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Pace Academy College of William and Mary

FUNERAL HOME

H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill Chapel

4550 Peachtree Road Ne

Atlanta, Georgia

Frances Kelly Obituary

Family-Placed Death Notice

Frances Lelia Kelly passed away at her residence on Tuesday, March 13th. Born in Atlanta on July 22, 1958, she was the daughter of Frances Bryan "Bree" Kelly and the late Leo William Kelly. Lelia attended D. F. McClatchey Elementary School and graduated with honors from Pace Academy in 1976. She was a graduate of The College of William and Mary in 1980 with degrees in History and East Asian Studies and a minor in French, and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She enjoyed a 14-year career in banking with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, primarily in New York City. She moved to Atlanta in 1994 to write and subsequently three of her legal suspense novels were published, with one, False Witness, reaching the New York Times Bestseller List. She returned to banking in 1999 at Wachovia and SunTrust in Atlanta, but was forced to resign because of breast cancer in 2003. Lelia was a communicant of St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church, where her funeral will be held Friday, March 16th at 1:00. The family will receive friends an hour before the service in the church parlor. The burial service will follow at Arlington Memorial Park. Survivors in addition to her mother include two brothers, Leo Michael Kelly and his wife Karen of Atlanta, and William Bryan Kelly of Nashville, TN; one sister, Ellen Kelly Smith and her husband Ian Smith of Carmel, IN; two nephews, Cameron William and Grantland Kelly Smith of Carmel; two nieces, Elizabeth Mei and Lelia Ann Kelly of Atlanta; and several uncles, aunts and cousins. Lelia will be greatly missed by her family and many devoted and loving friends. Please omit flowers. The family suggests memorials to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, 5005 LBJ Freeway, Station 250, Dallas, TX, 75244; your local humane society; or a charity of your choice. Arrangements by H.M. Patterson and Sons, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel 4550 Peachtree Road, NE

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Mar. 15, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for Frances Kelly

14 Entries

Mary Elizabeth Pittman

March 19, 2007

Bill,
I am so sorry to hear about your sister's passing. As you know I am very close to my brother and sister and can not imagine losing one of them especially at such a young age. Please know that you and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
-Mary Elizabeth

Barbara Jackson

March 18, 2007

Mrs. Kelly,
I am deeply saddened by your loss of a lovely daughter..I never knew Lelia personally, but you must know what an impact she had on others. Specifically, my daughter Allyson Greene who is one of Lelia's bookclub friends.. For years, Allyson has spoken to me of Lelia and of how much she respected and appreciated Lelia. So,although I don't know you or your
Lelia, I share in your sadness. How proud you must be to have had such
a fine daugjter!

With deep sympathy,

Barbara Jackson
Warsaw, North Carolina

Charlotte Harris Beltrami

March 18, 2007

I was so sad to hear about Lelia's death. It was so much fun to reconnect with her 5 years ago as an adult. She came to our bookclub to talk about her book and we all enjoyed her so much. I have such great childhood memories of the whole Kelly family and your fun parties on the 4th of July. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

judy Daniel

March 17, 2007

Bree, my heart is with you. I remember Leila when she was a child and in college as I do your entire family when you visited Dr. Malone's office yrs. ago.She was a delight then,so smart and friendly and loving. I delighted in reading her books later on and so proud to have known her and her whole family. She certainly touched everyone who came across her path. I think of you often, Bree.
With love and God's blessings,
Judy Daniel

Cindy Hockenhull McCahill

March 16, 2007

I was so sad to hear the news about Lelia. She and I worked together in NYC in the early 1990s. She was a true friend and a role model for me. She was a great inspiration. Although we lost touch over the years, I will remember her laugh and her sense of adventure. My deepest condolences to her family.

Angela Withington

March 16, 2007

I am blessed to have known Lelia and agree with her brother's message today that she was an extraordinary person. I am thinking she might be one of those fortunate few that is hearing "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Julie Federer

March 16, 2007

I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you find consolation in your memories and in that so many people loved and admired Lelia.

Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Nashville Branch

March 15, 2007

We were so sorry to hear of your loss. The thoughts of many are with you at this time of sorrow.

March 15, 2007

Lelia was loved and respected by everyone at Pace. She set examples for students as well as faculty members with her commitment to excellence. She was a blessing to us.
Jane Murphy (Pace music)

Lisa Imwold Reese

March 15, 2007

I am fortunate to have been able to reconnect with Lelia a couple of times in the last three years. I was impressed with her accomplishments, but mostly with her humor and spirit in dealing with her illness. I am thinking of her family and wishing you all peace.

Clayton Watson

March 15, 2007

Lelia and I were classmates at McClatchey. I'm sorry of her death.

Elaine Levine

March 15, 2007

I have loved Lelia and have cherished my friendship with her for 10 years as we shared our book club nights and worked together on her legal documents and talked and talked. I will never forget the night she came to speak to a class of 4th graders I was teaching (an afterschool literature class) and she truly thrilled them with stories about writing her novels and seeing them published. I read each of Lelia's books several times and enjoyed so much talking to her about the writing process. She was an amazingly strong and lovely person who brought so much to this world and to our little book club community. I will miss Lelia so very much. I am also so sorry to miss the funeral -- I am chaperoning my daughter's volleyball team to Denver for four days and am in charge of food. I just could not get out of it. I will be with everyone at the funeral in spirit and will be thinking of Lelia's family over the next few days, months and years. Lelia was one of the very finest people I have EVER been privileged to know. My heart is so very sad. Elaine

Laura Allen

March 15, 2007

I am so sorry for your loss.
With deepest sympathy,

Lelia and me at my wedding to Chris in January, 2005. We shared every major event in our lives, and thousands of minor ones as well.

Jan Butsch Schroder

March 15, 2007

Lelia was my oldest friend, and the Kelly's home my second home, as I made the path across Angelo Court countless times growing up.
I love all of you so much and will miss Lelia so, so much. Everyone in our book club adored her and was so inspired by her humor, insight and unbelievable spirit, despite all she was going through. It is somehow fitting that she hosted our last meeting, just a few weeks ago. I am so grateful I got to see her last week and we spoke on the phone Monday night and could tell each other how much we loved each other. The world will be an emptier place without her.
My thoughts and prayers are with you - Ellen, Michael, and William. And also with you Bree, who have been such an amazing example of the power and strength of a mother's love.

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