Kelly Lawrence Hall

      If anyone ever cared, really cared for someone else it would have to be Kelly Lawrence Hall. He was a warm hearted and well liked individual, and these wonderful traits came easily to him because he was such a sociable and amiable person, someone who was always making certain that those around him had whatever they needed. Kelly was a talkative person who was tactful at all times but typically said what he meant.

      Though Kelly was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with his family, he was also quite often the family member who took the role of referee. Kelly was a peace-maker with an ability to resolve all sorts of family conflicts. In fact, Kelly worked conscientiously to keep those typical family spats at bay. Kelly was raised with five siblings. He had one older sister, Mona, an older brother,Ken, a younger brother named Kurt and a younger sister named Monica. Kelly and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.

      As someone who reveled in the sheer joy of his experiences, Kelly was always enthusiastic about new adventures. Although he had an exacting nature, Kelly was always tactful. One thing Kelly will certainly be remembered for is that, when he got up in the mornings, he was ready and raring to go. As a young boy, Kelly had a number of interests and was an active child. Kelly took part in lots of baseball, basketball games with friends. In his spare time he liked to be outdoors and play with his brothers and sisters.

      For Kelly, the school routines were never a problem although he generally preferred variety to structure. He seemed to be able to start a project and work right through to its completion. And he was able to do it quickly and efficiently. Kelly was also adept at details. Kelly was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was Business Math and Gym. Kelly loved to participate in high school sports and was part of the basketball team that won the Hyack Championship in 1977-78.

      College can be a challenge, but Kelly appeared to be well equipped to succeed. He had a knack for staying focused and on track no matter what was going on around his. Kelly had the ability to work undisturbed through all of the constant interruptions that are a regular part of college life. Kelly enjoyed using the skills he'd already learned and applying them to new courses. He knew the facts and rarely made factual errors. His favorite courses were Business math and Accounting courses at Douglas College. Kelly was very good at understanding the finer details of accounting and was able to translate them well to others who did not understand. He was a patient and understanding teacher in this area.

      There was one thing that all of Kelly's friends knew and will still remember, and that is that he was a talker. He could pretty much talk to anybody about anything. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Kelly was such a popular person throughout his life. But Kelly was also dependable, loyal and trustworthy. Kelly was the kind of person who simply radiated good fellowship. While he maintained personal standards and his own personal values, Kelly was very accepting of others. With a distinct skill for working things out, Kelly was often the person who would organize events. In fact, Kelly was fairly comfortable playing the role of “host” for just about any occasion. When Kelly made friends, he made true and lasting friendships. While growing up, some of his best friends were Ron and Geoff Manning and all of the Manning kids. Later in life, he became friends with Rob Kelly, Mike Perento, all of the guys on the ball teams, One of his closest friends later in life was also his brother Kurt, whom he shared many family chuckles with.

      Kelly was a faithful and loving person. Some would even call his sentimental and a romantic at heart. His kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around his. Kelly cared for what others thought and carried that into his marriage. On October 9, 1999 Kelly married Kari Porter at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church of Langley, British Columbia. Compassionate and devoted, Kelly worked hard to make his new life partner happy.

      Harmony was important to Kelly and he made every effort to maintain it with his family. Kelly was blessed with three children, two daughters, Andrea and Sara and one son, Sam. Kelly was always conscious of the feelings others had. He was reasonable and understanding. As a result, Kelly was quick to solve disputes and did so without much fuss. His secret of success in this area was simple: Kelly would listen before he would act.

      Taking his work seriously came naturally to Kelly, and he expected the same from those around him. Kelly was a good team player, someone who was born to cooperate with others. He was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in his good communication skills. Kelly was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Kelly handled well. He could understand the details without getting lost in the broad “big picture.” His primary occupation was Business Manager. He was employed for over 20 years for The World Wide Church of God of Canada. He brought harmony to his work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for his colleagues.

      A methodical man, Kelly enjoyed spending time working on his various hobbies. He had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that he could have something to show for his efforts. His favorite pursuits were fishing, baseball, playing with his kids, and being with friends.

      Kelly was one of those people who took pride in constantly putting forth his best effort. Nowhere was that more visible than in sports. Kelly was always enthusiastic and a great team player. In high school, Kelly played basketball. In his college years, Kelly continued to stay active by playing basketball and skiing with friends. Recreational sports included baseball, golf, and fishing. Kelly also liked being a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite teams whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were all sports on tv, but especially hockey and baseball.

     His high moral standards and traditional values served Kelly well with his faith. Religion and faith were important to him. He was a member of the World Wide Church of God while he was growing up and then later join his family to attend the Catholic Church. During that time, he was very active in helping with any activities that involved youth. He was a basketball coach and tennis coach at a camp in Australia. He helped out at a kids camp in Montreal and coached Gr. 7 basketball at Cloverdale Catholic School. He was well respected because he was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner he could.

      A generous and compassionate man, Kelly accomplished much during his lifetime. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Kelly was recognized and given awards for his many and varied efforts throughout his life. One of Kelly's most prestigious accomplishments was participating and winning the gold medal in the Worlds Masters Tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, with the Rossini's baseball team in 2005,.

      Not only did Kelly enjoy traveling, but he also seemed to enjoy planning all of those trips and vacations. He was a facilitator who could easily make up a near perfect schedule of all of the things to do and see. He rarely tired of going back and revisiting his favorite places. Kelly enjoyed traveling with family and friends. He had traveled to Australia, Hawaii, Mexico for a honeymoon, many parts of Canada and also Korea with his wife.

      Kelly passed away on April 11, 2008 at Kelly died in Langley Memorial Hospital, Langley, British Columbia. All of Kelly's life he struggled with intestinal problems. In his 20's, he was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, but was determined that he would not let the disease get in his way of living. In 2006, Kelly returned to the doctors complaining of stomach pains and after surgery to remove the rest of the intestinal tract, cancer was discovered in the lower abdomen area. At this time it was not believed that any kind of cancer treatment was necessary, as the doctors believed all tumors had been removed. In 2008, the cancer resurfaced to produce several tumors that were blocking the digestive tract. Kelly was very positive about the chemotherapy treatments and worked hard at fighting the cancer disease. He did end up with a bad infection that he was unable to fight and which took his life. He is survived by his wife Kari, and three children, Andrea, Sara and Sam; his mother, Ellen; his brothers, Ken (and Kerri) and Kurt (and Carmen); and sisters, Mona (and Mike) and Monica (and Brad). Kelly has many nieces , nephews and friends who will keep him close to their hearts. Services were held at Precious Blood Church on April 15th at 11:00 am. Kelly was laid to rest in Langley, British Columbia.

      Kelly was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. And whenever he said something, he meant it. Kelly was a down to earth person, outgoing and gregarious. He was without question the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. He was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember him for most is the fact that he was so understanding and kind. Everyone whose life he touched will miss Kelly Lawrence Hall.