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THOUGHTS FROM THE SIDELINE
Eulogy for a Toastmaster
Eldred Brown, DTM, IPDD
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND I met Alex and his wife Caroline in 1996
GIRLS!!!” Whenever I heard that greeting as I was converting to the Orthodox Christian
bellow forth in Alex Kennedy’s booming bass faith and attending services with them at
voice, I knew someone had an announcement St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Portland,
to make, for that greeting filled the whole hall. Oregon. By this time Alex had dropped his
Alex had a hard life as a Russian refugee from family name Kochneff in favor of the more
the Soviet Union, but he adapted well and American sounding name Kennedy to evade
found his repose as a beloved member of our American suspicion of anyone bearing a
Orthodox Christian community. We buried Russian sounding name. I knew Alex as a kind,
him a couple of weeks ago after his death at gregarious man who always had a good word to
the age of 92. say about everyone. His basso profundo voice
Alex started his life on November 23, 1930, anchored our parish choir for many years,
as Alexei Kochneff, the son of Dimitry and and it always seemed that he and Caroline
Ekaterina Kochneff, White Russian refugees had the most impeccable fashion sense. (Sadly,
then living in Shanghai. After Communism Caroline passed away in 2008 after a bout
spread from the Soviet Union into China, with cancer.)
the Kochneff family found itself on the move I had heard early on of Alex’s involvement
again to flee Communist persecution of their in Toastmasters, but it wouldn’t be for another
Russian Orthodox faith. They eventually ten years or so that I would join Toastmasters
resettled in San Francisco in 1950. While in myself. Whatever training he had—he also
Shanghai and San Francisco, it is said that attended Dale Carnegie training—Alex always
Alex had rich personal contact with one of our presented himself as a polished speaker and
great American saints, the Archbishop John confident leader, skills I’ve seen many people
Maximovitch. acquire in Toastmasters. I suppose those skills
24 ONE COMMUNITY
