Decatur County first responder Kenneth Kennedy remembered for decades of service

Kenneth Dale “Wormdirt” Kennedy spent more than four decades answering emergency calls across Decatur County, a stretch of service that made him a familiar name to neighbors who depended on the rescue squad and volunteer fire crews when help was needed fast. Kennedy died May 12 at the age of 57, and the memory that stands out in his obituary is not just of work, but of a man who kept showing up for his community at all hours.

Kennedy served with the Decatur County Rescue Squad and the Bath Springs Volunteer Fire Department, answering calls day and night in a county where volunteer departments remain part of the core public-safety structure. Decatur County’s emergency system runs through a centralized 911 center, the Rescue Squad, county EMS and a network of volunteer fire departments, including stations and crews in Bath Springs and Decaturville. In a county of 11,435 people in the 2020 census and an estimated 11,656 in 2023, that kind of volunteer response is often the difference between a quick arrival and a long wait.

Alongside emergency service, Kennedy built a career as a truck driver, running both long and short hauls. He took pride in honest work and in supporting the people he loved, a theme that ran through the account of his life. The obituary remembered him for his generous heart, strong work ethic and unwavering dedication to family, friends and community.

Kennedy was also a member of Center Masonic Lodge No. 380 in Decaturville, where his ties to local fraternal life added another layer to a life rooted in the county. He enjoyed trail riding and competing in horse shows, interests that connected him to the outdoor traditions many families in this part of West Tennessee know well.

He is survived by his wife of 32 and a half years, Tricia Middleton Kennedy, his sons Cameron and Garrett Kennedy, and his sister Michelle Browder, all of Decaturville. His parents, Dale and Anita Kennedy, preceded him in death.

Visitation was set for May 14 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Reed’s Chapel in Decaturville and again May 15 from 11 a.m. until service time at The River United Pentecostal Church in Parsons. The funeral was scheduled for 3 p.m. May 15 at the church, with burial to follow at Concord Cemetery in Decaturville. In a county built on neighbors helping neighbors, Kennedy’s decades of service left a lasting mark on the people who answered the same calls beside him.