Mac Kennedy

died peacefully with his family surrounding him on March 29, 2015.A 45 year resident of Bainbridge Island, Mac is survived by his wife Susan Levy of Bainbridge, his son Peter Kennedy and his family of St. Paul, Minnesota, his daughter Emily Breidenbach of Seattle, and his brother Mike Kennedy and his family of Seattle.Mac was born February 12, 1940 in Auburn, Washington and grew up in Seattle. He attended Garfield High School where he was an academic whiz. But his love was playing clarinet in the marching band. Mac briefly attended the Naval Academy before transferring to the University of Washington where he also completed his JD.While practicing law in consumer protection for the State of Washington, Mac permitted the first rock festivals in the State - a colorful part of his legal career.In 1971, Mac turned from law to construction. As an artisan builder, he was proud to be involved with more than 60 custom home projects on Bainbridge Island. Clients got the bonus of being able to ask Mac for a recipe if they were stumped, as he was a master in the kitchen as well. He played poker on a weekly basis for more than 40 years with the same group of friends. Last July, Mac and Susan celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with three generations of family and friends, including many of his beloved poker buddies.Retired for 10 years, Mac enjoyed developing and analyzing heart-healthy recipes for Susan's company, The Well-Fed Heart. Their partnership resulted in a library of recipes and healthful eating advice used by healthcare providers around the country. Mac shared his love for cooking with many of his friends and asked that his funeral not be catered as his friends are all great cooksMac passed down his love of mushroom hunting to his son Peter, who earned a PhD in Biology from UC Berkeley, with a specialty in mycology. Currently, Peter continues this work as a tenured research professor at the University of Minnesota. Mac also introduced his mushroom hunting passion to all interested people, though he did not share many of his secret patches. At certain times of the year, his van was seen slowing to inspect his "drive by" curb-side mushroom spots -- a wonder to all those who knew him.At his 65th birthday party, the question that stumped nearly all was "What was the highest peak Mac ever climbed?" The correct answer -- Mount Rainier at the age of 36, complete with a champagne toast at the summit.Equally amazing were Mac's daily summer swims in Puget Sound. All of his children, including Ann Kennedy and Will Breidenbach (both deceased), friends, nieces and nephews, were happy to participate. Most recently, he joyfully took his grandchildren for their first splash in Puget Sound.Mac was delighted when his daughter Emily bought a cabin last year in the Tenaway Valley, near Ellensburg, an area ripe with Mac's family history. His grandmother once taught in the one room schoolhouse in Tenaway and his grandfather ended his journey from Independence, Missouri by foot as a boy of 13 in Ellensburg.Mac's love for the island, his family, and his community will be dearly missed. To honor Mac's choice for a ‘death with dignity', the family asks that any memorial donations be made to Compassionate Care Washington, P.O. Box 61369, Seattle, WA 98141.