WAYLAND: William Sterling Kenney, Sr., 94, died peacefully on January 19, 2012 at the Newton Wellesley Hospital following a brief illness.
He was born in Clarks Harbor, Nova Scotia, Canada on August 31, 1917 the son of the late Sterling Kenney and Mildred (Nickerson) Kenney.
He is survived by his devoted children, William S. Kenney, Jr., and his wife Suzanne E. Reitz of Wayland and Louise Kenney Egan and her husband George E. Egan of Wellesley. Proud grandfather of Julia E. Kenney of Australia; Ian W. Kenney of Jamaica Plain; Tyler R. Kenney and Margaux C. Kenney both of Wayland; George E. Egan, Jr. of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Glenn H. Egan of Brighton. He was the brother of Shirley G. Malone of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada and the late Claire M. Turnquist and Blanche Goreham. He was the husband of the late Katherine I. (Hopkins) Kenney.
He has been a resident of Wayland for the past 44 years and was also a resident of Chatham.
He was educated in Canada and the United States and attended the Armed Forces Institute and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
He served his country proudly with the United States Navy in the 8th N.C.B. as a First Class Petty Officer during World War II in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, the South Pacific including the Invasion of Okinawa. He was the recipient of five Campaign Medals, the U.S. Naval Combat Ribbon and two Battle Stars.
Bill was a member of the Nickerson Family Association of Chatham, the VFW Post 9917 of Brewster, the Waltham TRIAD Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Waltham, the Alleppo Temple of Wilmington and the Carpenters Local Union #33 of Boston.
He was a former Senior Vice President of R.M. Martin Co. of Boston. Bill co-founded the W.S. Kenney Company of Natick with his son William S. Kenney, Jr. and his daughter Louise Kenney Egan.
At the request of his family there will be no funeral home visitations.
A Memorial Service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 2:00 pm at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 50 Cochituate Rd (corner of Route 20 and 27), Wayland Center.
Private family burial will be held in Lakeview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, his family suggests memorial gifts in Bill’s memory may be sent to First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Wayland or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of the John C. Bryant Funeral Home of Wayland.