Lawyer Bruce F. Kennedy dies at 77
Tami Jo Nix/The Madera Tribune Theresa and Bruce Kennedy, playing host at their annual St. Patrick’s Day party last year at Ristorante Gabriela in Madera. Bruce Kennedy passed away at age 77.
Madera County attorney Bruce Francis Kennedy Esq., died on March 19, 2018, at age 77. Born on Aug. 12, 1940, in Alhambra, California, he grew up in South Pasadena.
His education resume includes an undergraduate degree from University of Southern California, a Master’s degree in economics from Harvard and a juris doctorate from Stanford in 1969. He served two years as a law lecturer in Ghana, Africa, before returning to the United States to accept a position with the California Rural Legal Association in Madera. He associated with and ultimately bought the law practice of Julio Acconero.
Active in his community, he was a member and past president of the Eastern Madera County Rotary Club, Madera and Fresno County Bar Associations, Fresno Estate Planning Council, and others.
He had a deep appreciation for the arts, and created stain glass windows.
His firm practiced elder law, specializing in legal issues related to aging such as retirement planning, Medicaid, guardianship, estate planning and wills in this area for more than 40 years.
A resident of Oakhurst for many years, he maintained offices in both Oakhurst and Madera. The last few years he tried to arrange his schedule to be in Madera on Thursdays.
“Bruce was the first other attorney I met when I came to Madera in 1982,” said former Madera County Counsel Doug Nelson. “Bruce and I were among the first attorneys to work on the high school mock trial competition.”
Kennedy also served for many years on the Madera County Law Library Board of Trustees.
He met his wife of almost 28 years, Theresa, at a fundraising event for the late judge Edward Moffatt. After three years, they were married. Quite proud of his Irish heritage, he and his wife put on two St. Patrick’s Day parties each year, one in Madera and one in Oakhurst.
“He would rent local restaurants hosting a traditional corned-beef and cabbage luncheon,” Nelson said. “We had a good time at all those parties.”
Kennedy is survived by his wife Theresa; six children, Bruce Francis Kennedy Jr., Dennis Bruce Kennedy, Dawn Alisa Sandler, Dawn Frances Ojukwu, Robert Bruce Kennedy, Dawn Kimberly Meske, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service celebrating the life of Bruce Francis Kennedy will be held at 1:30 p.m. on May 12, 2018 at the Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst, 43803 Highway 41, Oakhurst, CA 93644.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made in his name to Eastern Madera County SPCA, P.O. Box 1314, Oakhurst, CA 93644 or Hinds Hospice, 2490 W. Shaw Ave #101, Fresno, CA 93711.
