Ardie Lee Kelly

KELLY, Ardie Lee, 76, of Richmond, formerly of Lynchburg, passed away Saturday, August 9, 2008. He was preceded in death by his five sisters and three brothers. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Martha Midgett Kelly; two daughters, Anna Hanback and husband, Scott, and Maria Leibowitz and husband, Aaron; four grandchildren, Jackson Hurt Hanback, Martha Ann, Caroline Kelly and Katherine Dawson Leibowitz; and two sisters, Helen Bunch and Ruth Rhodes. Mr. Kelly received his B.A. degree from Lynchburg College and his Master's of Library Science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His professional career began at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg from 1952 to 1958. From 1960 to 1965, he worked at Duke University Library and in the Medical Center Library with the History of Medicine collection. From 1965 to 1967, he was a librarian at Catawba College Library in Salisbury, N.C. From 1967 to 1974, he was the University of Richmond librarian and was instrumental in organizing a Friends of the Library group. He served on the Curriculum Committee and held the rank of assistant professor. From 1974 to 1977, he was at Erskine College, Due West, S.C., where he was acting vice president for academic affairs for one academic year. From 1977 to 1987, he was at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News as the head of the major research collection. From 1987 to 1988, he was Circulation supervisor at Williamsburg Regional Library. From 1988 to 1990, he served as reference librarian and worked on several conservation projects for the Newport News public library system. Ardie was a member of the Virginia Library Association; the Southeastern Library Association; the Virginia State Library Board; Secretary-Virginia Chapter, Special Libraries Association from 1980 to 1982; Newport News Historical Committee, having served on this advisory committee to the city council. He compiled Section IX of the Special Collections of Libraries of the Southeast. He volunteered at Colonial Williamsburg, Riverside Hospital in Newport News, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The family will receive friends Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Central Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 3215 Cutshaw Ave., with a memorial service to be held 2 p.m. Sunday, August 17, at the Church of the Holy Comforter. Interment will follow in the church garden. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Church of the Holy Comforter, Christ Families Ministry, 4819 Monument Ave., Richmond, Va. 23230. His family was his heart.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.