H. Wesley "Wes" Kenney, a producer/director of daytime television, as well as All In the Family, died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday in a Santa Monica hospital.
The 89-year-old Ohio native won seven Daytime Emmy awards for his production work on daytime shows like General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, Days of our Lives, and The Doctors. His 35-year career also included directing for series such as The Jeffersons, My Favorite Martian, Flo, and Big John, Little John.
"It's with great sadness, Wes Kenney just passed away," tweeted Y&R's Tracey Bergman (Lauren Fenmore). "He gave me my break on DAYS and then hired me on [Y&R]."
Wrote Jackie Zeman (Bobbie Spencer, GH): "God Bless Wes Kenney + RIP He was always very kind to me, personally + professionally when we worked together."
"Just heard the sad news that Days Producer/Director Wes Kenney went to his rest yesterday," Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams, DAYS) wrote on their shared @DaysHayes Twitter account. "Wes was SO important to DOOL and our lives! My relationship to Wes Kenney goes back to the mid-50s when he was in NYC directing a TV series called MY TRUE STORY. We did one together! Wes Kenney was an Emmy Award winner who directed hundreds of Days episodes in the 60s and 70s. He directed Doug's first appearance. Wes Kenney was not only talented, he was an energetic, creative, loving man. He was one of the 16 people at our wedding; to us he's an icon! Wes Kenney produced the first Doug/Julie wedding (in 1976); Al Rabin was the Director. Wes asked us to use our own wedding vows. Wes Kenney produced the wonderful DOOL Variety Show; Al Rabin directed, Ann Marcus was the Head Writer, Jack Bunch staged the numbers."
Kenney is survived by his wife, actress Heather North Kenney; sons Wesley and Kevin; daughters Nina and Kara; and seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
"I was an average guy, [who] with this great luck was able to be successful," he told the Archive of American Television in 2008. "I think that's as much as I can say. I love people. I love actors. I love doing the dramatic shows. So that's how I'd like to be remembered, working with terrific people, great talented people."
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