Peter John McKenna

Peter John “Pete” McKenna, 81, of Roswell GA, succumbed to Parkinson’s disease at his residence, Saint George Village, on October 30, 2024.

The eldest of 3 boys born to Florence Theresa Geary and John Joseph McKenna, Pete was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 30, 1943. In adolescence, he lived in Bergen County, NJ where he attended Bergen Catholic and Dumont High. He then proudly served in the United States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve from 1962-1966 and attended East Carolina University.

Childhood summers were spent with his family in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It was also in the Poconos where he met Patricia Ann “Pat” Kujda of Scranton. Pat was literally swept off her feet as Pete taught her how to dive the very day they met by the pool. Their courtship continued in NYC where they lived and worked, solidifying two places in the world that remained Pete’s most near and dear. Married in 1969 and settling in Atlanta, they raised their children and remained hopelessly devoted to one another for 55 years.

Pete’s business savvy in finance management led to a 30-year career with Canon U.S.A, Incorporated. In 1978, he was hired as Southeast Regional Credit Manager. His skillset for improving the bottom line was unconventionally keen and he became the first American in the Japanese corporation to serve as a Branch Director.

In his personal life, Pete was also an outlier of the cost-efficient kind. His penchant for securing the best deal on any good or service at any time, for any reason, anywhere, is likely unmatched. And when he would pack a single, extra-small duffle for a two-week vacation or bring one rod on a fishing trip, he always remarked, “It’s all you need!” He knew his approaches were unorthodox, and he could laugh at himself about them, too, but he wasn’t going to change a thing.

Pete was intentional about spending his free time with his family, and together they shared his love of boating, especially on his beloved Chattahoochee River and on Lake Burton, and in his love of travel. You expected the unexpected and your itinerary was overflowing when you travelled with Pete. “If you say you’re going to do something, you do it” was his trademark philosophy, and so your checklist was always completed. Pete & Pat visited 22 countries together as well as most of the National Parks in the US and Alaska, frequenting their favorites.

An avid tennis player, Pete’s winning slice annoyed all his opponents. He and Pat loved the game and some of their dearest friendships were forged during these years. Pete also made sure he maintained relationships with extended family and remained close to his two brothers as well as his childhood friends. He delighted in his grandchildren, and he refurbished his vintage model railroad collection to make for years of fun “running trains with Papa.”

Pete’s faith was strong in the Catholic Church, and Saint Andrew was his church home for nearly 40 years. There, he served as a lector, Eucharistic Minister, and he drove the church bus to bring those who needed assistance to Mass. Breakfast, his favorite meal of the day, was a given after mass. In the South, the Waffle House became Pete’s best stand in for a “real” NJ diner.

Upon his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2015, Pete’s last chapter began without regret or bitterness, and he immediately traded tennis for pickleball, took up boxing, e-biking and brushed back up on his ping pong skills all in effort to slow his disease progression. To be sure, it’s Pat whom he’s most grateful. She cared for him with all her heart in his final years, and before that was always on his side and by his side with unconditional love. Their lifetime of shared memories created a bond that is timeless.

Pete is survived by his loving wife, his children Andrea McKenna Bray (John) and Jonathan Peter McKenna (Leslie), his grandchildren John Willam Bray, Jr, Anna McKenna Bray, Colston Andrew McKenna and Elijah River McKenna, his brother John Joseph McKenna, and his niece Caitlin Maureen McKenna. He was preceded in death by his brother, Michael Joseph McKenna, his sister-in-law, Debra Alba McKenna, and his parents.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00am on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Roswell, GA to be followed by a gathering at the home of Andrea and John Bray, 323 Blanton Road, NW in Atlanta, GA.

In memory, donations may be made to The Parkinson’s Foundation: www.parkinson.org.