Biography: Ann H. (Permenter) Kennedy, 85, passed away peacefully around 4:00am in the arms of her loving granddaughter, Jonah Rose, on Thursday, February 21st, 2019 at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. A service celebrating the blessing that she was to us will be held at St. Michael?s/San Damiano Church in Little Rock (12415 Cantrell Rd) on Saturday, March 2nd at 11am with a reception following the service. Visitation for family and friends will also be at the church on Friday, March 1st from 6 to 7:30pm. All are welcome. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Ann and Jim Popoff, Joe Rose and Samantha Conklin, Diane Rose, Michael Kantor, Sarah and Fred Ball, Luci Pond, Sheryl and Leon Permenter, Steve Permenter, and Trish Tidwell; also seven grandchildren ? Jennifer, Amanda, Katie, Jonah, Hannah, Mary Clare, Wesley, and many others Ms. Ann would count as ?her own?. Born near Brownsville, TN, on September 4th, 1933, she was the daughter of Dewitt Talmadge Harper and Jennie Mae Craig. In 1952, at the age of 19, she moved from Brownsville to Memphis to work at the Federal Bank as a teller. She lived in a local boarding house for young women and was allowed to date her future husband, Dr. Joseph Rose, who was attending college at Memphis State University. On weekends, the young adults were too poor to afford tickets for an inside performance, so, they would dance on the roof of the Peabody Hotel for free. When multiple foot surgeries were required to repair her fallen arches in her 70?s, she attributed the damage to all of the dancing in heels that were way too high! In 1963, at the age of 30, she obtained a private pilot?s license that allowed her to fly the plane that she and her husband owned. Anyone who knew Ms. Ann would never think of her as a lawbreaker, however, when she had to fly her solo flight across Texas to get her license, she confessed to illegally dipping down into the small towns to read the water towers in order to find out if she was on the correct flight path! Later, circa 1967, she left Texas with all four of her children and moved to Tennessee as a single parent. This was regarded as one of the most courageous things she ever did, and it had the best possible outcome: she met and married Johnny V. Permenter, a Master Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. They dated for 6 months and married on January 15, 1971. They blended their two families and counted eight children between them. Ultimately, they raised five of them and had at least one in the house for the next 14 years when the youngest graduated from high school in 1985! They moved from Tennessee to Arkansas when John retired from the Marine Corps to live on a farm in Pangburn, eventually moving to Bryant to be closer to his parents. He was a policeman until his retirement from Pulaski County Sheriff?s Department in 1994. Ann worked as an Executive Assistant for Judge Vicki Sandage and helped her establish one of the most effective Juvenile Services rehabilitation units in Central Arkansas. Ann retired in 1995. After John?s death in 1998, Ann moved from Benton to Bryant to be closer to Indian Springs Baptist Church, a community she had been part of since 1980. It was while she was living here that their old friend, Reese Kennedy, caught up with her and they began a romance and got married a year later. Reese died within a year, and Ann later moved to into Brookdale, Pleasant Hills retirement community where she spent many years with dear friends. In addition to being a technology resource, she coordinated multiple bridge clubs, set up volunteer schedules for the gift shop, and served as the president of the Resident?s Council until finally retiring in 2018. Ann had a life-long passion for playing bridge, reading, and travel. After retirement, she learned how to use the latest technology to shop, order books online for herself and friends, and communicate with her friends, children, and grandchildren on Facebook and by text messaging. Ann also loved minding (and spoiling) her grandchildren at every opportunity. She never stopped believing the best about any of us. We were blessed to have such a cheerleader in our lives for so many years. Her light and love will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of the non-profit organizations she avidly supported and were dear to her heart: Friends of Recovery Foundation, est. 1992 in Little Rock, operates and maintains a safe facility for 12-step home groups to meet and find a new way to live. Currently hosting 25+ meetings a week, 365 days a year. Hope for the Warriors, an organization that provides comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources.