Memorial Services for Gunnar Kennedy, Age 21 of Alton, Missouri will be held on Saturday, January 17th, 2026 at The Kennedy Family Home, 306 Carhart St.
Alton, MO. The Service will begin at 2 PM.
Gunnar Edward Kennedy was born on August 20, 2004, at Fort Campbell Army Post in Kentucky. In 2005, Gunnar moved with his family to U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy. In 2010, he relocated to Alton, Missouri, where he continued to grow up and later graduated Summa Cum Laude from Alton High School, Class of 2023.
After high school, Gunnar attended the University of Virginia School of Engineering, where he studied computer science and was a third-year student. Gunnar had a deep passion for learning, exploration, and cultural immersion, which he pursued through extensive study abroad experiences.
During his first year at UVA, Gunnar studied during the summer term in Stuttgart, Germany. In his second year, he completed a J-term (December–January) in Amman, Jordan, followed by a summer term in Dublin, Ireland. During his third year, Gunnar was studying for the full academic year through the University of Virginia and Saint Louis University Madrid Program in Madrid, Spain.
Gunnar tragically passed away on October 5, 2025, while hiking Mount Triglav in Slovenia.
During his time on earth, Gunnar embraced life fully and explored the world with an extraordinary adventurous spirit. He traveled across the Middle East, where he delighted in the local cuisine, floated in the Dead Sea, rode camels across the desert, and danced beneath moonlit stars.
Gunnar also cherished his many experiences throughout Europe and beyond. He enjoyed walking through and climbing active volcanoes in Iceland and Italy, climbing mountains in Switzerland, Slovenia, Portugal, Scotland, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Greece, France, Mexico, and Ireland, cliff jumping into the ocean in Croatia(even landing on sea urchins—ouch!), taking surfing lessons in the Hamptons, New York, and scuba diving along the coast and islands of Vietnam, as well as in lakes throughout Missouri and Arkansas.
One of Gunnar’s favorite things to do was going on spontaneous “side quest” trips with friends—to fields, lakes, rivers, or anywhere at all. Any place. Anywhere. Day or night. Gunnar was always ready for an adventure.
All of this he accomplished while maintaining Honor Roll standing at the University of Virginia, working a part-time job, and co-founding a business with his fraternity brother and fellow UVA student, Jake Beyer, called OpenDoorAI. The company helps bridge the gap between Gen Z job seekers and the real-world communication skills employers are seeking, and it continues to thrive.
Gunnar was also a devout Christian. He was baptized at Alton Freewill Baptist Church in 2018, one of the happiest days of his life. Gunnar lived his faith daily—always willing to help anyone in need. He loved his family dearly, and no matter where he was in the world, one of the first things he did was unpack his Bible and place it beside his bed or on a table in his dorm or lodging.
Gunnar was preceded in death by his grandfather, Donald Edward Dills.
He is survived by his mother, Sherry Nga Dills-Kennedy of Alton, Missouri; his father, Rick Rogers of Alton, Missouri; his younger brother, Logan Kennedy of Alton, Missouri; his older brother, Justin Thurman, and his wife Wenxing Thurman of Houston, Texas; his grandmother, Thu-Nga T. Dills (Boi Ngoi) of Springfield, Missouri; his uncle, Kie Dills, and his wife Tracy Dills of Alton, Missouri; and his cherished dog, Snowy. Gunnar is also lovingly remembered by his many friends around the world, the communities of Alton and Oregon County, the Super “8,” his fraternity Theta Delta Chi (TDX), and his many friends at the University of Virginia.
