James Walter Kenworthy

James, a resident of Pelham for 54 years, entered into eternal rest on August 12, 2026, at the age of 72 at Calvary Hospital after a brief illness. James was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on what was the campus of Brown University's women's college (Pembroke College). His father, Dr. Walter Kenworthy, was a biology professor at Brown and a faculty master in one of Pembroke College's dormitories. In 1963, the family moved to Norton, Massachusetts, when his father became the dean of Wheaton College. In 1972, the Kenworthys moved to Pelham, New York. James later graduated from Adelphi University, majoring in history.

In 1979, James met his future wife, Katherine Hui Meng, at Western University (formerly The University of Western Ontario) in Canada, where they both attended graduate school. They were married on December 27, 1980, at Christ Church in Bronxville, and resided in Pelham. Throughout his career, James worked at ExxonMobil, NYNEX, Nortel, and Williams Telecommunications.

When he was 15, James fell in love with hockey. He was a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan who deeply enjoyed traveling to the Bell Centre to watch games. Despite spending part of his youth near Boston, he was also a devoted, lifelong New York Yankees fan. He loved playing hockey and baseball, ice skating, and learning languages. James was fluent in French and Russian, conversational in Chinese, German, and Italian, and even picked up Japanese and Hebrew during the COVID pandemic.

James cherished his family: his wife of 46 years, his two sons, Charles and Stephen, his daughter-in-law, Lu, and his granddaughter, Grace. He will be remembered as a true Christian with a deep, guiding faith.James is survived by his devoted wife of 46 years, Katherine Meng Kenworthy; his loving children, Charles and Stephen; his daughter-in-law, Lu Rao; his granddaughter, Grace; his brother, Paul, and Paul's wife, Laura; as well as many nieces, nephews, and in-laws. He will be deeply missed. The Kenworthy family would particularly like to thank the friends of Christ Church and Calvary Hospital for the amazing love and care they provided in his final days. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in James's memory to Calvary Hospital in the Bronx.

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in James memory to Calvary Hospital.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday September 12, 2026 at 10:00 am at Christ Church Pelham, located at 1415 Pelhamdale Avenue, Pelham NY 10803.