Lawrence M. Kenney

Lawrence M. Kenney was born in Wilmington on May 6, 1935. His parents were Agnes (nee Rowe) and Joseph Kenney. He was a graduate of St. Thomas the Apostle Grade School and Brown Vocational High School.

While still attending Brown, he developed an interest in carpentry and woodworking. Upon his graduation in 1958, he served his apprenticeship with Ernst DiSabatino & Sons. A few years later, Lawrence met Daniel Benarcik, owner of Your Home Incorporated, and began a close relationship in creative design and custom carpentry for the people of Wilmington. Lawrence formed his own carpentry company in 1968.

For over 50 years, Lawrence developed a reputation for his reliability and masterful workmanship. Today, driving through the streets of Wilmington, one can spot examples of his craft. The three-story, white stucco home on Kerfoot Road still has the bay window installed in 1990. Over on 18th Street, the front porch and steps have withstood several severe winters in great shape. On North Broom Street, the back porch and steps look brand new although they were installed twelve years ago. Lawrence never had to advertise; word-of-mouth generated all his business.

Over the years, Lawrence was a member of Christ Our King, St. Anthony of Padua and Immaculate Heart of Mary Churches. For nearly ten years, he was a Eucharistic Minister and spent many Sunday mornings visiting the sick parishioners in their homes or in nearby nursing facilities.

In 2004, he met the love of his life, Margaret Malloy, and they were married on May 20, 2006 in St. Anthony of Padua Church. They were loving partners and shared many interests. Both enjoyed music and the concerts at the Dickinson Organ Society. Several times a year, they traveled to New York to see the hit Broadway shows. Together they participated in the activities sponsored by the Fraim Senior Center.

A mutual love of adventure led to trips to California, Canada, Italy and England. However, their favorite vacation spot was Ireland which they visited on three separate occasions. On their July 2019 trip, they met with Margaret’s Malloy cousins in Sligo and Mayo.

Lawrence was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Joseph A. He is survived by his loving wife, Margaret; his niece, Susan Kenney-Nixon and her husband, Donald and their daughters, Josephine and Catherine. He will be dearly missed by his cousins: Cecilia & Kenneth Frank, Patricia & Sean Sweeney and Pauline & Michael Scanlon; his treasured friends: Sister Christa Rowe, Katherine Benarcik, Bernadette Coggins, Annette Comas, Kathleen DiCamilia, Kathie and Joseph DiMedio, Barbara Garlington, Joseph Hanas and Una Muzzi; and his neighbors at The 1401 Condominium who called him, “Mr. Fix-It”.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:15AM on Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4701 Weldin Road, Wilmington, DE, where a visitation will be held one hour earlier. Interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery, 6001 Kirkwood Hwy, Wilmington, DE.

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