Anthony John Kennedy
(12/01/66 - 03/12/25)
Date: Tuesday, 30th December
11:30 AM
Leaving Mears & Jackson
West Cemetery Lodge, Manchester Rd, WA1 3BG
12:00 PM
Service at St Barnabas Church
Lovely Lane, WA5 1TY
1:00 PM
BURIAL at Manchester Rd Cemetery
Manchester Rd, WA1 3BG
Afterwards
Drinks and celebration
The Irish Club
83 Orford Ln, WA2 7AL
All friends and family are welcome to join us. x
Of all the special gifts in life,
However great or small,
To have you as my brother,
Was the greatest gift of all.
EULOGY FOR ANTHONY
“AUP.”
What can I say.
Our Anthony was a character of the highest order.
A lover of life.
A big kid at heart.
He loved a laugh.
He loved a sing-song.
He loved the dance
and every bit of daftness that followed him.
He lived for fun.
Full of life.
He was game.
He was fearless.
With the heart of a lion,
and funny as fuck.
A comedian,
never short of one-liners.
I stand here today
for my brother Anthony,
our kid.
A man who lived louder,
brighter,
and braver
than most ever dare to.
When the news landed
it slammed our family
bang in the heart.
It still does.
It sits there
like a weight
you can’t put down.
But when I picture him
I don’t see sadness.
I see the grin.
I hear the “alright Rkid”
before he’s even in the room.
And I feel that hint of trouble,
because if Anthony was about,
the day was about to change.
He came into this world
ready to make noise.
He left
the same way.
No quiet exits
for our kid.
He stamped himself
on every person
he ever met.
He never walked into a room calm.
He walked in
like he owned it.
Brought the spark.
The cheek.
The energy that lifted everyone else
whether you asked for it
or not.
He cracked jokes
at the worst times.
He laughed
at things he shouldn’t.
He made people smile
even when life was kicking off.
That was his gift.
He loved his kids:
Jamie,
Anthony Jnr,
Sarah,
Alfie,
and his step-daughter Mia.
He loved them
with everything he had.
He loved all his grandkids:
Thomas,
Dominic,
Baby Anthony,
and Logan.
All his nieces,
his nephews,
his cousins.
He worshipped his big sister Lynn
and her lot.
He came from a big family
and every one of us
idolised him
even when he drove us mad.
He loved his mates too.
And if you needed him,
he turned up.
No fuss.
No problem.
Just there.
Sometimes hungover…
but there.
Anthony lived a big life.
He crammed more into his years
than most fit into two lifetimes.
Half the things he did
you couldn’t script.
He chased chances.
He grafted.
He took himself to Dubai
and made something real.
Something special.
Something he could point at and say,
“I did that,”
with that crafty little grin.
He mellowed in places
as he got older.
But he kept that stubborn streak
that could stop traffic.
He carried that working-class fire.
That straight-talking honesty.
That refusal to pretend to be anything
other than what he was.
That’s why people loved him.
He was real.
He leaves behind his kids.
His family.
His woman in Dubai, Nida.
Mates scattered around the world.
And knowing him…
he probably owed half of them a pint.
And he leaves stories.
So many stories.
Stories from when we were kids
running wild.
Stories from when we were skint
but bulletproof.
Stories from Dubai.
Stories from everywhere he touched.
Stories that’ll keep us laughing
long after today.
He suffered at the end.
He fought.
And now he rests with:
me Mam,
me Dad,
his sister Donna,
his baby boy Thomas,
and all the ones
who went ahead.
There’s comfort in that.
Knowing he’s back
with his people.
So today
we don’t just say goodbye.
We say thank you.
Thank you for the laughs.
Thank you for the chaos.
Thank you for the love.
Thank you
for being our kid.
Your light was massive.
Your presence unforgettable.
Your love stays with us.
It doesn’t fade.
It doesn’t go.
Fly high, Rkid.
We’ll carry you
always.
Poem written by Donna Kennedy
A Tribute to Our Warrior: Uncle Bant
Introduction
We are dedicating this post to the one and only Uncle Ant, a true warrior with a heart of gold who touched lives all over the globe. Here are some words to honor his memory, his bold spirit, and the unbreakable bond he shared with all of us.
Written by Donna Kennedy with kind permission x
Our Uncle Ant, otherwise known as Uncle Bant!
He fought with strength, but never showed the pain.
He’d dance in the rain, loved to jump on a plane,
Wherever he went his spirit would remain.
A heart of gold, a spirit so bright,
Loved without condition, shone with all his might.
He took me in, showed me the way—
Portsmouth to Warrington, Dubai's sunny day.
A journey of memories, laughter, and cheer,
A bond so strong, forever held dear.
My Uncle Tommy his brother, a bond like no other;
Sister Lynn, my mum, by his side,
Showed the world the meaning of unbreakable love's pride.
He loved without question, looked after his kids with care,
Along with friends from everywhere, a loyalty that was rare,
A true family man, with a heart that was fair.
He made friends far and wide, always someone by his side.
A global family, that'll forever know the smile that made him glow.
His love for life, his spirit so bold,
Inspires us still, a story to be told.
He was taken too soon, not ready to leave,
But to live on through us he would always believe.
A life cut short, our hearts he caught,
But what a battle he sure fought.
My Sonnie's heart, he captured with ease,
He was always so very easy to please.
A love so pure, he loved him for sure,
A connection so sweet from the very first greet.
Though he's gone, his legacy remains,
A love that echoes through joyous refrains.
Rest in peace, dear Uncle Anthony,
A true warrior, a heart that's free.
Forever in our hearts, you'll always be.
A shining star, guiding us on our way while we must stay,
Your legacy will never go away.
Until we meet again, I know you’ll be there to show us the way.
To infinity and beyond, always and forever xxxx
Donna, Daniel, Katie xx
X
