Joe "Jay" Chester Kennedy, Jr., 92, of Garland, TX went home to be with his Heavenly Father on Tuesday night, March 20, 2018 at Garland Nursing and Rehabilitation Home a week after undergoing hip surgery.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, April 2, 2018 preceded by a viewing at 10:00 am in Morgan Chapel at Orchard Hills Baptist Church, 3001 Saturn Rd., Garland, TX 75041. Reverend Dickson Rial will be officiating.

Burial will follow at DFW National Cemetery, Dallas, TX at 2:00 pm. Arrangements are being handled by Eastgate Funeral Home, Garland, TX.

Jay was born on February 5, 1926 in Mertens, TX to J. C. Kennedy and Jewel (Dixon) Kennedy Bevan and was a Navy veteran of World War II.

Jay is preceded in death by his mother and father, sister Fayrene Rozelle, sister Louise Kirk, son-in-law Dr. Philip L. Scott and grandson Michael Scott.

Survivors include his wife Ruth (Nelson) Kennedy, Garland, TX, daughters Gail (Talkington) Stevenson and her husband Charles "Chuck" Stevenson, Greenville, TX, Connie (Talkington) Kennedy, Greenville, TX and Sandra (Kennedy) Scott, Georgetown, TX, brother Walter Kennedy, Garland, TX, sister-in-law Peggy (Nelson) Wright, De Soto, TX, 9 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. Also, a number of nieces and nephews.

Jay was a Minister of Education and Outreach/Associate Pastor for 33 years at churches in Texas and Oklahoma. After his retirement he continued ministering by visiting the church members in the hospital and nursing home. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was an avid fisherman of both fish and men. Wherever he went He shared the Gospel of Jesus and love of God with everyone he met. Even when living in the nursing home he was ministering for the Lord. God surely greeted him home with, “Well done good and faithful servant.”