Mr. Patrick Joseph Kelly's Obituary
Patrick Joseph Kelly, age 89 passed away peacefully at his home in Houston, Texas on Wednesday the 22nd, 2019 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on August 7th, 1929 in New York City, New York to Violet (Kennedy) and Patrick Kelly.
Pat, as his family and friends called him, was preceded in death by his first wife of 37 years, Adele Frances (Cowan) Kelly, siblings, Anna, Mary, Bernie, Violet and step-son Michael Bernard. On April 22nd, 1996, Pat married Joan Margaret (Soileau) Bernard. Pat is survived by his wife, Joan, son Patrick Kelly and wife Kathy, daughter Kathleen Dixon and husband Steve, son Michael Kelly and wife Tania, step-daughter Yvonne (Bernard) McHone and husband Jack, step-daughter Sandra (Bernard) Raymond and Tommy, and step-son James (Kenny) Bernard and wife Anna.
Pat has numerous grandchildren, Ryan Dixon, Megan Dixon, Devin Kelly, Owen Kelly, Gibran Santiago, Bridget Caletka, Ben Raymond, Michael McHone, Katie McHone, Michelle Bernard, Marie Sanchez, James Kenneth Bernard Jr, and great grandchildren, Savanna, Jaxon, Chad, Brianna, Andrew Jackson, Abigail and Efren Jr. In addition, Pat has numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws spread throughout the United States from New York to California and all points in between and also across the pond in Ireland and the UK.
Pat started life as the son of Irish immigrants on the mean streets of depression era New York City. His mother, Violet, saw that the crowd he was hanging out with were not the wholesome type so she shipped him off to a convent to work for the nuns. It didn’t take him long to figure out that the nuns were the roughest crowd he had ever encountered so he took his leave from the convent. He tried several avenues to get into the fight against the Axis Powers during WWII, to include joining the Merchant Marines and the New York National Guard, but his superiors suspected he wasn’t 18 and he was left behind when the Guard was called up to serve in the fight against the “Rising Sun”. Eventually though, he was able to serve in the US Air Force in post war Germany during the Berlin Airlift in 1948. Pat was an avid sportsman during his early Air Force years and participated in team sports, but he excelled in the individual sport of fencing, becoming the 1949 US Air Force Champion in Foil, Saber, and Epee. In November of 1952, Pat married Adele Frances Cowan. During Pat and Adele’s marriage, they were stationed with the US Air Force in Maine, Greenland (Pat only), United Kingdom, Massachusetts, West Germany, and New Jersey. After a short stay in Greenport, New York, following his retirement from the US Air Force, Pat moved his family to Houston, TX to escape the icy winters. Pat worked at Paragon Paint Company for many years and worked with Houston Power and Lighting until his retirement. Pat was a loving and attentive husband to his wife Adele during her health issues which eventually led to her untimely death on December 25th 1989. As with Adele, Pat was a loving and attentive husband to his wife Joan and his extended family until his death. He lived and died as true believer in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ and was a devoted Roman Catholic and parishioner at St. Frances Cabrini Church. The family would also like to extend their gratitude to Lizzie Nix, Pat’s caregiver, who lovingly and tirelessly provided him the care he needed for the last months of his life and for his cousin Sr Celsus Kelleher St Clare’s Convent, Newry, Northern Ireland and sister in law Sr Kathleen Persson, Benedictine Sisters of Virginia, Bristow, Virginia, for all their prayers.
An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
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