Carol Kennedy

Carol (Hoffman) Kennedy, passed away peacefully on December 5, 2025 in the warm care of the people at the Lutheran Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Care Center in Worcester. She was 90 years old and had suffered with dementia for a number of years. Carol previously worked at the Lutheran Home and brought joy to many residents there.

Carol was born and grew up in New Springfield, Ohio, with her parents, Dale and Florence Hoffman, and two older sisters, Margaret and Fay. It was here that she met her high school sweetheart and eventual husband of 66 years, the Reverend Dr. Paul D. Kennedy. They shared a life devoted to each other. Her care for her husband after he was diagnosed with MS was skilled, loving, and immeasurable.

Carol will be remembered for her warmth, compassion, and unwavering devotion to others. In addition to raising her own three children, Carol served as a foster parent for seven others, a practice that ended when she and her husband adopted the last child, Joe.

She dedicated her life to raising her children and tending to her grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, cooking, and collecting sea glass by the beach.

Carol is survived by her son Mark Kennedy and his wife Richelle; her daughter Laurie Yvanauskas and her husband Joe; and her son Joe Kennedy. She was the proud grandmother of Andy Kennedy, Alison (Kennedy) Sheehan and her husband Dan, Casey Yvanauskas, and Veronika Melnik. In recent days, she was also able to spend time with her great grandchildren, Callaghan and Carter Sheehan.

Family and friends are invited to visit with the family from 9:00 - 10:30 AM on Saturday, December 13th at Trinity Lutheran Church, 73 Lancaster Street, Worcester. A funeral service will follow at 10:30 AM in the church. Burial will be at All Faith's Cemetery, Worcester.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or to the Lutheran Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center, 26 Harvard Street, Worcester, MA 01609.