GAYLE LOCKE KENNEDY
Gayle Locke Kennedy, 78, of Franklin, TN, went to Heaven peacefully Friday, July 28, 2023, after a year long battle with her health at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Gayle was born July 12, 1945, in Detroit, MI to Nick and Dorothy Locke of Lebanon, TN. She graduated from Powell High School in Knoxville, TN in 1963 and attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gayle married her late husband, Murdoch McCorvey Kennedy Jr, in Lebanon, TN in 1972. They lived in Monroeville, AL and raised a family there until his passing in 1989. In 1991 Gayle moved back to TN with two of her sons, Lee and Wes. From 2013 to 2023 Gayle split her time between Franklin, TN and Center Point, TX, where she had many friends.
Most important to Gayle was her faith in God and love for her family. She was an avid Texas two-stepper and loved spending time with her family, fishing and traveling. Gayle was a tough and respected businesswoman who successfully guided the administration of several businesses, including her late husband’s telephone company, Monroeville Telephone. She had a natural acuity as an entrepreneur and real estate investor. Gayle used her success to bless the lives of countless people across the country. She had a kind and giving heart and was a friend to all she met. Her zest for life and positive attitude was an inspiration to many. She lived and loved immensely and will be missed in her passing but never forgotten. She has left a legacy that is worthy of the life she lived.
Gayle is survived by her brother, Nick Carter Locke of Lake Wylie, SC; sons, Lee Locke Kennedy of Franklin, TN and Wesley Laine Kennedy of Nashville, TN; stepsons, M.M. Kennedy III and Steven Andress Kennedy both of Monroeville, AL; eight grandchildren, Bush, Ward, Watson, Locke, Cates, Hastings, Jack and Fletcher Kennedy; and one great-grandchild, Alma Jo Kennedy. She is preceded in death by her parents, Nick and Dorothy Locke; husband, Murdoch Mc-Corvey Kennedy, Jr.; and grandson Stevens Kennedy.
Gayle’s wishes were for a Celebration of Life to be held at Leiper’s Fork Distillery in Franklin, TN on August 26, 2023, from 4 – 7 p.m. Tributes will begin at 4 p.m. and celebration will begin at 5pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Freedom & Whiskey Foundation, benefiting Special Operations Veterans. Address: 1718 General George Patton Dr., Brentwood, TN 37027 or at leipersforkdistillery. com/freedom-and-whiskey/