Patriotic Kenny

Kenneth Jary (January 29, 1942 – May 16, 2026), better known as Patriotic Kenny, was a United States Navy veteran and social media personality. Jary became a viral sensation from videos that he made with his neighbor, Amanda Kline, who his well-known catchphrase, "Oh my goodness, Amanda!" is referring to.

Early life, family and education Kenneth Jary was raised in a military family in St. Paul, Minnesota near West Seventh Street. Both his father (Army) and Uncle Jim (Navy) served during World War II. Jary joined the Navy Reserve in 1959

Military service and career

Jary joined the Navy Reserve in 1959 Jary continued active duty and served as a helicopter refueler until 1963. outside a coffee shop in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. They became friends. Kline set up a TikTok account that featured Jary as "Patriotic Kenny". The premiere video showed Jary learning ASL to sign "Thank you" and "Hello" to his deaf friend Jerry.

A month later, Kline uploaded a video sharing the news that Jary's mobility scooter had broken and he did not have the money to fix it. A GoFundMe campaign raised $5,000 within the first day. Jary's video response on September 19, 2021, received over 12.5 million views. By 2022, the campaign had gifted 50 scooters to disabled veterans. In 2023, Kline authored the children's book Kenny's Bright Red Scooter with illustrations by Julie Bourne.

Illness and foundation In a March 2026 video, Jary announced himself that he was suffering from stage 4 lung cancer. Another GoFundMe campaign was launched by Kline to aid in raising funds for Jary toward medical treatment and "funeral costs", according to Jary. Due to an overwhelming response from online fans and followers, funds exceeded expectations, prompting Jary, with the assistance of Kline, to "pay it forward" to 200 scooters to veterans at no charge. According to Kline, GoFundMe donations totaled $3,000 in the "first five minutes"; and in 20 hours, "people gave $147,000." Coverage of the campaigns and foundation was featured on The Today Show, On the Road with Steve Hartman, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight and Good Morning America.

Personal life and death Jary married Carol Marsh in 1965. They had three children and divorced in 1988, but remained close until Marsh's death in 2018. Jary's life-partner, Barbara Sanz, died in 2017.