Irene Kennedy was a breath of fresh air! Her love extended beyond her happy family; it went all around her. She was an adorable and innocent mom who put us all before herself. My dad loved her more than life itself and took complete care of her as she raised four girls, now all teachers in the arts and physical education. Irene was herself an award-winning artist who made drawings for Foxboro Company, where she met her future husband.
As her third daughter (also an artist) I remember a very happy upbringing. Every Sunday the family dressed up and either visited relatives, climbed caves, saw the Arboretum, visited the canal, or went other places that were more enjoyable than costly! In the summer we vacationed at Myles Standish Park and North Truro Camping area. We eventually bought a boat to explore Pamet Harbor and the P-Town point. My mom loved the sun, but her skin didn’t show it!
I was teaching (with my daughter, now an animator for Pixar) in class when I received a phone call. It was the Walpole Police, asking me to join them and my father. I left the class, instructing the students to continue drawing until the bell rang. I said to them, “I hope my dad didn’t smash up another van.” By 5PM it was all over the news that an elderly lady had been killed in a brutal stabbing at Bird Park. It was hard enough to deal with the shock of the murder...but in a school of 1,200 teenagers (who follow the local news) it was especially difficult.
Even worse was the fact that my mom was so sweet, innocent, and independent. Now, every time I see a cute little lady in a pink or light blue sweatshirt with birds or flowers, I smile and think of my little lost mom, Irene.