Nancy Kay Kelly, 82, of Davenport IA passed away surrounded by family on Tuesday, May 19th 2020. Private family services will be held on Friday May 22nd, 2020 at 10AM at The Runge Mortuary. She will be laid to rest next to her loving husband at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at www.RungeMortuary.com. Memorials may be made to the family to be used for the grandchildren’s education funds.
Nancy was born on April 5th, 1938 to Ray and Frieda (Scott) Gove in Grinnell, Iowa where she spent most of her upbringing. Growing up she was active in 4H and credited her upbringing on the farm with her strong work ethic. She moved “to the city” in 1956 to attend Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa. She was a good student and excelled at theater and in her home economics courses.
She was employed in the Walcott School District when she met Gerald “Jerry” Kelly at a wedding. “That’s when life got interesting,” she would say, noting that Jerry “knew how to have a good time!” Nancy and Jerry married in April of 1966, and had six wonderful children who never got into any trouble. They are all exceedingly good looking! (if she wanted the truth, she would have written this herself).
Jerry and Nancy owned and operated Kelly’s Circle Tap on West Locust Street until 1988. Nancy kept the kids and house safe while Jerry ran the Circle. She went back to teaching when her youngest child was potty-trained, somewhere around the age of 14.
Nancy taught and substituted at Holy Family School. She retired from teaching after working for a number of years at Pleasant Valley High School. In 2012 she was proud to accept the St. Patrick’s Society’s “Irish Mother of the Year” award.
Nancy was most proud of her children, Leo (Stacey), Dan (Elizabeth), Kathleen (Tom Felts), Bob (Kasey), David (Randi) and Jerry (Amanda). She exceeded at raising nice people.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children, 14 grandchildren (whom she could even name on occasion) Cassie, Jake, Paige, Cannon, Sully, Autumn, Trinity, Max, Sadie, Miles, Will, Henry, Kaden & Isla. She was looking forward to meeting her first great-grandchild later this summer.
Nancy was a nurturing and loving person who will be missed by everyone lucky enough to have met her. She lived the last few years at the Davenport Lutheran Home where she received excellent care and help from many, but had a special bond with her friend Amber.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband Jerry, her parents and her older sister Donna Rae Gunzenhauser. She was so happy to spend her final days on hospice in her son Leo’s house, where she could be close to her kids and grandkids.
