Our beautiful son and brother Kyle Vincent Tenety went to heaven on Monday at 32 years old. Kyle was a gentle soul who left his many friends and family members far too soon. Kyle had a heart for the suffering and loved people from every walk of life; he collected friends and companions wherever he went. He had a sensitive spirit and empathy for people’s deepest struggles. His heart broke with others hurting and in pain, as ours breaks now. He was also prone to extravagant gifts and thoughtful gestures showing his profound love and affection for his family and friends. Kyle was proud to be Catholic, American, a New Yorker, and an uncle. Throughout his life, he participated in many Catholic groups and associations, including the Young Adults group at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He inherited the family ‘sports nut’ gene and cheered for many teams, especially the Knicks and the Yankees. He served his fellow citizens through his political activism and Catholic development work, most recently with the Little Sisters of the Assumption in New York City, as a congressional staffer with Rep. Andy Kim, and through his work on Max Rose and Mondaire Jones’ campaigns. Kyle was incredibly passionate about politics as a means to help suffering people and was a moderate in the best sense—he cared deeply about making progress through empathy, understanding and compromise. Kyle was an alumnus of St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip, New York, Trinity-Pawling Prep in Pawling, New York, and received his Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from The Catholic University of America.

Kyle was the treasured only son of Mary and Vincent Tenety, and an endlessly supportive brother to Liz Tenety (Galle), Meagan Tenety and his beloved brother-in-law Colin Galle. Kyle was a doting, generous and affectionate uncle to his niece and nephews, Henry, Grant (godfather), Mary, James and Charlie Galle, and lived to see them smile. Kyle was a loving boyfriend to Sienna Klaas Puleo. He saw longtime friend Cory Rugen as a brother. He was proud to be part of an extended network of aunts, uncles and cousins whom he adored from the Tenety, Powell, Wasilenko, McArdle and Keller families. He was cherished by his adoptive uncles and mentors, Harry Kraft, Gene Morenus, Randy Hinrichs and godfather Joe McSpedon. Kyle was predeceased by his Uncle Dave Wasilenko, and by his grandparents, Vincent and Joan Tenety, Ralph and Theresa Powell, and bonus grandparents Mary ‘Nonnie’ Accardo and John Accardo. We thank all the friends and family who have supported Kyle, and our family, as everyone worked to get him healthy over the past few years. So many have already shown up to walk with our family in our pain, and we feel the love from every direction. Please continue to pray for Kyle and our family. Our only consolation is envisioning Kyle at peace in the arms of his Nonnie and grandmothers and grandfathers, especially meeting his grandfather Vincent Tenety II, in heaven for the first time. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for the consideration of a donation to the Bipolar Clinic at Zucker Hillside Hospital, where he recently received world class, compassionate care. They truly do God’s work.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us. Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exist in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon us and see the snarl of knots that exists in our lives through the loss of Kyle. You know very well how desperate he was in his pain, and we are now, in our pain, and how we are bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, we entrust into your hands the ribbon of Kyle’s life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take Kyle into your arms today. Amen.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given In Memory of Kyle Tenety to Northwell Health’s Zucker Hillside Hospital and Partial Day Hospitalization Program. Your support allows Northwell to provide a full continuum of mental health care including inpatient and outpatient care as well their structured outpatient program, which provides a full range of services including groups, therapy, and family work for a wide range of mental health conditions. Anchored by Zucker Hillside Hospital - a nationally recognized behavioral health center - Northwell is a pioneer in clinical, teaching and research programs and embedding mental health services throughout our communities. Donations can be made online at https://support.northwell.edu/mentalhealth or mailed to: Northwell Health Foundation 2000 Marcus Avenue New Hyde Park, NY 11042