James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, 73, of Anderson, SC, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2019 at the Rainey Hospice House. He was previously hospitalized in early December and was treated for pancreatitis, along with ongoing diabetes and kidney issues.
He was born on Monday, October 14, 1946 in Anderson, SC to the late Bill Kennedy and Janie Mae (nee Bolden) Greenlee. Radio was a fixture at T.L. Hanna High School for more than fifty years after showing up on the field as a teenager in the mid-1960s. At that time, he was with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write. He became a fixture at football practices, standing passively and watching, until one day when he began to mimic the coaches' signals and tried his hand at yelling out commands. At that point, he could have been labeled a distraction and sent away. But he was not. The coaches embraced him, and as coaches came and went, someone would always take over in caring for him. He was nicknamed Radio by the coaches and players. In 1964, former T.L. Hanna football coach Harold Jones befriended Radio. His inspirational life story including his friendship with Jones was the subject of the film "Radio" in 2003 and had been documented in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. He was considered a permanent junior and was inducted in 2016 as a member of the T.L. Hanna Hall of Fame. He loved the school, football and all of the students, faculty and coaches who came through. He was also a member of Generostee Baptist Church. Radio was loved by many and will forever leave an impact on those who knew him and those who only knew his story.
He is survived by his brother, George Allen "Cool Rock" Kennedy; two nieces, Jackie Kennedy and Andrea Wideman; two nephews, Christopher Kennedy (Alice) and Fitzgerald Kennedy; two great-nieces, Latoya Johnson and Marshia Thompkins; three great-nephews, Joshua Allen, Brandon Wideman (Irma) and Rodriguez Wideman; and one great-great nephew Nehmiah Thompkins.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Walter Lee Kennedy.
Visitation was offered on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 through Friday morning December 20, 2019 at the McDougald Funeral Home, 2211 North Main Street, Anderson, SC, 29621. Radio was laid in state at his beloved T.L. Hanna High School on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 5-8 PM. The funeral service was held on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 2 PM in the Civic Center of Anderson, 3027 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29625. Burial was followed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 2609 U.S. Highway 29 North, Anderson, SC 29621.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 112 Tolly Street, Anderson, SC 29624 or the Outdoor Dream Foundation, P.O. Box 802, Anderson, SC 29622. The family will be at the residence.
For more information or online condolences, please visit Radio's tribute page at mcdougaldfuneralhome.com
He was born on Monday, October 14, 1946 in Anderson, SC to the late Bill Kennedy and Janie Mae (nee Bolden) Greenlee. Radio was a fixture at T.L. Hanna High School for more than fifty years after showing up on the field as a teenager in the mid-1960s. At that time, he was with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write. He became a fixture at football practices, standing passively and watching, until one day when he began to mimic the coaches' signals and tried his hand at yelling out commands. At that point, he could have been labeled a distraction and sent away. But he was not. The coaches embraced him, and as coaches came and went, someone would always take over in caring for him. He was nicknamed Radio by the coaches and players. In 1964, former T.L. Hanna football coach Harold Jones befriended Radio. His inspirational life story including his friendship with Jones was the subject of the film "Radio" in 2003 and had been documented in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. He was considered a permanent junior and was inducted in 2016 as a member of the T.L. Hanna Hall of Fame. He loved the school, football and all of the students, faculty and coaches who came through. He was also a member of Generostee Baptist Church. Radio was loved by many and will forever leave an impact on those who knew him and those who only knew his story.
He is survived by his brother, George Allen "Cool Rock" Kennedy; two nieces, Jackie Kennedy and Andrea Wideman; two nephews, Christopher Kennedy (Alice) and Fitzgerald Kennedy; two great-nieces, Latoya Johnson and Marshia Thompkins; three great-nephews, Joshua Allen, Brandon Wideman (Irma) and Rodriguez Wideman; and one great-great nephew Nehmiah Thompkins.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Walter Lee Kennedy.
Visitation was offered on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 through Friday morning December 20, 2019 at the McDougald Funeral Home, 2211 North Main Street, Anderson, SC, 29621. Radio was laid in state at his beloved T.L. Hanna High School on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 5-8 PM. The funeral service was held on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 2 PM in the Civic Center of Anderson, 3027 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29625. Burial was followed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 2609 U.S. Highway 29 North, Anderson, SC 29621.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 112 Tolly Street, Anderson, SC 29624 or the Outdoor Dream Foundation, P.O. Box 802, Anderson, SC 29622. The family will be at the residence.
