H.E. Ambassador Rev. Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq (Ret.)

I have known my good friend, the late Councilman John J. Kennedy, since we were law schoolmates at the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. We also both studied at the University of Southern California prior to law school.

while many of us were rushing around in a near state of panic when it was test-taking time.

John being from California and me having lived there for many years, we had a natural connection. We also had mutual friends from my days in California.

I liked John’s calm demeanor no matter what was going on. Anyone who had a name like John Kennedy attracted attention naturally and once you met him there was no way you would forget his name! Additionally, he was very handsome, smart and personable. I went to law school late in life, so naturally he was too young for me to consider for anything other than a good friend. That he was.

California. I was able to keep up with his successes through a mutual friend, the late Gwen Scott-Taylor, and later through her son, Terrence Scott.

When he became a Councilmember, that was a big deal, and I was delighted that I was on his email list so that I heard about all of his community service successes. There were many law school friends I never heard from once we left Howard, but I was pleased that John and I kept in touch sharing our work and accomplishments.

I remember John as the ideal friend. He was always so kind to everyone. No matter what was going on, he had the same smile. He was so calm

Once we left Howard Law, it was always a pleasure to hear how well he was doing once he returned to

Erika Grubbs

Law school can be hectic, but John’s smile was so charming and calming. I don’t think I ever saw him without a warm greeting and a wonderful smile. We had a mutual respect for each other. We were frequent email friends and when we saw each other, there was always the mutual warm hug!

I first met John when he was president of the NAACP. It has been a pleasure knowing John for 35 years. When we met, I knew that he was a very special person with a lot of energy and who was destined to have numerous accomplishments. He always had a spark in his eyes and when he listened to you speak, he was always very focused on what you were saying. If you had a problem or situation that needed solving, he would always provide a suggestion or assist you in getting the matter resolved.

We communicated through email and texting. Usually, when we texted it was he checking to see how my mother was doing or sharing Bible scripture or sharing holiday salutations.

John, you will be greatly missed! God speed my special friend and as I have said to you before, “You will always hold a special place in my heart!”

John was one of a kind. He was the most thoughtful, caring and dedicated public servant I have ever known. Not only did he make Pasadena a better place, he improved the lives of every resident. John’s commitment to everyone encountered, from the president of the United States to the hourly wage worker, was at a level that defies description. His workload was enormous because he was dedicated to so many varying causes, from improving affordable housing to expanding Pasadena’s Sister Cities to include Dakar-Plateau in Africa.

Ian Foxx

Gale Anne Hurd

Nothing intimidated John, and fairness to all was always his paramount goal.

John would email me many times over the years to see how I was doing, and to garner my financial support for the Pasadena community, including purchasing turkeys at Thanksgiving for needy families, but he also enlisted my support to hold elected (and unelected) city officials accountable. I think my expertise in the entertainment business was something he found fascinating and I was able to enlighten him about Hollywood.

It is impossible to grasp John’s impact on the people of Pasadena, his constituents, his colleagues, family and friends, and the community at large. There is no doubt that he could have had a national profile, but instead he devoted his life to the Crown City; we are all better off for his lifetime of sacrifice and dedication.

The Honorable John J. Kennedy lived a life of service, and his loss is unimaginable, not only to his family, friends, and colleagues, but to the City of Pasadena. May he Rest in Peace. I imagine that he is still hard at work – making Heaven an even more fair and equitable place.

Ibrahim Badji

Community: John had a way of making people around him feel like he truly cared about them, he took the time to listen to their issues and he would find a way to solve them. The Kennedys always keep me involved in the civic and family activities of the City of Pasadena.

John had just gotten re-elected, and I was excited to see what he would accomplish during his next term. Hopefully, the photos I have taken over the last decade will document some of the achievements of his life of service to his Family and the City of Pasadena. John was just getting started and he will be missed.

Rest in Paradise, John Jackson Kennedy. Luv U Man!

It is with great sadness that I write this message to offer my sincere condolences to John’s family and to his friends. I am from Senegal and live in Dakar. John was more than a friend for me. He was not only a friend, but also an adviser – even a father for me. He supported me on everything and gave me good advice. We were together on his last visit to Senegal. To know that he left and that I will never see him again haunts my heart. I have no words to describe what I feel, but I can testify that he was an angel, a sage, and a person full of value with a heart of gold. I sympathize with the pain and grief that his family and loved ones must feel. Peace to his soul.