Mary Beth Kelley

Mary Beth (Long) Kelley, 85, who resided in Spring, Texas, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, November 18, 2018, after a long battle with Alzheimers. Mary Beth was born on March 12, 1933 in Vinton, Louisiana to parents William and Beatrice Long. She grew up on a rice farm in Nome, Texas and graduated from Sour Lake High School in 1950. She then enrolled at Lamar University and later at North Texas State College where she met Patrick Kelley, who became her husband on September 6, 1953. Mary Beth was a charter member of the Chi Omega sorority at North Texas State. Lacking 9 hours to graduate, she left North Texas State to follow her husband to Quantico, Virginia where he entered the Marine Corps officer candidate school.

Mary Beth devoted her life to serving her family as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Also, an important part of her life was serving as guardian for her younger brother Gregg. As a wife, a marriage of over 65 years speaks for itself. For her children and grandchildren, she was a classic “soccer mom.” It was a rare occasion when she wasn’t attending some event a child or grandchild was participating in. Her “nest” was never empty—she was a prominent part of every life in her family. A common comment in Mother’s Day and birthday cards she received was “Thank you for being there for me.” Outside the family, she was a long time member of Cypress Creek Christian Church and enjoyed serving in several capacities. She also enjoyed serving for many years as a volunteer at the Northwest Medical Center, participating in the Houston Northwest Symphony League, bowling in a Wednesday morning league, playing bridge games with church and neighborhood friends, and meetings with the Ponderosa Garden Club.

Mary Beth is survived by her loving husband, Patrick Kelley, children, Linda Castilla, Stephen (Stacey) Kelley, Sharon (Randy) Brown , Darren Kelley, grandchildren, Cara (Steve)Rosier, Lauren Valinoti, Corban (Erica) Bates, Patrick (Kitty) Kelley, Kelley (Turner) Dawson, Natalie Bates, great grandchildren, Dawson Bates, Everett Bates, brothers Jay (Linda) Long, Gregg Long, nephew Jay Long Jr.. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Taylor Bates.

Special thanks to Grace Hospice staff for their loving support.

Funeral Arrangements held at American Heritage Funeral Home 10710 Veterans Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77038 with a reception following the committal service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Summerhouse (www.summerhousehouston.org) in honor of Mary Beth’s love and support for her granddaughter, Natalie, who has autism. The Summerhouse exists to create personal growth opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities who need a place to belong.