FishHawk Resident Dies After Hard-Fought Battle Against Cancer

Just one month after the second annual FishHawk Softball Relay for Life Tournament raised $4,252 for the American Cancer Society in his honor, Vince Kennedy lost his hard-fought battle against cancer.

The FishHawk resident died April 18 at the age of 42.

A lifelong sports fan, Kennedy was a member of the FishHawk Softball League and served as captain of the Stingers hockey team at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon.

When he wasn't playing sports, he was rooting for them, especially the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tampa Bay Lightning and his hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Born April 29, 1970, in Philadelphia to the late Vincent Allen Kennedy Sr. and Margaret (Gorman) Kennedy, he grew up in the Philadelphia area, graduated from La Salle College High School and earned a degree in accounting from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

He met his wife, Mary, at age 18, and the two were married 18 years and have two children, tSarah Grace, 11, and Patrick, 6.

While developing a successful career as a financial controller, Kennedy also took time to serve others.

His service work continued when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, which metastasized to his liver and lungs in July 2011. He underwent a 12-hour surgery in August 2011 and then was on chemotherapy treatments for more than a year.

But, when the standard chemo treatments failed to work, he took part in a clinical trial at the H.Lee Moffitt Center and Research Institute in Tampa.

In 2012, Kennedy served as the accounting chair and  honorary survivor chair of the FishHawk Relay for Life, an event with which he was already well familiar. His wife, Mary, was the 2011 honorary survivor chair. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and is now a five-year cancer survivor. She served as team development chair for this year's Relay for Life held March 23-24 at Newsome High School.

During the 2012 Relay for Life, Kennedy discussed his reasons for participating.

"I want to make a meaningful difference in the fight against cancer," he said. "Almost everyone has been touched by cancer, either through their own personal battle or through someone they love. The American Cancer Society is rallying communities (like ours) through events like Relay For Life to fight back and find cures for this disease."

Inspired by the Kennedys' story, this year's FishHawk Relay for Life attracted 916 participants, raising nearly $100,000 for cancer research and patient support.

In addition to his wife and children, Kennedy is survived by his mother; a sister, Kathleen Wilkins, her husband, Michael, and their children, Jackson, Colin and Isabelle; brothers-in-law,  Charles Beadle, Jonathan Beadle and his family Heather, Julian and Layla; in-laws Gordon and Susan Beadle; aunts, uncles and cousins.

A Funeral Mass will take place Tuesday April 23 at 11 a.m. at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 5049 Bell Shoals Rd., Valrico.

The family will receive guests on Monday, April 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Serenity Meadows Funeral Home, 6919 Providence Rd., Riverview.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his honor can be made to an account to support his children’s education, payable to Mary Kathryn Kennedy and sent c/o Postal Shop, 5668 Fishhawk Crossing Blvd., #5, Lithia, FL 33547.