Charles (Charlie) Henry Kenny was the first baby born in Mobile in the year 1929. Son of James Aloysius and Mabel Duff and one of seven siblings, "Charlie" was a native and long-time resident of Mobile, Alabama and died there at the age of 95 on April 20th, 2024. He is survived by Mary Gunthorpe Kenny, his wife of almost 67 years, his children Thomas, Peter (Jeanne-Marie), Chuck, Mary (Patrick), Phillip, Theresa (James), James (Gabriela), Kristan (Jeff), and Clare (Jack) as well as 23 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and his sister Theresa Dezenberg. Charlie is preceded in death by his parents James and Mable Kenny, his sister Mary-Cecilia, his brothers James, John (Jack), Robert, Donald, his son Paul Vincent and his daughter Regina (John).
After serving for four years active duty in the Navy, he met his wife at a Catholic group for young adults and the couple married at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in May of 1957. Charlie was a dedicated husband and father as well as a devout Catholic. He worked as a civilian contractor for the Navy and moved many times during his career before retiring back to Mobile in 1995. Wherever he lived, Charlie volunteered numerous hours at his parish: teaching catechism, performing church maintenance, bringing communion to the home-bound, and driving the elderly to their appointments and to Mass. His devotion to the Church culminated in his ordination as a deacon in June of 2002.
We prefer to remember Dad as he was: the small man with a booming voice and the green eyes that turned blue when he felt angry. The man whose children ran from the living room when his car pulled into the driveway. The man whose voice trembled with laughter every time he read Yertle the Turtle to his children. The Irish troubadour who sang Dear Old Donegal as though the ancestors had never left County Cork. The Roman Catholic who followed the letter of Catholic teaching but dabbled in Pentecostalism when the charismatic movement surged. The competitor who played baseball, racquetball and ping pong with a passion that never died. The intrepid explorer of the Children's Catholic Bible. The droning Monarchist of Hail Mary prayers delivered as a rosary bouquet to his queen. The woodsman who pointed out the shine of a Louisiana red eared slider's shell under a shrub when he walked with us through the woods. The husband who smacked his wife on the ass when she walked by. The god who lifted us into the air, caught us, and patted us on the back to show us the world was exciting and safe-as long as he was there to catch us. The shoveling treasure hunter who prized one treasure above all others, what he always called, THE family.
January 1, 1929 — April 20, 2024
The Visitation for Charlie will be held at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on April 24th, 2024, at 09:00 followed by the funeral mass at 10:00. He will be interred at Mobile Memorial Gardens, followed by a reception to celebrate his life at the St. Vincent De Paul parish hall. Arrangements are by Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.
