Katie Kennicott (right) with her granddaughter, Paige Kennicott Jacques, and husband, Red Kennicott, AAF, at SAF’s convention in September.
Kathleen “Katie” Kennicott, who became a beloved fixture in the floral industry over six decades as she worked alongside her husband, Harrison “Red” Kennicott, AAF, at the Chicago-based flower wholesaler Kennicott Brothers, died October 13. She was 86.
Katie graduated from Michigan State University and worked as a teacher for five years, until family duty called — both personally and professionally.
“When my sister, Laura, was born, my mother took the role of being a caregiver and homemaker,” recalls Katie’s son, Stephen Kennicott of Kennicott Kuts, a grower that specializes in peonies, perennials, and shrubs. That gave her the opportunity to get involved with Kennicott Brothers as a customer relations representative.
One of the relationships Katie cultivated was with Dawn Larimar, who was working at the Kirk Company, a Christmas tree supplier that had a floral division. Larimar described Katie as welcoming and inclusive.
“She knew not only all the officers of the companies, she knew the spouses, she knew the workers,” says Larimar. “She wasn’t just talking to the president. She wanted to talk to that person who made the bouquet. So she really made people feel important and welcome and remembered.”
Katie’s knack for making customers feel special was a huge benefit to the business.
“She was really good at meeting people, building those relationships, and cultivating them,” says Katie’s granddaughter, Paige Kennicott Jacques, who works with her father at Kennicott Kuts. “She really expanded a lot of their customer bases by visiting these retailers and getting to know them.”
That happened not just with customers, but throughout the industry with growers and wholesalers, Kennicott Jacques says. “She really became a force and very knowledgeable.”
An Advocate on Capitol Hill
Katie also made her presence known in Washington, D.C., when she lobbied on behalf of the industry during the Society of American Florists’ Congressional Action Days.
“Katie was an excellent representative of the industry,” says Marvin Miller, Ph.D., AAF, of Ball Horticulture, who spent years lobbying with Katie. “She could talk about most of the issues from a very personal perspective because they had the business and she knew the business.”
And even though lobbying is serious business, Katie never lost her trademark sense of humor while on the Hill.
“She was that kind of person who, when we were on the Hill, wanted to make it fun. She was just always in great spirits, and she would have a big smile on her face,” Miller says. “You get a lot of frustration, especially when you have somebody that’s on the opposite side of a bill. Katie would just take it with a grain of salt and say, ‘Well, you can’t win ’em all,’ and then we’d go on to the next one. It was always a more fun event when she was there.”
Sharing Fun, Sharing Inspiration
Katie was known for making other floral industry events just as fun, particularly thanks to the quirky companion she often brought with her — a puppet named Guido that also gained her notoriety in Chicago because he always made an appearance with her and Red at Cubs baseball games.
“Guido came to almost every convention, and that was Katie’s way of being there,” remembers Helene Meskers of Oregon Flowers in Aurora, Oregon. “She had a very dry sense of humor and was truly entertaining.”
And inspiring.
Kennicott Jacques, a member of SAF’s Next Gen group, says Katie was an inspiration for the up-and-coming generation.
“People talk so highly of her and about the way she was strong and assertive in everything she did,” Kennicott Jacques says. “She was very encouraging of all of us.”
It wasn’t just the younger generation moved by Katie’s encouragement and wisdom. She had a way of giving something valuable to everyone she encountered in the industry.
“She was a natural born teacher because every story she had, everything she had to say, made sense and was something you could always use or apply later on,” says Leo Roozen, AAF, of Washington Bulb Co. in Mount Vernon, Washington, and a past SAF president. “But I also think — and I don’t even know if she knew it — Katie was a natural leader, too. Somebody that makes you want to give of yourself and be involved.”
Read Katie’s obituary here.
Kenya McCullum is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
