Richard's giving spirit and sense of service earns royal honour

At age 15 he joined the Cotta Walla bushfire brigade, beginning 35 years' service. The commitment continued in numerous community organisations and later, as a Crookwell Shire councillor and president.

Richard James Kennedy, 93, has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the Kings Birthday Honours for service to the Crookwell community. He is one of 341 Australians to receive the gong.

His family planned to surprise the Viewhaven Lodge aged care facility resident with the news on Monday, June 10.

Mr Kennedy daughter, Maree Selmes, and son, Barry, said they were extremely proud of their father.

"It's something that probably should have been done 20 years...A lot of people thought he already had an OAM," Maree said.

"...He was always very highly regarded in the community."

The oversight was promptly rectified with a nomination by Upper Lachlan Shire Council.

Mr Kennedy is best known for his former business, RJ Kennedy and Co funeral directors, which he and wife, Thelma, ran in partnership with son, James.

Crookwell runs in his blood. Born in the town, he attended the nearby Grabben Gullen school. Richard's mother died when he was three and he and brother, Joe, went to live with their grandfather on his property. Their sister, Philomena lived with an aunt.

The brothers attended Cotta Walla School. After a final year of education at Grabben Gullen, Richard went to work on the family farm, Kenbar, at Cotta Walla. Later he worked briefly for Steve Tazewell in Goulburn and but returned to the farm which he ran until 1981. In 1987, Richard bought his father's cousin, Bernie Kennedy's funeral business.

All the while, he had a firm eye on community.

Mr Kennedy served as a Crookwell Shire councillor from 1974 to1995, deputy president from 1979 to 1980 and again in 1989 to 1991, and as president from 1980 to 1989.

He committed time to the Crookwell Shire Council Tourism Association, on which he was a member from 1983 to 2008 and president from 2003 to 2008.

Mr Kennedy is also a life member of Crookwell Historical Society. Here he also served as president and vice-president.

In addition, he was a director, vice-chairman and served on several committees of the Crookwell Frail Aged Association Inc from 1992 to 2008.

Mr Kennedy has been a member of Crookwell Lions Club since 1984 and had stints as president, treasurer, secretary and public officer.

He served on the Crookwell Hospital Community Consultation Group, as a parish councillor with Saint Mary's Catholic Church, on the Saint Mary's school committee and played in the church band from 1973 until 2001

"Dad was always playing music," Maree said.

She recalled him playing mouth organ and bass drum in senior citizens concerts.

Mr Kennedy served as president of the Crookwell Mill Museum Inc in the 1980s, a group committed to the building's restoration. Maree said her father loved history.

Throughout his life, Mr Kennedy received several awards. He was named Crookwell's citizen of the year in 2003, the Crookwell Lions Club Lion of the Year in 1993, 1994 and 1996, received the Rotary community service award in 1993 and a long service recognition from the Shires Association of NSW in 2000.

He remains a member of the Knights of the Southern Cross, a catholic order committed to promoting the Christian way of life in Australia.

Maree said her father's Catholicism was very important to him but in essence, "he just loved Crookwell."

"He was never one for going on holidays...and was always giving of his time," she said.

"He grew potatoes on the farm and would take some into the orphanage in Goulburn. He was always someone who gave to others."

Together with wife, Thelma (nee McDonald), whom he married in 1957, he created a happy family life. The couple had five children - Barry, Karen, who died in 1983 from cystic fibrosis, Maree, Michael and James.

Today, Thelma lives with him at Viewhaven Lodge. The couple moved there in 2022.

Their children plan to celebrate Mr Kennedy's achievement at the facility.

"He deserves it (the OAM)," Barry said.

"I'm extremely proud of what he's done. Seventy-seven years' community service isn't a bad effort."