John Allen Kennedy, Sr.

John Allen Kennedy, Sr., 69, of Statesville, passed away Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.  He was born on December 3, 1947 in Iredell County to the late Deward Long Kennedy and Willie Mae Lindley Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy attended Iredell County Schools and served his country honorably in Vietnam in the U.S. Army.  After his service to our country, he joined the National Guard.  He was retired from Merchant Metals where he was a supervisor.  On April 11, 1987, he married Shelby Jean Price Kennedy and they shared almost 30 years of marriage before his passing.  Mr. Kennedy was of Baptist Faith and loved to camp and fish.  He was a terrific husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Sue Huie and Rosalie Burns, and one brother, Jimmy Kennedy. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Shelby; two sons, Chad and Allen Kennedy; a brother, LeRoy Kennedy; a brother-in-law, Bill Burns; four step-children, Teresa Houston (Reggie), Randy (Debbie), Mike, and Scott Williams; 13 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm Monday, January 30, 2017 in the Nicholson Funeral Home Chapel.  Burial with military rites provided by the Iredell County Veterans Council Burial Detail will follow in the Iredell Memorial Gardens Cemetery.  The family will visit with friends prior to the service from 1:00 until 2:00 pm at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.nicholsonfunerals.com and Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family.