Kennedy Dies After Valiant Battle With Cancer

NEWBURGH – Judy Kennedy died Sunday morning following a long, valiant battle with cancer.

Condolences have come in from across the region.

City Councilman Jonathan Jacobson said, “no one could doubt her dedication and commitment to the City of Newburgh. It is so sad. No one should have to suffer as she did due to her illness.”

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said the mayor “made a long-lasting impression on the City of Newburgh. She will be missed for her hard work, compassion and commitment to the residents of Newburgh.”

County Legislator Kevindaryan Lujan, who represents a portion of Newburgh, said, “We will be forever grateful for her dedication to our city and for steering our community in the right direction, but above all for her guidance, friendship and love,” he said.

State Senator William Larkin said Kennedy’s “spirit will be remembered by the people of the City of Newburgh. Her passion was seen by all through her activism and through her constant persistence on the issues that mattered most to her residents. As a person, she had a heart of gold.”

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney said Kennedy and he share a love for the City of Newburgh. “I saw her in action working every day to make Newburgh the city that its wonderful people deserve. Judy’s focus and tenacity empowered her to hold the city together through a financial crisis – and to come out the other side stronger,” he said. “Tt was always her vision that has led to the reinvestment of Liberty Street and the city’s improving financial outlook.”

“Today was a double loss for the Hudson Valley; both Assemblyman Frank Skartados and Mayor Judy Kennedy fought every single day to better the lives and communities for residents living in the Hudson Valley and beyond,” said US Senator Charles Schumer.

SUNY Orange President Dr. Kristine Young said the deaths of the two officials “leave a deep void in our community as we have lost two devoted public servants.” She said they were “champions for their constituents. They understood the role and impact of higher education in shaping and enhancing local and regional communities, and they supported SUNY Orange’s mission and growth in Newburgh.”