martin kennedy

Well-loved Isle of Wight angler, Martin Kennedy, sadly passes away

Well-known and well-loved Islander, Martin Kennedy, sadly passed away on 29th January.

Aged just 56, Martin suffered post-operative complications following a quadruple bypass in Southampton.

Martin’s sister, Amanda, says,

“The Island has lost one of its best men. A great father who will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.”

His funeral takes place on Tuesday 16th February at the Isle of Wight Crematorium at 9.45am.

The 2016 Martin Kennedy Memorial Match
Adam Landy, Martin’s son-in-law, has organised a fundraising fishing competition in his honour for later in the year.

The event takes place just across the Solent at Rectory Lane, Church Norton, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 9DT on 16th July from 5.30pm.

Adam says,

The comp will be a feature in a future issue of Total Sea Fishing magazine.

On 29 January 2016 a gentle giant was taken from us all too soon. Martin Kennedy (56) passed away suddenly after a short heart-related illness, in Southampton General Hospital.

Martin was a keen outdoorsman, he had a love for nature and more recently developed a passion for metal detecting, combining two interests of his; being out with nature and discovering lost history.

However, his most pervasive past time was angling. Martin taught me (Adam) how to fish and he always had time to help others, giving tips and support, guiding people and generally being a wonderful human being. Martin always made friends wherever he went, he was keen to help other people and he was always up for a laugh. Martin was a people magnet, they were just drawn to his personality and he meant a huge amount to a lot of people.

I was blessed enough to have Martin as one of my dearest friends for over 14 years, he was my father-in-law, yet more so my pal. His family are lost without him, as am I. This competition means so much to us all and hope that many will join us in supporting such an important charity.

The family are supporting Wessex Heartbeat, the charity which provides accommodation to people who have loved ones in the care of the cardiac unit. Without this, Martin’s wife and daughter couldn’t have been there for him as much as they were, particularly as he neared the end. The support provided by the charity is so precious and we want to ensure it keeps on supporting people in need.

Each room costs around £240 per year to keep open and is in use all the time. Wessex Heartbeat House relies entirely upon charitable donations, without which it would be lost (including a pediatric unit). Let’s raise as much as we can, as you never know who of us might need it one day.

Thanks for your support, Adam Landy on behalf of the Kennedys

More details and updates can be found on the Facebook event site.