San Juan Cosala Racquet Club resident Raymond (Ray) Leonard Kennedy, 75, passed away peacefully in his home on June 8 after a short battle with cancer. His wife and daughter were by his side.
Born May 22, 1938 in Burscough, Lancashire, England, Kennedy spent most of his adult life in the Isle of Man.
Kennedy enjoyed a varied career, training as a hairdresser before working in the financial and insurance sectors. He owned a hotel before retiring early and moving to Zimbabwe in Africa.
A man not known to like cold weather, he had fallen in love with Zimbabwe while on vacation there with his first, late wife. Kennedy spent 12 years in Zimbabwe, where, after the passing of his wife, he met and married his current spouse, Ayesha, who shared his passion for traveling. The two traveled the world together and amassed many experiences and memories. They fell in love with Mexico during a visit here and moved permanently to San Juan Cosala in 2009.
Kennedy was a man of many talents and loved playing golf. The crowning point of his golfing career came in 2011 when he was invited to represent Zimbabwe at the World Senior Golf Tournament in San Diego, California. He also had a passion for fishing and playing card games.
The family would like to express their profound gratitude to the specialist doctors and staff who attended to Kennedy at hospitals in Guadalajara and Ajijic, as well as the nurses who took care of him when he came home. In particular, Ayesha expresses her deepest gratitude to Dr. Alfredo Rodriguez for his care, professionalism and humanity and for being with her and husband right to the end.
Kennedy was a kind and generous man, who lived his life to the fullest. He will be very much missed by his wife Ayesha, his daughter Janine and grandson Adam. He is also survived by his sister Brenda.