Alice Charlene (Copeland) Kennedy

Alice Charlene Copeland Kennedy, a long, active life well lived- Alice was a resident of Durham for most of her 98 years, although she was born in, Cape Charles, Virginia on March 31, 1919.

Alice was the only child born to Lucinda Copeland and A. Copeland. She graduated from Harlem High School New York, NY. She also graduated from Lincoln School of Nursing in New York City, received a Bachelors Degree in Nursing from New York University and a Masters Degree in Nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, becoming one of the first black women to do so.

During World War II she joined the US Army and served as an Army Nurse.  At the end of the war she returned to New York to study for her bachelor’s degree at NYU.  While there, she met the love of her life, William Jesse Kennedy III whom she married on January 27, 1948.

The newlyweds made Durham, NC their home. Their only child, William Jesse Kennedy, IV was born in Durham and became the center of their lives. 

Alice began her teaching career at Hillside High School in Durham where she taught LPN students.  Subsequently this program moved to Lincoln Hospital and became part of their Nursing School.  She later taught RN students at Durham Technical Institute.  She was called to develop the curriculum for the newly developed BSN program at NC Central University and having completed this task, stayed to become on of the program’s first teachers.

When her husband became President of NC Mutual Life Insurance Company, he asked her to retire and she did so, leading the life of a first lady and travelling the United States and the world at his side.

She was a member of The Girl Friends and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She was also a member of White Rock Baptist Church.

She is survived by her son, William Jesse Kennedy, IV, nieces Marsha Goodwin Kee and Sylvia Sloan Black (Fred) and nephew Maceo K. Sloan (Victoria) and their progeny as well as a host or other relatives and friends.