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Bob and Patty Kennedy

Robert W. Kennedy of Keyport, NJ and his trusted companion Patricia Geary of Red Bank, NJ married and came to Cherry Valley, Stroudsburg in 1963.They arrived on “White Horses” or should I say, they tied their luggage to the top of their old battered car and settled at the old YMCA Camp, Camp Dent on Featherman Rd. Upon getting out of the car they discovered there luggage on the top of their car was lost. Bob had no money but managed to pay the tolls to go back to New Jersey to find their luggage or so the story goes, said Bob’s mom, to start this adventure. Here begins the story of one of the largest and most courageous basketball stories ever told. “The Beaver” that’s Basketball Bob (he never, never, never quit) and “The Princess” that’s Patty both had tremendous basketball foresight. Patty was a nurse with a tremendous love for people and a degree in nursing. Who would ever think their careers could work, so well, together to build, discover and pioneer the growth of both boys and girls basketball not only in Monroe County but in the United States.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many young lives in Monroe County where touched by Bob and Patty. They began by building a basketball camp out of an old barn, an old stone house with an attached smoke house and a few old basketball and volleyball courts left them by the YMCA of Allentown. Each summer hundreds of kids from the area either worked their way as busboys or busgirls through the basketball camp or paid to learn all about the fundamentals of basketball. I remember starting the basketball camp 6 day program at $60.00 a week, said Bob. The Kennedy’s exposed the areas rising high school basketball stars to pros like Dr. J, Calvin Murphy, Kelly Tripuka, Moses Malone, and Adrian Dantley. What people didn’t realize that Bob and Patty also led the way for Women’s Basketball in the United States in 1973. The Women who worked at the camp read like “Who’s Who”. Are you ready, Carol “Blaze” Blazjowski (General Manager for the New York Liberty), Maryann Stanley, Dotty Mc Crea, Mimi Senkowski Griffin, Ann Donavin, Theresa Grentz (US Olympic Coach) and of course our own former Penn State Women’s Coach Rene Muth Portland… Kids from Monroe County never had it so good what role models for athletes to look up to and emulate. Lucille Kyvallos of Queens College said the Kennedy’s where at least 2 years ahead of the rest of the basketball world others in Monroe County said 20 years.

We could go on and on but I do what to mention the avenues both Bob and Patty took and unselfishly forged. They are:


It all began here in little old Cherry Valley, RD 4 Box 4156, Stroudsburg Pa. 18301. The Perryman Keglovits Foundation recognizes your dream and thanks you for all you have done especially in the past to make Monroe County truly a Mecca of Boys and Girls Basketball.