Grant Holton Kennedy of Bryan with his parents lying beside him and former school nurse and beloved friend Patrice Rivers at the foot of his bed quietly, painlessly and peacefully left this life and went to be with his Lord Monday, June 2, 2009. Visitation will be Friday, June 5, 2009 from 6-8 p.m. at the A-M Church of Christ located at 2475 Earl Rudder FWY S in College Station. The Memorial Service will be Saturday June 6, 2009 at the A-M Church of Christ beginning at 10 a.m.
Grant attended Sam Houston and Bowen Elementary in Bryan. He also attended Sam Rayburn Middle School and Bryan High. Grant was dedicated to his friends and a giving, selfless young man. He always stood up for the underdog. He loved and was loved by all who knew him.
Grant loved fishing, baseball, his family and friends. He was loyal to his family and friends and always wanted to be there for all. He had an ability to read people and would often walk by, even at 11-13 years of age, turn around and say “you look like you need a hug” and come give you one. Grant had a smile and a heart the size of Texas and was more than willing to share it.
Grant was preceded in death by his Great Grand Parents Hershel and Clessie Brawley of Hobbs, New Mexico; his paternal Grandfather Guy Holton Kennedy of Hobbs, New Mexico; Maternal Grandparents, J.D. and Lois Driver of Breckenridge, Texas
Survivors include his parents Ben and Judy Kennedy of Bryan; sister Jennifer Kennedy of Austin; brother and sister-in-law Neil and Jori Kennedy, of College Station. He was also blessed with a beautiful healthy Nephew one day after he left this earth , Holton James Kennedy. His paternal great grandmother, Betty Kennedy of Hobbs, New Mexico; an Uncle, Robert Holton Kennedy of San Diego, California; cousins, Erin and Lani Kennedy of San Diego, California.
Ben my heart and payers are with you, I am glad the Lord has a good man standing by his side. We all will miss Grant.
LOVE YOU BROTHER
Bryan
To the Kennedy family, I’m sorry for your loss. You are all in my prayers
My Brother Ben,
Mere words on this guest book will never be able to describe what and how I felt about Grant. I knew it the first time I met him that he was a very special child and would become a great man some day like his Dad.
My heart grieves for you as my eyes weep for you. But I will always hold the special memories that you gave me and that I have shared with your father. I will never forget when you played football for Rayburn against my son Bradley at College Station. You two guys made two old men very proud that night. Very Very Proud.
You may be gone from our lives Grant, but you will never be gone from our hearts. Love you Buddy! Love you my Brother Ben and May Alimighty God bless all of the Kennedy Family.
The Harvie Cheshire Family
There are no words to let you know how sorry we are for your loss. He was a precious young man and loved by so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. May God strengthen you in the days ahead.
J.B. and Rama
Ben – Judy~
my prayers and thoughts are with you both during this most difficult time. While I only really knew Grant for a short period of time, I felt like I had known him forever through hearing you talk about him. Ben I saw and felt your pain every time we talked. God now has a special angel to watch over all of you. Please know that your ESTI family is thinking about you. Melba – Natali Lopez
Ben and Judy, my heart aches for all of you, but I know that Grant is at peace in his new home with our Lord. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I know God brought us together to fulfill His plan. In the years I’ve known you, I learned so much about complete faith in our Holy Father, uncondtional love, strength of character, and compassion for others. Every time I pass the Little League baseball field in Hearne, I can picture Grant ‘swinging for the fence.’ I pray that God holds you in His loving arms during this most difficult time and comforts you with precious memories. God bless
Precious playful Grant! That is how I will remember you. Always ready to play ball, caring for others and being an encourager to those around you. Beautiful beautiful boy!
Judy, I am so so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Please let me know if I can do anything.
Love you,
Ben we are so sorry for your loss you are in our prayers and our hearts go out to you in this time of grief we love you Steve and Jeanina Cochran
I am so very sorry. Grant was an inspiration to many. May God’s peace comfort us all.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15
May the Lord bring you peace and comfort.
Linda
My heart goes out to you during this difficult time.
Mimi Bowman
So sorry for the loss of your brother, Grant. Just want you to know that I am keeping you in my prayers. I know that you have heard all of the cliches’, etc. these past days, but all that I want to say is that Grant truly has peace now and will for an eternity. So, let your heart be at peace and those of your family also.
Ben and Judy I am so sorry for your loss. Your family is in my prayers. Please let me know if there is anything that we can do for you guys.
My sincerest prayers go out to you, Jennifer, and to the entire Kennedy family and everyone who loved Grant. May peace, strength, and comfort attend you all.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to you and your family during this time of lose. Ben you know the fire family is here if you have any needs, just reach out.
God Bless.
