Evan Robert Kennedy

Evan Robert Kennedy, born December 30, 1964, of Carrboro/Chapel Hill, suddenly passed away March 14, 2026. Memorial(s) for Evan will be announced at a later date.

Evan was born on Long Island, NY and grew up in Smithtown,NY in a suburban neighborhood near L.I. Sound beaches. He was the son of Jean Schroder Kennedy and James Kennedy, younger brother to David and older brother to Lynn.

He loved trains as a kid, delighted watching L.I. Railroad train traffic and made friends with an engineer, who stopped his train one day and let Evan ride with him in the cab into the station. He enjoyed repairing dirtbikes with his brother and racing them with his friends. He enjoyed growing up with his pet cats and spent many hours of family time at the beach. He spent many summers camping on the islands of Lake George, NY. He played the viola as a child and, as a teen, enjoyed playing guitar alongside his brother in their band. He attended Smithtown schools including Smithtown, HS West.

With his marriage to Monique Kennedy, he fathered two beloved children, Jessica and Liam, who both reside in Chapel Hill, NC. He is also uncle to Liam and Alex Kennedy and Nicolas Oettinger. He was a brother-in-law to Peter Oettinger and Matthew Amato. He also leaves behind his current partner of 2 ½ yrs., Laura Velky.

Evan was an accomplished chef who was trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He went on to specialize in food management at the National Geographic Society, Washington, DC; The State University of NY, Stonybrook, NY and the University of North Carolina, Durham, NC. He set up and managed dozens of Fresh Marketstores nationally. Finally, he worked for Federal Express for ten years and was often happiest in this job.

Evan liked to fish, camp, play the guitar and listen to good music when he was not cooking. He was a romantic being called ‘lover boy’ since his early teen years. He had a close relationship with his brother David with whom they had planned a late life adventure to ride cross country on their motorbikes together. He loved riding and maintaining motorcycles, driving fast and had a sense of adventure in him. He has left behind many friends and family who loved him and who will miss him dearly