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KENDRICK, Joseph Edward (6664)

Parents

Birth

  • Born on May 11, 1964 in Halifax, Halifax Regional Municipality, NS

Death

  • Died on June 14, 2022 in Toronto, ON

Marriages

Children

Notes

  • Obituary: It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved Joseph Edward Kendrick on June 14, 2022. We take comfort knowing that Joe is with the Lord Jesus Christ. Born May 11, 1964 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Joe was the oldest of 5 children to Gerald and Beverly Kendrick. Throughout his life, Joe was known for his generosity, his kindness, and his love of family. Yes, as a teenager, Joey would punish his siblings for snooping through his room, but there was no denying his soft heart. This was most evident with the birth of his daughter Madalyn, whom he protected and cherished more than anything. Of her dad, Maddie said, "He always made sure I was okay, and if not, he always found ways to put a smile on my face." Along with Maddie, Joey leaves behind his wife Jennifer and his parents Gerald and Beverly Kendrick. He is also survived by siblings Paula (Dave), Susan (Steven), Greg (Jenny), and Gerald (Tami); brother-in-law Sterling (Gina) and Jennifer's brother Mathew (Rhonda); nephews Zachary, Tyler, Cole, Nick, Alex, Jake, and niece Perris (Justin); mother and father-in-law Ken and Sandy Brain. He also leaves behind close friends Jane McCullough, Jeff McCullough, Brian Tertelgte, Paul Brundige, Stoj Kljaic, and Jeff Maillette. Joey is predeceased by his first wife Jacklyn Kendrick (nee Grimm), mother of Madalyn, and parents-in-law Gerald and Pearl Grimm. As a teenager, Joey gave his heart to the lord and was involved in the church youth group. With his friend and future brother-in-law Dave, Joey travelled Atlantic Canada as the technical crew for church youth events. Setting up sound systems at these events, they were always the first to arrive and the last to leave. In Halifax, Joey made friends that would remain close to him for the rest of his life. In his early twenties, Joey moved to Toronto, Ontario to attend the Trebas Institute where he studied sound engineering. He used these skills to help several Toronto-area churches purchase and set up sound systems. It was here in Toronto that Joey began his life as a husband and father. He married Jacklyn Grimm (also from Halifax) in 1988, and they were proud to announce the arrival of daughter Madalyn in 1997. Jacklyn passed away in 2008. In 2013, Joey married Jennifer Brain, a resident of the Toronto area. To Jen, Joey was her "best friend, soulmate, and the centre of my world." As a member of the Sunoco and Petro-Canada families, Joey's hard work and integrity won him numerous awards for excellent service. He treated his work teams with kindness and respect and was proud of his team's accomplishments. A statement about Joey's passing was recently shared within the Petro-Canada network and Joe's family: "Joe was a long tenured Associate within the Sunoco and Petro-Canada networks. Joe was a Sunoco retailer and then at the time of the merger, joined the Petro-Canada network as an ARL (Area Retail Licensee). Joe has been described as a man with a kind and gentle soul. He was always even keeled and balanced. He was dedicated to his work and always willing to provide feedback, advice and help his peers out when called upon. For those who had the privilege to work with Joe, they would say it was a pleasure and looked forward to spending time and engaging with him." Joey loved life and appreciated everything from fine dining, operas, Broadway plays, and concerts to Westerns, Star Trek, and football games. Family time often involved watching '96 or sleeping through '96 movies. His fondness for so many classic films and Westerns came from Saturdays as a child watching movies with his parents. He loved talking music and guitars with Greg and Brian. And he enjoyed singing, too '96 although the lyrics seemed to always be wrong. "It wasn't always because he didn't remember the lyrics," Jen says, "it was mostly to make us smile or laugh." Over the course of his life, Joey travelled to Venezuela, Hawaii, Italy, Las Vegas, and California to name a few. His most cherished travel memories, however, came from numerous trips with extended family to Disney World. Joey could often be heard saying "Remember that time we went to Disney…" and his impersonation of Mickey Mouse kicking him out of his hotel room at the end of the visit will always be a favourite memory of Madalyn's. Joey loved making people laugh (bizarre and hilarious texts to family and friends abounded), and his own laugh was more of a scream which ended in tears streaming down his face. Perhaps one's only recourse is to laugh when you're a Buffalo Bills fan, which Joey was. Over the years, he travelled to many games in Buffalo with his brothers. Game days at home were spent texting with the guys, loudly cheering on the team and jumping up to celebrate touchdowns. Super Bowl parties were a national holiday in the house, and the event required weeks of menu preparation on Jen's part. The event was extra special when his brothers came to Toronto to watch with him (even though there would inevitably be a snowstorm that would cover the satellite dish and require them to run a hose through the house to stand outside to clear it off). Joey will be cheering on the Bills and celebrating when they one day win the Super Bowl. Frequent trips home to Halifax for holidays and birthdays as well as Mother's and Father's Day were a regular part of Joey's life. When home, he loved driving to Parrsboro, Lunenberg, or PEI for seafood chowder and fish & chips. On one particularly stellar day trip, Joey took Jen, Maddie, and his parents to Parrsboro for lunch and then immediately drove to P.E.I. to have the exact same thing for dinner. Christmases were spent eating Mom's cookies with peppermint ice cream, calculating the fire hazard of Sterling's gloriously-lit Christmas tree, and making Boxing Day trips with his dad and brothers for movies or guitars. Upon leaving for Toronto after these frequent visits, Joey could be heard asking at least one of us "So when are you coming up for a visit?" Since he first moved to Toronto, his home there was always our home too. We were welcome anytime, and we could help ourselves to anything we wanted (Thank you, Joe, for the constant stockpile of Diet Coke). Joe loved to give. Whatever he had, he would share it. Now, after his passing, he shares with us the last thing he has left to give: memories of him. We will value those as much as we adored and valued him. We thank those who expressed their condolences and mentioned the family in their prayers. Special thank you to those who cared for our Joey and helped us during this difficult time: Toronto first responders, doctors (Dr. Manocha and Dr. Ahmed) and nurses (specifically, Ashley and Hyla) at Humber River Regional Hospital, Sarah at Ward Funeral Homes in Toronto, and Lee and Mark at Atlantic Funeral Homes in Halifax. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice. Visitation will be held on Monday, June 27, 2022, from 6 p.m. '96 9 p.m. at City Church Halifax (276 Herring Cove Road, Halifax). A celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at 1 p.m., also at City Church Halifax. A separate celebration of life service will be scheduled in Toronto later this summer.
  • Occupation: Area Retail Licensee - Petro Canada

Sources

  • Funeral Home: Atlantic Funeral Homes Halifax,NS Obituary June 2022

Images