Dear Kennedy Family,
Please except my deepest sympathies on the death of Grant. I remember him so fondly from my days at BHS. I know he is at peace with his Lord. May that thought give you the peace and strength that you need to continue through this difficult time.
Trish Peddicord
Music Therapist, retired BISD
Dear Judy and Ben,
It was like yesterday that I was picking up Grant and Robert from the baseball field. I would always stop and get them frenchfries and cokes to eat and drink after their games. I was always taking them to the Rivers house to visit with Leslie and friends. I remember Grant would always pull his cologne out of his baseball bag to spray on before getting to Leslie’s. I can still see his smile and hear him laughing. He had a wonderful bright personality and so much energy of joy and he was just such an inspiration to Robert and to our family. We hold these small memories of Grant in our hearts forever. The arms of angels are around Grant right now and they are hugging him tight until we all get to Heaven to do so ourselves.
Love,
Cathy
My thought and prayers are with your family. I hope you find peace in your hearts knowing that Grant is walking through Heaven with our Lord.
Brother Ben,
We are so sorry to hear about the loss of your son. I can’t imagine going through what you, your family or him have been through the last 11 years. Although I didn’t know Grant, I know of his father and if he was anything like you, he had a heart of gold. We pray for your family’s grieving and that you may find peace knowing that he is no longer suffering and in a much better place.
Chris – Leslie
Judy and Family,
My heart goes out to you. Your family is in my prayers.
Linda LaMar (Austin, TX)
Ben – Judy and Family,
My heart felt condolences go out to you. Grant was a great young man and it was a priviledge to be around him. My time around him was special and I remember the last time I saw him, he gave me a big hug and kiss. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Tim
Neil,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. The Lord will give you the strength you need during this difficult time. God Bless You.
Donna
Ben,
Our deepest sympathy goes to you and your family. We will keep you in our prayers.
God Bless You
JD – SVFD
Our hearts are heavy and joyous at the same time. I am convenienced that Grant is swinging that bat on the Lord’s baseball team. It’s not an ending but a beginning of an eternal life for Grant. Our prayers are with you and also celebrating the arrival of Holton. May God give you an extra measure of his peace. Love Karen – Philip Pearce
My Brother Ben and to Grant’s entire family: I’ve always admired the attitude and unwavering faith with which you have dealt with Grant’s illness and the conditions that remained from that illness. Often times in this trial we call life, faith is all that keeps us sane. I pray that you will continue to rely upon the ears and shoulders of your friends, and most of all, the blessings or our Lord. I pray that you always allow His presence in your hearts, and that you rely heavily upon His Grace. Although he doesn’t always fix our problems in the manner we wish for, I believe He is always there to help us pick up the pieces and carry on.
May God bless you all in your moments of sorrow.
Gary
Ben i will not be able to make visitation but i will be there for the service.
God bless you during this time. Grant was a wonderful young man with a great smile.
Ben hope this helps you. I really enjoyed it when it was sent to me
A Child on Loan
a poem
by – Edgar Guest
~
‘I’ll lend to you for a little time,
A child of mine,’ God said,
‘For you to love while he lives
And mourn for when he’s dead.’
‘It may be one or seven years
Or twenty-one or three,
But will you till I call him back,
Take care of him for me?’
‘He’ll bring his charms to gladden you
And should his stay be brief,
You’ll have these precious memories
To comfort you through grief.’
‘I cannot promise he will stay
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.’
‘I’ve looked this world over,
In my search for teachers true.
In the crowds of this great land,
I have selected you.’
‘Now will you give him all your love
Not think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take him back again?’
I fancied what I heard them say,
‘Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joy Thy child shall bring,
the risk of grief we’ll run.
We’ll shelter him with tenderness,
we’ll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we’ve known,
forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him,
sooner than we’ve planned,
We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes
and try to understand.’
Sorry for your loss.
Bill Elliott
Ben and Judy, Norma and I will not be able to make it for the service but please know our hearts and prayers will be there with you.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. ‘Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.’ Proverbs 3:5
Be patient, God will ease your pain and drown your sorrow. ‘Thy will be done Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.’
I am at a loss for words, I can’t believe Grant has gone to live with our Lord, God now has one wonderful and handsome angel!!!!!!! We are praying for you and want you to know that if you need anything at all please don’t hesitate to let us know. We love you! Grant was such an inspiration to us for RayRay and for that I’ll always thank you, Ben – Judy for letting us into your lives and Grants. Love, Rob – Cindy Day – boys.
Judy and Family
My Deepest Condolences.May The Good Lord Bless you for all the Love you all Gave Grant!! He was very Blessed..
