Raymond C. Kelly

Raymond C. Kelly, 80, of Columbia, died Thursday June 26, 2008 at St. Joseph Living Center, Windham. He was born Nov. 3, 1927 in Queens, L.I., NY, the son of Joseph and Margaret Kelly. He attended West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis Elkins College receiving his BS in Business Education in 1953. He earned his Masters Degree from the University of Connecticut in 1980. He worked several years in Venezuela as an administrative assistant and teacher for Mene Grande Oil Co. Mr. Kelly was employed for 10 years in New York City and Boston for the U.S. Gypsum Co. as a sales engineer and office manager. His teaching career covered 22 years in FL and CT, the last 20 years at Windham High School in Willimantic, CT. He taught accounting, shorthand and business math. He was active in the Willimantic Teachers Credit Union serving as a director and treasurer. This credit union later merged with the Northeast Federal Teachers Credit Union in Manchester, CT. Ray married Rose (Baro) Wellwood Kelly in 1974. She predeceased him in 2002. They were married for 28 years. They traveled in Europe, the islands of the West Indies, as well as skiing in Switzerland, Colorado and Utah. They both enjoyed their second home in Silver Lake, New Hampshire. Raymond was very active in athletics, a three sport athlete in high school. He was a member of the Bergenfield High School state champion basketball team in 1945. In 1948 he played semiprofessional football for the Teaneck, NJ, Red Devils as a halfback. He played football for four years for West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis Elkins colleges. Ray was selected to the West Virginia intercollegiate All-Star Team in 1952 as a halfback. Over the years, he continued to enjoy golf, tennis, down hill and cross country skiing and hiking in the White Mountains of NH. He served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1948 and was a veteran of the Korean Occupation and WW2 at Taegu, Korea. He was a member of the CT Education Assoc., Federation of Teachers, VFW, Elks, Phi Delta Kappa-UConn and the National Business Assoc. He is survived by his brothers, Joseph, Eugene, Robert, John and Michael; sisters, Helen , Mary and Geraldine and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother Girard. His family will receive friends at Potter Funeral Home 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195) Willimantic on Monday between 6:00 and 8:00pm. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10:00am at St. Columba Church, intersection of Rte. 66 and Rte. 87 Columbia, with assembly at the church. Interment with military honors will follow in Center Cemetery, Columbia. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Columba Church. For online memorial guestbook and directions, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .