Kenneth "Kenny Boy" Goree was the third child born to Willie Lee Goree and Gloria Dawn Whitmore Goree—the third of the original "bunch," as we sometimes think of it now. Six years later Phyllis came along, and seventeen years after Kenneth's birth, Chris arrived. With that spread of years, Kenneth jokingly claimed the title of "middle child," and he did it with the easy grin that made you know he enjoyed saying it.

Like his father, Kenneth was left-handed, something he seemed quietly proud of. Though he was a Goree by name, anyone who knew him well could see the simplicity and wholesomeness of the Williams and Lynums—families from his paternal grandmother Birda Mae Williams Goree's side—shining through in him. There was nothing complicated about Kenneth. He was steady, sincere, and comfortable in who he was. He was also shaped deeply by his grandparents, Willie Whitmore and Mable McClain Whitmore. Like each of us, he was convinced he was their favorite—and that says more about their love than it does about sibling rivalry.

Faith was simply part of life. Kenneth was baptized at Mount Harmony Baptist Church in Ruston by Reverend Genie Wills, likely in the summer of 1967 or 1968. The church records were later lost in a fire, but the memory remains. Summers meant Vacation Bible School at Mount Harmony and revivals not only there, but also at Springhill and Old Rocky Valley Baptist Churches. Those gatherings weren't just events on a calendar; they were part of growing up.

Kenneth attended Lincoln Elementary, I.A. Lewis, Glen View Junior Elementary, and later Ruston High School. Outside the classroom, his childhood was full of backyard football and basketball games, marbles in the dirt, and board games around the table. He and his siblings were blessed to grow up in a home where cross-country vacations, birthday and holiday parties, and even dining out—still something special in the 1970s—were part of life. And, of course, there were the portraits: the annual school photos and the dressed-up trips to JCPenney to capture another year gone by.

Kenneth was grounded—truly grounded—in the soil of Lincoln Parish. Even when he lived for a time in Atlanta and Dallas, he would be the first to tell you he was a country boy. Until he moved away, he was the yard man, planting and helping Mama keep her yard just right. Working in the yard seemed to suit him. It was simple, honest work, much like the way he lived.

Kenneth passed away on February 6, 2026, surrounded by his wife of 27 years. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Phyllis Goree.

He leaves to cherish his devoted wife, Patricia Goree; three loving sons, Kendrick Carter, Marcus Brandon, and Timothy Claiborne; one grandson, Maceo Brandon; one sister, Gayle Lewis (Terry); two brothers, Rodney Goree and Christopher Goree (Precious); and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.