Francis Donovan Kelly

Francis Donovan Kelly of South Orleans, MA, formerly of Greenfield, died peacefully on March 15, 2026. Born in Franklin, Indiana, to the late Thomas and Elizabeth (Dunnigan) Kelly in 1944, Fran grew up in Greenfield and returned to the same family house as a young father with his beloved wife, Susan (Lyons), who preceded him in death in 2017.

Fran’s surviving family includes daughter Kristen Kelly Licciardi and her husband, Gregory P. Licciardi, of Summit, NJ; daughter Kathryn Kelly and wife, Joy Ramsbotham of Hampton Falls, NH; sister Susan J. Kelly of Eastham, MA; and three grandsons: Gregory F., Leonardo, and Daniel Licciardi.

Fran was a graduate of Greenfield High School, American International College, Springfield College, and UMass Amherst. The joys of Western Mass and its natural beauty were deeply embedded in his bones. Some of his favorite childhood memories were the endless hockey games on Greenfield’s Highland Pond, right down the road from his Orchard Street house. He also told vivid tales of marching for miles in his woolen Boy Scout uniform while toting a BB gun and, later, proudly playing football for Greenfield High School. Back when Route 91 didn’t yet exist, he began his deep love of driving the winding back roads of Franklin County and beyond.

For over five decades, Fran devoted his career to helping people as a clinical psychologist. He worked in Western Mass with children and adolescents in hospitals, clinics, and schools; advising courts; mentoring young clinicians in university settings; and writing four books on the clinical assessment and treatment of children and adolescents. His final book, Little Squeaky’s Journey, was a gentle tale of a lost beaver embraced by his new community. Fran hoped the book would spark empathy and healing for children grappling with being outsiders in a new school. His passion for the children’s book sums up his commitment and advocacy for the vulnerable and marginalized up to his death.

In 2014, Fran moved with wife Susan to South Orleans, where he embraced his passions for sailing his catboat on Little Pleasant Bay, growing an extensive vegetable garden, and tending to his ’64 Porsche 356C. He joined a club for local Porsche enthusiasts who became trusted friends. Rumor has it that loyal members of the “Cape Cod Porsche Gruppe” ate copious hot dogs in Fran’s garage while rebuilding his car engine together.

After his wife’s death in 2017, Fran paused his retirement to return to part-time work. He found a sense of renewed fulfillment in seeing patients again, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also enjoyed giving back as a volunteer on committees for the Town of Orleans, where he first vacationed with his parents and sister as a boy in the 1950s.

Fran found immense pride in being a father and grandfather. We are grateful for the steady and wise guidance of our beloved Dad and “Pa,” as he was affectionately known to his grandsons — always ready to offer healing words of comfort, gentle advice, plenty of praise, and, of course, many, many warm hugs and hearty laughs.

Services will be held privately by the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cape Abilities (https://capeabilities.org/donate/), one of Fran’s favorite Cape Cod organizations.