Dr. Roseline M. Dauphin

Roseline’s account:

We met in the late 1980s, around the time John became President of the Pasadena Branch of the NAACP, but somehow it feels like I have always known John Jackson Kennedy, the incredibly stoic, stubborn yet tender-hearted, “beloved son of the Most High God,” as I addressed him in our routine morning text messages. In the years that followed our initial meeting, John would reenter my life every so often with his broad smile and his bigger than life persona. Wherever I was, no matter the changes in my circumstances, he would find me at the perfect time. His presence was not just warmly welcomed by me, but also by my father, a Pastor whom John came to admire, sisters, nieces, and nephew, who connected with him, establishing their own relationships. And then after some time together John would go off to save another corner of the world.

In 2017, John reentered my life and this time he came to stay. John quickly got me involved in the various projects that he was spearheading in District 3 and across the city. I participated in numerous community meetings where residents were engaged and were able to freely voice their concerns and complaints and their solutions for John was interested in solutions. Those community meetings allowed me to begin to understand John’s heart and his deep passion for community and his call to service.

In the years that followed, I fully re-engaged into the life of the city. And as the years went by and I interacted with his mentees, his dedicated staff, I had a firsthand seat at the stage where John excelled, his community where he tirelessly fought for justice and equity creating opportunities for his constituents whether in education programs, the development of the Jackie Robinson Park and Auditorium to his commitment to address gun violence and the affordable housing crisis.

By 2018, we went to political and Holiday functions, concerts, and plays together. We supported and attended fundraising events for special needs children, for aspiring lawyers from underprivileged neighborhoods; John showed himself a selfless servant who shared his wisdom and knowledge with countless mentees and willing students.

I accompanied him to the Rose Bowl for early morning walks on weekends, where he would engage fellow walkers with curiosity and a kind word. He would always begin with an introduction,” Good morning, how are you today? I am John…” Humble to his core, he was always “John,” not “Councilmember John J. Kennedy” or “Vice Mayor Kennedy” or “The Honorable John J. Kennedy.” “John” was enough. met found joy in planned and unplanned activities. He led with his cheerful disposition, befriending chocolatiers, workers, hosts, and students along the way. John was the first at breakfast every

John’s extensive travel all over Europe and Asia as well as Africa always provided the understanding and cultural sensitivity that guided his interactions with the various people that we would meet whether at a political event or just on those walks. After a year of regular walks, John invited me to lunch at Green Street Restaurant and asked me to be part of a delegation bound for France to represent Pasadena. He brought an envelope, which he carefully pulled out, opened, and slowly unfolded, revealing an official invitation from Val-DeReuil Mayor Antoine Jamet. That was John, intentional in every action as he was with every word.

Our time in France was amazing. John, intentional as ever, immersed himself fully in the experience while ensuring that everyone he morning, ready to take on the next adventure. An avid student of politics and world events, John was fascinated by the historical sites we visited, among them the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Rouen with its Gothic architecture, and the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives during the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy. John thought Rouen could become a Sister City to Pasadena, noting similarities in reverence for the arts, beautiful buildings that told stories long forgotten, and restaurants and boutiques which provide spaces where people could come together. That was important to him: the opportunity for the community to come together to forge solutions and improve life.

During the trip to France, John cut short our time at the Louvre so we could catch an Uber in the rain to visit a friend who was in the hospital, this was important to him, to be supportive in a time of need. It was a special time of fellowship with the family. The excursion into Paris was made the more exquisite by a special treat, courtesy of Mayor Jamet, who made it possible for us to view the exhibit of Haitian artist Basquiat at the

LVMH Headquarters in Paris. John loved the bright, cheerful paintings of Haitian artists, and the resilience and resourcefulness of the Haitian people, who despite their circumstances seemed to always conjure up hope and a sense that days would get better. I had, some time before, declared John an honorary Citizen of Haiti and we spoke of traveling to Haiti to see how we could help in the fight against poverty and suffering. John also spoke with my sister, Yolaine, about helping her realize a project to build a center for higher education in Haiti where students would be trained to become the problem solvers and difference makers Haiti needs. Just before the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown, John promised to travel to New York to introduce Yolaine to an influential friend who could help the not-for-profit enterprise she had co-founded with the goal of building the center. John also agreed to chair a fundraiser for the organization. While we were not able to travel to Haiti because of increased insecurity, the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic, John began the good work by donating 10,000 N95 masks to Haiti, in honor of my cousin, Dr. Yolene Vaval Surena, a Public Health expert who succumbed to Covid 19 in May of 2021. John was adamant about sending more help and planned for the donation of a million additional N95 masks to Haiti as we waited for an assessment of the needs.