For more information or online condolences, please visit Radio's tribute page at mcdougaldfuneralhome.com
James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, 73, of Anderson, SC, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2019 at the Rainey Hospice House. He was previously hospitalized in early December and was treated for pancreatitis, along with ongoing diabetes and kidney issues.
He was born on Monday, October 14, 1946 in Anderson, SC to the late Bill Kennedy and Janie Mae (nee Bolden) Greenlee. Radio was a fixture at T.L. Hanna High School for more than fifty years after showing up on the field as a teenager in the mid-1960s. At that time, he was with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write. He became a fixture at football practices, standing passively and watching, until one day when he began to mimic the coaches' signals and tried his hand at yelling out commands. At that point, he could have been labeled a distraction and sent away. But he was not. The coaches embraced him, and as coaches came and went, someone would always take over in caring for him. He was nicknamed Radio by the coaches and players. In 1964, former T.L. Hanna football coach Harold Jones befriended Radio. His inspirational life story including his friendship with Jones was the subject of the film "Radio" in 2003 and had been documented in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. He was considered a permanent junior and was inducted in 2016 as a member of the T.L. Hanna Hall of Fame. He loved the school, football and all of the students, faculty and coaches who came through. He was also a member of Generostee Baptist Church. Radio was loved by many and will forever leave an impact on those who knew him and those who only knew his story.
He is survived by his brother, George Allen "Cool Rock" Kennedy; two nieces, Jackie Kennedy and Andrea Wideman; two nephews, Christopher Kennedy (Alice) and Fitzgerald Kennedy; two great-nieces, Latoya Johnson and Marshia Thompkins; three great-nephews, Joshua Allen, Brandon Wideman (Irma) and Rodriguez Wideman; and one great-great nephew Nehmiah Thompkins.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Walter Lee Kennedy.
Visitation was offered on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 through Friday morning December 20, 2019 at the McDougald Funeral Home, 2211 North Main Street, Anderson, SC, 29621. Radio was laid in state at his beloved T.L. Hanna High School on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 5-8 PM. The funeral service was held on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 2 PM in the Civic Center of Anderson, 3027 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29625. Burial was followed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 2609 U.S. Highway 29 North, Anderson, SC 29621.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 112 Tolly Street, Anderson, SC 29624 or the Outdoor Dream Foundation, P.O. Box 802, Anderson, SC 29622. The family will be at the residence.
For more information or online condolences, please visit Radio's tribute page at mcdougaldfuneralhome.com
He was born on Monday, October 14, 1946 in Anderson, SC to the late Bill Kennedy and Janie Mae (nee Bolden) Greenlee. Radio was a fixture at T.L. Hanna High School for more than fifty years after showing up on the field as a teenager in the mid-1960s. At that time, he was with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write. He became a fixture at football practices, standing passively and watching, until one day when he began to mimic the coaches' signals and tried his hand at yelling out commands. At that point, he could have been labeled a distraction and sent away. But he was not. The coaches embraced him, and as coaches came and went, someone would always take over in caring for him. He was nicknamed Radio by the coaches and players. In 1964, former T.L. Hanna football coach Harold Jones befriended Radio. His inspirational life story including his friendship with Jones was the subject of the film "Radio" in 2003 and had been documented in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. He was considered a permanent junior and was inducted in 2016 as a member of the T.L. Hanna Hall of Fame. He loved the school, football and all of the students, faculty and coaches who came through. He was also a member of Generostee Baptist Church. Radio was loved by many and will forever leave an impact on those who knew him and those who only knew his story.
He is survived by his brother, George Allen "Cool Rock" Kennedy; two nieces, Jackie Kennedy and Andrea Wideman; two nephews, Christopher Kennedy (Alice) and Fitzgerald Kennedy; two great-nieces, Latoya Johnson and Marshia Thompkins; three great-nephews, Joshua Allen, Brandon Wideman (Irma) and Rodriguez Wideman; and one great-great nephew Nehmiah Thompkins.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Walter Lee Kennedy.
Visitation was offered on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 through Friday morning December 20, 2019 at the McDougald Funeral Home, 2211 North Main Street, Anderson, SC, 29621. Radio was laid in state at his beloved T.L. Hanna High School on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 5-8 PM. The funeral service was held on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 2 PM in the Civic Center of Anderson, 3027 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29625. Burial was followed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 2609 U.S. Highway 29 North, Anderson, SC 29621.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 112 Tolly Street, Anderson, SC 29624 or the Outdoor Dream Foundation, P.O. Box 802, Anderson, SC 29622. The family will be at the residence.
For more information or online condolences, please visit Radio's tribute page at mcdougaldfuneralhome.com
Gravesite Details
Interment Date: December 21, 2019
