Paul J. Kennealy

Paul Kennealy, vice chairman and chief executive officer, retired of Roche Bros. Supermarkets, died at 72.

Mr. Kennealy was born and raised in Medford, Mass. and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Malden Catholic High School. He excelled as a varsity athlete and was a member of the 1959 Hall of Fame championship football team.

In 1959, Mr. Kennealy began work as a union steel worker at Northern Steel in Medford. He served as treasurer of the local steel workers' union. He continued working at Northern Steel and later as an accountant at O.C. Moyer Company while attending night school at Bentley College. He earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Bentley in 1972 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1973.

Mr. Kennealy joined Roche Bros. Supermarkets as controller in 1974 and went on to lead the company during a time of steady expansion. He retired as vice chairman and chief executive officer in 1996.

Jay Roche, a second-generation co-owner of the family business until 2008, recalls how his late father and company co-founder, Buddy Roche, valued Mr. Kennealy's contributions to the company. "Paul was creative, but more than that, he was such a clear thinker. It was one of the great days at Roche Bros. when he joined us. His insightfulness, integrity and kindness was a huge part of what Roche Bros. became and is today."

Mr. Kennealy was a member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs, the New England Food Foundation and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). He was an executive board member and past treasurer of the Massachusetts Food Association.

Both during his tenure at Roche Bros. and after his retirement, Kennealy served as an actively involved board member for various organizations important to him, including as treasurer of the Greater Boston Food Bank. He chaired the development committee of the board of trustees at Malden Catholic High School.

Mr. Kennealy married his high school sweetheart, Terese (Doherty) Kennealy, in 1967. They moved from Medford to Reading in 1973 and raised their four children, Michael J. Kennealy, Joanne Kennealy Barry, Brian J. Kennealy and Marybeth Kennealy Cheever. Mr. Kennealy worked hard to balance his dedication to his career with his steadfast devotion to his family. He often woke well before dawn to get to work so that he could attend his children's afterschool sports games or activities. Mr. Kennealy valued his time away from work and carefully planned family vacations, including ski trips and a driving trip across the southwest U.S. He had a special love for Cape Cod and enjoyed weeks there each summer with his family.

Mr. Kennealy was a proud and involved Grampa to Patrick, Gabriella, Aidan, Conor, Rory, Catherine, Liam, Eliza and Morgan. He was extraordinarily invested in his grandchildren's interests and activities and was a fixture on the sidelines of sporting events, in the audience at dance and music recitals and at school events.

He loved sports, playing baseball and football as a youth and golf as an adult. He was an avid fan of Boston's professional teams and appreciated healthy, fair competition at every level. Whether it was backyard basketball or a game of checkers, he played his best. If his children or grandchildren won, they knew it was a true victory and not one handed to them.

Mr. Kennealy had an ardent interest in local, national and international politics and business. He enjoyed his walks around Boston, especially along the Charles River and the waterfront, and marveled at the city's continual development.

Mr. Kennealy often referred to himself as a "plain, simple guy." Anyone who truly knew him, however, appreciated him as a remarkably intelligent, thoughtful, hardworking man of unwavering decency and deep faith. He was a model of integrity in both his personal and professional life. He was meticulous in everything he did; if he was going to do something, he was going to do it right. He was a careful listener. He instilled in his children a strong work ethic and a healthy skepticism of anything less than genuine. Behind his reserved demeanor was a lightning quick, dry wit, the softest of hearts, and the kindest of souls.



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KENNEALY, Paul J. Of Reading, on April 18, 2015 at age 72. Devoted and beloved husband of Terese (Doherty) for 48 years. Loving father of Michael J., Joanne Kennealy Barry, Brian J. and Marybeth Kennealy Cheever. Father-in-law of Trisha Perez Kennealy, Jay Barry, Heather Spurlock Kennealy and Joseph Cheever. Proud Grampa of Patrick, Gabriella, Aidan, Conor, Rory, Catherine, Liam, Eliza and Morgan. Son of the late John F. Kennealy and Mary F. (Lyons) Kennealy. Brother of John P., Judith Gorham and Jane Grasso. Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired of Roche Bros. Supermarkets. Funeral from the Doherty-Barile Funeral Home, 11 Linden Street, READING on Friday, April 24, 2015 at 8:30am followed by a Funeral Mass at Saint Raphael Church, 514 High Street, MEDFORD at 10:00am. Visiting hours for family and friends on Thursday, April 23, 2015 from 4-8pm in the funeral home. Parking attendants and ramped entrance available. Donations in Paul's memory may be made to the Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Avenue, Boston, MA 02118-2700 or to Malden Catholic High School, 99 Crystal Street, Malden, MA 02148.