James William Kennedy died of cancer on Tuesday July 28 at 11:10 a.m., surrounded by family members, less than twelve hours after being admitted to the Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California. Kennedy was born on September 8, 1947 in Norfolk, Nebraska, the fourth child of George Edward and Arlene Alice (Wyant) Kennedy of Newman Grove, Nebraska. In 1950, the family moved to Glenwood Avenue in the Willow Glen neighborhood of West San Jose. Jim Kennedy attended Willow Glen Elementary School, Edwin Markham Junior High School and graduated from Willow Glen High School in 1965. He studied Philosophy and Religious Studies at San Jose State College from 1965-1969. As President of the Sigma Pi Fraternity at SJS College, Jim built a vibrant organization during a time of turbulence on college campuses. Sigma Pi was a leader in opening fraternities at SJS College to all races, religions, and backgrounds and Jim was a driving force in that effort. He continued his support of the University through membership and Board participation as President of the Alumni Association in 1980 – 1981.    Throughout his time at SJSU and for over forty years, Jim managed Kennedy Tire, now on Almaden Road in San Jose, first with his father, and for the last twenty years as full owner. He operated Kennedy Tire until his health recently prevented his continuing work. He took pride in providing personal service to people who have been customers with Kennedy Tire for decades.  Jim Kennedy loved coaching his children and their peers in basketball and other sports. He advocated athletics as an avenue for learning and building character, team work and personal discipline and excellence. Jim’s love of sports and what they can do for youth led to his active support for SJSU Spartan athletics as well. For over a decade, due to his love of basketball and Head Coach Bill Berry, football, and SJSU, he volunteered tirelessly marketing both teams ticket sales with tremendous success.  Fiercely independent in his own thinking, during the Vietnam War Kennedy "declined the invitation" to report for induction several times until his draft board eventually gave him a physical deferment based on an early athletic injury identified in a pre-induction exam. Jim lovingly cared for his mother Arlene for the last years of her life, extensively remodeling the family residence during that time. He loved working on the house, caring for the yard and welcoming friends and family to bar-b-ques and special events on the patio and in the backyard. A voracious reader, Jim especially enjoyed reading and discussing history and contemporary politics. Despite a diagnosis of terminal cancel and a 1-3 year prognosis in 2004, Jim remained active and lived to see three grandchildren born and Barack Obama elected as president of the United States. Family and friends were inspired by his physical courage and single-minded focus on remaining alert and engaged with family and work throughout this period. Facing the reality of cancer every moment of each day, Jim persevered through sheer stubbornness and will to maintain his family and work responsibilities and maintain control over his own life. Jim Kennedy was predeceased by his father George Edward Kennedy (1986), mother Arlene Alice Kennedy (2002), both of San Jose, and sister Jean Marilyn Kennedy Sprague of Fremont (October 2008). He is survived by his wife Jeannette Allen Kennedy and her daughter Elizabeth Cook & Paul Nunes and grandson Dylan of Battle Ground, Washington; his children John Edward Kennedy of Chico, Thomas Blake Kennedy, Lauren Devore Kennedy of Emeryville, Joseph James and Kellie Renee Kennedy and granddaughters Morgan and Addison of Chico, and their mother Dorothy Blake Kennedy of San Jose; sister Diane Kennedy Pike and Arleen Lorrance of Scottsdale, Arizona; Dennis Edward and Jackie Kennedy of Carlsbad and Richard Scott and Kristin C. Kennedy of Santa Cruz, California; brother-in-law Fred Sprague of Fremont; plus nine nieces and nephews and eight grand nieces and nephews. A celebration of the person and life of Jim Kennedy will be held on Saturday September 5, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. at the Willow Glen United Methodist Church, where the Kennedy Family have been members for nearly six decades, 1420 Newport Avenue, San Jose. A reception will follow at the family home in Willow Glen. Messages, reminiscences, photos and more are welcome to http://james-kennedy.muchloved.com. In lieu of flowers, tax deductible donations are encouraged to: The Innocence Project, a project  to exonerate innocent people and prevent wrongful convictions. www.innocenceproject.org/donate/ or 100 Fifth Ave. 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10011, Attn: Development Department; or the Spartan Foundation Scholarship Endowment, Spartan Foundation, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0062 www.sjsu.edu/advancement/links/spartanfoundation