| John J. Kelly III 1937 – 2009 |
 John J. Kelly III passed away on the morning of May 16, 2009. He has been a resident of Mammoth Lakes for 12 years after retiring from McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach where he was an Electrical Engineer in the Space Division for 40 years. John was born in Marion, Ohio in 1937 to parents Catherine and John Kelly, Jr. and was joined by two brothers, Lawrence Patrick Kelly and Philip Hogan Kelly. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Marion and went on to Purdue to earn his Electrical Engineering Degree in 1960. In 1963 he earned his Masters degree in Engineering from UCLA. John married Frances Jeanette Jackson Kelly in August of 1958 in Marion, Ohio at St. Mary’s Church. Lawrence Joseph Kelly came into their lives in December 1959. Mary Catherine Kelly was born in August 1962 and died October 1962 of a heart defect. Kathleen Marie Kelly was born February 1965. Surviving John are his wife, Fran, and their two children Larry Kelly and his wife Denise Marie Blankenship Kelly, and their two children Shannon Marie Kelly and Corey James Kelly; Kathleen Marie Kelly Conway and her husband John Francis Conway and their three children, Meaghan Kelly Conway, Kacie Marie Conway and John Mitchell Conway. John’s favorite project while working for McDonnell Douglas Space Systems in Huntington Beach was designing the guidance and control system for the Delta launch vehicle and the control system on the Space Station. Fulfilling John’s long dream to retire to Mammoth Lakes in 1997, he enjoyed riding the “pie in the sky” ride up to Rock Creek Resort but most of all the Triathlon Club at Snowcreek Athletic Club where he spent most days working out and training with the Triathlon group and the High Sierra Striders running group. John’s favorite activity was skiing with his children and grandchildren up at Mammoth Mountain and competing in the McCoy Classic fundraising races with his family. A celebration of John’s life was held Wednesday, May 27 at St. Joseph’s Church in Mammoth, followed by a reception at the Snowcreek Athletic Club. In lieu of flowers you are welcome to send donations to the Valentine children’s program: |