Loretta June Kelley

Loretta graduated from St. Teresa College (Avila University Kansas City, Missouri) with a major in Business and a minor in Education and Philosophy. Upon graduation, she taught business courses at St. Teresa’s Academy and Loretta Academy.

Loretta joined IBM in Kansas City in 1963 and retired from IBM in Austin in 1992. During her career in IBM, Loretta served in many positions in product and business management.

While in Austin, Loretta became involved with a great passion of hers: basenji dogs. She became nationally recognized for breeding and showing them. Her last basenji, Champion Bandit (Itty) predeceased her by two months. On a regular basis she enjoyed meeting the “Golf Ladies.” She had never played golf but she was readily accepted in the group. Loretta also had an interest in opera and would make trips to Houston for an opera week-end.

Loretta was initially a member of St. Louis and later St. Theresa Roman Catholic Church where she ministered to members unable to get to church. More recently, she sang in the St. Theresa Occasional Choir.

Loretta is preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Agnes Kelley and her brother, William. She is survived by an aunt, Louise Kelly of Leavenworth, Kansas.

She was a caring family member and friend who welcomed her family into her “Bed and Breakfast’ whenever in Austin. Thanks goes to Dr. Frierson-Stroud for her companionship and professional help during the last months of her life. Other thanks go to the 7th floor staff at Seton Hospital and to Hospice Austin. Special thanks to the Monroy and Ortuno families who had been close to both her and her brother, William, since their arrival in Austin. They supported her in a variety of ways and sat with her constantly during the last few days.

There will be a Funeral Mass celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 21, at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, 4311 Small Drive, Austin, Texas 78731. Interment will follow at a later date in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Theresa’s Academy, 5600 Main St. Kansas City, MO, 64113.