Obituary for Alice Winnetta “Winnie” Kennedy
On February 6, 2023, Alice Winnetta “Winnie” Kennedy succumbed to advanced Parkinson’s disease under the care of the staff from Life Care Center of Hixson and Hearth Hospice Care in Hixson, Tennessee. She formerly lived in Northfield, Ohio. She moved to Hixson, Tennessee in 2018 to be near her sister, Della Williams and her family.
Winnetta was born August 14, 1936, in Weston, WV. to Virgil F. & Mildred Swisher Bowman. She graduated from Weston High School in 1954, and Glenville State College in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She moved to Cleveland, Ohio to pursue a Master’s Degree in chemistry at Western Reserve University. She was employed by Standard Oil of Ohio (SOHIO) in their research laboratory and later worked in the research library retiring in 1993 from BP (formerly SOHIO).
On July 20, 1967, she was married to Mickey Kennedy. Together they traveled the world sightseeing in all the world’s continents. In 2008, they were divorced and Mickey returned to his native home – Budapest, Hungary.
Winnetta spent her retirement years as an avid birder and observed birds all over the world. Her other passion was doing volunteer work with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park where in 2015 she received the Volunteer of the Year Award and the President’s Call to Service Award. These awards recognized her various contributions to the park as a guide and for her research work about the farm families who had settled in the area prior to the establishment of the park.
She also used her research skills for genealogy. She had done extensive research into the Jackson – Bush families. She also researched the Frank Bowman and Mamie Reigel ancestry lines in southern Ohio.
Surviving Winnetta are two sisters, Rose Ella (Mike) Powell, Adrian, MI. and Della Jean (Tom) Williams, Hixson, Tn. Six nephews – Warren Williams and Wayne (Jennifer) Williams of TN., Willie (Jean) Jr Mick, Virgil (Bonnie) Mick, Randy (Carrie) Mick, and Ted Mick all in WV. In addition, there are five great-nephews,
two great-nieces, four great-great-nieces and three great-great-nephews.
Winnetta was proceeded in death by her parents, sister Betty Lane and her husband Willie Mick, nephew Frank Mick and grandparents Charles and Vinnie Bush Swisher and Frank and Mamie Reigle Bowman.
A memorial service will be held later this year in Weston, WV. with Interment at that time in the Lewis County Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, OH.
Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com.
Submitted by her sister Della Williams