Robert Kenly Webster, born May 16, 1933, shuffled off this mortal coil surrounded by loved ones on May 26, 2023 in Washington, D.C., after a battle with Parkinson’s disease and related complications. “Kenly” to his friends and colleagues and “Robert” to his parents and sister, he was the son of Francis Kenly and Mary Louise Webster of Englewood, New Jersey. He is survived by his family, son Timothy Webster and his wife Valerie Mann of Arlington, Virginia, daughter Kimberly “Kippy” Webster and her husband David Cella of Evanston, Illinois, adoring grandchildren Alexandra Webster, Katherine Webster, Maia Cella, Kira Cella, and Aiden Cella, his beloved nieces and nephew, and many other family members and friends. He was predeceased by his loving spouse of 60 years, Sally I. Webster.
Kenly lived a peripatetic life centered around a core of family, friends, and work with Washington, D.C. as his personal headquarters for nearly 60 years. He grew up principally in Englewood, New Jersey, with brief detours to Charlotte, North Carolina and Vero Beach, Florida. Although he started at the Dwight-Englewood school, he finished high school and graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1951. He attended Princeton University, where he majored in history and cemented a love of squash through membership on the national championship team. After graduating in 1955, he had a two-year stint in the Navy, where the story–perhaps apocryphal–is that his legal career started as a junior officer right out of college who was assigned to defend a crewman in a court martial. Next stop, University of Virginia School of Law! He graduated from law school in 1960, where he was the president of his class, having hosted such luminary guest speakers as Harry Truman. The spring of that same year, Kenly married Sally Stratton, whom he had met a year earlier literally on a street corner in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, during their respective spring breaks.
Kenly had a storied legal career, starting with the blue chip New York firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. But the life of a dyed-in-the-wool corporate lawyer was not for him. While the other firm associates lived on the Upper West Side, he and Sally lived in the Village, where they welcomed their first child, and Kenly hungered for courtroom experience. In 1965, he jumped at the opportunity to become a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., the first of two sequential jobs that were his most formative. In that role, he became a true trial lawyer, trying 62 felony capital and non-capital cases, as well as many more misdemeanors and arguing in the Court of Appeals, too. During that time, he and Sally welcomed their second child. He then followed his mentor Bob Jordan to the Department of the Army, where he served until 1973 as Principal Deputy General Counsel and Acting General Counsel, wrangling with multi-starred military officials and civilian political appointees alike. He was given the Army Distinguished Civilian Service Award, among other recognitions.
Three phases of private practice followed Kenly’s government service: First the boutique firm of Kennedy & Webster, then partnership at Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge (now Pillsbury), and then finally R. Kenly Webster P.C. – a solo practice. He was a highly competent, trusted and shrewd attorney. He had a profound belief in the integrity and efficacy of the judicial system and embraced his work with passion and legal acumen. Washingtonian magazine described him as “a combination of wisdom and coolness, a guy who just has it all together.” It’s barely an overstatement to say he wanted to die with a briefcase in his hand. He almost got his wish, completing his last representation in 2019 at the age of 86.
Beyond legal work, Kenly took great pride in his role as a co-founder of Princeton AlumniCorps, formerly Princeton Project 55, along with a cohort of his classmates who wanted to use their alumni donations to address local and global issues in a way that would also reflect well on the University. Over the years, he donated countless hours to AlumniCorps, serving as board member, president, and legal advisor–and also racking up many nights at the Red Roof Inn near Princeton. Kenly was also a board member of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, which was founded by his friend Tony Pilaro and provides scholarships and leadership opportunities to African American students.
Kenly was a cherished father/father-in-law, grandfather, uncle, cousin, colleague, and friend. While we grieve the loss of his exceptional, inimitable character and spirit, we also celebrate in knowing his legacy will continue to shape the many lives he touched. He was a man of great integrity, industry, tenacity, wisdom, intellect, and accomplishment and truly lived a full and vibrant life. He was a Renaissance man whose life was defined by unending intellectual curiosity and a passion for exploration and interdisciplinary learning. He loved classical music, poetry, plays, art, history, travel, sports, pottery, humor, and chocolate. He combined an active mind with an active body, playing competitive squash into his 60s, rec league softball, and social tennis. He was a humanist and admired the world and the people in it.
Affiliative by nature, he thrived on belonging, from close friendships to social and professional connections, and prioritized any gathering that advanced causes or kinship. He had many circles–immediate and extended family, friends from Princeton and UVA, the “reunion” group of New York couples, Wesley Heights neighbors, the play reading group, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and many others. He reveled in the intellectual stimulation of deep conversation with anyone game to engage. He charmed with his wit, quips, and quirky sense of humor and was especially fond of puns and limericks. Even in declining health, when asked what he wanted for his 90th birthday, he jested “to make it”–and that he did.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on June 24, 2023, at Joseph Gawler’s Sons in Washington, D.C. Please check this webpage for any updates.
In lieu of flowers, we welcome donations to Princeton AlumniCorp, (https://www.alumnicorps.org/donate), or the Ron Brown Scholar Program, (https://ronbrown.org/about/about-rbsp/), both of which are mentioned above.
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