MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Former two-term Monongalia County Commissioner Asel Kennedy passed away Friday.
Kennedy served from January 2001 to December 2012 as a Commissioner.
Former Monongalia County Commissioner Eldon Callen, now a VP with the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement on Kennedy’s passing:
“I knew Asel since I was in high school, knew him when he became the extension agent, and of course had the privilege of serving with him on the County Commission. I had a long life association with Asel. I found him to be an honorable and straightforward person. I enjoyed knowing him, and I’m sorry to hear of his passing.”
County Administrator Renatta McClure worked with Kennedy as well, recalling him fondly.
“He was wonderful to work with,” McClure said. “He loved to get information. He used to carry around a little black blook. He could tell you at any one time what business was paying the most taxes in Monongalia County. You can go to him for a phone number, and he’d have it in his little black book. When he was retiring, we teased him about who he was going to pass his little black book down to, and he said he was going to keep it.”
County Commission President Tom Bloom called Kennedy’s passing a loss for Monongalia County.
Prior to his service on the county commission, Kennedy served as the Monongalia County extension agent for more than three decades. He built a reputation for accessibility and dependability with answers to lawn care, gardening, and farming questions. His work included a daily farm radio show on MetroNews affiliate WAJR-AM and a column in the Dominion Post.
During those years he was involved in dozens of boards and service organizations in Morgantown and surrounding areas.