John "Jack" Robert Kelly

John “Jack” Robert Kelly passed away on February 10, 2025, following a brief illness, with family by his side. Jack was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1930. He was adopted by his beloved parents, Harold B. and Ruth Graham Kelly, who preceded him in death.

Jack graduated from Monmouth College in 1951 with a BA in Philosophy. He then received an M.A. in Theology from Yale University in 1954. Jack married his beloved wife of 69 years, Ruth Maurer Kelly in Rockville Center, NY, in 1955. They moved to Broadus, MT, in 1956 where he served as a Congregational minister. Jack actually served in two parishes by flying his Cessna airplane back and forth between services. Both of his daughters, Susan Elizabeth Kelly and Janice Ruth Kelly, were born while they resided in Montana. Jack also served as minister in parishes in Burbank, CA, and in Forest Grove, OR. Jack then decided on a career change and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from the University of Oregon. After brief stints at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and at George Mason University in Virginia, Jack moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a professor in Leisure Studies and the Institute for Human Development where he remained until his retirement in 1995.

During his academic career, Jack was at the forefront of establishing the field of Leisure Studies. He wrote the first textbook in the field entitled “Leisure,” which underwent four editions. He was the author or editor of 12 books in total on topics such as recreation, economics, and aging. Jack also published over 100 research articles, encyclopedia articles, and technical reports, and lectured and taught worldwide. He had consulting contracts with American and Japanese corporations, as well as with the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Illinois. Among honors he received were the Roosevelt Research Award, the National Literary Award, and the Distinguished Colleague Award from the National Recreation and Park Association. In addition, he was the founding Chair of the Research Commission of World Leisure.

Jack and Ruth spent many summers on Beaver Island, MI, where Jack engaged in his passions of flying, playing tennis, and singing in Baroque on Beaver. Shortly after retirement, Jack and Ruth spent winters in their home on Jekyll Island, GA, where Jack continued to play tennis, participated in choral singing, and attended the Jacksonville Symphony. On both Beaver Island and Jekyll Island, Jack enjoyed reading broadly in the areas of economics, politics, and history, as well as walking his beloved dog companion Danny.

Jack is survived by his wife, Ruth, his daughters Susan Kelly (Stephen Whitefield) and Janice Kelly (Clint Chapple), and by his beloved grandsons, Steven Stenzler (Alayde Contreras) and Evan Chapple, and his two great-grandchildren, Ayla and Ian Stenzler.

His family would like to thank the staff at the Hospice of the Golden Isles for their kindness and excellent care during his stay there. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to Doctors Without Borders in Jack's name. A celebration of his life will be held at a future date.

Arrangements entrusted to Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home. www.edomillerandsons.com