Moments before Deminco McKinzie Kennedy’s funeral Saturday morning, a man in an olive green suit stood over Kennedy’s silver casket. The man, a relative of Kennedy, leaned over, kissed him on the face and returned to his seat.
Friends and family of Kennedy, 26, continued to pay their respects to a man they remembered as kind and religious at the First Church of God, 1524 Simpson St. They lamented that his life was taken in an argument that could have been resolved without violence.
Kennedy was shot and killed Feb. 24 in Evanston’s first homicide of the year.
Kennedy’s life ended just as he was putting it together, several friends said. He had received his Illinois driver’s license on Feb. 22. The next day he began attending church again. And on Tuesday, the day after his death, Kennedy was offered a job at a liquor store in Skokie.
Kennedy, who was born in Evanston on Jan. 12, 1977, attended Evanston public schools and joined the Friendship Baptist Church, 2201 Foster St.
He believed strongly in Jesus Christ, said Kevin Mills, Kennedy’s former basketball coach.
“I had a love for him,” Mills said. “And each and every person in here had a love for him. The brother was strong.”
Kennedy loved basketball and played about twice a week at Weber Gymnasium in Chicago. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and was admired by his eleven nieces and nephews. One niece, Latanya Kirkland, wrote a poem as a tribute to Kennedy.
“Good-bye my uncle, I’ll deeply miss you,” wrote Kirkland, who lives in Orlando, Fla. “But someday, sometime, somewhere, I’ll meet you up there!”
The service was filled with songs and standing ovations. The Rev. Dr. Michael D. Curry officiated and offered his condolences to the family, including Kennedy’s mother, Claudia Evans. Kennedy’s father, Jesse Knox, is deceased.
“Your son’s life was not lived in vain,” Curry told Evans.
Evans did not speak during the service.
“I’m not dealing with it too good because that was my baby,” she said Thursday. “But I’m doing the best I can.”
The Rev. Dr. Fred E. Harris, Jr. of Springfield Missionary Baptist Church, 1801 Emerson St., reminded those in attendance that Kennedy’s death was the result of unnecessary violence.
“This is a needless event,” Harris said. “What has been gained? What are the spoils of this war? Yet another one of us has been sacrificed on the altar of violence and revenge.”
During a eulogy to Kennedy, the Rev. Dr. Louis Banks of Bethlehem Unity Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago urged everyone to keep their faith in God.
“Even in the midst of all this tragedy, the Lord is still good,” Banks said.
Clergy members told mourners Kennedy had moved on to his next life.
“Goodnight, Deminco,” Harris said. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
Kennedy is survived by his mother; his brother, Teddy Jones, of Chicago; his sister Debbie Kirkland, of Orlando, Fla.; and five other sisters, Lawonda Kennedy, Shawnese Jones, Chartina Jenkins, Vera Hutchinson and Lowanda Thomas, all of Evanston.
