Kenny Joseph DeForest, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, died on December 13, 2023, five days after sustaining brain injuries from an electric bicycle accident near his home. An affable, magnetic stand-up comic and treasured friend to all who knew him, he was surrounded by friends and family at Kings County Hospital at the time of his passing.

Kenny was born in Springfield, Missouri on April 23, 1986 to Roger and Pamela DeForest, co-owners of Race Brothers Farm & Home Supply. His early passion for basketball led to eight years on the highly ranked Springfield Rockets AAU youth team. His Kickapoo High School team won a state championship and is now enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. After graduation in 2004, Kenny played NCAA Division II basketball at Drury University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Finance in 2008.

As he began to cultivate a passion for comedy, Kenny performed locally in Springfield diners and bars and in 2009, he moved to Chicago to pursue a career as a stand-up comic. Performing at the Laugh Factory and various open mic nights around town, Kenny refined his craft. Along with friends and fellow comics Will Miles and Clark Jones, he moved to Brooklyn in 2013. Together, they became producers and co-hosts of "Comedy at the Knitting Factory," considered one of the best independently run comedy shows in the country. Kenny's first stand-up album "B.A.D. Dreams" debuted at #1 on iTunes in 2017. He released his second special "Don't You Know Who I Am?" in August 2023.

Kenny was known for appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC), The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS), Crashing (HBO), and Friends of the People (TruTV). His work was featured in the Village Voice, Brooklyn Magazine, the New Yorker, and he was named one of Comedy Central's "Comics to Watch." Every Thanksgiving, Kenny loved returning to Springfield for his annual show at the Blue Room Comedy Club, where he was credited with kickstarting the local comedy scene.

Kenny was a profound gift to his friends and family. It was an honor to love and be loved by him. Kenny will be remembered for his broad smile and his warm, infectious personality. He made sure no one felt like a stranger. Kenny valued authenticity and was refreshingly genuine. In his comedy, he could be vulnerable and open about personal struggles while also tackling divisive issues in disarming and persuasive ways—bridging divides in ways few others could. He genuinely supported and loved his fellow comics, and he was loved and supported by them in turn, even during his final days in the hospital.

In life, Kenny was compassionate and generous. And as a registered organ donor, he ultimately donated his heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and pancreas, saving the lives of five people between the ages of 30 and 75.

Kenny was preceded in death by his grandparents Max and Fern DeForest and Joseph and Patricia Kenny, his aunt Patricia Kenny, uncles Thomas Kenny and Robert Kenny, and cousins Wilson Kenny and Brent Caudill. He is survived by his parents, Roger and Pamela DeForest, aunts and uncles Kathleen (Mike) Caudill, Craig (Lori) DeForest, and Susan (Thom) Olmstead, and cousins Joey (Rebecca) Kenny, Ryan (Julie) Olmstead, Jessica (Eric) Stone, Katie (Tim) Hoiland, Brian DeForest, Tara Caudill.

A visitation will be held Wednesday, April 24, 2024 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. and the Celebration of Life service will be Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., both at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield, Missouri.

The family also warmly invites you to a weeklong comedy tribute at the Blue Room Comedy Club from April 23–28. The DeForeFEST comedy festival will honor the great comedian, great man, and great Missourian, Kenny DeForest. There will be plenty of love and basketball, giving all in attendance a chance to #belikekenny. Tickets can be purchased at deforefest.com .

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kenny's honor can be made to Comedy Gives Back .