William Lawrence Kennerly
June 26, 1930 ~ March 19, 2006
Resided in:
Leicester, NC
William Lawrence “Larry” Blane Kennerly, 75, of Leicester, passed away Sunday, March 19, 2006, at Memorial Mission Hospital.
Mr. Kennerly was born in Buncombe County and was a son of the late Maxwell Kennerly and Dorothy Eleanor VanVoorhies Kennerly Inch. He was a Navy veteran of the Korean Conflict and received his Master’s Degree from San Diego State College in 1966. He worked as a school administrator in Buncombe County and as a school teacher in La Mesa, CA. He was also a two timer president of the WNC Singles Club, as well as a lifetime member of the NRA.
Surviving are one son, Gary Lawrence Kennerly of San Diego, CA; one daughter, Sheri Jolene Kennerly of Leicester; two grandchildren, Jennifer and Travis Dobbins of Leicester; his former wife, Shirley Mae Kennerly of San Diego; one sister, Barbara Janice Weese of Leicester and her children, Rae Lynn Gibbons and Brenda Lee Cartwright both of Asheville.
Graveside funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Leicester Episcopal Churchyard on Alexander Road in Leicester.
His family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Eliada Children’s Home, P.O. Box 16708, Asheville, NC 28816 in Mr. Kennerly’s name.
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I am Larry’s granddaughter and I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers through this difficult time. He was loved by everyone and we will all miss him deeply. I would like to share a memory of my PaPa from when I was 6 years old. We were driving cross-country to attend my uncle’s wedding. (My PaPa lived here in Asheville, and my mom and I lived in Dallas, Texas, so he picked us up on the way to San Diego.) We were barely out of Dallas when I started with the ‘Are we there yet?’ business. It didn’t take long for my PaPa, being the ex-school teacher he was, to start with the threats. He told me that if I didn’t quiet down, he would put me out on the side of the road. Of course, I didn’t believe him, so I continued on. He literally pulled over on the side of the highway and told me to get out! I shut right up and didn’t give him any more grief. Looking back, I know he would have never made me get out of that car, but it sure set me straight. Seventeen years later, this is still a memory that we all share. As a matter of fact, PaPa and I had a good laugh over this story just a month or so ago. It will be one of my fondest memories of a man that will always hold a huge part of my heart.
To the Family of William Kennerly;
I am so sorry for your loss. I know your Dad will be greatly missed. I am praying for you.
Sincerely, Rosalie Hobbs ( a close friend of your mother’s)
Larry has brought such joy into my life these last few years. I will miss him with all my heart. All my love goes with you Larry. Love Marilyn
What can I say,Larry(Bill)Kennerly
If you didn’t love him then you didn’t know him,a man that like a lots of us could be difficult at times,but never did he harbor hard feeling toward anyone.
He valued his friends and keep them close to his heart,he was always their for you, always.He talked to me often and loveley about his family.
He was my friend for 20 years.You who knew Larry will agree your life
is better for it.
Goodbye my friend,I shall miss you.
Larry, a great classmate and wonderful friend. Have enjoyed knowing him and his family thru the years. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers for his family. GOD BLESSED YOU BY HAVING LARRY AS A FATHER, GRANDFATHER AND BROTHER AND THE REST OF US A FRIEND.
A great LHE classmate and friend. Larry will be missed by all of his class buddies and friends. Larry had an easy smile, great personality and a true gentlemen of the ‘Ole School’.
I am Bob Kennerly’s cousin and have known Larry for many years. You have my deepest sympathy.
Bill was my
Devoted husband, father and grandfather: I have loved you since the day I met you at age fourteen in Oceanside at the roller rink. You were the floor manager (keeping us rowdy teenagers in control). After six years of courtship (on and off) we finally married in September of 1955. We had thirty wonderful years together. We have two awesome children, Sheri and Gary, who are now adults with children of their own. Sheri with Jennifer and Travis and Gary with Sophie Sue (dog). When we mutually agreed to part ways and go our own direction, I am so happy we remained friends and loved each other until death took you to a higher place with the Father and the Son. I truly believe there are plateaus in heaven. We will all be on different plateaus and will be able to go around and visit with each other. If this is true, I know you will be on the highest plateau of all. Until we meet again, for I know we will live eternally together.
I love you with all my heart and soul. Love, Shirley
The Lee H. Edwards High School Class of 1948 has lost a man very dear to us all. Those of us who stayed in the Asheville area and those who moved away and returned, have formed an even closer bond in our retirement years. Memories of old times – hiking up to Buzzards’ Roost, the Riceville Road double dating and all the fun times seem as only yesterday.
At class picnics we will feel the huge gap left by Larry, but his humor and spirit will be with us.
Larry was a great friend to my dad, and a good neighbor and friend to us all. He will be truly missed. Our deepest sympathy, thoughts, and prayers are with the family. Jim & Donna.
I knew ‘Mr. Kennerly’ my entire life. His family was like my family… I love them all… I will think of Mr. Kennerly as another angel looking over me from Heaven.