A staunch advocate for education, John also considered putting together a “Student suitcase program” where needy students would receive a small suitcase containing their books and all the school supplies that they would need to have a successful year as they began their enrollment in the Fall.

John’s heart was big enough to want to help in Africa as well. John felt a strong kinship with the people of Africa and wanted to make a significant contribution. One project that he realized with former Mayor Terry Tornek, his good friends Aboubakar Sisoko, Boualem Bousseloub, his sister, Lena Kennedy, and a great many Pasadenans was the successful establishment of a sister city rela- tionship between Dakar-Plateau, Senegal, and Pasadena. John, former Mayor Tornek and a quadre of Pasadenans officially received the Dakar-Plateau delegation headed by Mayor Ndoye during a week-long celebration that displayed Pasadena at its best in June of 2019. As next projects, John wanted to open a large hospital, in collaboration with the Dakar-Plateau leadership, and foster other ventures to improve the lives of the people. Here at home, he often would ask for an update on the business plan for my Wellness center, one of my own heartfelt projects that he was eager to help me accomplish.

John loved the people of his community, whom he was elected to serve and protect. Often on our walks, he would stop to engage longtime friends and neighbors, have an encouraging word and an offer to help whenever there was a need. We would often offer prayers and at times would be the recipient of heartfelt prayers which would always strengthen John’s resolve to pursue his dreams. At the end of our walks, he would go by Hammond Street to make sure that everyone, including the elderly neighbors he knew as a little boy growing up in Pasadena, were doing okay, often asking if they needed anything. He distributed meals to the elderly women, shared stories of his youth, and told how he valued their contributions to his life. We all know of the extravagant annual Holiday Parties, replete with a delicious Holiday meal for all, a toy distribution for the children as well the Thanksgiving Turkey Give Away that he organized by engaging the business community in Pasadena. Less visible was the work that he did behind the scenes. I recall finding him one late afternoon right before Thanksgiving, driving a truck full of fresh turkeys to deliver to the neighbors who had not been able to make it to the Turkey Give Away. John was tireless; despite all he accomplished. His work was never done, and he was always on the lookout for the next project that would solve yet another crisis and lift people out of poverty, out of despair and into the light. John made it clear that the time to act is now, not tomorrow and not yesterday. He loved to serve; that was his purpose. His deep interest and love for people were the driving force behind everything that he did, behind every project that he advocated for and behind every accomplishment. He attended the City Council meeting of July 18th and gave his final Yes vote, because he knew that his vote mattered, that his vote would make a difference for the people of District 3, for the people of Pasadena and for all of us.

As the uncertainty of the Covid 19 Pandemic gripped our city and the world, John moved to action, securing masks and hand sanitizers. He opened mask distribution centers in his district and on some Saturdays he, Susana Porras his District liaison and a team of volunteers delivered masks and hand sanitizers door to door making sure that his constituents did their part in stopping the spread of the virus. John organized drive-throughs providing groceries and supplies to families in need. He organized vaccination sites all over his district in collaboration with Huntington Hospital and his photograph taking his first vaccine graced billboards at bus stops, urging the community, especially the vulnerable to get vaccinated.

In the wake of the George Floyd tragedy, john relentlessly fought for and was able to finally realize the project that he said he was most proud of, the creation of the “Police Oversight Commission” which he strongly believed would help restore community trust in the Police force. Under his leadership, meaningful dialogue took place between the Police Chief and his constituents who wanted to see change finding in John their most zealous ally.

John also had a genuine interest in the next generation. He would sit at the dinner table and engage my daughters and my niece on their political views with open ears. He was an eager listener and wanted to learn from them and empower them to speak their truth. And if I interrupted my daughters, he would look at me and let me know that he wanted to hear their ideas, not my nurture his nieces and nephews as well as his mentees whom he affectionally referred to as his “godsons and goddaughters.” summation of their ideas. He always made my daughters feel seen and encouraged them with stories of his mother and sisters as examples of strong women he admired. I know John took similar care to

That was John’s heart; he loved with a pure, protective, enriching, selfless, encouraging, and uplifting love. His telephone was an ever-present rolodex that he could search to find lawyers, bankers, financial advisors, friends, and colleagues that could be called upon whenever someone asked for help. It was important to him to be there to help in any way that he could.

When John invited me into his world, he did so tentatively as we both had learned to be independent and self-reliant and held our beliefs and principles at the forefront of everything that we did. As time went by, however, over the course of many walks and dinners together, we learned to appreciate each other more. We shared a deep passion for the arts and music and wanted to find ways to create opportunities for others. John’s need to serve others, which resonated in my heart, was not superficial but composed the very fiber of his being, the first book that he gave me was a copy of “CALLED,” a treaty on service. Over the years, I witnessed his desire to create opportunities for the marginalized, to make every child feel valued, worthy of love and understood. He was pained deeply whenever the life of a promising youth was cut short by senseless violence.

