Stone Harbor’s King of the Court: Patrick Kenny Is Also Its Greatest Fan
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” – Oscar Wilde
Time makes it impossible for Oscar Wilde to have ever known Patrick Kenny – or Pat, as his many friends refer to him. That’s a shame because had their paths crossed, Wilde no doubt would have been able to put a face to the first part of the line he wrote for a play 140 years ago.
Patrick, 68, has called Stone Harbor his second home for nearly a half-century. Over those many years, the native of Pennsylvania’s Chester County has made more friends than any of us could imagine or ever calculate. After all, his personality is effervescent, and his positivity and exuberance are contagious. Patrick has managed to make positive lasting impressions on people all over town.
“I’m not sure why, but I was recently thinking about him,” says Joe Damiri, the former longtime owner of Stone Harbor Pizza. “I haven’t seen Pat in years, but I started thinking about him out of the blue. He’d come in at least once a week and order the same thing while sitting at the same table every time -- chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. I can still see Pat sitting there. Always well-dressed, pleasant, and with a smile. Such a good memory.”
Perhaps it was fate that initially located the Kenny family in Stone Harbor for their summer vacations. From the balcony of a rented condominium where the Harbor Lanes once stood, Patrick laid claim and quickly made Stone Harbor his town. That’s especially true as it pertains to Stone Harbor Rec and the legendary Stone Harbor Recreation basketball league.
“I sat right there,” Patrick says, pointing from a bleacher at the 96th Street basketball court to a balcony across the street. “I could see all of the games from there.”
And a basketball fanatic was born.
“I like the Devon Horse Show and I like baseball,” Patrick points out. “But basketball is my favorite sport,” he adds matter-of-factly. Understandable. After all, could the Devon Horse Show or a Phillies game even hold a candle to a warm, breezy summer evening less than a block from the beach, watching local kids explore their basketball chops under six spotlights?
Stone Harbor even went as far as to create a special award designating Patrick Kenny as Stone Harbor’s Lifetime Fan. Confirmed with a pewter bowl presented to him many summers ago, that treasure is still proudly displayed in his home. That award was the result of a lot of hard work tracking scores and watching literally hundreds of rec-league basketball games.
David Smith, now director of athletics at Cape May Technical High School and a former league competitor and Stone Harbor Rec staff member, remembers it fondly: “Pat would get there during the first game. I believe that he’d come from dinner at the Windrift. And with that big smile on his face. His personality would just take over the game.”
Everyone has their own special memory of Patrick. Smith remembers him arriving for games “like clockwork. The same exact time every night. And always with that big smile on his face.” Others remember that he’d keep a close watch on the “scoreboard,” which was a manual flip chart of sorts. “If we’d miss a basket we’d hear about it – loudly,” says another former rec staff member. “He never wanted any player to miss getting credit for a hard-earned basket.” And he’d get very upset if someone got hurt in a game. “If a player went down, Pat would run over to check on the player. He didn’t like to see any of the players get injured,” says yet another.
“I enjoy watching the kids compete and succeed,” Patrick explains on a recent August afternoon from the court where he’d watched hundreds, or thousands, of games.
For as much as Patrick cared about the Stone Harbor players through the years, he wouldn’t hesitate to let them hear about it when they missed a shot badly. “Oh NO! That was a bad one,” was an announcement that never needed amplification assistance on the often-windy outdoor courts. Smith still chuckles at the thought more than a decade later.
Patrick confirms Smith’s memory of his daily schedule. He explains that he’d take in games from 7 to 8 each evening. From 8 until 9, he’d visit more friends at the Stone Harbor Fire House, Hoy’s 5 & 10, and at Stone Harbor Pizza. On Friday nights, he was able to stretch his evening curfew limits and attend a movie.
“I always feel very comfortable here in Stone Harbor,” Patrick explains. “This is my second home.”
And apparently the comfort did not happen by accident. Smith goes on to explain the respect that players and people around town had and have for Patrick. “Occasionally there might be someone new who hadn’t met Pat yet. We’d quietly explain that that’s Pat, he’s our biggest and greatest fan. He’s a part of Stone Harbor.”
The care and genuine respect led to a special closeness among many. His parents may have sensed that Patrick and Stone Harbor were a good match when they invested in a property. Prime real estate – close to the basketball court, of course. The love for Patrick spread throughout town. For example, many former Stone Harbor Rec staffers still refer to him as “Stone Harbor Rec Pat.” Not to be confused with “Windrift Pat” or “Uncle Bill’s Pat.”
