Obituary of imogene smith kennedy

Imogene S. Kennedy, 81, of Pensacola, FL passed away on April 6, 2021 in her sleep. Imogene was born in New Orleans, LA on January 25, 1940 to Prescott E. Smith (dentist/orthodontist) and Lydia R Smith (artist). She was the oldest of six children and niece of Howard K Smith, CBS anchor newscaster. Imogene was married to Henry H. Payne, Jr., MD having two children, David O. Payne and Lisa Payne Altamirano. She resided in Pensacola, FL for most of her life focusing on the preservation of the downtown historic Seville area thru festivals, art, and food. Using her social, artistic talents she colored our world with parties, art classes and international food. Once married she and Henry traveled to Tehran, Iran serving in the American military/CIA for Medical MAAG unit, this began her love of travel and different cultures. Imogene graduated from Louise S. McGhee’s in New Orleans in 1957 receiving the Key to the City as Social Chair and President of Alpha Omega Phi sorority. She graduated in 1962 from Newcomb College, Tulane University with a BFA in Fine Art (studio art, pottery, painting, drawing), and in 1982 from University of West Florida (UWF) with a BFA in Studio Art (painting, drawing, jewelry) and BS in Humanities with a study in Existentialism. She loved being a Kappa Kappa Gamma from Newcomb College. Imogene spent her life passionately devoted to her community as a member of the Pensacola Junior League, Pensacola Heritage Foundation, and Historic Pensacola Preservation Board, Chairman of Public Relations and Art for An Evening at Old Seville, Chairman of Cocktail-Seafood Buffet and From Rome to Rauschenberg for the Pensacola Museum of Art, Chairman of Food and Art for The Pensacola Seafood Festival and The Seville Market and Pensacola Christmas Market by The Neighbors of Seville. She helped secure the Seville area as a registered historic site and served as President of The Neighbors of Seville representing the residences of registered historic houses of Seville, developing historic plaques of historic houses to promote walking tours and planting 52 Seville Orange trees in honor of Pensacola’s Spanish heritage. She was Queen of Pierrettes, awarded the prestigious Cinco De Mayo award for art from the Five Flags Art Show, Chairman to the cookbooks: Two Dashes of Sevillity, and Peanut Butter Sticks to the Roof of Your Mouth, and Food editor of Second Thursday magazine. She was an avid sailor at the Pensacola Yacht Club, helping to renovate the club to what it is today. You can still find the roped column by the main bar. She was dedicated to young artists, teaching: children’s art classes for the Pensacola Museum of Art and in her own home for drawing, pottery, and painting. Her businesses included: Imogene – An Art Studio selling her functional whimsical pottery of all seasons and paintings. Painting large canvases was her love, including a ballet backdrop. She used her seasonal whimsical art within her co-owned catering company: Juliet and Imogene Catering Co. and served the downtown area with The Luncheon Hour with her second husband Peter M Kennedy. Her pottery has been sold in shops from Dallas to New Orleans to Destin and to locals, friends, classmates, Neiman Marcus and First Lady Barbara Bush. Imogene is survived by son, David Owens Payne (Pensacola, FL), his wife, Lisa Williams Payne and daughter, Shannon; daughter, Lisa Payne Altamirano (Birmingham, AL), her husband, Victor N Altamirano and their three children, Julia, Olivia, and Victor. Brothers and sisters, Prescott “Butch” Smith, Jr, Lydia Smith Johnson, Jack Smith, Patsy Smith and late Russell “Rusty” Smith. The Family invites Family and Friends to a Celebration of Life to be held on May 1, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Bayview Senior Center, 2000 East Lloyd Street, Pensacola FL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and UAB Department of Neurology, Parkinson’s Disease research.