Sylvia Kennedy Henninger

Mrs. Sylvia Kennedy Henninger, 90, of Harmony, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2019 at Genesis Mooresville Center. Mrs. Henninger was born in Wilkes County on January 16, 1929 and was the daughter of the late Claude Blaine Hampton, Sr and Joyce Combs Hampton.
She was a graduate of Statesville High School and she received her degree in nursing from Mercy Hospital in Charlotte.
Sylvia was married to Roderick Houston Kennedy, Jr, who passed away in 1962 and she later married Dr. Joseph Baylor Henninger who preceded her in death in 2001.
A member of Harmony Baptist Church, Sylvia taught Sunday School before moving back to the Statesville area.
Sylvia was a life-long nurse and started her nursing career at Long’s Hospital. She later joined the staff at Iredell Memorial Hospital as a delivery room nurse and following several years at Iredell, joined Dr. H.C. Kutteh and worked with his office for 16 years. She returned to Iredell Memorial Hospital and retired as a telemetry nurse.
Mrs. Henninger was an amateur artist and photographer. A number of her oil paintings are displayed in several homes in the area. Although nursing was her passion, babies were the driving force by her nursing career choice. She loved babies and the joy that they brought to her life with a smile. Of all the children she assisted in delivering, the most joy brought to her life were her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Known as “Nana”, she cherished every minute that she spent with each of them. “We love you Nana and will miss you.”
In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by one brother, Dickie Hampton.
Left to cherish her memory are her two daughters, Joy Kennedy Young (William) of Harmony and Elizabeth Kennedy Coley (Billy) of Mt. Holly along with the prides of her life, her two grandsons, Nicholas Orr and Joshua Coley and great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Abigail, and Hailey Orr and Mason Coley. She is further survived by two brothers, Claude Hampton, Jr of Salisbury and Harold Hampton (Carolyn) of Maiden.
A graveside funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 PM Saturday, May 18, 2019 in Oakwood Cemetery with Rev. Sidney Norton officiating. The family will greet friends following the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cornerstone Christian Center, Attn: Louanne Johnson, 400 E. 5th Avenue, Gastonia, NC 28054.
Online condolences can be made to the family at www.nicholsonfunerals.com and Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family of Sylvia Henninger.