Robert J. "Bobby" Kenney Jr., age 56, of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away on Monday, November 30, 2020 after fearlessly battling cancer for almost 7 years. He is survived by his loving wife Kelli, sons Bobby III and Spencer, parents Robert J. Kenney Sr. and Marjorie Mahoney Kenney, and siblings Bruce, Gloria (Bob), Pete (Sheila), Lorena (Bill), Maria (Lou), Vickie, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his sister Gladys. Bobby was a kind and generous soul with a clever wit and great sense of humor. He was more likely than not to be the center of attention at any gathering. Yet he was, at heart, always a family man. There was nothing more important to him. He loved Kelli and his sons dearly and was never at a loss for words as to how much they meant to him. Summers were spent by Bobby and Kelli on baseball fields coaching and watching their young boys play. Dinner together was a family favorite as well as yearly family vacations. Bobby loved summer drives with Kelli in their convertible and he took any extra time he could find to ride his motorcycle. At the age of 11, Bobby, a lifetime Cincinnati resident, told his friends something that they all should have probably listened to; "You should be a Pittsburgh Steeler fan like me because the only thing they know how to do is win." Lesson learned, indeed. At about that same time, Bobby completely divided the neighborhood with his choice of a pet and transportation. He bought a ball python and named it "Alice" (after Alice Cooper) and, one day, he came home with a go-cart. Neighborhood parents went ballistic. Neighborhood kids were overcome with joy. No one had ever held a ball python or driven a go-cart before. Seeing Bobby drive that go-cart with Alice wrapped around his head was as foreign to a Madisonville kid as a flying saucer landing in St. Margaret's parking lot. The parents forbid any kid to get in that go-cart. Officially, few did. Unofficially, pfff... Bobby took them all for rides and he let every kid drive. He was an accomplished, self-taught, knuckleball pitcher in high school (Purcell Marian) and college (St. Thomas More) with a deceptive fastball. Bob "The Chaw" Kenney enjoyed telling stories about his teammates accomplishments and his pitching battles with various GCL teams. The best stories involved two young Cincinnati area baseball players who would eventually became MLB stars; Barry Larkin playing for Moeller and, later in college, David Justice, formerly of Covington Latin. Both were exceptional hitters. Both wanted to crowd the plate. Bobby knew that he couldn't own the outside of the plate without moving these guys off the inside of the plate. And move them he did. Pitches were thrown hard, high, and tight (the "high, hard one" as Bobby called it) in both of those games. Tempers flared. Non-catholic words were exchanged. Witnesses recall close calls, whiskers shaved, and direct hits. Yeah, Barry Larkin liked to talk a lot of trash in those days...but...David Justice was Bobby's TEAMMATE at St. Thomas More when they faced each other. It was just a practice game. "Don't crowd the plate young man." Bobby graduated from St. Thomas More College with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He started working at Dubois Chemicals in 1989; originally at the downtown office, he moved to a production and supervisory role in Sharonville, and he spent the last 20 years in Procurement rising to Senior Procurement Manager. Co-workers have described Bobby as a highly effective and universally respected professional with very high ethical standards. He was quick to share his decades of experience to help those around him to be more successful. He was honest, hard working, and frugal with the company's money. During his hard fought and lengthy battle with cancer, he continued to work for Dubois at the office and from home. He would take his company laptop with him during cancer treatments and long hospital stays. He put that laptop down just 5 weeks before he passed away. Bobby rarely spoke about his cancer diagnosis at work. Many of his co-workers had no idea he was sick. Bobby was an organ donor. Two people now have new corneas because of his generous decision. He cared about people; people he knew and people he didn't know yet. Here are his own words from an internet post where his son once asked him, "What do you want to bring to the world?" -"To bring a smile to someone's face every day. To say good morning or hello to everyone you see. Janitors should be treated the same way as the CEO. We are all people. Some of the less fortunate appreciate a 'hello" or a "good morning" from someone who appears to them as more fortunate. Something as simple as that could make an unhappy person feel a little better in the moment. You know what I mean?" In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The James Cancer Hospital/The Thoracic Oncology Support Fund. The director of the Thoracic center, Dr. David Carbone, was Bobby's doctor. Donations will help him continue his world class research in thoracic cancers. Bobby would have never lived as long as he did without Dr. Carbone, his research, and the fine doctors, nurses, and staff at The James. You can donate through this website in Bobby's name (see link at bottom of page). Visitation will be at 10:00 am Saturday, December 12, 2020 at St. Susanna Catholic Church, 616 Reading Rd., Mason, Ohio, 45040. Catholic Mass to follow at 10:30 am. Christian Burial will follow Mass at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45249. The family has asked that everyone follow Covid19 guidelines by wearing a mask at all times, keeping a safe social distance, and, as hard as it will be when family and friends gather, refrain from hugs, kisses, and group gatherings. Once the pandemic has passed, there will be a time for all of us to get together to tell the stories about the legendary, one-of-a-kind, Bobby Kenney.

Visitation

Saturday, December 12, 2020 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM St. Susanna Parish 616 Reading Road Mason 45040, United States