Affectionately referred to as “Short Stuff,” Kennedy Noelle Preval was born on April 29, 2001, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Erika and John Preval and big sister, Alana. She was a force of light who led her way toward many exciting discoveries, adventures, and life-long friendships. Kennedy’s love for Girl Scouts, volleyball, travel, culinary delights, and the arts provided many avenues for her to enjoy a vibrant life with her family and friends. A graduate of Chamblee Charter High School in May 2019, Kennedy also earned her Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards and completed all levels of Girl Scouting through Ambassadors. In 2010, Kennedy began her club volleyball career and was the Captain of the Chamblee Charter High School Bulldogs girls’ volleyball team, where she played the libero position and received numerous awards for her talents and leadership both on and off the court. She loved her teammates, her coaches, and ripping through her opponents. Kennedy lived her life with passion and enjoyed her favorite color, pink and favorite foods—strawberries, plums, crepes, and steak. She was an animal lover and vocal about the inhumane treatment of killer whales. She also enjoyed favorite movies like The Dark Knight Rises, all of the Marvel movies, Inception, Titanic, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead, The Way Way Back, and Coraline. Her favorite music artists, Drake, Beyoncé, Chloe x Halle, daBaby, Frank Ocean, Flo Mill, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde were often heard throughout the house. Recently, Kennedy began exploring new hobbies—photography and painting. As a young woman of the world, Kennedy enjoyed eating good food, traveling, writing, contemplating life’s most pressing issues, seeing friends, and driving with the windows down, bopping her head to good music. She was not a fan of seafood, inequality, and losing volleyball matches—particularly against McIntosh High School, where her team lost two years in a row, preventing a State championship. Kennedy worked hard and fulfilled her dream to follow in her mother and sister’s footsteps toward Spelman College, where she became a Spelman Woman and completed her first year, majoring in Psychology. Kennedy departed this earth suddenly on the morning of September 1, 2020, in Atlanta, and is survived by her parents, John Preval and Erika Ford Preval of Atlanta, GA; sister Alana Renee Preval of Atlanta, GA; paternal grandparents, Therese and Mercidieu Preval; maternal grandparents, Earnest Ford and Virginia Ford Barner; aunt, Victoria Ford; uncles Marc Preval (Falicia) and McDonald Preval (Gekeima).

In lieu of flowers, the family of Kennedy Preval invites you to honor her legacy with a contribution to Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. Please visit donate.girlscoutsatl.org, select “Make a one-time annual fund donation” and then check the box for “tribute gift” to make a gift in her memory. Thank you.

Memorial services will be hosted at Atlanta Botanical Garden on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at 4pm. This is a private event.

This service will be live streamed. Link provided below.

Services entrusted to Willie A. Watkins Historic West End Chapel, 404-758-1731.