Here they are, Mom, Dad, my sister Alicia and my brother-in-law Michael.
Carolyn Lorana Kennedy of Leominster, MA & Martin Patrick Kilcourse of North Andover, MA were wed October 17, 1970 in Lawrence, MA. Reception was at the Andover Inn and their honeymoon was San Francisco & Hawaii. The couple has resided at their current residence since June 1974 which happened to be about a month before their dashingly handsome and witty son was born. Their beautiful, Lincoln-log-wrecking daughter followed 4 short years later.
My father worked for 37+ years with Bell Telephone/New England Telephone Company/NYNEX/AT&T/Verizon in the Equipment Installation Department. While I was young, his travels to Bangor, ME and Springfield, MA for his Mon-Fri work schedule allowed me, if I had good behavior during the week (which I always did, and still do), to build a formidable Matchbox car collection. If I had only saved the boxes, I’d be rich. My dad was my hockey coach, soccer coach and “lets play catch in the driveway while we’re grilling dinner” buddy while growing up. And I can’t ever remember him getting mad when I broke the cellar window repeatedly. My dad’s last few years at Verizon were located in Worcester, MA which afforded both my sister and I, while both at Assumption, the opportunity to go have lunch with dad. My first job out of college was with Paul Revere Insurance Company located right across the street from my dad’s building. Lunch was a near-weekly occurrence. The 9:00 break on Friday was always a good one. Those are nearly the only good memories I have kept from working there. Dad has been playing retiree golf since 2003.
My mother had the lucky job of being a stay-at-home mom once I showed up on the scene and gave up her IRS job which she had held since the mid-60’s. Little did she know at the time, she’d be back there around the mid-90’s. What did she do in-between? Well I showed up in ’74, my sister in ’78. It was basically diapers and refereeing the kids until the homework-help sessions started in the mid-80’s (does every kid really hate Middle School?). Then she did what few do, she went back to school. Northern Essex Community College for her Associates and then graduated from Merrimack College in 1990 with a major in Accounting and a ridiculously high GPA that had about a dozen Latin words like “Magna” or “Summa” and “Laude” after it. Needless to say, you could take my GPA and times it to the 4th power and I still wouldn’t be halfway to mom’s. After working the private sector for a few years, she returned to the IRS and retired from there in 2005 after a grand total of 24 years.
Ever the travelers, you can find Pat & Carolyn most mornings at the Dunkin Donuts in North Andover or at one of their other favorite locales, Avon, CT, Lancaster County in Pennsylvania (they say they come to see their wonderful son but I know why they come down) or their favorite thing, taking cruises to beautiful locations from the West Coast, Panama Canal to the Caribbean.
I grew up with parents who I rarely agreed with as a kid but as I hit my college years I realized I didn't have parents, I had two of my best friends.
Thanks mom & dad. I love you guys deeply.
Alicia Ann Kilcourse of North Andover, MA & Michael Patrick Hornish of Avon, CT were wed August 12, 2006 in Lawrence, MA. The reception was held at The Commons in Topsfield, MA and their honeymoon was a trip to Italy & Ireland. The couple resides in Avon, CT.
When you see someone smile like the light of a thousand stars, you know they are happy. That is the way my sister shone so brightly on her wedding day. Thanks to Michael! Hopefully she is past her Lincoln-log wrecking days.
I am extremely lucky to have such a great person as a sister and a great friend. Michael has brought to the family a brother I've never had.
Two great people.
