Kennedy Crow, a former flight attendant who became a filmmaker, has died aged 63 of multiple sclerosis. She was known for co-directing short films about creative people, often with her husband, Devlin Crow.
Career shift from aviation to art
Kennedy worked as a flight attendant with British Caledonian from age 20, a role seen as chic and classy. However, constant flying affected her health, leading her to quit in 1987. She then worked as a receptionist at 21st Century Publishing in London from 1988 to 1991 before changing direction.
Moving into a squatted Georgian house in Bermondsey, London, she helped save it from demolition and made it part of a housing co-operative. She took an interior design course and later earned a fine art degree at Middlesex University. Despite an MS diagnosis in 1992, she pursued her artistic instincts.
Film collaborations and notable works
After marrying Devlin in 2000, they co-directed films together. Their series Word Made Flesh included three films screened between 2010 and 2017, on Peter Blake, Christopher Lee, and Sir John Tavener. Three more, on Cornelia Parker, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Steve Bell, await release.
Other works include Little Whispers (2008), featuring Richard Briers, about miniature people bringing a benign presence; Man of Sorrows (2004); and Bird of Grief (2020), exploring compassion, sorrow, and loss. Kennedy also worked on Being (2017), highlighting MS adversities and the value of humour, while celebrating mod culture and Brighton.
Early life and personal background
Born in Liverpool to Stuart Cross, an auctioneer and accountant, and Patricia (nee Marquadt), a homemaker, Kennedy showed resilience at Highfield school, laughing with bullies and smoking with them. Her father inspired her interest in travel with tales from his merchant navy days, while her mother shared stories of hanging out with the Beatles at the Cavern club.
Kennedy initially worked in administration for Littlewoods in Liverpool from 1979 to 1984. She is survived by her husband Devlin and a son, Alexander, from her first marriage to Gary Jones, which ended in divorce in 1997.
