Patricia "Trish" Kelly

Patricia "Trish" Kelly

Patricia "Trish" Kelly died on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at her home, Chimney Meadow Farm.

She commented before her death that she was lucky to get to die at a place she cherished surrounded by people she loved. That was Trish, in the face of a bad situation, she looked for the positive. Trish often said that she lived an extraordinary life. Her aptitudes could not be denied. Her accomplishments are too many to list and her admirers too many to count.

She grew up in Prince William County but migrated south to the Fredericksburg region to begin her legal career. As a lawyer, she developed a reputation for vigorously and effectively representing her clients. That ability as a lawyer led to her selection as a substitute judge and then as a full-time judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Her demonstrated ability during her five years in that position was exemplary and led to her appointment as a Circuit Court Judge.

As a Circuit Court Judge, she worked with countless court personnel, police, and lawyers as well as the parties involved in those cases. Once her diagnosis became known, the outpouring of both respect and affection from the above individuals was beyond any expectation she could have had. The letters alone were touching beyond belief as were the anecdotes about her performance as a judge. Her main goal as a judge was to judge without being judgmental and to treat every individual who appeared before her with respect and dignity. The outpouring of support came from clerks, who worked with her daily, from lawyers who appeared before her regularly, as well as those who hardly knew her but appeared before her. She held herself to the same standard she expected of others and lived by her mantra of being prepared and on time.

She loved to travel and did so regularly with her non-best friend, Sarah Deneke. They traveled the world together and were always up for a new adventure. She loved to garden and spent countless summer hours cultivating her tomatoes. She never understood the concept of a couple of tomato plants and always had more tomatoes than she could ever eat. She grew to love raising chickens and enjoyed watching their many antics.

She did in fact live an extraordinary life. It was a life well lived. She will be missed.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. A service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 15, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Interment will follow in Quantico National Cemetery.

in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Online guest book is available at covenantfuneralservice.com.