Patriotic Kenny’s heartbreaking final days are being remembered by the close friend who helped turn the beloved Navy veteran into one of the internet’s most uplifting stars.
Kenny Jary — known to millions online as “Patriotic Kenny” — died at 84 after a battle with stage 4 lung cancer, leaving behind devastated fans and loved ones who followed his emotional journey over the past several months.
The Minnesota influencer, who built a loyal following of more than 4 million fans across TikTok and Instagram, became famous for spreading positivity while cruising around town on his electric mobility scooter surrounded by American flags.
Now, his longtime friend Amanda Kline is opening up about the emotional final moments she shared with him before his death.
“The last few weeks and months with Kenny were just precious,” Kline told PEOPLE. “He was surrounded by people who loved him and cared about him, and he was able to pass in peace.”
Kline first met Kenny back in 2021 through mutual friends and quickly realized the cheerful veteran had something special that people naturally gravitated toward.
“Every time people saw Kenny, they just lit up,” she explained. “I knew we needed to spread his joy beyond our small town.”
That idea eventually changed Kenny’s life forever.
After helping him launch his TikTok account — despite him not even knowing what TikTok was at the time — Kline gave him the nickname “Patriotic Kenny” because of the countless American flags decorating his yard.
At first, the account struggled to gain attention. But everything changed after Kenny’s mobility scooter broke down.
Kline launched a fundraiser to replace it, and suddenly the internet fell in love with the elderly veteran’s positivity and patriotism. His videos exploded online, sending his follower count soaring past one million almost overnight.
The donations poured in so quickly that Kenny ended up raising far more money than he needed for a new scooter.
Instead of keeping the extra cash, Kenny decided to launch a foundation dedicated to helping fellow veterans purchase mobility scooters of their own in hopes of ending isolation and restoring independence for struggling vets.
Then came the devastating diagnosis.
Earlier this year, Kenny revealed he had stage 4 lung cancer.
“It was crushing,” Kline admitted. “I was the one who broke the news to him.”
But even after hearing the terrifying diagnosis, Kenny reportedly responded with the same optimism that made millions adore him.
“I could say it’s not fair that I got cancer,” Kenny told her. “But what I could also say is it’s not fair that I’ve had the kind of life I’ve had for the last five years and everybody hasn’t experienced that kind of life.”
Kline said that reaction perfectly captured who Kenny was.
“He took the most horrific news and turned it into something positive,” she said.
In his final weeks, Kline stayed by his side daily, helping care for him and honoring his wish to remain at home surrounded by friends and family until the very end.
She said Kenny passed away peacefully while listening to country legend Randy Travis — music he often called his “gospel.”
“He gave us a lot of reassurance he was OK with passing,” Kline shared. “We all had a peace about it, and I know Kenny did as well.”
Before he died, Kenny made Kline promise one thing — that his mission to help veterans would continue long after he was gone.
“That has been his legacy and will continue to be his legacy as long as I’m around,” she said. “That’s for sure.”