Robert Kennedy, 1922-2011

Bob Kennedy, of Oak Park, Illinois, died on August 1st, 2911. He was a graduate of Northwestern University and taught math and English in Chicago public schools. Bob and his wife Ruth taught Georgist courses for many years at their church, First Baptist Church of Oak Park. They taught Progress and Poverty, as well as Social Problems and Liberation Theology and Land Raform. Bob was also an enthusiastic member of the Henry George Institute’s correspondence course faculty. He is survived by his wife Ruth of 35 years, nieces and nephews, and a cousin.

John Kuchta, a teacher at the Chicago Henry George School, offers this recollection: “Bob was was on top of the course materuial, but was even beyond that. Bob often could discuss the topics far beyond the facts of the course materials. He could bring a lot of critical thinking and world knowledge into the discussions. I patterned my approach to teaching this course in a similar fashion. It was a pleasure participating in discussions with Bob and Ruth.”

John Morales, 1913-2011

John Morales of California, Missouri passed away on March 28th, 2011. He was born in Panama, a year before the openeing of the Panama Canal, which his father helped to build. He served in the US Navy in World War II, and after that lived in Panama, New Zealand and California, before settling in Missouri with Margaret, his wife of 46 years. He has a 40-year career as a US Federal employee. In his retirement, he dove into education, auditing many classes at Northwest Missouri State University, where he became a fixture in the social science department, dubbed “Pop” by the students. John’s wife Margaret preceded him in death; he is survived by four children, 13 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Lindy Davies recalls: “John was a longtime member of the Henry George Institute. When I first met him in 1990, he admonished me to quit smoking cigarettes, so that I could have a long, healthy career teaching Georgism; in subsequent correspondence he kept making sure I’d done so. He donated generously in his last year to the HGI’s fund drive transfer-credit certification.”

Marvin Morris, 1920-2011

Marvin Morris of Rochester, New York, passed away on Sept. 6th, 2011. He was a longtime member of the Henry George Foundation of America. He had been a Georgist since 1938, and never gave up his role as a fierce advocate and educator for a sane and just society.