Obituary of David Scott Kennedy

On November 2, 2023, David Scott Kennedy, Loving father, son, brother, uncle  passed away in Denver, Colorado, at age 52.  Born with a natural curiosity and a love of travel, David never stopped learning and was able to see and live in many different parts of the world.  He entertained many with the photographs and exploits of his travels. 

David was born September 8, 1971 and lived in Mitchell, OR until 1978 when the family moved to Spray, OR.  David had an adventurous childhood and recently regaled the family about his times of ziplining across the river on a homemade set-up.  Perhaps not the safest of activities but things were different in the 1970s and 80s.  It's a wonder any of us survived!  David attended Spray schools until the family moved to Cove, OR in 1987. 

David was highly intelligent but an indifferent student.  The classroom was not his favorite place.  However, he was an outstanding athlete and excelled in football, basketball, and track and field.  He held Spray High School records in long jumping and triple-jumping for many years and his Cove football team won the State B Football Championship his senior year and also finished as a runner-up in basketball that same year.  That passion for sports stayed with him his entire life and he loved attending sporting events and playing golf.  He never mastered the game of golf, few do, but he enjoyed golf outings with his brother Jim over the years. 

After completing high school, David worked locally in LaGrande, OR for a couple of years before deciding to follow brother Jim's steps and join the Air Force.  He was in the Air Force for four years, working in the Intelligence field, and he was stationed in Germany.  This assignment allowed him to expand his love of travel and he saw numerous European locations as well as trips to England and Ireland.  He made life-long friends while in the Air Force and they recently reminisced about the 30th year anniversary of some of these misadventures.  He also learned some skills in the Air Force that helped in his subsequent career. 

After leaving the Air Force David worked at Lockheed Martin and lived in California, Texas, and Denver, CO.  He met and married Bridget Apple along the way and they had a daughter, Skyler, whom he loved very much.  He was so proud of her and enjoyed her successes in school and dance.  Skyler is now a student at the University of Arizona.     During David's working life he had numerous jobs ranging from pumping gas and trimming trees to computer programming and consulting.  He was a gifted public speaker and a memorable event featured David on the same stage as comedian Jay Leno.  He also earned a Bachelor Degree in Anthropology. 

David's wanderlust was both a blessing and a curse.  He certainly enjoyed seeing many parts of the world, but it wasn't always the best thing for his marriages.  But he couldn't help being who he was.  David spent time living in Southeast Asia and also time living in Peru.  He was a gifted linguist and was able to learn the languages from these different regions flawlessly.  While in Peru he worked as a travel guide and explored many fascinating areas.  David was a fantastic photographer and always had top-notch equipment.  His photographs were able to transport the viewer across the world.  One of his favorite subjects was sharing the food he was about to eat.  It gave many of us a chuckle to see these exotic items.  Speaking of adventurous, David would eat anything, and I do mean anything, including insects.  He was not afraid to immerse himself in the local culture. 

Around 2012, David moved back to Denver and spent most of the subsequent years living and working in that area.  He married Yana and they enjoyed traveling together.  A favorite local activity they shared was going to bluegrass festivals and meeting with friends.   

David was a wanderlust, but he loved the time he spent with his family.  He kept in near-daily contact with his Mom and Dad and visited family as often as possible.  He was able to travel to Mitchell for a family reunion celebration of his parents' 60th wedding anniversary.  This time allowed him to connect with siblings, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.  It was a favorite memory for all. 

            David is survived by his parents, Arizona and Cam Kennedy of Mitchell, Oregon, daughter, Skyler Kennedy of Littleton, Colorado, brother, Jim Kennedy of Lakeland, Florida, sister, Glenda Gianella of Spray, Oregon, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. Hasta luego, mi hermano. Until later, my brother.