Our mother, Dorothy Kenny, passed away peacefully on Monday September 21, 2026 at the age of 104. Mom was an inspiration to many and will be deeply missed.
Dorothy Anne Kenny
Obituary
August 10, 1922 – September 21, 2026
WHITE PLAINS, NY — Dorothy Anne Kenny, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, educator, lifelong learner, and longtime resident of White Plains, passed away peacefully on September 21, 2026, at the remarkable age of 104.
Dorothy was born on August 10, 1922, in Staten Island, New York, to Joseph Rappelt and Dorothy Dierauf Rappelt. From an early age, it was clear that she possessed an outstanding intellect and an insatiable curiosity. She attended Staten Island Elementary School, where her mother was a teacher, and advanced rapidly, skipping two grades because of her academic ability and thirst for learning.
She continued her education at St. Peter’s High School on Staten Island, where she served as president of the girls’ senior class. Her future husband, Edward B. Kenny, was president of the boys’ senior class. St. Peter’s offered a college scholarship each year, and both Dorothy and Edward competed for it. Dorothy won.
It was a story Edward never let her forget. With characteristic affection and pride, he would refer to Dorothy as “the brains of the operation.”
Dorothy began her college career at Mount Saint Vincent College in the Bronx on September 21, 1938, shortly after her 16th birthday. She graduated in 1942 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Chemistry.
During World War II, Dorothy put her scientific and mathematical abilities to work for her country. She worked for the U.S. Navy at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, where she was involved in installing gyroscopes and early computers in submarines. It was a fitting start to a professional life that would remain centered on mathematics, science, education, and learning.
Dorothy married Edward B. Kenny in 1945. She later earned a master’s degree in English from Rutgers University, demonstrating the breadth of her interests and her belief that learning was never confined to a single discipline.
She began her teaching career at the North Country School in Lake Placid, New York, where her daughters, Bernadette and Joan, were born. The family later moved to New Milford, Connecticut, where her son, Paul, was born. Eventually, the family settled in White Plains, New York, where Dorothy began teaching algebra at Eastview Junior High School.
Education remained a lifelong pursuit. In addition to her degrees in mathematics and chemistry and her master’s degree in English, Dorothy earned a master’s degree from the Bank Street College of Education of Columbia University where she studied mathematics and computer science. She retired from the White Plains School System in 1980, but retirement did not mean that Dorothy stopped teaching or learning. She went on to serve as an adjunct professor of mathematics at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
In the late 1980s, Dorothy moved to Westhampton, New York. Beginning in 1990, she was one of the founding members of the Center for Creative Retirement through Long Island University, continuing her education there until 2019. Her educational journey ultimately spanned nearly eight decades—a reflection of the curiosity and intellectual energy that defined her life.
Dorothy’s interests extended far beyond academics. She was an avid bridge player who loved both the strategy of the game and the companionship it provided. She loved to travel and explore new places and cultures, and she was always interested in hearing people’s stories. She could engage in a conversation about virtually any subject and was genuinely interested in learning something new.
At 102, when asked about the secret to her longevity, Dorothy offered three simple answers: exercise, learning, and moderation.
She said, “I still exercise every day.” She explained that she loved listening to people’s stories and loved to learn. And, finally, she said, “Eat in moderation”.
Those three answers captured much of what made Dorothy who she was: disciplined, curious, engaged with other people, and always interested in the world around her.
But perhaps Dorothy’s greatest source of pride and joy was her family.
She is survived by her children, Bernadette Kenny Schuler (Kenneth Schuler), Joan Kenny Lawson (Brian Lawson), and Paul Kenny (Susan Herbert), and by her six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Her grandchildren are Jim Schuler (Jessica Arcate), Mike Schuler (Jessica Walker), Katie Lawson Hudleston (Victor Hudleston), Emilie Lawson Bullis (Justin Bullis), Jennifer Kenny Begun (Ethan Begun), and Brian Kenny (Lauren Stiles).
In her final years she was blessed with 14 great grandchildren: Abigail Schuler, Eleanor Dorothy Schuler, Adelyn Schuler, Walker Schuler, Hayden Hudleston, Cooper Hudleston, Parker Hudleston, Garret Hudleston, Max Begun, Dylan Begun, Hadley Begun, Emma Kenny and Declan Kenny. All of them loved their “Mom-Mom”.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Edward B. Kenny; her parents, Joseph Rappelt and Dorothy Dierauf Rappelt; and her sister, Margaret Mary Rappelt Pezzolo.
Dorothy lived 104 amazing years. She was a teacher who never stopped learning, a mathematician who embraced literature and the humanities, a woman who contributed her skills during wartime, a traveler, a bridge player, and, above all, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who took great pride in her family.
Her life was defined not simply by its length, but by its extraordinary breadth—by curiosity, achievement, service, family, friendship, and an enduring love of learning.
Dorothy’s life will be celebrated at a Mass of Christian Burial on October 7, 2026 at 10 AM at St. Anthony’s Church, 85 Harrison St, West Harrison, NY. Family will welcome friends and family at the church beginning at 9 AM. A private family internment will follow. In lieu of flowers please donate to the educational institution of your choice.
Paul’s Eulogy
Mom knew my dad, Edward Kenny, since elementary school. Dad was two years older, but by high school they were in the same grade—Mom had skipped two grades. Her mother was a teacher, and Dorothy was eager to learn. They both attended Saint Peter’s High School on Staten Island, New York, where boys and girls went to separate schools. Mom became president of the girls’ senior class, and Dad was president of the boys’ senior class. When they planned the senior prom, poor Dad didn’t have much choice but to ask Mom. And, as they say, the rest is history. There was one wrinkle: they competed for a college scholarship, and Mom won. No wonder Dad referred to Mom as the brains of the operation.
Mom went on to earn multiple undergraduate and master’s degrees across a broad range of science and arts disciplines, from math, chemistry, and computer science to English literature. She taught students at every level—elementary, junior high, high school, and college.
Her daughters were always stellar students and stars of the glee and drama clubs. When I got to high school, I was automatically signed up for glee club because of my sisters. Unfortunately, I inherited the singing gene from Mom and can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Me, I was an average student at best, more interested in hockey and golf. She would always say, “You know you can do better.” And she is still waiting.
My buddy Joe Chaudoin has known Mom for years. He crystallized one of her superpowers in a short phrase: she is both interested and interesting. Mom—unlike her son—was a master at listening to people. She once told me, “I love to listen to people’s stories because that is the best way to learn.” Mom just loved to learn.
Mom was a very strong woman. Once, we were in Westhampton during the summer. There are two bridges to the beach, and we knew that one was under construction. My wife Susan was heading to the beach with the kids, and I said the left bridge while Susan said the right. Susan left for the beach, and I left to buy lobsters with Mom. On my way, Susan called, saying I was right; it was the left bridge. I said, “Thanks, but just be careful with the traffic.” After I got off the phone, I asked Mom, “If a man is alone in the forest and his wife is not there, is he still wrong?” Mom immediately went off on me: “Sometimes you are so much like your father that you make me mad. You married a strong woman for a reason. Deal with it.”
And yes, there is a long line of strong women in my life—from my mother to my wife, my sisters, my daughter, and all the way through to my granddaughters. They are all part of an amazing gift in my life.
While Mom will be missed, to all who knew her, she was a gift.
Click on the following for a video montage