Through our shared values, our shared love of God wove us inextricably together. I saw firsthand the tender, caring heart of a true and selfless servant who had dedicated his life to the service and upliftment of others.

We grew together and became a light in each other’s lives.

Our deep connection was a slow process, not without bumps along the way. John was a person of action, at times impatient with the slow pace of change. I tend to overanalyze and want to examine and discuss issues in all possible lights before acting. John had to slow down, and I had to speed up; he had to take more time to explain and understand, while I had to give up the assumptions and nuanced meanings that led to misunderstandings. We taught each other the profound meaning of every experience, the value of every encounter, the truth that life is full of joyful and beautiful moments, big and small. If we stop and enjoy them, in the now, our hearts are nourished, our souls connect, and we understand just a little better the heart of an Amazing Creator who loves every one of us with the unconditional pure, infinite love of a tender and caring Father.

Through it all, we had laughter and music. John had an extensive collection spanning varied genres of music from Pop and R & B to Gospel and Jazz. His portable CD player and a number of CDs were kept close by on the kitchen counter. We listened to our favorites on many a night. I would dance around the kitchen while John chuckled as he stayed busy preparing dinner. At other times, John would belt out the tunes of the seventies as he swayed and closed his eyes to better enjoy a song. I loved when John clowned around, and I would laugh and laugh so he upped his dancing with more elaborate steps. As he danced, we talked about the serious and the mundane, the crises facing our world, the plight of my beloved Haiti, his thoughts on how things could be easily fixed, we spoke of his afro, bellbottoms and polyester shirts, tenue de rigueur of our adolescence, how cool he must have felt, and how popular he must have been. I shared about my experience growing up in Haiti, wearing miniskirts and bas Gogo (fishnet stockings); the exodus of the Haitian middle class out of the country causing the “Brain drain” that ensued. We learned that we both favored Batman as the ultimate Superhero. We discovered our love of Andrea Bocelli’s music and his rendition of “Besame” played often as we shared dinner. It was on John’s bucket list to see Bocelli perform live and we did so last year when Bocelli came to the Hollywood Bowl. We were thrilled to hear Bocelli sing “Amazing Grace” with guest Jennifer Hudson. At the close of the concert, John sang loudly during Bocelli’s encore; it was John’s favorite rendition of “Nessun Dorma.”

John taught me that I could trust him to be there, unassuming on the surface but deeply loving and protective of me and those we loved. He taught me that it was okay to fall back and count on him in so many ways, in the little things and of course the important ones that he did. He cooked meals and cleaned the dishes since I did not meet his high cleaning standards. I could always count on him to produce his special concentrated hand sanitizer before we delved into a meal at one of the many restaurants we visited. He would rush to open the door of his Ford 150 and help me settle in, making sure my long gowns were safely inside, before he would close the door. During the precious moments we shared, John taught me that the heart of a real man is kind, gentle, generous, uplifting, encouraging, selfless, giving and forgiving. Without much fanfare, he taught me that I was important to him, and I came to understand the gentle and caring heart behind the tough façade, discovering integrity, honesty, and kindness.

As I learned to receive and to trust, John learned to let down his shield and allow his heart to show. Yes, the gentle, ferocious giant learned to put aside his armor knowing that I would respect and honor his space, his being that transcended the physical. He realized that I knew who he really was, that I saw his heart, his passion for service and his compassion for the oppressed and marginalized. He understood that his tough exterior was no deterrent to one who wanted to connect with him at his core, and so he learned to paint in nuanced shades of his favorite green with the burnt orange accents that I love, he learned that it was okay to be vulnerable, to just be the gift that he was. He learned that we could have time with no agenda, we could be “unprecise in our speech away from the public eye, that we could lean back and watch reruns of the Andy Griffith show, Billy the Kid, or a more serious film. It did not truly matter as long as we were together.

As the months rolled on and we faced the reality of John’s challenges, we prayed together, hoping together, enjoying every moment that we had, growing together and always joyful.

The Pandemic became an unexpected ally which allowed us so many delightful moments together with family, my daughters Alexandra and Arielle who had returned home, my niece Alyssa who participated in so many of our dinners. Daisy, Alyssa’s black Labrador slowly but surely inched her way into John’s heart and eventually received gentle pats on her head as John greeted her at the door with a “How are you today Daisy”? she made him know that dogs were special too and John did agree with me to get a German Shepherd as soon as he was better.

