Kennedy was born in California in 1926 and brought up in Dublin, Ireland. Well known as one of the founders of Concern, an Irish NGO, and later of Concern Universal and Concern USA, he devoted his life to alleviating human distress and poverty and promoting education across the world.

He worked in Nigeria during the Biafra war and in Bangladesh, Malawi, Ireland, UK and USA. He will be remembered by many in Bangladesh for his work as the director of Concern during and after the Liberation War. Later, he returned to Dhaka to work for Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) and continued to support the DAM and Nijeri Shikhi from the UK.

A requiem mass will be held at 12noon on Friday followed by his burial in Clayton churchyard, Sussex. There will also be a memorial service in Dublin in early December.