John H. Kelly Jr.

Orange John H. Kelly Jr., age 79, died at home on June 7, 2008 in Orange. Memorial Services will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Orange, Saturday, June 14, at 2:00 p.m. Interment, with military honors, will follow at the church columbarium.

Visitation and reception will be held in the Church Fellowship Hall afterward.

A native of Columbus, Texas, he was born in 1929 to John and Adell Hough Kelly. He graduated from Port Neches High and North Texas State in Denton. He enlisted in the Air Force and served during the Korean War. After the war he was a Boy Scout executive until the early ‘70s and then became a Watkins Products dealer for many years. He was a long-time member, Sunday School teacher, elder, deacon and soup kitchen helper at First Presbyterian. He was also a 20-year member of the Lutcher Theater Service Guild, tutored children after school and taught in the Goals literacy program.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Adell Kelly and brother Jack Kelly.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Barbara Cope Kelly; sons and daughters-in-law Kevin and Rita (deceased recently) Kelly, of Mauriceville; Andrew and Priscilla Kelly of Palm Harbor, Fla., and grandson Chance Kelly of Mauriceville; sisters and brothers-in-law Zuetta and Curtis Pinkston of Port Neches; Mary Frances and Charles McManus of Dallas and Nancy and James Frederick of Nacogdoches. Also 10 nieces and nephews and many friends.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Pinehurst Nursing Home, Odyssey Hospice and Dr. Manuel Hababag. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church for Restoration Fund or soup kitchen.