Obituary of John P. Kennedy

John Patrick Kennedy, long time resident of Short Hills, NJ passed away peacefully on April 9th. He was 82. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave, Short Hills, NJ on Tues, April 14th at 11:15 AM. Interment Private. Visitation will be held at The Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home 2122 Millburn Ave, Maplewood, NJ on Monday, 5:00 – 9:00 PM. In lieu of flowers donations to Loyola Jesuit Center, 161 James Street Morristown, NJ 07960 in memory of John P. Kennedy would be appreciated. For more information or to send condolences please visit jacobhollefuneralhome.com John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Teresa ("Terry"); children Kathleen of Boston, MA, Elizabeth Kennedy Browne (Mark) of Short Hills, John of New Haven, and Patrick (Alison) of Lexington MA; and his five grandchildren: Oliver, Aidan, and Declan of Short Hills; and Peyton and Lauren of Lexington.John was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Patrick J. and Mary Catherine of Wynnewood, PA; his sisters Patricia Pakes (Ohio) and Catherine Wolfington (Pennsylvania) John was born in 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A 1951 graduate of St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, he attended the College of the Holy Cross before receiving his B.S. (cum laude) from St. Louis University in 1956. He was a 1959 graduate of Georgetown Law School and did additional graduate work at American University in Systems Planning and at the FAA Academy in Facilities Management. He began his career at the Air Transport Association, and later served as a consultant to the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Science and Technology in the U. S. Department of Transportation. He went on to work for Eastern Air Lines and was later Vice President at Pan Am World Services overseeing the development of Teterboro and Westchester County airports and the heliports of Manhattan. He later founded and was president of the Airport Corporation of America where he directed the transition of Stewart AFB from a military to commercial airport. Over the years he served as a consultant to many municipalities and authorities, and oversaw the operation of the Adirondack and Lake Placid Airports for the 1980 Olympics. He was a member of the California Association of Aircraft Executives, the American Association of Aircraft Executives and served on its Legal and Academic Committees. He served on the Associate Board of Directors of United Jersey Bank, the Board of Directors for the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey and was Chairman of the Advisory Council to the Board of Directors of the National Business Aircraft Association. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Rose of Lima parish. He enjoyed golf, sailing, and was a frequent traveler. His favorite moments were spent sailing with friends, sharing travel adventures with his family, and finishing the day with a Manhattan.