Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL, one of the Yorkshire region’s most dynamic and respected businesswomen and the champion of Wentworth Woodhouse, has died suddenly at the age of 67.
A mother of three, grandmother of eight, wife to Iain and step-mother to his three children, she died after a short illness on Friday, February 21, at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Her success as a self-made entrepreneur, and the numerous accolades and honorary roles bestowed on her, made her an inspirational figure across every sector she touched.
Sheffield-born, she leaves a lasting legacy in South Yorkshire but particularly so in Rotherham, the town she always said had forged her. Her adopted town was enriched by her determination to make it a better place to live and work.
It was where in 1986 she founded her company Pyronix, manufacturer of electronic security equipment, which she grew into a multi-award-winning global business.
She was a government-appointed commissioner to Rotherham Borough Council from 2015-18 after the town was rocked by a child sexual exploitation scandal, and was made a Freewoman of Rotherham in 2020.
But her greatest mark on Rotherham was her work to rescue Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham’s Grade I Listed masterpiece, from decay and decline, which she described as ‘one of the most inspiring, yet hardest, challenges of my life.”
She said: “When I first saw the house I could not believe we had something so beautiful. I believed it was a beacon, one we could make a destination for people from around the world, and how proud that would make Rotherham feel.
“Many people told me it was impossible. But my view is that nothing is impossible with time, energy and belief.”
She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2019 in recognition of her five-year campaign with SAVE Britain’s Heritage to buy the house in 2017 and her ongoing leadership of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust.
Tim Cooke, Deputy Chairman of the Trust, said: “Dame Julie Kenny and Wentworth Woodhouse became synonymous with one another. Her personal impact on the house has been enormous.
“Julie chaired the board of trustees and committed her time and numerous talents on a daily basis. It would be nowhere near its current status without her.
“Everyone involved – employees, volunteers, trustees and patrons – will feel her loss very keenly. Our best way of remembering Julie is to continue our work on the house that she loved so much, and which is a monument to her remarkable personality and capabilities.”
Dame Julie often said that surviving a difficult childhood gave her the motivation to succeed.
She grew up in an impoverished, chaotic household in Hillsborough and Stannington, Sheffield. By the age of 10 she was caring for her baby brother and responsible for cooking and cleaning, but always prioritising homework and school.
She left at 18 to become a legal secretary in Cornwall. She was swiftly offered legal training and went on to a successful career as a litigation lawyer.
She launched Pyronix with her first husband, but their marriage ended and Dame Julie continued to lead the growing business as a single mother of three, supported by two nannies working around the clock.
She flew to all corners of the globe, winning trade in 65 countries. When she sold Pyronix in 2016, a move she saw as crucial to growth and job security, turnover was £25 million.
Rotherham MP and Defence Secretary John Healey MP, who had known and worked closely with Dame Julie for nearly 30 years, paid tribute. “Julie was a truly remarkable woman who was proud of her roots and wanted to make life better for others,” he said.
“I first met her when I visited her Pyronix factory. She knew all her staff and they adored her.
“Over three decades, Julie took on a list of public life roles as long as your arm – at local, regional and national levels. She took on challenges others would shy away from, with a commitment that was always total.
“She became President of the Rotherham Chamber of Commerce to rescue it from the brink of bankruptcy and rebuild it into one of the country’s leading chambers.
“She became Trust director of Doncaster Children’s Services when the Government took it out of the council’s hands and in 2010 became Chair of Yorkshire Forward to wind it up after a change in government.
“She brought brilliant business insight, plain common sense and a warm personal touch to every organisation, and she inspired those she worked with to achieve more.
“Julie’s sudden untimely death leaves a massive gap in the lives of so many of us who knew her and public life is now so much poorer without her.”
A private family funeral will be held for Dame Julie, but to enable people to share their memories of her, Dame Julie’s children Oliver, Laurence and Charlotte, husband Iain Hall and his children will be opening an online book of condolence and organising a public service to celebrate her life and achievements.
