Resident Spotlight: Pierre Kennedy

Pierre Kennedy may seem like an average New Englander when you first meet him; he was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts- a town right by the border of New Hampshire where he loved to go on hikes through the woods as a Boy Scout and skate on the lake with his older brother. Then, Pierre moved to Connecticut, where he lived in Rockville and West Hartford, ultimately settling in at Middlewoods of Farmington, where he has lived for the past three years.

However, he has traveled far outside the Northeast to protect our country as a gunner and an airplane jet engine designer for the U.S. Army. In 1944, Pierre flew out over Italy. That same year in Germany, he was shot down from his plane over an oil refinery and captured. To this day, he is still a part of the group “American Ex-prisoners of War,” in which he used to organize and take part in many reunions with other people who have shared similar experiences.

Even with all the danger of war, Pierre was still able to raise a family. He has three sons and a daughter, as well as three step children. Pierre’s family has been the most important aspect of his life, and he even wrote a book about it called The Ancestors and Descendants of Clifton Granville Kennedy and His Wife Marie Louise Caillerez. Pierre started researching his genealogy in 1971, and 25 years later he completed a novel. From his research he discovered that he has origins in Nova Scotia and that his wife’s ancestor worked on the Panama Canal.

Although he describes writing as “solitary work,” it has been one of Pierre’s favorite hobbies throughout his life, as well as reading. That is why he would choose to meet the author John Steinbeck if he could meet anyone in the world. He also likes the color blue, because it reminds him of a clear sky and his favorite foods are beans and hot dogs, which he managed to get on the menu at Middlewoods on Saturday nights.

After an exciting 92 years, Pierre is now able to appreciate the freedom he has to make his own decisions without having to take the advice from others as a perk of growing older. And whether you see him as an honorable veteran or a talented author, there is no doubt that Pierre makes a wonderful and interesting addition to the community at Middlewoods of Farmington.