Carol Kelly

Carol Vincent Kelly, died early Wednesday morning, November 23, 2005, of heart failure at the Veteran's Hospital in Chillicothe, Ohio. Mr. Kelly was 86 years young when he passed away and there was nothing wrong with his heart-only medically speaking. He has resided in Chillicothe the last three years of his life. Mr. Kelly was born in the kitchen of Worcester General Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts, at midnight on Christmas Eve in 1918. He was born in the kitchen because there were no hospital beds available due to the ongoing flu pandemic that year. He was the second son born to Maude F. Mayhew Kelly, originally of Portland, Oregon and Joseph David Kelly, originally of Boston, Mass. He was named 'Carol' because there were Christmas carolers singing outside the kitchen windows when he came into this world. Carol, or just 'Kelly' to his friends and family, grew up with his only brother, Phillip Kelly, four years Carol's senior, in their home in Quincy, Mass. Carol was raised predominately by his paternal grandmother, Annie Hennessey Kelly and his father's sister, Jenny Kelly Brandt due to the fact that his mother died one week after his birth from flu-related complications and his father was in the Navy and away at sea for six months at a time. At 11 years of age, Carol's father retired from the Navy and married Mildred Spencer Kelly. The family then moved to Rockville Center in New York where Carol attended school in Long Island, NY. In 1934, the family moved to Mansfield, OH, where Carol attended high school at Mansfield Senior High School. While in high school, he excelled in track and field events and met Marjorie Verie Underwood. After high school, Carol returned to New York where he attended New York University in New York City and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Finance. 'Kelly' then returned to Mansfield and married Marjorie Verie Underwood on October 2, 1942, and enlisted in the U.S. Army where he became a First Lieutenant in the 350th Army Corp of Engineers and was stationed in Espirito Sancto in the New Hebrides Islands in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. 'Kelly's' platoon was responsible for building landing strips and roads throughout the Pacific. After his service in the military, 'Kelly' returned to Mansfield and worked for Western & Southern Life Insurance Agency as a salesman and at Westinghouse as a guard for many years until he became ill and was transferred to the Chillicothe/Portsmouth, Ohio area where he lived for over 40 years. 'Kelly' was also an avid sports fan and as a young man was groomed for a professional baseball career until an eye injury interfered. Everyone who knew 'Kelly' loved him-he was quick to smile, slow to anger, had a wonderful Irish charm and wit to go with his Boston brogue and he never said a harsh word against anyone. He was known as 'Grandpa' to many, many people throughout the Chillicothe/Portsmouth area.

Mr. Kelly is survived by his ex-wife, Marjorie Underwood Kelly Palm, 87, of Grove City; his only daughter, Peggy Anne Gordon, 45, of Grove City; one grandson, Cameron Kelly Gordon, 16, of Columbus; a sister-in-law, Marge Beidelschies Kelly of Mansfield; one niece and one nephew, Patricia Kelly Schmidt of Mansfield and James D. Kelly of Loveland, CO; and two cousins in the Boston, Mass. Area, Virginia Brandt Rogers and Robert Brandt.

Funeral services for Mr. Kelly will be held on Wednesday, November 30, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. at the Diamond Street Home of Wappner Funeral Directors. The Catholic service will be given by Father Patterson of Portsmouth, a long-time friend of Mr. Kelly's. Friends may call one hour prior to the service. Military graveside services will follow in Mansfield Catholic Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital or Catholic Charities.