Individual Details

Death

Mr. John Timothy Kelly, of Durham, North Carolina, born on February 26, 1943 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to the late Mary Kelly and the late William Kelly, passed away at age 75 on May 13, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. He graduated from Fike High School in Wilson NC. John served as a Fire Control Technician in the Navy from 1961 to 1965 He was a manager at IBM from 1966 until he retired in 2002. John was the beloved husband of Frances Furr Kelly. He is survived by his daughter, Theresa Brightwell (Stephen Champion); sons, Jack (Amy) Kelly and Patrick (Robyn) Kelly; sister, Nancy Kelly (Doug) Anderson; and grandchildren, Kelly Buschman, Emily Buschman, Betsy Kelly, Katie Kelly, Ryker Kelly, and William Kelly. Donations in John's name to United Network for Organ Sharing are welcome and appreciated. Friends and family can pay their respects at the Service followed by a celebration of life on Thursday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m. at McMannen United Methodist Church, 4102 Neal Rd, Durham, North Carolina, 27705.
The Herald Sun, Durham, North Carolina, May 16, 2018

A descendant of William Kelly and Catherine Farrell, both born in Ireland, John was the third generation born in the USA. John lived in Massachusetts until 1959 when his father's job with HL Handy Co transferred him to Wilson, Wilson County, NC for a new facility, later named Swift Premium Meat Co. He joined the US Navy in 1961 after graduation from Fike High School. After service completion in 1966 he moved to Durham. With his electrical training as background, he joined the manufacturing line at the newly constructed IBM facility in Research Triangle Park, Durham. He married Kathleen R Rea (Charlotte, NC) in 1967 and they had three children: Theresa, John "'Jack", and Patrick. In 1976 he married Frances Furr. In 2002 he retired from IBM as manager of special card design. His new career was "Pop" to his four granddaughters. Two grandsons were added in 2011. He became a "cancer survivor" in 2012 upon receipt of a liver transplant, but succumbed to complications of the surgery for esophageal cancer in 2018.