Sally A (Paul) Kennell

Sally Ann (Paul) Kennell, 85, departed this life on Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 10:06 P.M., surrounded by her children at her home on Dallas Lake in Wolcottville, Indiana. She will be remembered as a thoughtful and generous mother and grandmother who was always thinking of others. Her personalized attentiveness to children connected them to her no matter their age. People remarked on her beautiful handwriting and specially chosen cards. She was a shy person yet had many friends. She was always cheerful and positive. Harsh words were never a part of her vocabulary. Sally was born October 25, 1935, to Helen Margaret (Nehr) and Lawrence Robert Paul in Ilion, New York. She was active in high school and also was a cheerleader. She was elected winter queen of the Eastern Star. She attended Cazenovia College in New York for one year and would later finish her education with a master’s degree in Education from Indiana University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa while raising her five children. She taught grades K-4 for Fort Wayne Community Schools at Brentwood, Shambaugh and St. Joe Central schools. She retired in 1997. Sally was a former member of FWEA, ISTA, and Delta Kappa Gamma. She enjoyed playing bridge, trying different restaurants, reading, gardening, doing crossword puzzles and traveling to her vacation homes at Dallas Lake and Jekyll Island, Georgia. She met her husband, Phil, when she was 15 years old. They married September 4, 1954. In 1960 they moved to Fort Wayne, where she and Phil made many friends through his work at IPFW and through playing bridge. They continued to visit their parents and relatives in Ilion and Richfield Springs, New York. Sally nursed Phil through several years of illness before his death in 2007. They were married for 52 years. Sally’s children are Debbie (Lynn) Kennell-Gonzales and Debbie’s children, Elizabeth “Libby” (Chad) Eckland, Kelleigh (Nick) Hart, and Jason (Nicki) Lauer; Sue (Tom) Zeisig and their children, Nikole “Niki” (Nick) McQueen and Ryan (Thang Cao) Zeisig; Mark (Jon Roy) Kennell; Mike (Cherie) Kennell and their children, Daniel, Sean, and Will Kennell; Paul (Pam) Kennell and his children, Paul Scott, Jr. “PJ” and Joey Kennell, and Pam's children, Jake (Melinda) Rodenbeck, Justin (Jessie) Rodenbeck and Nathan Lamley. Sally’s great-grandchildren are Jack Rodenbeck, Allison Hart, Jonathan, Skyler, Reese (2017), and Ellie Lauer, Azlyn and James McQueen, Phillip and Peter Zeisig, Rylee, Jolene, and Abram Kennell. Besides her children, Sally is survived by her brother, Larry Paul, of Mohawk, New York, and nephews David and Eric Paul and nieces Jennifer (Paul) Herkel, Leisa (Paul) Murphy and Courtney (Kennell) Nacco, all of New York. Preceding her in death besides her parents, husband (Phil) and great-grandson (Reese), were her sister-in-law, Barb (Kennell) Paul and Linda (Kennell) Johnson. Sally’s family was particularly close-knit as Sally’s brother married Phil’s sister. Due to COVID, services will be for immediate family only. A celebration of life will be held at a later time. Arrangements are being made by Divine Mercy with burial in the Catholic Cemetery.  Preferred Memorials to Riley's Children's Foundation, 30 S Meridian St Suite 200, Indianapolis Indiana 46204. Expressions of sympathy for family can be made via https://www.divinemercyfuneralhome.com.