Content Advisory: This article discusses cancer and death. Reader discretion is advised.
Patriotic Kenny, the beloved Navy veteran who became a social media favorite for his uplifting videos, has died at 84 following a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis.
His death was announced in a statement shared on Instagram. The message struck the same tender tone that made Kenny Jary, known online as Patriotic Kenny, so loved by fans.
“The tears may never stop flowing,” the statement read. “It is with the most indescribable sadness we share that Patriotic Kenny has passed. He experienced the most profound love and was Earth’s bright light.”
The statement continued, “He passed surrounded by love and he was in peace. Any memorial contributions should go to his amazing nonprofit, the @patriotickennyfoundation which will live on in his memory. We will share more as time goes on. #patriotickenny”
Patriotic Kenny Shared His Cancer Diagnosis With Fans
Kenny built a major online following through the inspirational videos he filmed with his neighbor, Amanda Kline. His warmth, humor, and veteran pride helped him reach more than 3 million TikTok followers and nearly 1 million Instagram followers.
In March, Kenny told fans that doctors had diagnosed him with stage 4 lung cancer after an unexpected hospital trip.
“I’m home from the hospital and I feel a lot better — not bad at all,” he said at the time. “But also, I would like to tell you that I’ve got stage 4 lung cancer. So that’s the way it goes. I mean, we can’t live forever. But I love you all, fans.”
After the diagnosis, Kenny launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his medical care. The fundraiser had raised more than $330,000 as of publication.
Kenny seemed stunned by the support.
“I don’t know what to say,” he said. “That is just unbelievable, and I mean it. You know, if I can make some more kids and people happy and veterans — you know, mainly veterans — I’d be so much happier. … Thank you.”
Amanda Kline Urges Fans To Remember His Joy
Following Kenny’s death, Kline shared a message for fans who were grieving the loss of the man they had come to know through their screens.
“I know your heart is breaking over the news of Kenny’s passing,” she wrote on Instagram. “I carry the weight of your grief on top of my own. I am so sorry for your loss.” Kline said Kenny’s videos had helped many people during painful moments in their lives. “Kenny’s videos comforted so many of you in really, really dark times of your lives,” she wrote. “You’ve been vulnerable and have opened up to us about those moments.”
Then she gave fans a piece of Kenny’s own spirit. “Go back and watch a few videos. They will never be taken down. Then, take a breath. Kenny would say, ‘We can’t be little babies! We gotta settle down now and struggle on.’”
His Foundation Will Carry His Work Forward
Kline also helped Kenny create the Patriotic Kenny Foundation, which provides mobility scooters for military veterans.
She said Kenny made his final wishes clear before his death. He wanted that work to continue. “Two weeks before Kenny passed, he told our board [of] his strong desire and wish for his legacy to continue ending isolation in veterans through mobility scooters,” Kline wrote.
“One of the last things I told him before he passed is that I’ll do everything I can to honor his wish. I meant it.”
