Mary Jo Kennel, 89, went to be with her Lord and Savior at Wendover Hospice House in Shelby on March 26, 2026.

Born and raised in Seneca Falls, New York, Mary Jo was a graduate of Mynderse Academy. She went on to earn her nursing degree from the Genesee Hospital School of Nursing in Rochester, New York, becoming a Registered Nurse. Throughout her career, she served as an operating room nurse in Boston, Massachusetts, and Charleston, South Carolina, and later worked in medical offices in Richmond, Virginia, where she retired. Mary Jo was also a lifetime member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority.

She shared 56 loving years of marriage with her devoted husband, Robert E. Kennel. Following her retirement, she moved to Ponte Vedra, Florida, where she was a faithful member of Family Bible Church.

Mary Jo was preceded in death by her parents, Charles A. Harris and Kathryn N. Harris.

She is survived by her siblings, Donna Bagnall, Roger Harris, and Vicki Flock (Vic); her daughter, Debbie McMurry (Simeon) of Kings Mountain, North Carolina; her son, Scott Kennel (Wendy) of Jacksonville, Florida; and her five cherished grandchildren, Monica Thomas (Wes), Tiffany Sinis (Bill), Dustin McMurry (Ashley), Zachary McMurry, and Tyler Kennel. She also found great joy in her role as "Gigi" to her six great-grandchildren: Presley, Landon, Noah, Lakelan, Everly, and Carly.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in the chapel of Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Online condolences may be shared at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com.
Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home is serving the family.