James Campbell Stewart Kelt

James Campbell Stewart Kelt of Dallas, Texas passed away on December 17, 2025. He died peacefully in his home with his wife Florence by his side. James – or Jim, as many called him – was 88 years old.

Jim was born on December 5, 1937, at Sloane Hospital in Manhattan, New York. His mother Mary Wilson Montgomery emigrated from London and worked as a housekeeper; his father Walter Kelt came from Glasgow and was a doorman. Estranged from his father, Jim was raised by Mary and her sister Margaret in a small railroad apartment on 78th Street and York Avenue. The first in his family to attend university, Jim graduated from Bloomfield College (1959) with a BS in accounting. After graduating, he enlisted in the USMC(R), serving for six years and honorably discharged as a Corporal in 1965. During his reserves, Jim pursued a career in finance, working first for Pullman Kellogg and later for companies like Ford, Bacon and Davis, and Ericsson North America.

Anyone who knew Jim Kelt knew he was a diehard New Yorker, and in many ways, Jim was the quintessential Manhattanite of a certain time. Jim could be gruff, didn’t suffer fools, loathed dilly-dallying and insisted on the quickest route anywhere, would do the NY Times crossword puzzle daily in ink, and had an unmistakable NY accent (even after a stroke took away much of his speech). Friends and family often heard of the hot city days he spent swimming (illegally) in the East River; the many subway rides he took to the Bronx to see his cherished NY Yankees (often riding alone at 11 or 12 years old); and the public school he attended that also graduated James Cagney.

After marrying and having children, Jim left NY for a quieter life, warmer temperatures, and career opportunities. The family moved first to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, then to Houston, Texas, eventually settling permanently in Dallas, Texas, in 1982. He was an avid golfer (handicap 10), loved hunting with his son James, and played a mean game of Trivial Pursuit. After a debilitating stroke in 1992 left him with limited speech and mobility, Jim turned to drawing – using his left hand, though he was always a righty. One of his greatest pleasures post-stroke involved sitting in his comfy chair (his and his alone, à la Archie Bunker) to watch his beloved Bronx Bombers play ball with an ice-cold, extra-dry gin martini in his hand.

Throughout his life, Jim stayed connected to English relatives. His cousin Douglas Shorer was particularly dear to Jim, and their families visited each other many times over the course of their lives. Jim loved British dialects of every stripe, and meeting anyone with an English accent instantly brought tears to his eyes. At Christmas each year, he requested roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, parsnips, and minced-meat pie. Scotland held a particular spot in Jim's heart; his children remember bagpipe records playing while Jim marched around the house with a tennis racket in his hand. Jim insisted his children understood their British roots, the power of education, the value of hard work, and the importance of family. These are perhaps the most cherished lessons he taught.

Jim leaves behind his wife, Florence, as well as his daughter Deborah Kelt and her husband Charles Hancock, daughter Margaret Roller and her husband Bill, daughter Jennifer Pierson, husband Mark Latham and their family, son James Kelt and his wife Anne, and former son-in-law Paul Pierson. From a relationship prior to marriage, Jim leaves behind daughter Deborah Keegan and her husband Mike. Jim is also survived by grandchildren Maxime Kelt, Zoe Kelt, James Roller, Jennifer Roller, JohnMark Roller, Creighton Pierson, Lucy Pierson, Brian Keegan, Philip Keegan, and Isaac Kelt-Hancock. He is predeceased by his 10th grandson, Charles Desmond Kelt-Hancock.

Finally, Jim is predeceased by his half-sibling, Walter Kelt. Later in life, Jim reunited with his previously-unknown brother and family. This relationship brought much joy and a sense of closure to them both.

Service is planned for 3:00 PM, January 17th at Town North Presbyterian Church, 1776 N. Plano Rd, Richardson, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be sent to the Collier Center for Communication Disorders in Richardson, Texas, where Jim did important rehabilitation following his stroke.

https://calliercenter.utdallas.edu/evaluation-treatment/adult-speech-language-programs-and-services/