Kenney, Sara (Corcoran) of Cambridge, December 22, 2021, at age 80.
Devoted wife of Michael Kenney. Loving mother of Padraic Kenney and his wife Izabela, Moira Kenney and her husband Mark Spencer, Shelagh Kenney and her husband John Edgerton. Cherished grandmother of Maia, Karolina, Sadie and Atticus. Beloved sister of Elizabeth Panciera. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, and other loving relatives and friends.
Sara Anne Corcoran Kenney was born on October 22, 1941 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her father, Thomas Corcoran, was a firefighter for the city of Hartford. Her mother, Alice Jacobs Corcoran, was a sample writer for a typewriter company. She attended Cathedral High School in Hartford, and then attended St. Joseph’s College, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. She was also active in the Connecticut chapter of the Catholic Council on Racial Integration. In 1961 she met Michael Kenney, and they married in June, 1962.
Sara and Michael continued their commitment to social causes. In 1965, they moved to Lancaster, Kentucky, among the first volunteers in the Christian Appalachian Project. While in Lancaster, and raising two small children, Sara organized classes for local teenagers, served as secretary of the local chapter of the NAACP, and integrated the local movie theater.
After returning to New England, Sara was a high school English teacher in Weymouth, Massachusetts for two decades. During that time, she earned two Masters degrees: one in English from Bridgewater State University, and a second in Anthropology from Harvard. She also worked summers on a lobster boat. In 1990-91, she taught English at Beida University in Beijing, China.
Sara was a resident of Cambridge for nearly thirty years. She worked at Bread & Circus and Whole Foods Market, eventually becoming the employee advocate. She was a devoted mentor to dozens of her fellow employees, especially those who were new to the United States. After her retirement, she continued to teach English classes, virtually and in person, to many learners all around the world.
A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, at St. Mary’s Church, 134 Norfolk Street in Cambridge at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation in Sara’s memory to either the Rian Immigrant Center or the Pine Street Inn.
Cambridge Massachusetts Covid – 19 guidelines, requires everyone attending MUST wear a mask while in the funeral home and the church.
Social distancing is recommended whenever possible.