John Joseph Kilkenny

HOLMES, NY - John Joseph Kilkenny, a longtime resident of Holmes, New York, passed away peacefully at his sister's home in Tennessee at the age of 83.

Born on June 28, 1943, in Killeen, County Galway, Ireland, John was the son of the late Andrew and Margaret (Mullaney) Kilkenny. From an early age, he showed an extraordinary gift for innovation, engineering, and craftsmanship. At just 14 years old, he devised a way to bring electricity from a nearby town to his family's rural cottage. It was an early sign of the resourcefulness and mechanical ingenuity that would mark his whole life.

John immigrated to the United States in 1965, embodying the resilience, humility, and tireless work ethic of so many Irish immigrants of his generation. After a series of physically demanding jobs, he began a 35-year career as an electrician with the New York Telephone Company, working there from 1968 until his retirement in 2003. He was known as an exceptionally hard worker, a skilled craftsman, and a man who could fix seemingly anything.

Yet John's greatest gift was not simply his ingenuity, but the quiet, selfless generosity with which he shared it. He was known to appear on a relative's doorstep at ungodly hours, toolbox in hand, ready to repair a broken water heater, install a new water pump, or tackle whatever problem had come up. He would work for hours, often without stopping to eat a sandwich, before making his characteristic Irish exit. He neither expected nor accepted anything in return, except perhaps a bottle of cheer and the satisfaction of a job well done. 

A man of deep faith, John was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a devoted parishioner of St. Columba Church, where he served for many years as an usher at the 7:30 a.m. Mass. He practiced his faith not through grand pronouncements, but through a lifetime of quiet service and kindness.

John had a rare humility and an equally rare contentment with his place in the world. Entirely comfortable in his own skin, he never put on airs or sought recognition. His own needs were few, but his willingness to give of himself was boundless. He was rich in the things that mattered most: faith, integrity, family, and a generous heart.

John is survived by his beloved siblings, Annmarie Kelly, Mary Walsh, Noel Kilkenny, Agnes Fanning, and Gabrielle Hormel; his nieces and nephews, Veronica, Maureen, Eileen, Michael, Brendan, Christopher, Carolyn, Brenda, Eamonn, David, Andrea, Paul, Thomas, and Joseph; and many great-nieces and great-nephews. He also leaves behind his dear friends Jack, Tony, and Danny.

In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his brothers, Eamonn and Brendan Kilkenny, and his beloved nephew and godson, Brian.

John leaves behind a legacy of quiet goodness, unwavering devotion to family, and a lifetime spent making the lives of others a little easier. Those lucky enough to have known him will remember not only the countless things he built and repaired, but the warm, generous man behind the tools. His kindness lives on in every home he helped and every heart he touched.

To paraphrase Arthur Miller, John was a happy man with a set of tools in his hands. It was through those simple acts of craftsmanship and service that he expressed his love most eloquently.

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL

Monday, November 16, 2026 · 11:30 a.m.

St. Columba Church, 835 Route 82, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

May he rest in peace