Harold James “Jim” Kennedy, 79, a longtime resident of Wilton, N.H. passed away on July 13, 2023 at Saint Joesph’s Hospital, surrounded by his family.
Jim was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather. He was a sports enthusiast and a collector of antiquarian books. He possessed incredible knowledge of early book publications and art and took pride in sharing his knowledge with others. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, Carol, to antiquarian book shows.
Jim was born in Brockton, Mass. on July 12, 1944, a son of the late Harold E. and Esther (Oja) Kennedy. Educated in Wilton, Jim was a graduate of Wilton High School Class of 1962. Following graduation, he attended the New England School of Art in Boston and the University of New Hampshire. Using his artistic talent, Jim pursued a career in the arts and established his own company, Gazebo Advertising. He spent most of his career as a creative art director for the sporting goods company Dynamite Nobel-RWS. Upon retirement, Jim followed his true passion of collecting antiquarian books, as the owner of Gazebo Books.
During his life, Jim gave selflessly and devoted an enormous amount of his time towards creating and developing athletic programs in the Wilton community. In the early 1970’s, he helped in the foundation of the Wilton Junior Athletic Association (WJAA) where he also coached youth basketball, the Hawks, for more than two decades. In 1973, Jim was a founding member of the Wilton Men’s League which celebrated its 50th basketball season this year. As the commissioner of Wilton Men’s League, he established the Michael Testa Memorial Scholarship, distributing more than 40 athletic scholarships to Wilton-Lyndeborough graduating seniors over the years. In addition to basketball, Jim also spent many years playing on area softball teams. In recent years, he played for and coached the Wilton Fossils to multiple league championships.
Although Jim was a New England sports enthusiast, he was a true Cincinnati Reds fan at heart and could always be seen wearing his signature red cap. Jim enjoyed spending time with his wife and family, especially watching his grandchildren participate in athletics and extracurricular activities.
Members of his family include his devoted and loving wife of 58 years, Carol (Richardson) Kennedy; his four children, Michael Kennedy of Rindge NH, Matthew and Michele Kennedy of Wilton, NH, Mark Kennedy and Heidi Cloutier of Amherst, NH and Michaela Kennedy and Christopher Jacob of Wilton, NH; seven grandchildren, Rachel Kennedy, Nicholas Kennedy, Elisabeth Jacob, Perry Cloutier-Kennedy, Adrienne Kennedy, Benjamin Jacob, and Logan Cloutier-Kennedy; cousins Philip Nelson of Wakefield, Mass. and Genie Hopkins of Purcellville, VA. He is also survived by several extended family members and lifelong friends.
Memorial visiting hours take place on Thursday, July 27th from 5:00-7:00 pm with a Celebration of Life to follow from 7:00-8:00 pm in the Michaud Funeral Home, 32 Maple Street, Wilton. A private burial with family will take place at a later date.
