Joseph Riley Kinney was born on December 16, 1950, in La Vergne, TN, a small town south of Nashville. Joe was adopted by Joseph and Catherine Kinney and grew up in Memphis, TN. Joe was a deeply spiritual individual and experienced many profound instances with God while attending parochial school as a practicing Catholic. In November of 1972, while attending Christian Brothers College, he met Diane Fink Drucker who introduced him to the Unification Church. Joe, as the first Unification Church member from Tennessee, had found his true calling. The movement first brought Joe to New York where he joined the International One World Crusade at Belvedere and East Garden Estates. Joe was able to foster a close relationship with Rev. Moon’s family during these early years. He then traveled throughout Asia selling machine tools for the Tongil Group, eventually learning to speak Korean. Joe finally returned to the United States in 1979.
On July 1, 1982, Joe and Kumiko Ito received the Blessing of marriage through a special ceremony officiated by Rev. Moon at Madison Square Garden in New York City. They welcomed their first child, Jacqueline Ito in 1984 followed by Jane Kumiko in 1986, Judith Aeri in 1992, and Joseph Jacob in 1994. Joseph also experienced the joy of grandparenthood through his two granddaughters, Charlotte Aiko and Marlene Ren.
Joe, who specialized in systems and refrigeration engineering, built his career while working with True World Foods and FarmLand Dairies. He eventually retired from the New Yorker Hotel after 21 years of service. At the New Yorker, Joe was able to catalogue and exhibit the significance of the establishment – an architecturally art-deco building in the heart of Manhattan. Visitors today can find an exhibit curated by Joe that features 1920’s memorabilia and the history of Nikola Tesla’s last days as a resident of the hotel.
In 2001, Joe was able to meet his birth mother, Marion Dunn, who was proud of her Cherokee heritage and had published a children’s book, Tenase Brave, a charming informational text on the culture and traditions of the Tennessee Cherokee Nation. Although his biological father had passed before they could meet, Joe was able to connect with several siblings and his extended family. Discovering his heritage and meeting his biological relatives was one of his most important and cherished experiences.
After his retirement in 2017, Joe and Kumiko travelled across the United States, towing an Airstream. After several years of travel, they settled in La Vergne, TN, Joe’s birthplace, to be closer to his relatives. It was around this time that Joe began intensive treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Joe was able to be fitted with a Deep Brain Stimulator which greatly helped his symptoms. Unfortunately, after the DBS placement, Joe was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Joe battled his diagnosis, undergoing three rounds of treatment before succumbing to the disease on December 8th, 2024. Joe passed away surrounded by the love and support of many old friends and family members at Alive Hospice Residences in Nashville, TN.
Visitation with the family will be at Woodfin Chapel, Smyrna on Sunday, December 15, 2024, from 2:00 PM until the time of memorial services beginning at 4:00 PM.
