Daniel Laurence Kennedy was born in Cobram on August 24, 1935, and he lived with his family on their ‘Kentucky’ Muckatah farm.
Dan had two brothers and two sisters.
Dan went to Muckatah State School then boarded at Assumption College at Kilmore.
Helen Keating lived with her family in Warragul, Gippsland. She attended Cloverlea State School and then Sion Catholic Convent before helping out on the family farm.
In 1957, Helen visited her aunt in Cobram and met Dan, a neighbour’s son. The young couple’s courtship started with a long-distance romance.
Following a lengthy courtship they were married on February 10, 1962, at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Warragul.
The couple lived on a dairy farm in Muckatah for over 20 years and were blessed with six wonderful children.
In 1985 the Kennedys bought the Toyworld business in Seymour. The children were still at school when the Kennedys moved to Nagambie.
The Kennedys retired in 2000 from the toy shop enterprise. But they still wanted to be involved with people and they set up their Roscrea Bed and Breakfast business in High St, Nagambie.
The couple had travelled to the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe to learn of their family heritage and visit their son Laurie and his family.
They undertook a river cruise down the Danube and enjoyed their visits to Guernsey, Paris and Rome.
Dan became ill a few months ago and spent time in intensive care for a few days then was in Shepparton hospital for a week. He was then moved to the Nagambie HealthCare aged care facility where he passed away on June 3.
The funeral service for Dan was held on June 11 at St Malachy’s Catholic Church in Nagambie.
A large attendance of mourners attended the service.
Father Chris Gleeson, SJ, conducted the celebration service of Dan’s life with family reflections, readings hymns of praise, prayers of thanksgiving, and parishioner Tim Gleeson singing Danny Boy, all as part of the celebration mass.
Sincere sympathy is extended to Dan’s family, his beloved wife, Helen, their six children, Laurie, Tony, Philip, Jacqui, Louise and Anna, their 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, their extended families and friends in their time of grief and loss for their beloved Dan.
Dan was a well-respected man in the Seymour and Nagambie business sectors and the local community.
The couple has been deeply involved with St Malachy’s Catholic Church parish in Nagambie.
Dan was a Lions Club member in the first Nagambie club after moving there from Cobram. He enjoyed his games of golf on the Nagambie course and helped with the grounds maintenance there.
He was also an ex-chairman of the Beef and Burgundy Club.
On February 5, 2022, Dan and Helen celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a 60th wedding anniversary family party lunch in their beautiful gardens of their ‘Roscrea’ property. They were well known for hosting lovely garden weddings and B&B guests, who appreciated staying in their Victorian house.
Last December, Dan and Helen enjoyed the company of their five new great-grandchildren, two of whom were from the UK, during a close family get-together.
Dan left his mark on the world, making it a better place through his life and love.
Vale Dan Kennedy.