“My dad was sixty-five years old when I was born.  He couldn’t believe he was going to be a father again at this advanced age. They didn’t think my mom could get pregnant at forty-eight years old.  I was a happy surprise. I have an older sister; she’s a stage actress in New York.  Her name is Clancy Joan Kennard; she’s 41 years old and she hates me, because I became the apple of my dad’s eyes and she was jealous; and she never forgave me for being born.   I have an older brother, Hunter Westin Kennard, he’s 40 years old, and I adore him. He is also a lawyer like my dad.  He is a partner at my dad’s law firm.  He is almost like a second dad to me.  When I was a kid, Hunter would play all kinds of sports with me, and take me camping, and roller-skating.  All the things a man in his seventy’s couldn’t do, my brother became my dad’s substitute.”

Alice asked.  “Was it hard on you having older parents?”  Tina continues. “My dad was already seventy-eight when I was twelve years old.  He looked like my grandfather. He was proud of me.  But we never really went anywhere.  We just stayed home and read books and played board games and talked.  I had a succession of Nannies too.  That’s where I learned to speak Japanese.  Her name was Yokiko.  She was my nanny for four years.  Rosalie was Mexican.  She taught me Spanish.  Sometimes she would take me to her home.  I would play with her kids.  They treated me like one of their family.  I loved it.

Kit asks, “Tina, why weren’t you raised in California?”  Tina explains, “My dad didn’t want me to become a spoiled Hollywood brat.  So the family moved back to Michigan where my grandparents lived.  It was actually very nice.  We could go to the store and no one asked my mom for an autograph.  They knew her as Mrs. Janice Kennard, Ken’s wife.  We were just like any other family.”

My dad was the best. When I was little he would read a book to me every night.  I had a rocking chair in my room.  My dad would come in and say, “Come here my little monkey, climb on my lap and get comfortable, and then he would kiss the tip of my nose.”  I would snuggle up close and rest my head against his neck.  He smelled of cherry pipe tobacco and wintergreen mints. Dad use to love to give me advice; He would say, “Tee, always treat everyone with kindness and respect.  Everyone is equal.  I don’t care if he’s a movie star or the President or the janitor, show them all the same respect and courtesy!”