SMG Corporate Services inIrvington, NY. Throughout his life, Sidney worked in many fields, but his mostmemorable stories, were related to his profession as a truck driver, with thehandle name of "Brown Sugar". Although Sidney was always on the road, healways knew what was going on at home. He was an avid storyteller with each tale carrying a valuable life lesson. As youmay know, he often started these tales with his notorious line; "Back in 1942".His audience was always so captivated that they came to believe it was the actualyear he was born.Sidney also embodied the title of "Mr. Fix It". If it was broken, Sidney could fix it.He was a carpenter, plumber, electrician, and mechanic to name a few; not bytrade but by fate. If something was wrong, Sidney would be right there to fix it, nomatter who you were. And if he didn't know how, he'd figure it out using ducttape, zip ties, or whatever he could find.He was preceded in death by his parents, Irene Gibbs Kennedy and Sidney L.Kennedy Sr., two brothers; Jimmy Gibbs, Walter Kennedy, and a sister BettyLinebarger.Sidney will be missed dearly by his devoted wife, Sally J. Kennedy, threedaughters; Cynthia (Sissy) D. Kennedy, Cheryl A. Hurns (Bert), Jean M. Pettigrew(Dwight); two sons, Sidney (Lee) Kennedy III (Carla), Todd Kennedy. Eightgrandchildren (Latoya, Ashanti, Aliah, Jason, Yanni, Sidney IV, Madison & JohnWillie) and seven great grandchildren. Two sisters, Joanne Alexander of Peekskill,NY and Lida Mae Huitt of Queens, NY and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives and friends.