Albert Kennerly

Albert Kennerly, born in New York City, died July 19, 2001, in his 86th year at Easton, MD. He graduated Columbia University School of Architecture in 1939 and with the depression still in force, began his career in architecture in the Venezuelan oil fields. It was not long before he joined his young family in Honolulu, Hawaii, where on that fateful day, from Hickham Field, he witnessed the early morning attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan and assisted in rescue and recovery operations. With President Roosevelt''s subsequent declaration of war he signed up as a civilian and was assigned to duty on oil tankers in the Pacific. He also worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard painting battleships. In the early 1950''s he joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill''s New York office as architect/construction manager, later becoming an associate partner. While at S.O.M., and during the 60''s and 70''s with his own firm, he managed major building projects nationally and internationally. These included the James Forrestal Building, Washington, DC, the Tower and International Arrivals buildings at Idlewild Airport (now JFK), the Istanbul Hilton Motel in Turkey, a master plan and design for El Aounia International Airport in Tunisia, the Model Room at the New York Yacht Club; many jobs for R. H. Macy, B. Altman, and Bloomingdales; banking facilities for Manufacturers Hanover, Citicorp, Al Saudi Banque, Barclays Bank; and work for the State University of New York and Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, to name a few. In 1992 he moved to Oxford and Talbot County, where examples of his work include Salisbury Pewter on Route 50, the Denton Police sub-station in Caroline County, and several fine residences. He was the son of Charles Holland Kennerly, born in Sharptown, MD and Helene Kennerly of New York. Survived by his wife of 21 years, the former Caroline Tripp, and his former wives, Helen Kahn of New York City and Celeste Cheatham of New York City, he leaves three children, Karen Kennerly, New York City, Kenneth Kennerly, Jupiter, Florida; Owen Kennerly, San Francisco, California; a stepson Roy, New York City; and two grandchildren Carly and Charlie (ages 5 & 4). A third son Charles Kennerly died in 1986. He was a member of The Union League Club, New York, and the New York Yacht Club. Funeral arrangements are by the Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton. A memorial service will be held at Christ Church, 111 S. Harrison St., Easton, at 11:00 am, Saturday, July 21, 2001. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oxford Museum New Building Fund, PO Box 131, Oxford, MD 21654.