Local

Dennis Kennedy Celebrates Retirement


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Firefighter Dennis Kennedy (ret.) surrounded by colleagues from the Park Forest Fire Department. Left to right: Lt. Steve Bobzin, Lt. Phil Myers, FF/PM Ed Dionne, Dennis Kennedy, FF/PM Pat Hisel, FF/PM Taylor Bordewyk and FF/PM Tracy Natyshok (Photo: ENEWSPF)

Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— Firefighter Dennis Kennedy officially retired from the Park Forest Fire Department, and around 200 colleagues, staff members, friends and family celebrated with him Saturday at Scrementi’s Contempo in South Chicago Heights. Surrounded by well-wishers, Kennedy received numerous gifts, some serious, and some, well, not so serious at all.

One might say the evening was a gas.

Mayor John Ostenburg read a resolution the Village Board passed at last Monday’s meeting honoring Kennedy for his many accomplishments, and wishing him well in his retirement. The text of the resolution follows:

A RESOLUTION THANKING DENNIS KENNEDY FOR HIS
DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE VILLAGE OF PARK FOREST

WHEREAS, Firefighter/Paramedic Dennis Kennedy has recently retired from his position with the Park Forest Fire Department, and
WHEREAS, although he was born in Cicero in 1951, Dennis Kennedy became a resident of Park Forest in 1952 and graduated from Rich East High School in 1968; and
WHEREAS, Dennis Kennedy’s employment with the Park Forest Fire Department continued a family tradition in the fire service following in the footsteps of his grandfather Lt. Robert E. Doyle who served on the Chicago Fire Department as a Lieutenant on the “Joseph Medill” Fire Boat; and
WHEREAS, his service with the Park Forest Fire Department began as a paid-on-call volunteer in 1981 where he quickly attained the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1983 and was promoted to POC Lieutenant in March of 1986; and
WHEREAS, Dennis Kennedy was hired as a full-time Firefighter with the Park Forest Fire Department on December 14th 1986, attained the certification of Paramedic in 1987, and served in that position for 20 years where he continually demonstrated his dedication to serving and protection to the citizens of the Village of Park Forest, and
WHEREAS, Dennis Kennedy is a member of the International Association of Firefighters, and the Associated Firefighters of Illinois, and served two terms as Vice President of Local 1263; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his employment with the Fire Department, Dennis Kennedy has been a respected business owner within the Village of Park Forest since 1994 as owner of Kennedy Auto and has been one of the more well known members of the Fire Department based on his many community contacts, and
WHEREAS, Dennis Kennedy has recently retired to spend more time with his family and to pursue his many outside interests such as travel, driving his Gremlin, and serving his wife’s every desire.

NOW, THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Park Forest, Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, that the deepest appreciation of the Board of Trustees and the citizens of Park Forest be expressed to Dennis Kennedy for his years of dedicated service to the village.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the board wishes Dennis Kennedy a long, happy, healthy retirement during which he enjoys his family and other interests.

Main photo caption: Retired Firefighter Dennis Kennedy (center) surrounded by colleagues from the PFFD. (Photo: ENEWSPF)


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