Obituary of Arthur F. Kinsley
Arthur Francis Kinsley, 93, passed away peacefully in his home on November 27th. Loving father to his son Patrick and his wife Marie, and his daughter Kathleen and her late husband Eddie. Doting grandpa to John Brian, Megan, Tom and Kerry. Arthur is now reunited with his great love Agnes, who he missed so dearly.
Arthur, or ‘Art’ to those who knew him, lived a full life. Born in the Bronx, Art was the youngest of three children. The year was 1930, and like many others during that time, the Kinsley family did not have much. They moved to College Point when Art was a youngster. This is where Art would lay the foundation for the beautiful life he would build, becoming part of St. Fidelis Parish, making life-long friends and meeting the love of his life, Agnes.
Art lived a life of service. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17, and went on to serve in Korea until being honorably discharged with a Purple Heart in 1954. He was a member of the NYPD from 1959-1963, before joining the ranks of New York City’s Bravest as a Firefighter in Engine 324 until his retirement in 1986. Despite all that he must have experienced, he never grew the hardened exterior that some might have expected. He was a gentleman in the truest sense, kind and soft spoken, with an incredible wit and sense of humor that drew people to him.
Art was a brilliant storyteller and his long life meant he had many to tell. He enjoyed his retirement to the fullest and got to see much of the world alongside his dear Agnes. He even tried his own hand at owning a pub, the Wander Inn, where he rubbed shoulders with the kind of notorious characters you might see in a Martin Scorsese film. Art soon decided he preferred to be on the other side of the bar.
Art was an incredibly creative and inventive man. He had an amazing knack for woodwork and would spend hours down in his workshop. The man could fix almost anything that was broken, and it almost always involved a coat hanger. His family is blessed to have many keepsakes and clever hacks to remember him by.
Art kept close to his Bronx roots as an avid (and in later years, frustrated) Yankees fan for many decades. He shared his love of baseball with his eldest grandchild, John Brian, who he loved having a ‘catch’ with down the driveway. This was a tradition they carried on well into Art’s 80s.
For over 30 years Art looked forward to his annual trip to Ireland, where he made many great friends over many great pints of Guinness. In recent years Art had slowed down a bit, but his wit and sense of humor were still sharp as ever. His love for crossword and sudoku puzzles as well as his amazing appetite for food remained too. His family will miss his presence so very much, but they have peace in reflecting on Art’s wonderful life, comforted by the knowledge that he is no longer yearning for his beloved Agnes.