Gary Marten Kennedy

Gary Marten Kennedy Gary Marten Kennedy passed away November 24, 2015 after a prolonged illness. Visitation will be held Friday, November 27, 2015 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home on Marshall St. from 5 to 7 p.m., and funeral services will be held Saturday, November 28, 2015 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home on Marshall St. at 1:00 p.m. with Dr. Pat Day officiating. Burial will follow at Centuries Memorial Park. Gary was born December 13, 1952, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Gary was an inspirational leader, fiercely loyal friend, and loving father. He graduated from Captain Shreve High School where he played football, which led to a scholarship at Louisiana Tech University. Between undergraduate and graduate school, Gary volunteered for the United States Marine Corps, and after completing basic training, he was honorably discharged to complete his education. After finishing college, Gary returned to Shreveport to work for his family business, Red Ball Oxygen Company where he worked for 40 years. Gary treated the employees at Red Ball like an extended family, and he took the time to get to know them, celebrate their achievements, and reward their hard work and dedication. Gary was fiercely proud of his children, and nothing made him happier than sharing in their joys, growth, and accomplishments. He would tell anyone who asked, and even those that didn\'t, how proud he was of each of them, and how honored he was to be their father. Being a dad was truly the greatest passion of his life. Gary was a founding member of the Shreveport Rugby Club, and for nearly 40 years, he loved to play, support and cheer for the team he helped found. He felt that community involvement was a fundamental tenet of citizenship. Personally, through the rugby club, and through Red Ball, Gary ardently supported local law enforcement, the Shreveport Lion\'s Club, Community Renewal, the Salvation Army and various other local organizations, and he made it a priority to support and hire veterans of the United States military. Gary is survived by his wife, Lydia Petrus Kennedy; his daughters, Claire Kennedy and Sarah Kennedy Nelson and her husband Daniel Nelson; his son, Alex Kennedy and wife Elizabeth Dickinson Kennedy; three grandsons, Owen Nelson, Caleb Nelson, and Arthur Kennedy; granddaughter, Camille Nelson; mother, Lorena Kennedy; brother, Larry Kennedy and wife Ro; and sister, Judith Kennedy Storer and husband Craig. Gary was preceded in death by his father, Earl Craig Kennedy, and his father and mother- in- law, Alfred Joseph and Frances Nugent Petrus. Honoring Gary as pallbearers will be Jim Dickinson, Bob Ewing, Jarrod Lipsey, Ralph Thomas, Drew Tomsak, and Bear Trant. \"There are two things in life that never get old: Love and Victory.\"