Carolyn Anne Kelly

Born on November 16, 1952, in Milton, MA, to Harold and Joyce Kelley, Carolyn was the oldest of five children. She grew up in Milton and attended Boston College and Curry College. Shortly after graduating from Curry, she met the love of her life, Daniel Kelly, at a party following a Boston College football game. It was love at first sight for both, and they were inseparable from the beginning (even when Dan would have to commute every weekend from his first job in Scranton, PA, to visit her). They married in an epic celebration of love and laughter on June 25, 1976. They went on to have three children: Stephanie Leigh (1981), Daniel John (1983), and Michael Paul (1985).

Carolyn was the rock of her family. Upon her initial diagnosis of PD, she told her children, “Don’t cry for me; I have had a wonderful life.”

She was Dan’s everything, his best friend and biggest fan, as he was hers. She was also a devoted and loving mother. She possessed the unique gift of being available to each of her children in the different ways they needed her, connecting with them as individuals and providing them with a haven for love, guidance, comfort, and support. Carolyn always prioritized her family, near and far, and would drop everything to be there for a loved one when needed.

In 1988, Carolyn and Dan took a leap of faith and moved the family from Massachusetts to Poway, California, to follow Dan’s career. In Poway, Carolyn put down roots and was active in the community. She was treasurer of their neighborhood HOA, held leadership roles for the school PTA, and was team mom for several of her children’s sports teams. She and Dan also developed a network of friends through their neighborhood and country club, many of whom remained close to her until the end.

Throughout her life, Carolyn excelled at many things. She was a brilliant mind, earning her master’s degree in computer science in the early 1980s (as Dan likes to say, she was an “original STEM girl”). She was a math wiz, a card shark, a puzzle master, a bookworm, and a crossword ninja. She often outperformed the contestants on Jeopardy—but she never went on the show, joking that she would likely be one of the people who would struggle with the clicker.

Carolyn was also a talented seamstress, crafter, and quilter. She donated her quilts to Gold Star families and left her family with countless heirlooms that they will treasure in remembrance of her.

Carolyn was an accomplished traveler. She traveled much of the world with Dan. However, her favorite trips were often those back home to visit family and friends in Massachusetts or family vacations to Hawaii, where she and Dan had honeymooned.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her father, Harold Robert Kelley. She is survived by her husband, Daniel John; her children Stephanie (Joe), Daniel (Yu-Lin), and Michael (Celena); her mother, Joyce Carolyn; her four siblings (Gail, Harold, Robert, and Jane); and five loving grandchildren (Emmalyn, Joseph, Violet, Heath, and Stellan).

Services will be held at San Rafael Parish on January 24, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., with a reception at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo to follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to parkinsonsassociation.org in Carolyn’s name.