Peggy Grisso
To my dear friends who have and will write in this space I offer my true THANK YOU for your words of encouragement. Grant was loaned to us by a loving and giving God. Why, I am not sure, but he felt he needed our precious son, brother, grand son, nephew and cousin more than we. I can do nothing bur say ‘Thank you Lord for giving him to us for the 24 yrs we had. He was a true blessing even after gettig sick.
Your support and prayers have been gladly received. Just know God is Good and Loves and provides. For those who do not know we were given the precious gift of our Holton James Kennedy the day after Grant Holton went to be with his Lord. We are blessed.
Thank you again to all who have taken the time to offer support to us during this time. You are all loved.
Ben
Ben – Judy,
It is hard to find just the right words to say to you at a time like this. We first met – got to know Grant when he was a student at Sam Houston Elementary. I had the priviledge of teaching him Spanish when he was in Second Grade, in our son’s class with Mrs. Shankles. He was a strong vibrant young man that exceled in many ways. We watched him grow through the years playing Little League ball and playing football at Sam Rayburn with our son. We know it has been a long road for all of you – through it all, you two have always been optomistic about his condition. We hope and pray that both of you can find peace knowing that Grant is with the Lord and not suffering in any way. May God Bless you all. Our thoughts – prayers are with you.
The McCartneys’
(Forrest, Estela, Jason, – Brian)
Thinking of you at this time.
Brother Ben – family,
Words cannot adequately describe our feelings at a time like this, but words are all that we have. So, please accept our condolences and our love. You’ve been a great friend for a long time, and your pain is our pain. But with the pain comes the unique joy of knowing that Grant is at peace as his earlthy struggles have comes to a close, and Holton James has just come into this world to begin his earthly journey. It is indeed a double blessing. So in addition to our sympathies, we also add our heart felt congratulations on the birth of your new grandson. All the best to the Kennedy family.
We are so sorry to hear that Grant passed away. He was such a special guy. We loved him and your family. We pray for strength for you to get through this. Know that Grant could not have had a better family. You all stood by him every minute of his life.
We love you, The Elkins family
Judy – Ben,
We are so sad to hear of Grant’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Grant was a special young man who will be greatly missed.
Love,
James – Becky Sledge
Ben – Judy:
It is always so hard to find the words to express our sorrow in the loss of a precious loved one. It is doubly hard when we lose a child.
I remember a number of times when I would see you about town and you would have Ben with you. What a wonderful boy and your love and pride in him was so evident.
It is comforting to know that he is now at peace and in the arms of His Lord and will not experience any more suffering.
Although we are not there, please feel our arms around you and our hearts joined with you in praise for the years you had him with you here.
Millie Wright
Hello I wanted to let the family know that Grant was a wonderful student and he will be miss alot. Grant had a smile that would light up the room when someone would come in. May God bless everyone during this time Grant we love you. Janell Lucas: From Bryan High School
We are thinking about you – praying God’s comfort – strength be with all of you Grant loved.
Dear Ben – Judy – Family,
We are grieving and praying for you as you read these beautiful tributes to Grant. We remember him best as a fun-loving, playful kid with gorgeous eyes having fun at Camp Blue Haven! He loved camp and the people there loved him and remember him well. We called the Camp yesterday and they are so saddened by his passing. You all were so dedicated to his care and such an example to so many. May God bless you as you grieve and celebrate Neil and Jori’s new Holton James–God’s blessing. With Love, Loren – Mary
Judy, my friend, It is with such great shock to pick up the paper and read the news of dear sweet Grant. When we last talked 2 weeks ago, he was feeling so much better. Our God had a need for a strong, brave angel named Grant, and He needed him more. I never knew Grant that well when he and Wyatt were in school, but I feel like I have come to know him through you. I know that our Lord is guiding Grant now as he will you and your family over these next few days. Baby Holton will come to know that he had a grand uncle named Grant. God’s peace be with you!
Doreen
Ben, I was saddened to hear of Grant’s passing; my heart and prayers go out to you and yours. My hope is that you will take comfort in and from our loving God who has called him home. God bless and keep you all.
Ben,
We are so sorry for your loss, may the Lord lay his soothing hands on you in this troubling time to help give you peace. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the family and friends of Grant Kennedy. For several years, he blessed our lives at Camp Blue Haven. His enthusiam and genuine interest in the welfare of others was very contagious. Everytime we saw Grant, whether in a casual passing by, or a more extended visit, a smile always came across our faces. We are grateful that God blessed our lives through Grant, and know that his home in heaven is secure. Thank you God, for Grant Kennedy!
