Julaine Kennedy

Carla Julaine (Thornton) Kennedy, 87, of Monument, CO was surrounded by her family when she went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 8, 2024, after a long battle with an illness. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Tri-Lakes Church of Christ in Monument with Greg Smith officiating. A private burial will be scheduled at a later date at Pikes Peak National Cemetery.

Julaine was born on September 17, 1937 to Louis and Eddie Faye (Barnes) Thornton near Reed, Oklahoma. A proud Okie, Julaine grew up moving throughout Oklahoma as her father, a Church of Christ preacher, preached around the State. In high school, she moved to Akron, CO and graduated from Akron High School in 1955. The summer after her high school graduation, a red Ford convertible caught her eye driving in Downtown Akron. The driver was Billie Joe Kennedy, a young University of Colorado graduate who was home for the summer before attending the Army Engineer Officers Basic Course. Bill asked her if she wanted a ride, and she told him she didn’t ride with boys she hadn’t been introduced to. A mutual friend made the introduction, and they were married a few months later on October 29, 1955. They recently celebrated sixty-nine years of marriage.

Julaine had a lifelong sense of wanderlust which made each of Bill’s Army assignments an adventure. She lived in Alexandria, VA; Colorado Springs, CO; Stratford, TX; Fort Riley, KS; Denver, CO; Heilbronn and Würzburg , Germany; Pierre, SD; Fort Leavenworth, KS; Falls Church, VA; and Indianapolis, IN. During those years, she worked as a bank teller, school finance director, school secretary, and homemaker. She and Bill retired to Monument and built their dream house in Woodmoor. They developed many close relationships with their neighbors and often said they had the “best neighbors anyone could ask for”. They purchased a fifth wheel RV and traveled throughout the country both on their own and as part of the Pikes Peak HitchHikers Club.

Julaine was quick-witted and naturally gifted in many areas. She participated in bowling leagues; grew a gorgeous flower garden wherever she lived; and constantly had a crochet, cross-stitch, or sewing project. Her face lit up when she laughed and the warmth of her smile and laugh radiated throughout the room. Julaine was well read and curious to know how things worked–she took apart a watch and reassembled it as a child and could figure out how to fix most broken household items. Her curiosity also fueled her interest in genealogy. When she lived in Northern Virginia in the 1970s, she spent many hours at the Library of Congress and the National Archives looking through the Census and newspapers on microfilm. She had traced both the Kennedy and Thornton families back to Colonial America long before the advent of at-home genealogy tests.

She was a founding member of Tri-Lakes Church of Christ. For several years, Julaine crocheted or quilted a receiving blanket for every new baby in the congregation. Even as her memory faded, she enjoyed watching the Sunday service online and singing hymns that she had known since childhood.

The family wants to thank the caregivers at The Key, especially Sarah Valerio and Amy Garcia, and the staff at StoneCreek of Flying Horse and Springs Ranch Memory Care for the kindness and dignity they showed Julaine in her final days.

Julaine was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Eddie Faye Thornton; infant sister Lanelda Jo Thornton; and an infant daughter, Paige Leigh Kennedy. Julaine is survived by her loving husband Bill of the home; children Greg (Crystal) Kennedy of Eagle River, AK and Shawna (Larry) Witthar of Amarillo, TX; brother Lynn (Brenda) Thornton of Amarillo, TX; brother-in-law Don Kennedy of Akron, CO; grandchildren Ryan (Jenna) Kennedy of Corinth, TX; Erin (Justin) Saucier of Eagle River, AK; Kyle (Marilu) Kennedy of Knoxville, TN; Paige (Chris) Goodell of Amarillo, TX; and Payton (Shannon) Witthar of Canyon, TX; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests for memorial contributions to be made to the Dementia Society of America or Tri-Lakes Church of Christ.