Jason Keith Kennedy

Jason Keith Kennedy

June 10, 1979 - June 3, 2024

There was nothing Jason Kennedy liked more than the physical challenge of extreme sports. From the mountain peaks he climbed, to the slopes he skied, to the trails he biked and hiked, he was most at peace when he was outdoors surrounded by the beauty of nature.

His family and many friends will gather June 21, 2025 to celebrate his life and share stories about Jason, a man of many talents who excelled at sports, devoured books on any topic, cooked an especially tasty green chile chicken enchilada and built a business as an arborist.

Jason Keith Kennedy died June 3, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his hometown, a week before his 45th birthday, leaving his family and friends stunned and saddened.

They remember him as a force larger than life. His circle of friends was as varied as his interests. Jason formed bonds with people he met rock climbing, river rafting, working as an arborist and advising customers about nutrition at the pharmacy he helped manage.

A year after his death, they still struggle to understand how such a powerful life force could be gone.

Jason was born on June 10, 1979 in Santa Fe to Jerome and Joanna Kennedy, the second of three children. He was young when his parents divorced and his mother did double duty as a parent, coaching his soccer team and encouraging him to explore the mountains surrounding the city.

Lloyd Foster became his stepfather several years later when his mother remarried.

Together with his older brother, Brian, and younger sister, Brenna, the blond-haired trio learned to love the natural beauty of Santa Fe. Jason and Brian often went rock climbing, skiing and extreme biking together. They explored the Los Alamos mountains, Atalaya mountains, Diablo Canyon and other places.

Jason attended Santa Fe High School and later traveled around the country with his rock-climbing gear at hand. He met Ellie Blair when he was barely out of his teens.

The couple married in 2004 and settled in Boulder, Colorado, adding a son, Liam, to their family. Jason turned to his love of nature to guide him toward a career as an arborist. He eventually built his own business, Mountain Tree Care.

The couple enjoyed rock climbing together. Among their favorite places to climb was Indian Creek in Utah. They loved to go hiking, skiing and camping.

Some of Jason’s happiest times were spent with Ellie and her parents, Bob and Sally Blair, experienced river raft guides. They embarked on memorable days-long rafting expeditions on the Rio Grande and the San Juan River with their parents and in-laws.

Marathons were easy for Jason and he encouraged his family to join in. At the Kendall Mountain run in the mountains of Silverton, Colorado, he half pulled his mother up a cliff as she struggled to climb in the thin, high-altitude air. No one cheered louder than Jason when she crossed the finish line.

He and his sister, Brenna, were always very close. No matter their age, no matter the distance or circumstance, Jason could always make Brenna laugh. The two ran a memorable half-marathon in Napa Valley, California and frequently skied at Telluride.

Jason and Ellie later moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. Their relationship ended and Jason moved back to Santa Fe in 2017, hoping that having his family nearby and the familiar setting would help improve his mental health.

He and his mother took long walks together, logging as many as six miles daily. They sampled sushi restaurants and visited just about every art gallery in Santa Fe.

Jason was hired at Pharmaca, an integrative pharmacy. He loved the job and his skills caught the attention of his bosses, who urged him to go back to school to study nutrition.

The store suddenly closed, ending those plans. Jason was still struggling when he died unexpectedly.

Following the June 21 Celebration of Life his remain will be scattered at Indian Creek in Utah, a location that filled him with joy and hope for the future, which is how his family wants Jason to be remembered.

Jason is survived by his mother, Joanna Foster and stepfather Lloyd Foster of Santa Fe; his brother Brian Kennedy and his sister-in-law, Allyn, and their sons, Henry and Oliver, all of Santa Fe; his sister Brenna Kennedy of Scottsdale, Arizona, his former wife, Ellie Blair and son, Liam, of Flagstaff and former in-laws, Bob and Sally Blair of Taos, New Mexico.

His father, Jerome Kennedy, died in 2016.

Rivera Family Funerals & Cremations in Santa Fe handled arrangements. Services will be determined on a later date.