Beloved former mayor Dennis Kennedy, whose passion for the future of Morgan Hill was as much a hobby as a livelihood, died Monday night after a 10-month battle with brain cancer.
Before Kennedy became mayor of Morgan Hill in 1992, he spent several years influencing the city’s growth control measures that continue to determine at what rate the city will grow. Those who knew Kennedy best say he lives on in this work—and in his leadership in recreation services—that make Morgan Hill the unique, tight-knit community that residents enjoy.
“He was a great man,” said Morgan Hill resident Bernie Mulligan who has known Kennedy for nearly 40 years. The two met and quickly became friends during early discussions of “Measure E,” the first version of the population-capping ordinance that was ultimately approved by voters in the late 1970s. Numerous subsequent updates of this ordinance have won at the polls in the decades since.
“It’s a tremendous loss to his family and friends, and even more so, it’s a tragic loss to our entire community,” Mulligan added. “His imprint is all over this town, no matter where you go. He will long be remembered.”
Kennedy, 77, died about 8:15 p.m. March 28 at his home in east Morgan Hill. His son Matthew Kennedy, 45, was by his side.
Matthew Kennedy conveyed a statement to the Times through family friend and former Kennedy campaign manager Swanee Edwards: “I know Dad was special to the community, and he was very special to me personally. He was so loving and so gentle, yet at the same time he was so powerful. He treated everyone as an equal. Dad would respect the dignity of all humans regardless of their station in life. I am so proud of him and I loved him so much.”
As mayor, Kennedy was a relentless advocate for the use of Redevelopment funds to build public recreation facilities that remain highly popular, and even integral to the character of Morgan Hill.
In December 2015, despite his declining health, Kennedy appeared as the honored guest at a ceremony held by current city officials to rename the Morgan Hill Dennis Kennedy Aquatics Center. Kennedy, as mayor in 2003, led the effort to develop the Aquatics Center as a premier swimming facility with the help of the city council and RDA.
“It blows me away,” Kennedy told the Times at the Dec. 4 ceremony, as he referred to the outpouring of admiration before him. “I never expected anything like this. There are so many wonderful people in our area. I find it overwhelming.”
Today’s generation of South County public officials often describe Kennedy as a “mentor.” Current Mayor Steve Tate, who has known Kennedy since he coached Matthew’s youth soccer team, described the former mayor as the “guiding light” for the construction of the city’s robust recreation facilities program, which includes not only the swim center but also the Community and Cultural Center as well as the Centennial Recreation Center.
“People have always loved living in our city, and he’s a huge part of the reason why that’s true,” Tate said. “He’s always a respectful gentleman, and to me he was a great mentor. I’m going to miss him.”
Distinguished career
A professional mechanical engineer by trade, Kennedy worked for IBM for 25 years—before embarking on a public service career that would make him a South County legend. He later worked for the construction firm Parsons Corporation for about seven years as a project manager.
His resume of volunteer leadership and community service work is exhaustive. Kennedy was an American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley senior fellow, a member of Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, past president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association and the Morgan Hill Sister Cities committee. He was the winner of the 2007 Morgan Hill Leadership Excellence Award. In 2015, he was honored by Gavilan College with the Lifetime Community Spirit Award.
Kennedy served as mayor of Morgan Hill from 1992 to 2006. Tate recalls volunteering as his campaign manager for his successful run at a city council seat in the late 1980s. “Neither of us knew what we were doing,” Tate joked. And before he was elected to office, Kennedy served on the city planning commission.
After he retired as mayor, Kennedy worked as a consultant and continued volunteering for the community. He was a member of the Morgan Hill Times editorial board for several years.
Kennedy re-entered the political stage in 2013, when the board of directors of the Santa Clara Valley Water District appointed him to fill the seventh seat on that governing body. He completed the term of exiting SCVWD Director Don Gage, and won election to the seat in November 2014. On Nov. 4, 2015, Kennedy resigned from the SCVWD board due to health complications related to a brain tumor. He was diagnosed with the tumor in June 2015.
Kennedy asked Edwards, a San Martin resident, to be his campaign manager when he decided to run for election to the SCVWD board in 2014. Edwards knew Kennedy for about 15 years, and also led his last campaign for mayor. She said he was not in pain when he died.
“He’s gone through a lot of personal tragedies in his life here in Morgan Hill, but he changed the city,” Edwards said. “He was probably one of the best men I have ever met. I’m going to dedicate the rest of my life to following up on his work if I can.”
Words of praise
Claudia Rossi, a Santa Clara County Board of Education board member who began her political career as a Morgan Hill Unified trustee, added that Kennedy experienced “such a joyful life.” He had his pilot’s license and completed a competitive swim to Alcatraz in San Francisco a few years ago. Kennedy inspired Rossi to join the Rotary Club, and was selfless in his consideration of others.
“He spent more time talking about the qualities and leadership of others, and not about his own. We’re better because he was with us,” Rossi said.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman, who represents the area that includes South County on the board, has long recognized Dennis Kennedy’s leadership and influence. “I am saddened to hear that former Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy passed away last night,” Wasserman posted on his Facebook page March 29. “Dennis was a popular and effective leader, who cared deeply about people.”
Former City Manager Ed Tewes, who served as City Hall’s top staff person through a portion of Kennedy’s time as mayor, called him a “key figure” in shaping what Morgan Hill is now.
“He was a great mayor who served in a transitional period,” Tewes said. “He had started his service as things were getting mixed up and toxic on the city council. He brought calm and progressive policies to Morgan Hill.”
Kennedy counted swimming, water skiing and golf among his hobbies. He was often seen on the golf course with his faithful dog Nika, who died December 2015, riding in the cart with him. But Kennedy was just as happy spending his free time talking about and planning for the future of Morgan Hill.
“We’d sit here at the bar at my house and talk about whatever we need to do” to ensure Morgan Hill didn’t suffer from the “unbridled” growth that was occurring in nearby cities, Mulligan recalled of the early days of his friendship with Kennedy. Some of these evening discussions lasted into the early morning. “I remember how tenacious he would be in wanting to keep Morgan Hill as a small town. And it has worked for years.”
Mulligan and Kennedy also traveled extensively together as colleagues on the Sister Cities board. “He and I are the only two that have been to all five of Morgan Hill’s sister cities,” in Japan, Italy, Ireland, Mexico and Turkey, Mulligan said.
Family and friends are planning a public celebration of Kennedy’s life in the coming weeks, Edwards added. Details will be announced.