Patrick’s love of Stone Harbor was no doubt measured by the length of the summer season. “I never want the summer to end,” he says. Which might explain another part of Patrick’s notoriety.
“Of course I still remember Pat – Labor Day Pat,” says Steve Coskey, another former Stone Harbor Rec League player and now director of business development for the Philadelphia Flyers. “Pat could always tell you the exact number of days until Labor Day – always!” he remembers. “That was a good number during June games. But by the time that mid-August rolled around, not so much. We were all like Pat: We didn’t want summer to end, either.”
Sam Wierman, a former Stone Harbor Rec staffer and current Avalon Borough Council member, also has fond memories of Patrick: “Obviously, Pat loved the games, but sometimes he’d just come into our office, and he’d sit and talk with us. He’s a pretty interesting guy. We enjoyed those conversations.”
Patrick’s magnetic personality, self-confidence and independence should probably be credited to his family, parents Ginger and Ray Kenny, as well as his brother and sister. Patrick suffered a head injury as a young child. At a time when some parents might have chosen to shield their child from society, Patrick’s parents did whatever they could to ensure that he could grow to be a happy, self-sufficient adult. Patrick graduated from a trade school where he learned business and life skills that led to employment in the restaurant industry. Back in Pennsylvania, he worked for quite a few years at Roy Rogers and Pizzeria Uno. There are still many memories around town of Patrick’s parents accompanying him to lunch or dinner. Those family experiences probably helped to establish borders and guidelines while allowing him to have extra freedoms that might not have been possible in his hometown of Berwyn, Pa.
“I had to be home by 9,” Patrick remembers of his Stone Harbor nightly adventures. “On Friday I could stay out later if I was going to the movie on 96th Street.”
Happy, self-sufficient adult? Mission accomplished. Patrick is that rare individual who, in spite of his cognitive limitations, has reached his full adult potential.
After less frequent trips to Stone Harbor the past several years, Patrick has been around town more frequently. He splits his time in Stone Harbor with visits with his brother and sister in Long Beach Island and extended visits to Florida in the colder months. His new residence in Pennsylvania is an assisted living center that includes a movie theatre, sports bar, arts center, along with a host of new friends where he is flourishing. In August, he happily attended the annual championship game for the Stone Harbor Rec League, albeit relocated to the 82nd Street courts. And he no doubt added to his coveted rec league T-shirt collection that he has from each year he’s been attending games. His Stone Harbor friends are quick to exchange greetings and an embrace upon seeing him. They quickly realize that, as one person phrased it: “Thankfully, Pat is still Pat.”
Most are quick to learn that while Patrick is still the same Patrick they came to know and love, there also is a new side to him. He now speaks in an “indoor voice” and comfortably wields a paint brush in his left hand.
“I love art,” he explains. “I always have.” With Patrick, it’s all about the colors – the brighter the better.
There are former league players who are adults today with their own families and careers who used to look forward to Patrick’s handmade Christmas cards each December. Using technology, they shared images of the cards with their former teammates along with fond remembrances of their good friend Pat.
Seeing his love for art, Patrick’s health care companion Marie Tartaglio, of Moments with Marie, began to encourage his further exploration of the world of art. Under Marie’s direction and care, Patrick branched out from crayons and markers to embrace acrylic, watercolor, and ceramics. Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital sponsors a program called Art Ability, which is dedicated to creating community awareness of people with disabilities while encouraging them to reach beyond their limitations to find fulfillment and inspiration in art. Among the more than 5,000 submissions for its 2023 exhibition, one of Patrick’s works, “Dolphins at Dawn,” was accepted. Plans are now in the works to hang Patrick’s art in restaurants and retail establishments in Stone Harbor. For any of Patrick’s art that is gifted or sold, profits will be donated to charity.
Meeting Patrick at Uncle Bill’s for breakfast or later in the afternoon on “his” basketball court is like holding a special event with a big-time celebrity. People stream up constantly to greet him. “Pat, you remember me?” asks a person who moments ago was simply passing by. “Of course, I do, how have you been,” Patrick responds with a genuine smile and a hug. They continue in a conversation that includes reminiscing as well as family updates. You can’t help but notice that Patrick’s smile that began the conversation has spread to the person in the conversation with him. His good nature is infectious.
Former Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters may have summed Patrick up best: “Pat always has a smile, and he manages to bring a smile to everyone that he meets.”
If only Oscar Wilde could have known Patrick Kenny.