Dr. William Benjamin "Ben" Kennedy of Carrollton, Georgia passed away on Saturday, February 19, 2022. Born in Tifton, GA, the eldest of three children born to Benjamin Oscar Kennedy and Helen Clarke Kennedy, Ben was preceded in death by his brother, David C. Kennedy (Barbara), and his sister, Judith Marie Layman (Tommy, deceased). When Ben was five years old, the Kennedy family moved from his father's family dairy farm in Tifton, Georgia to Louisville, Kentucky to be with his maternal grandparents. His parents believed that moving to a more urban setting would increase their young son's chances of receiving a good education. And it did. Yet Ben dearly missed being with his Aunt Sally whom he so deeply loved. After being assured that summer vacations would bring an exciting train ride back to Tifton, young Ben accepted his new environment. He thrived in Louisville, making friends he would carry with him throughout his life. While attending Atherton High, Ben enjoyed extra-curricular activities, including leading the band as drum major and editing his school's newspaper. After graduation from Atherton, Ben earned his undergraduate degree in history from nearby Georgetown College, where he became a Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike). Upon graduation there, he made a trip to Europe by ship, which was only the beginning of his love of travel. Later, after earning his master's degree from UNC Chapel Hill, Ben interviewed and was asked to teach at West GA College in Carrollton, GA. There is no doubt about it: Teaching and writing were Ben's passions and remained so throughout his lifetime. As a newly hired professor at WGC, Ben completed his dissertation and earned his Ph.D. from UGA. Interested in the events surrounding the siege of Savannah during The American Revolutionary War, Ben published his book, Muskets, Cannon Balls & Bombs in 1974. Being a French Historian was his calling; he spoke fluent French. Soon Napoleonic memorabilia decorated his office walls and students flocked to his classes. After 37 years in the classroom, Ben retired from West GA College and moved to Hiawassee to fulfill a long-held dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. After he completed half of the Appalachian Trail, Ben and his beloved brother, David, enjoyed a memorable three-week bike trek along the Natchez Trace in Mississippi. Missing the joys of teaching, soon afterward, Ben accepted a part-time position at Young Harris College where he taught for two semesters before retiring again. While living in Hiawassee, Ben volunteered as a trail maintainer, tested the mountain streams for the Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition, and became an active member of the Mountain High Hiker's Club. In touch with his avid reading habits, he and his wife joined The Young Harris Book Club, the oldest still-meeting book club in Georgia, making many cherished friends in the process. Church and community were a huge part of who Ben was. Devout Christian from an early age, he served many roles wherever he attended church: First as a young member of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Carrollton and later in retirement at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Hayesville, NC. Whether teaching Sunday School, participating in the vestry, or helping compile a history of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, in sum, Ben loved serving wherever he was and in whatever capacity he was needed. He felt honored to teach classes on the history of the Episcopal Church in America, served as a Lay Reader when needed, and particularly enjoyed teaching E.F.M. (Education for Ministry) at Church of the Good Shephard in nearby Hayesville, NC. Ben's love of travel would never leave him. He hardly unpacked his bags and traveled whenever the next chance arose. Over the years he visited France, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Peru, Mexico, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Russia, and Haiti. He found it especially rewarding to travel to Jamaica, where he helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Throughout his life, being of Irish extraction, and possessing a measure of blarney, Ben followed in his father's footsteps by telling jokes and regaling his friends and family with funny stories that will continue to be passed on for generations to come. He never missed an opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras. Always loyal to the Atlanta Braves and GA Bulldogs, Ben recently quipped, "I'm glad to have lived to again see the Braves win the World Series and the Bulldogs win the National Championship!" As a loving, loyal, and devoted father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Ben is survived by his wife, Claudia Kennedy, and his beloved blended family: children– Sarah Elizabeth Kennedy (Kimberly), Benjamin Thomas "Tommy" Kennedy (Ruth), Jeffrey Newell "Jeff" Kennedy (Annette), Anna-Maria Hoyer Camp Houin, John Hoyer (Stephanie); sister-in-law Barbara Kennedy; grandchildren–Drew Schoen (Ellen), Melissa Clem (Kevin), Hannah Rock (Derek), Joshua Kennedy, Jeffery Kennedy, Jr. (Tara), Amanda Kennedy, Krystal Smith (Michael), Samuel Vickery, Kristian Camp (Pepper), Keelin Camp, Zachary Camp, Michaela Houin, Dalton Hoyer, Maddie Hoyer, Ansley Hoyer, and nine great-grandchildren he adored. On Saturday, March 12, 2022, visitation with Ben's family is scheduled at Almon Funeral Home, 548 Newnan Street, Carrollton GA from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, followed by Ben's Celebration of Life Memorial at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church at 3:00 pm. Messages of condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com and donations may be sent to either of Ben's church's community outreach programs.