Jennifer has always shared so many wonderful stories about her family with me here at work that your loss feels like a loss for me too. You’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Brother Ben and Family,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you go through this difficult time. Be comforted by knowing Grant is with God and you will see him again in heaven. God Bless You All. Jody and Trice Henry
ben,
anna and i are so sorry to hear of your loss. we pray that our Lord will give you peace and comfort as only He can.
rick cates
odessa fire department retired
Ben,
My heart aches for you because I know you are hurting. Just know you are in my prayers.
Grant, we will always love you! May you be greeted by the Most High as you enter into Heaven!
We will miss you very much, forever and always….
your Bus Driver, Ms. Carlisle
We are so sorry for your loss. Our prayers are with you. We especially want to send our love to Neil. I am sure he is taking this quite hard but hope that the blessing of his new son will help his heart mend!
Love and Prayers,
Jenn and Charlie
Dear Judy, Ben, and Family –
After teaching Grant for just a few weeks, I quickly realized what a special child he was and what an amazing family he had. It was one of my greatest joys in life in teaching this dear beloved student who tried as hard as possible to learn to read, count, and write. What determination he and his family had in encouraging and supporting him in every aspect of his life. He gave more to me than I gave to him. Since leaving Bryan two years ago, I have thought of Grant often, but about 3 days ago, I told Shana I wanted to drive to Bryan to see Grant, Judy, and Ben because I missed them so much. If only I had had the chance to see him one more time, but God does work in His own way. I will be at his memorial service with Shana, who also loved Grant very much. Amy will stay in Fort Worth with her 9 month old son and husband; but being in elementary school with Grant, she sends her love and great sorrow for your loss. My love will be with you always and I will once again teach Grant when I am sent to be where he now resides.
With love,
Roseanna
Ben and Judy my heart aches for you and your family I was crushed to hear about your loss he was such a great kid and always smiling, he will be missed by all who knew him.
I remember Grant well from my days at BHS. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers. Please know he touched many lives and your journey inspired me and showed me the true, deep, faithful love between a child and his parents.
Kari Reese
Dear Kennedy’s, You have been an astounding example of faith in our Lord through Grant’s illness. We know he is now in heaven and will suffer no more and for this we are thankful. He will be missed; but make way — Halton James is just the beginning of a new life — grandkids! Love you and God Bless!
Cindy Brooks
Ben,
I am so sorry for the loss of your son. I know Grant is in heaven looking down on you all, telling you he is in a wonderful place, not to worry. I know words cannot express the loss of a loved one, Grant will bring you strength in his love for life, he was a fighter.
Your Fire Brother,
Dennis Watson
Ben, Judy, Jen – Neil, ….I wish so bad I could have been there to hug yall this weekend! I LOVE you all so much and Grant has always had a special place in my heart! I LOVE that picture of him on the obit. And I think of him so much as I hold my son (they look alot alike)…Yalls family has shown the world how to stick together and press on thru everything! Congrats for the new Blessing! I cant wait to meet him and so proud for yall….What neat timing…an angel for sure! LOVE LOVE LOVE yall BIg Tight Hugs from Arlington! whit
My condolescences to you and your family. Even though I never met Grant, I work with Jennifer and I have heard how awesome Grant was. God Bless you during your time of sorrow.
TJ Beaver
Ben, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time of loss.
Ben, Our prayers go out and up for you and your family. I wish I had so many great words of wisdom to say to you that would bring you peace during the most difficult time in your life. I can only say God is God and he will provide you the answers to all your questions in his devine timing. May God’s grace give you comfort .
Love you– Wayne, Christy – Adam
Ben – Judy,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. I will always remember the fun, crazy and sad times with Grant. He was a really great friend. I will always cherish the times I spent with him and he will always have a place in my heart. I love you both dearly.
Dear Ben and Judy and your entire remaining Families–
You have been in my thoughts, as has Your Beloved Grant. I have been so blessed to know Grant Holton Kennedy and his wonderful parents and other family members in those 3 years that I worked with all of you!
Grant was ‘So Special’, and Your Love and Special way that you were with Him, were so apparent in his personality. He was a strong loving young man, and his intelliegence was astronomical. He won my heart in exactly the way that God Intended!
I thank God for the privilege of working with you, and having Grant on my watch, for the time that He gave us to be in that special slot.
I am so sure, that everything went exactly according to Gods own true plan, where Grant was concerned, and your wisdom with Grant was ‘God Like’.
I will never forget Grant, and the gift of working with you all.
Thank you for the privilege of your trust for those 3 years. I will always miss him.
I know that you are enjoying your new Grandson now….God is SO Good!
With Love, Blessings and Prayers, Donna Carlisle
Kennedy Family, I am very sorry for your loss as I only knew you guys for such a short period of time and remember when your son first became ill. I still remember the few times visiting and he was always so cheerful along wth the rest of you. Many thoughts and prayers to your family.