Robert Kennedy, who recently retired as a Walworth County Circuit Court judge, is a familiar face at the Knights of Columbus food stand at the Walworth County Fair. The Knights of Columbus is one of just a few charity organizations to which Kennedy enjoys giving his time. Terry Mayer/staff
ELKHORN — He put his gavel down for good Aug. 1. However, his family and friends know that even though Robert Kennedy officially retired after 24 years as a Walworth County judge, he’s not anywhere close to retirement.
No better illustration of that active lifestyle was last weekend’s Walworth County Fair, where he spent every day selling cream puffs for the Knights of Columbus or ice cream for the farm bureau and parking vehicles for the Kiwanis Club.
Needless to say, Kennedy, 68, will continue to be as judicious with his time as he tried to be with his courtroom decisions.
Admittedly, that won’t be easy, considering the myriad items and activities already filling his ever-growing to-do list.
Besides his involvement with the service organizations, he wants to donate time to helping children with disabilities and the poor, as well as volunteering at the library and area hospitals. Many of his outreach and benevolent efforts are tied to his strong faith and connections with St. Patrick’s Parish in Elkhorn.
“I’m a pretty religious guy … I guess you could call me a Catholic Christian,” said Kennedy, who attended Quigley Seminary in his native Chicago for four years before starting college. “Things like the 13th Apostle are programs that help the poor, and that’s the kind of Christianity that makes sense. And we’ve got a good ecumenical community in Elkhorn and Walworth County. I’ve always had a tremendous desire for charity work because I like working with people.”
Kennedy’s career was about the law for more than 42 years, so it’s understandable that most of his relationships involve others in the legal profession. Two men who have known him a long time say Kennedy displayed class and high character inside and outside the courtroom.
“I’ve known him since back in the 1970s … our kids went to grammar school together, our wives are friends and we’re friends,” said retired attorney Paul Kremer, who were to attend this weekend’s Irish-Purdue game together because both are Notre Dame alumni. “We don’t socialize all of the time, but our paths cross a lot. And Bob always was a tireless worker, whether it was as judge or whatever he was doing. I was on the other side, but even though we knew each other, he was always impartial and his ethics were impeccable.”
Kremer also is a longtime member of St. Pat’s, where he also witnessed Kennedy’s tremendous drive.
“He spent considerable time doing charitable work,” Kremer said. “Bob lives his religion, which was very, very important to him. He carries that fervor as a Christian. He’s quite the wonderful man. He’s the genuine article and is a big asset to this community.”
John Olson, who still practices in Lake Geneva, said that the two men often clashed on the job. However, Olson said that Kennedy always earned his respect.
“The first thing that comes to mind is his high morals,” Olson said. “He was willing to take the heat even when he knew his decision might be controversial. He stuck with his decisions and what he thought was right, and he usually was. I could say things that might rub other people the wrong way, but he would just shrug it off.
“You could really disagree, but afterward he would still sell you a cream puff. Our relationship was centered around work, but I got to appreciate him as a person and I consider him a friend.”
Kennedy said he enjoyed working with everybody involved in the legal system, regardless of what role they played in the process. He said the important thing was getting the job done, and done right.
“I have some regrets, including two cases, in 1989 and 1996, that angered some and I couldn’t get across to the people why I made the decisions I did,” Kennedy said. “You don’t want people to dislike you, and that kind of thing eats at you. But you have to be flexible and you have to treat people nicely. Making good decisions, ones that affect human beings, creates a tremendous strain. So it involves a lot of time, effort and sweat.
“Sometimes you go back over cases again and again, but you have to be confident in your decisions and believe that you’ve done the right thing.”
As for his so-called retirement, Kennedy said it was a simple decision in that his family and other activities deserved more of his time. However, he waited until he was comfortable with who his successor would be.
“I made the decision in September 2011, but I wanted to make sure, and when Phil Koss announced he was running, that helped make up my mind to retire in good conscience,” Kennedy said. “I was prepared to serve another six years, but fortunately for me, and for (wife) Marsha, it worked out this way.”
And residents in the area still will see plenty of the guy riding the little yellow scooter, a key mode of transportation for him the past seven years. That is, unless the vociferous reader isn’t at home enjoying his latest science fiction novel or something by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie.
Kennedy also plans to combine a desire to travel with his love of history, especially when it comes to the Civil War.
“I’d like to carve out some time for travel, because I’d like to see all of the big Civil War battlefield sites, such as Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg,” Kennedy said. “We’d like to go to Ireland, and I’d like to visit Greece for a third time because I’m fascinated by ancient Greek history.”
So, it’s just a matter of juggling his many interests, which he said would include getting back into the legal world, at least part time, in the near future.
“I’m going to keep busy, because I know, and my wife knows, that if I’m not busy, I’m not happy,” Kennedy said. “The key will be finding a happy medium.”
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