Joanne “K” Patricia Kelton, 88, passed away Saturday at her home with her family by her side. She was born in Portland, March 17, 1931 a daughter of Ronald “Rollie” and Esther Burrill McPhee. She married Walter Stillman Kelton in 1954.
Known to all in the Cape Elizabeth community as “K” she loved children and made it her career of caring and watching children so that their parent or parents could work. She was especially close to the children of Larry and Mary Beth Benoit, caring for Elizabeth, Fran and Rob so both Larry and Mary Beth could work full time. The 3 children treated her as a relative and continued to visit “K”, whenever they came home, throughout her life. Joanne was a volunteer at the soup kitchen at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and had been active with women’s groups at St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church where she had been a long time communicant.
Her husband Walter died in 1982. She is survived by a daughter, Shirley Kelton of Cape Elizabeth, 2 sons, Bill Kelton and his wife Debbie of So. Freeport, Ron Kelton of So. Portland, 2 sisters, Maureen Taylor and her husband Pete of Plaistow, N.H., Cathy Parent and her husband Jim of Germantown, MD, 6 grandchildren, Sean Sears, Candace Kane, Tucker Kelton, Ronnie Kelton, Matthew Sears and Josh Kelton, 3 great-grandchildren, Emma Kane, Hadley Kelton and Johnny Kelton, nephew Jack Sears and his wife Jane and numerous other nieces, nephews and cousins.
Relatives and friends may call at the Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St. Portland, Wednesday 4-7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday at 10 am at St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church, Cape Elizabeth. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, So. Portland. Please visit www.jonesrichandbarnes for further information and to sign “K’s” online guestbook.
