Mr. Donald Edward Kennedy, 73, died Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at Mitchell-Hollingsworth Nursing and Rehabilitation after a brief illness.

The funeral service will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jimmy Aycock and the Rev. Scott Coats officiating. The family will receive friends at the church from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The graveside service will be held at 4:00 p.m. at the Barton Cemetery in Colbert County.

Donald was born in Murphy, N.C. to the late Almon T. and Ruby Mae Kennedy. He was a 1957 graduate of Coffee High School, and had served as Band Director at Hatton School. He was in the U.S. Army Band and was in Germany during the Rise of the Berlin Wall. He retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Donald was a long-time member of the choirs at North Wood and First United Methodist churches in Florence.

Survivors include his wife of 31 years Margaret, of Florence; her daughter Lynn McLean of Florence; daughter Deann Badura (Brad) of Coppell, Texas; son Brett Kennedy (Darby) of Rome, Georgia; brother Jerry W. Kennedy (Maura) of Washington, D.C. and four grandchildren, Madison and Lauren Badura and Mason and Garrett Kennedy.

Pallbearers will be Henry Nichols, Randy Pettus, Wesley Roden, B.J. Kennedy, Jim Kennedy, John Appuhn ,Mike Parrish, and Dr. Joseph Flippen. Honorary bearers will be Clyde Orr, Rebecca Rockhill and Linda May.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to the Choir Fund at First United Methodist Church.

The family would like to thank the staffs of Station 5 West at ECM Hospital and Station 7 at Mitchell-Hollingsworth Rehab.