Kathleen "Kathy" E. Kennedy

Kathleen Elsa Kennedy completed her earthly journey on April 10th, 2026. Passionate, vibrant and deeply connected with others, she lived a rich, full life and was visited in her last days by many family members and friends.

Kathy was born November 20, 1950, in Corry, PA, to John and Patricia Kennedy.

Kathy graduated from Fairview High School in 1968 and attended Grove City College, where she majored in English Literature and graduated in 1972. She married Ronald Holstein and the couple moved to North Carolina, where, in addition to helping Ron restore antique furniture, she taught at the Irene B. Wortham Center for children with special needs in Asheville. In 1976, they moved to Fairview, to be closer to Kathy’s parents, and she worked at the Sarah Reed Retirement Center as Activities Director among many other jobs. She later moved to Erie and worked at Lake Erie Institute of Rehabilitation as a recreational therapist and was ordained a deacon at Sarah Hearn Presbyterian Church, where she also sang in the choir.

Kathy moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1987. She soon earned a Master’s Degree at Louisiana State University and began teaching courses in anthropology at LSU. There, she met and married Kent Mathewson, a geography professor, and with him began an adventurous life of world travel to Central and South America, to Europe, and to the South Pacific. She also enjoyed her time as a stay-at-home mother, in addition to teaching Elderhostel classes, co-leading her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, being an active volunteer in the community and hosting many wonderful parties. She also served as an informal adviser to many graduate students in the department of Geography and Anthropology. Kathy became the primary caregiver to her father as he battled and eventually succumbed to cancer, and also to her mother, Patricia. She took the utmost pride in restoring her dream home, a brick Greek revival farmhouse on the outskirts of Mayville, New York. During her time there, Kathy made her mark in the community by hosting a foreign exchange student, Azumi Futatsugi, from Japan; she also served as an officer for the Chautauqua Township historical society and was an active volunteer for the Chautauqua County Democratic Party as well as the Mayville Food Pantry. She and Kent continued to take memorable trips, including to Panama, Cuba, and Europe, and she remained fiercely committed to equality, women’s rights, and environmental justice. She enjoyed many hobbies, such as gardening, reading, and spending time with her beloved cats.

Kathy was preceded in death by her father John, her mother Pat, and her younger brother Chris, and nephew Robert. 

She is survived by her husband Kent; her daughter Mariana Bernstein (Greg), grandson Arthur, of Erie, PA; by her older brother, Jerry (Sarah) of Baton Rouge, and by her nephew Benjamin, (Julie) and their children Sam, Evelyn, and Miles, all of Charlottesville, VA; and by her nibling, Micah of Oakland CA; by her Kennedy cousins, Charles Michael of Corry and Thomas Allen (Linda) of Mechanicsville, VA, and by their children and grandchildren; and by her Platz cousins Michael (Debbie) of Girard and Patrick (Karen) of Fairview, and their children and grandchildren.

In her final weeks, she came to the understanding that through exceptionally compassionate care from the staff at AseraCare Hospice and Manchester Commons, and through many wonderful interactions with friends, family and strangers, that “Love is all there is, and it’s more than enough.”

In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor can be made to Planned Parenthood Donate - Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center Donate - SPLC, American Civil Liberties Union Donate - ACLU, Westfield Stray Cat Rescue, the Mayville Food Pantry and the Erie Junior Philharmonic Donate - Erie Junior Philharmonic. (Addresses for these organizations are noted below.)

An outdoor and potentially irreverent celebration of Kathy’s life will take place sometime this summer.

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