Charlie Kelley

Charlie Kelley was born July 17, 2005, and spent most of their far-too short time on this Earth skipping merrily through life, spreading joy to all wherever they went. They were wise beyond their years, deeply caring and passionate. As a super-empath, the weight of the world became too much for Charlie to bear.

At age 15, Charlie tragically died by suicide on November 18, 2020. An impulsive act, initiated from a place of excruciating pain and emotional distress, took Charlie from all of us. We hope that by sharing Charlie’s story and our pain openly and honestly, we can help destigmatize mental illness and prevent other tragic loss of life to suicide.

Charlie was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and is survived by parents Sybil and Craig Kelley; older sister, Maura; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and Grandma Mary. In their last year and a half of life, Charlie had come out—proudly—as gender non-binary and used they/them pronouns, only just beginning their gender journey.

A memorial to honor Charlie’s light and life will be held on Saturday, August 14, 2021, at the Oregon Zoo. Please RSVP (https://forms.gle/kHhyGLYsnNv1fJtu5).