Smithville, MS
Funeral Home
E.E. Pickle Funeral Home
Visitation
June 19, 2025, 5-8 PM, Smithville Baptist Church
Service
June 20, 2025, 11 AM, E.E. Pickle Funeral Home, Amory, MS
Obituary
Military Service Tribute, Honors, and Obituary:
Recognizing and Honoring a Fallen Hero, Who Served Within the Mississippi National Guard. “Fallen, Yet Not Forgotten”.
In recognition of our proud American tradition of honorable service which our military men and women have given to their country and our State, we honor a Fallen Hero. Our nation, our state, and the National Guard Association of MS (NGAMS) regard the memorializing of its retired military deceased as an honorable and sacred obligation.
Another great Soldier and Fallen Hero has been released from duty, passed from our ranks on June 16, 2025, and has moved on to his heavenly home. Retired Master Sergeant Ira C. Kennedy, age 87, who had served in the 1st Battalion,198th Armor Regiment and had worked full-time as a recruiter with the MSARNG Recruiting Battalion has departed and gone to a better place with our good Lord.
It takes a special person to serve within the military for their country, giving up their family time, comfort, and safety for their country, ultimately for all Americans to enjoy their freedoms, safety, and way of life. We now applaud you for your service to our country. A special message from General Douglas McArthur remains applicable today for our servicemen that have passed: “Old Soldiers never die; they just fade away”.
Rest in Peace Soldier. We applaud your patriotism, sacrifices, and brave efforts in serving our country and your family for their support of your service. We thank you for your service. Without your efforts and your families’ support, our country would not stand so boldly, shine so bright, and live so free.
You now have earned a rest, so go fly with the Angels, go rest high on that mountain; your work on earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin’ Love for the Father and the Son.
Another great Soldier has gone home, “Fallen, Yet Not Forgotten, Soldier for Life”.
Obituary, Visitation, and Service details:
Ira C. Kennedy, a beloved member of the Smithville community, passed away on June 16, 2025, at the NMMC in Tupelo. Born in Smithville, Mississippi, on November 29, 1937 to the late Fred and Edna Kennedy, Ira was a dedicated family man and a respected figure whose impact resonates deeply in the hearts of those who knew him.
Ira’s career was marked by a commitment to service and education. Ira dedicated 35 years to the Army National Guard where he was full time for 20 years. He spent nineteen years and eleven months working at Western Auto and devoted himself to coaching youth sports, leading the Smithville Summer League baseball and softball teams for two decades. His contributions to the local high school were significant; he announced Smithville High School football games for thirty years, sharing his passion for the sport with students and fans alike. Ira also served two terms as a member of the Monroe County School Board at Large, advocating for the educational needs of the community. His vision for a thriving space for gathering and activities culminated in the building of the Smithville Community Center in 1970. This dedication to education and community service inspired many, and he retired from his career as Master Sargent on November 30, 1997 as a National Guard Recruiter.