H Connor Kennett

H. Connor Kennett Jr, 83 of Sanford passed away Thursday February 18, 2016 at his home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00am Saturday at St Luke United Methodist Church. Burial will be held at 2:00pm Saturday at Raleigh Memorial Park.

Mr. Kennett was born in Durham, NC son of the late H. Connor Kennett Sr and Grace Stone Kennett. He played football at Durham High School, on the team that won the NC High School Championship and played in the Orange Bowl.

He attended NC State University earning a BS in Poultry Science in 1954, the year he married his high school sweetheart, Aldith Boyd Kennett. They were married 52 years until her death in 2007. Following his graduation, he served two years in the US Army, part of that time in Korea.

In 1956 he joined the Poultry Division of the US Dept of Agriculture. He was promoted to Director of the USDA Poultry Division in 1973, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1988. He received many awards for “Meritorius Service” during his distinguished career, none of which he was prouder than the US and the NC Poultry Hall of Fame in which his father was also honored.

He loved NC State and was a loyal Wolfpack fan for more than 60 years, attending most home football and basketball games.

In 2011 he was presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State University.

He was a lifetime Methodist serving as Board and Finance Chairman ofr many years at Lanham United Methodist Church in Hyattsville, MD, where he lived for 30 years and was an active member of St Luke United Methodist Church and the Moffitt-Hoyle-Jones Sunday School Class.

Mr. Kennett is survived by his brothers, H. Stone Kennett (Shirley) of Raleigh, and J. Phil Kennett (Gloria) of High Point; sister, Kay Kennett Stout (David) of Sanford several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at 10:00am Saturday in the Ladies Parlor at St Luke United Methodist Church.

Memorial contributions can be made to St Luke United Methodist Church, 2916 Wicker St., Sanford, NC; or to the HC Kennett Jr & Aldith Boyd Kennett Scholarship, NC State University Agricultural Foundation, Campus Box 7645, Raleigh, NC 27695-7645.