John and I were blessed with time over dinner, concerts, plays and good old family gatherings with so many dear friends, Boualem Bousseloub and Sharon Calkin, Phil and Dena Hawkins, Barbara and William Steinwedell, Susan and Creig Turner, Danny Bakewell Jr and Kristina Smith, Aboubakar and Nathalie Sisoko, Kristina and DeWalt Brown, and Robert Miller. I appreciate you sincerely and want to let you know how much John loved you and valued your friendship.

John had the entire Kennedy clan, brother Malcom, sisters Sharon, Lena, Geraldine, Elizabeth and Rosalinda, nephews and nieces, a slew of faithful friends, lifting him up in prayer, encouraging him along the way, showing him the true meaning of “That’s what friends are for” and he often spoke of that and how much that meant to him.

I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dear friend Boualem Bousseloub and Chris Morey his nephew who faithfully took him to his appointments and shared time over a meal with him. John so appreciated the soft-spoken Chris who made him feel at peace despite what was going on around him. A special thank you to my sister Dr Margaret Van Dyk and my niece Dr Alyssa Van Dyk for being such an invaluable resource for John and finally deep gratitude for John’s team at City Hall current and former, Jana West, Jana Stewart, and especially Susana Porras who stepped up in so many ways.

To the next generation, John says to follow his example, identify your path, assess your gifts and talents, hold on to God through the good and tough times and follow your passion. John would say answer your own calling, take your own place in the sun, never fear answering the call of your heart, listen, listen deeply to that inner voice that calls you to service in whatever area where your gifts and talents can be used to make a difference and step forward in boldness and with a humble heart, persevere and trust that God will open doors, He will bless you and trust you with more.

Live life to the fullest so that when you look back you will see that you did more than a thousand could, that you made a significant contribution, that you used what you were given and left the world a better place than it was when you came. John would echo the words of John Lewis: “You are the light. Never let anyone, any person or any force dampen, dim, or diminish your light.”

And all of you who knew and loved John, when the sad moments seem to rush over you, and you need to be uplifted, place your hand on your heart where your love for John and his love for each and every one of you resides, take a deep breath and allow God’s unconditional love to permeate every cell in your being and there in that love where John resides, you will find him, touching your heart with his smile, in the memory of a tender moment where he looked intently at you from behind his wall but yet could not hide his deep love and appreciation of you. John’s heart lives on through the love that he gave to all unconditionally as he fought unabashedly to bring a little bit of God’s kingdom here on earth.

John, I am so grateful for the times we have shared, for the lessons we have learned. I wish just like you said that we had met earlier or that we were granted more moments, that we could have partnered on the many more projects in our hearts. That we had more time to travel, more time for concerts, for dinners, for museums and plays, more time to be with our beloved families and friends. I wish I had more time to teach you French, to learn Chess from you, to share your writings with you. More time to watch glorious sunsets on the beach with you, more time to teach you that it was okay to let your feet thread the sand on the beach and let your pants get wet when the waves came crashing, more time for you to visit my beloved Haiti, and more time to learn about each other and honoring God for His presence in our daily lives.

For now, I will see you in the colors of the sunsets, in the mountains that I climb, in the trees that sway in the wind, I will see you in the flowers, in the birds that rest on my windowpane, in the eagle that flies high, you will be the bright star that I see in the sky at night that will reflect back to me the very best of my own heart.

I love you, John. I miss you in a very tangible way, but I know where you are, and I know that you are cared for more than I ever could do. I know that you are in the presence of the Extravagant Creator who brought you forth out of His unconditional love and loved us all so much that He gave you to us during these very precious years.

JOHN by Alex Baptiste

It is 1am in Atlanta Dusk slipped to ripe midnight Minute by delicate minute

And somehow

I started my first day without you

In a black hole

Swallowed whole

In gasps bingeing gasps

And wails purging wails

In droopy eyes

Postponing morning

In dry cheeks

Protesting mourning

But it’s 10:34 in California

So it’s still the today you woke up warm in stubborn resilience painted fluorescent

You once told me that we “will heal together” and we often told each other that “two are better than one;” I told you that I would stand in the gap for you, that I would believe in your healing until you could believe for yourself. We kept our promise to one another and in so doing, we brought love to my daughters, and shared our joy with those we interacted with.

The world is a better place because the majestic John Jackson Kennedy came and lived his life purpose to the fullest!

My dear John, I am grateful that I came to Pasadena and found you, forever you will have your place in my heart.

It’s 10:44 in California

So it’s still the today Mom pleaded for a miracle Covered your palms in hers As your fingers squeezed back

It’s 10:54 in California

So it’s still the today when You declined the DNR Came back after coding And intubating And shock

After shock

After shock

Until you didn’t

It’s 11:59 in California And I wish I could stretch this minute Into one more cheesy gif One more hearty howl

One more Taurus spar One more hug wrapped in I love you