John Kennedy 9/2/1931 - 3/21/2023

James "John" Clay Kennedy was born at home on a ranch in Ivan, Texas, to Lon Dare Kennedy and Marie Parsley Kennedy on September 2, 1931. John and his elder brother, Carroll, were raised on that ranch, which they worked together with their father. In their spare time, the boys enjoyed fishing, hunting, and getting into and out of mischief. John attended the local one-room school at Ivan through the 8th grade, and then starting in 9th grade, he rode the bus into town to attend Breckenridge High School. After graduating in 1948, John spent a year working in the oil industry before joining the US Marine Corps. He was sent to boot camp in San Diego, and he was later stationed at 29 Palms. During his three years of service, he advanced to the rank of Staff Sergeant, but declined to enroll in Officer Candidates School or accept the office of Chief Warrant, the highest-ranking enlisted Marine, in favor of an honorable discharge and civilian life. While John was serving his country in the Korean conflict, his parents relocated to Pacific Beach, California. One weekend in 1953, while on leave and visiting his family, he met the love of his life, Mary Jo Woodrow. On February 19, 1954, shortly after the conclusion of his military service, the two were married in San Diego. After a living together for a short time in San Diego, John and Jo relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he went into the automotive business, managing a series of Automotive Engineering repair stores over the course of some 20 years. During this time, he was involved in racing nitro-burning fuel-altered ("funny") cars; in fact, he was a world record holder from 1956-1962. In the early 1960s, he gave up car racing for ski boating, which he and his family enjoyed together for nearly a decade, along with camping and hunting. John retired from the auto industry in 1976, and shortly thereafter, he opened a retail bicycle store in Los Gatos, California. Specializing in quality custom frames, equipment, and accessories, Kennedy's Cycles grew to become a hub for local racers and biking enthusiasts. In the mid-1980s, John began importing steel tubing used for constructing custom racing bicycle frames from Europe and Asia, and before long, this side venture eclipsed Kennedy's as a new enterprise -- Nova Cycles Supply. As the exclusive distributor and agency for Columbus SPA of Italy, Tange of Japan, and American producer Easton Aluminum, along with a host of other quality frame building supplies, Nova became the premier resource for custom frame builders in the United States and Canada. John owned and operated this business, together with his first son, Lon, for 40 years. In the early 1990s, John sold Kennedy's Cycles, and he, Jo, Lon, and Lon's family moved to Auburn, California, bringing Nova Cycles Supply with them to Gold Country. John continued working in the family business until his eventual retirement in 2017. Throughout his life, John was interested in ballistics experimentation with rifles and pistols. Additionally, he played guitar and dobro with various music bands both for pleasure and as a means to share the message of salvation. He was a devout Christian, and he dedicated significant time and resources to his church family and its endeavors. After a steep decline in health brought on by advanced COPD, John passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 91 on March 21, 2023. He is survived by his beloved wife, Jo, their three children Lon, Scott, and Shanna; his grandchildren Ryan, Andy, Greg, Emily, Kaitlyn, and Hannah; and his great-grandchildren Jaxon, Charlie, and James. John was much loved, and though he will be missed, his life is a testament to the power of hard work, devotion to God, self-respect, honesty, humor, and love and loyalty to family and friends. A memorial service will be held at Auburn Grace Community Church this month. Please contact the church or family for details.