Obituary of Joyce Aileen Kennedy

Joyce Kennedy, of Richfield, Minnesota, died peacefully at home of natural causes on October 30, 2025. Joyce was born in Regent, North Dakota, on February 27, 1929, to Mary (McKay) and Erling Logeland. She is preceded in death by her husband, Wallace, and three siblings, sisters Dorothea Ellen and Marlene, and a brother, David.

After finishing high school in Drayton, ND, Joyce graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1949 with a degree in English. She did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin and later received a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. She also did a year of study in gifted education at the University of St. Thomas while on sabbatical from Bloomington (MN) Public Schools.

Joyce met Wallace Kennedy at UND in a production of Twelfth Night – she as Olivia, Wally as Sir Toby Belch. They wed on August 20, 1950, beginning a long and happy marriage until Wallace’s death in 2013. She and Wally moved to Minnesota and lived in Mankato, Forest Lake, and Albert Lea before moving to the Twin Cities in 1965. In 2006, Joyce and Wally moved to City Bella in Richfield, near Wood Lake Nature Center, where they enjoyed many walks. 

Devoting her professional life to education, Joyce taught at all levels from pre-school to adult. She joined the Bloomington Public Schools in 1967, continuing there until her retirement in 1993. She taught various grades and in the gifted program before becoming district administrator of the K-12 gifted program. She was a strong advocate for giftedness of various types in all people, and in the capacity of children to exhibit extraordinary insight and creativity. She is appreciated by many former students who remember her encouragement of their creative pursuits, several of whom went on to notable creative careers.

For all of her adult life, Joyce had a strong interest in the arts – literature, music, theater, dance, film, and visual arts. Starting early in childhood, she was an avid reader for whom reading was an important part of every day. In 2003, she became a member of the Laurel Poetry

Collective, a gathering of poets and artists in the Twin Cities under the direction of poet Deborah Keenan. The collective published a collection of her poems, Ghost Lamp, in 2005. Joyce continued writing poetry until her death, including an unpublished collection of poems from the perspective of female characters in Shakespeare.

Joyce is survived by her beloved family around the world, whom she called her “far flungs.” She is survived by daughters Ellen Michel (m. Andreas Michel) of Bloomington, Indiana; and Katherine Lepani (m. Sir Charles Lepani, d. 2025) of Alotau, Papua New Guinea; and son John (m. Rozella) of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Her grandchildren, Andrew, Nathaniel, and Veitania Lepani; Jackson Michel and Savannah Dooling; Jasmine and Jade Kennedy; and great-grandchildren, Thierry, Thealani, Tyemani, and Takota Lepani; Leo and Wallace Dooling; and Rubi Burnham, were dear to her heart and gave her great joy. Joyce had a wide circle of relations and friends who inspired her affection, generous spirit, and agile mind.

Joyce’s celebration of life will be planned for and announced in the future. Donations and memorials in Joyce’s name can be made to Ten Thousand Things Theater (1430 Concordia Ave., #40216, St. Paul, MN 55104) or the Loft Literary Center (1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415).