Horace S. Kenney, Jr. affectionately known as “Hod,” has been a generous, modest, and whole-hearted giver to Marion for many, many years. He first came to Marion at age 12 to attend Tabor’s summer sailing camp, a wonderful experience that prompted his mother to buy a house here. After the war, Hod summered here for a number of years with his young family.
In 1977 he and his devoted wife Mary bought their retirement home on Planting Island, and became permanent residents in 1988. Hod immediately joined Marion’s Conservation Commission where to this day, he is legendary for being the only person who made every site inspection except for when he was out of town. Within three years, Hod had become a Steward and Trustee of the Sippican Lands Trust, a member of the Open Space Planning/Land Bank Study Committee, and the President of the Planting Island Association. He subsequently became Treasurer for the Conservation Commission, as well as serving on the Commission’s Save Our Seas and Planting Island Causeway Sub-Committees.
A seminal event for Marion was the 1996 election of Hod as President of the Sippican Lands Trust (SLT). Under his leadership, the SLT hired part-time staff, more than doubled its membership, led the charge for a Marion Land Bank, greatly raised the SLT’s visibility through a variety of means (including the Open Space Clam Bake), moved from passive to proactive land acquisitions, invigorated the fundraising required by this new stance, and has overseen the permanent protection of over 280 additional acres in Marion.
His passion for Marion and his concern for its vital issues and its welfare, to say nothing of his broad smile and perpetual willingness to help, have made our town a far better place than it was before he arrived 68 years ago.
