Former Lincoln Fire Capt. Hal Kennedy, 82, honored for decades of service

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A man who devoted more than half of his life to protecting the Lincoln community was honored on Thursday.

Former Fire Capt. Hal Kennedy died on May 16 at age 82.

Family and friends celebrated his life with a special ceremony.

Kennedy served for 42 years before retiring in 2005.

He joined Lincoln Fire & Rescue in 1963 and was promoted to fire apparatus operator four years later.

In 1978, he made lieutenant, and later that same year, he was promoted to captain.

He made a big impact during his time.

Mike Love worked under Kennedy, and he said Kennedy was like a father figure to him.

“He was just one of those guys that was always there, and a real stand-up guy,” Love said, tearing up.

Kennedy married his high school sweetheart, Jackie, in 1961.

And he lived his entire life in Lincoln.

Not one bad thing could be said about him as dozens gathered to celebrate his life.

“Hal was always a super friendly guy,” Love said. “Every day was a new adventure.”

You can send his family a sympathy message or share memories by using this link.