LAMAMIMET

Kenny Jary was born in 1942 into a military family in Minnesota and joined the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1959. He served during the Cuban Missile Crisis and worked as a helicopter refueler before leaving active duty in 1963 and later spending three decades at a Ford plant in St. Paul.

In 2021 he partnered with his neighbor, teacher Amanda Kline, to create the TikTok persona "Patriotic Kenny." Their uplifting videos, often featuring Jary’s catchphrase to Kline, quickly went viral, earning him over three million TikTok followers and nearly a million Instagram fans. The duo used the platform to share personal stories, humor, and messages of resilience.

Jary and Kline founded the Patriotic Kenny Foundation, which provided free mobility scooters to disabled veterans. Their fundraising campaigns raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, drawing national media attention and helping dozens of veterans regain independence.

In March 2026 Jary announced a stage‑4 lung cancer diagnosis. A GoFundMe effort raised substantial support, which he redirected to his foundation before he passed away peacefully on May 18, 2026, at age 84.