Kennedy, Sally (Hill)
Sally Kennedy died peacefully at home of pancreatic cancer on April 23, 2021 at the age of 76. Sally was born Sara Ross Hill on April 20, 1945 in Newburyport, MA, the daughter of Joseph A. Hill and Irma H. Hill. She attended public schools in Elizabethtown, PA and Manchester, NH. Sally majored in English at Wheaton College in Norton, MA, graduating in 1967. She later earned her master's degree in English literature from Trinity College.
Sally met her husband Jack during their first year in college when he came to Wheaton with a singing group from Harvard to perform at a mixer, and they were married in the same week they both graduated. Throughout their marriage of almost 54 years, they were a loving and compatible couple who enjoyed simply being together. They moved to West Hartford in 1972 and have lived in the same house near Elizabeth Park since 1981. For the past 20 years, Sally and Jack spent the winter months at their second home on Sanibel Island, FL. In recent years they also enjoyed spending several summers living in private homes in Europe through a home exchange program.
Sally was a devoted and affectionate mother to her and Jack's three children, Sara K. Kornbluh (Jed), Annie K. Cahill (Michael), and Peter R. Kennedy (Samantha), all of whom reside in West Hartford. Sally was a cool mom. She sang silly songs, led synchronized swimming routines, enjoyed kids' board games, and absolutely dominated at Scrabble. She was an adoring grandmother to her nine grandchildren, Evie, Ben, and Nate Kornbluh; Sally, Kirby, and Hattie Cahill; and Ian, Adam, and Eloise Kennedy, who will remember Grumma for her famous cookies and endless supply of ice cream before dinner. Sally was very close to her surviving older siblings, Robert Hill of Charlestown, MA and Elizabeth Johnson of West Hartford.
Sally was an extraordinary English teacher. She taught in the West Hartford Public Schools from 1972-1999, the majority of which was at Hall High School, where she taught AP English and for several years was the advisor for the student newspaper. “Mrs. Kennedy” was greatly admired by her students at Hall; she was inspiring, patient, and respectful of each student as an individual. Her own children, who attended Hall, were proud to be her kids.
In 1994 The College Board recognized Sally as one of the finest AP English teachers in New England, and invited her to conduct workshops for AP English teachers, including a program in Wiesbaden, Germany for the U.S. Department of Defense Schools. Following her retirement from classroom teaching in 1999, Sally took great pleasure in mentoring untenured English teachers in the junior high and high schools.
Sally had a sparkling and gracious personality and her radiant smile was always a delight to everyone fortunate to be in her presence.
Sally's family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful care she received from the nurses and caregivers from Hartford Healthcare Hospice Care and Independence at Home.
Funeral services will be private. A memorial service will be held later this year. Contributions in Sally's memory may be made to the Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools or the Elizabeth Park Conservancy.