Bridge News

The Pittsburgh resident served as president of Unit 142 and District 5 and was a member of the district executive board for many years. She was a member of the ACBL Goodwill Committee and first alternate to Sharon Fairchild, who represents the district on the ACBL Board of Directors. Atkins was also vice chairman of the ACBL Board of Governors.

She was the Volunteer of the Year for 2005, an award selected by the ACBL President.

Atkins leaves daughters Rosalind Atkins-Green and Denise Atkins; grandchildren Keera Atkins, Keona Southern, Adrian Green and Erin Green, and four great-grandchildren.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Kennedy, husband of world champion Betty Ann Kennedy, was a World War II veteran who received three U.S., two foreign and four campaign medals for his WWII service in Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge. He graduated from the U.S. Army Academy at West Point at the age of 21.

After his military service, Kennedy returned to Shreveport and took over the family businesses. He served as president and CEO of Kennedy Supply Co., an auto parts warehouse distributor with branch stores, and a wholesale lumber company and wood-treating plant.

In bridge, he won the Men's Pairs (now the Open Pairs) in 1973 and the Blue Ribbon Pairs with longtime friend Bobby Wolff in 1984. Kennedy was a member of the Shreveport Sports Hall of Fame.

The Kennedys were married 46 years.

He is also survived by two sons, John Earle Kennedy III of San Francisco and David Alexander Kennedy of Shreveport; a stepson, James Floyd Welch II of New Orleans; a stepdaughter, Evangeline Lee Welch and husband Arin Richard Wiscomb of Greenbrae CA, and a grandson, Spencer Todd Saxon Kennedy of Shreveport.