Remembering Jerry Kenney
Remembering Jerry Kenney After a long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis, our friend and teammate Jerry Kenney died on June 25, 2019. His passing is an irreparable loss to his family, his business associates, our University and those of us who knew him, loved him, treasured his intelligence, work ethic, courtesy, good humor, strategic, brilliance and modesty. Jerry and I became friends when we were among the more than 100 classmates who turned out for freshman football. As sophomores, Jerry, Bob Kelly and Troy Murray were assigned to Saybrook College. They quickly became part of our extended group of roommates including: Alphe Beane, Steve Callender, Chris Diercks, Bill Flippin, Dave Mawicke, Nelson Neiman, Ty Welles and myself. Jerry was always emblematic of the Thalian notion of a “sound mind in a sound body.” An athlete at Yale, he believed that athletic excellence was central to a university’s academic reputation and alumni support. He wrote a white paper replete with factual evidence to support his belief. Then, typically, he acted by creating endowments for Yale lacrosse and this year, Yale football. Yale’s lacrosse team won the NCAA Division I championship in 2018. 1 After Yale, Jerry and I reconnected in the late 1980s. Jerry had solidified his reputation as “the smartest man on Wall Street”. Despite his lofty position and spectacular financial success, Jerry was always simply “Jerry”. He would immediately answer my calls or, if otherwise occupied, promptly call back. During my infrequent visits to NYC he always had time for lunch. A gracious man, he hosted a roommates’ gathering in New York City.
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