Arnold "Ken" Kennedy, 86, passed away on Monday, February 13, 2017 after a brief illness.

Ken was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He loved to convert complete strangers into friends with his charm and knack for storytelling. He was a mentor and adviser to family and friend alike. He was an avid football fan and amassed an unparalleled collection of military memorabilia. He joined the Air Force in 1948, and protected our nation at home and abroad over the course of 30 years, including wartime service in Korea and Vietnam. He retired from military service with the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. While starting another career, Ken obtained both Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from UWF. He finally retired from Civil Service at NAS Pensacola after 15 years.

Ken is survived by his wife, Pearl; his sons, Kenneth (Denise) and Mark (Clair); grandsons, Kevin (Erica) and David (Lauren), granddaughters, Dawna and Eden and great granddaughters, Lexxa and Shyla.

Special thanks are offered to Covenant Care Hospice team for the loving care, compassion and respect they provided during his final battle.

He will be interred with full military honors at Barrancas National Cemetery on Friday, February 24, 2017 at 11:30am. A funeral procession will depart Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel on Airport Boulevard at 11:00am sharp. Entry to Barrancas, separate from the procession, is not permitted without a Military ID.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of CMSgt Arnold Kennedy, USAF may be made to the United Services Organizations (USO) at https://www.uso.org/donate/next .