Gordon Kelly

Dear Shirley
I was shocked to JUST learn of Gord's passing back in January (my son was in hospital in January, so I'm sorry to say I missed this news). It has no doubt been a very difficult six months for you, and although late in letting you know, please accept my belated heartfelt sympathy for you and your family.

Im sorry to hear the passing of an amazing person, it was such a pleasure to have met Mr. Kelly.

I have just, tonight, heard about Gord's passing. I have been gone from CFCN and Calgary for a long time - but my heart always has remained there with the people that I "grew up" with in the business. Gord was one of them - he was a true 'class act'. Always delivering the really good stuff about people, their lives - and always contributing in so many other ways to the 'life' of CFCN. I miss them - I will miss Gord. My best to the family.

Dear Shirley Christine Greg & Karin,

I was saddened to hear of Your father & husbands death. In fact My
sister in law who is from Strathmore told me. Thank God ,because She remembered When I told Her of my friendship with Christine & knowing the rest of the family Living for 8 years in Glamorgan. I remember Gord
even before that as kid living in Altadore in dads cookie Commercials. Yes, We had good times, & all of you will forever be apart of my memories. In CARING SYMPATHY.
lOVE ,
DONNA CARR(NEE: Dumanowski)
QUALICUM BEACH, VANCOUVER ISLAND B.C

Hi Shirley
It was with great sadness that Anna Marie and I heard of Gords passing. Grande Cache will not be the same for awhile without Yours and Gords visits. We hope to see you up here visiting sometime this year.
Anna Marie and Jim McDonald
Grande Cache

So sorry to hear of Gord's passing.
I worked with Gord in the early 80's at CFCN radio .
In fact Gord and Shirley attended my wedding back in 1983..
I'm still in the "business' and think of my days with Gord often.

M thoughts are with the family

Dear Shirley: Our sincere condolences on the passing of our good friend Gord. We were shocked and sadened by the news. Sympathy also to all the family.

I always enjoyed saying hi to Gord everytime I was at CFCN visiting my dad. I am very sorry for your loss. I will never forget the great stories he did and of course his great voice!

Dear Shirley, Our sincere sympathy goes out to you and your family at this difficult time.

Gord Kelly and CFCN are synonimous. For years it seemed you couldn't have one without the other. Gord is one of those gifted story tellers people don't soon forget. For years Gord told our stories, went places we couldn't or didn't go and reflected our community back to us every night on the six o'clock news. His stories were engaging, well written and informative.
His stories were about people. Gord listened to people, had empathy for people and treated everyone with respect. That's why his stories were so very good.

I had the privilege or working alongside Gord Kelly for many years in the CFCN Newsroom. After reading all the wonderful heartfelt comments written about Gord in this guest book it doesn't take one long to conclude he did everything well in both his professional and private life. He was a good reporter, tv host, manager, husband, father, car restorer, friend, mentor, and he had an easy grace about him, a sly knowing smile. Yet in-spite of all the gifts and accomplishments that could have made lesser men vainly proud, Gord remained humble and quietly thankful for the people he met and for the job that allowed him to use and perfect the gifts he was given . It was indeed a pleasure to know you Sir, work beside you, and listen to your stories, stories that made Calgarians better for having listened, better for having had you here.

"Eternal Rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Well done good and faithful servant!"

Karen, Christine, Greg and Shirley,

I always remember your dad when I used to come over to your house as a child, and as a teenager, to visit. I remember Gord always in the garage working on one of his old vintage cars, I always remember him on the news and as our neighbor down the street from where we used to live. The last time I saw Gord and Shirley was at Boston Pizza a few years ago. He remembered me and I got caught up on how the kids were doing. My sincere condolences to Karen, Christine, Gregory and of course Shirley. My prayers are with you. Gord was a very nice and sincere person.

To Shirley and family .. When I arrived in Calgary in 1998 as V-P of News, Pat McDougall was the first to advise me that Gord would be one of the reliable pillars of the CFCN Newsroom .. and so it was. He was a marvellous storyteller .. he was laid back and professional .. and there was always the hint of devilishness in his easy grin. Gord and I shared a love of aircraft and I'm the proud owner of a sketch, autographed for him by the artist, of Spitfires crossing a coastline during World War Two. He gave it to me when I left the newsroom to take my wife back to her Maritime family and it has pride of place in my den to this day. In short, Gord was a class act .. and he will be missed. My sincere condolences..
Del Archer

Gord is in the hand of God now. As a neighbor down the street I got to know Gord as we both liked restoring old cars. We had lots of interesting conversations. A real craftman.

I was fortunate to work with Gord at CTV Calgary from 1993 until his retirement in 2002. He was an amazing storyteller and a wonderful man. I remember, even after his retirement, when he would visit the newsroom, he would always say to me.."when are you going to get a real job Smitty?" However, my fondest memory of Gord is him in the newsroom with Russ Peake..they were as thick as thieves..always giggling like two schoolgirls. My thoughts and prayers are with the Kelly family during this difficult time.

My condolences on Gord's passing. I spent a number of years working with Gord at CFCN/CTV. My favorite memories are of Stampede, when Gord, Russ Peake and Ken Newans, would do "Go Round". They had a chemistry that just isn't found everywhere, and everyone on the crew always enjoyed the banter between them, making everyone laugh out loud. Gord was always a wonderful person to meet up with - always a story, or some sage advice. Please know that he touched many hearts over his life, and that he will be missed.

I was very sad to hear that Gord had passed on, he made such a wonderful impression on so many people in Calgary for so long. My thoughts are with the entire family.

As a native Calgarian I grew up listening to and seeing Mr Kelly in the various media in Calgary. He was truly a most humble and highly respected broadcaster and citizen of our city. Although many of us did not know him personally, it was an absolute privilege to have him as part of our lives through the media for so many years. Congratulations Mr Kelly on a life well lived. You have touched the lives of many people. Rest well and your memory will live on in our hearts forever. My thoughts, prayers and best wishes go out to all his family.

Sincerely

M Johnson

Dear Shirley,

It was with sadness we heard of Gord's passing and wish to express our heartfelt condolences. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family during this most difficult time.

Deborah and David Rawlinson

I remember the first day I arrived in the newsroom in Calgary, and my
desk was beside Gord's. He turned to me and said, "kid, you've talked to and done a lot of stories with politicians. The story is about ordinary people." I have remembered his advice and strived to follow his lead.
He was a statesman, a craftsman and a true gentleman.
Keep telling stories Gord!

Sincerely,
Craig Paisley

Shirley-I am so sorry to hear of your loss. It must be difficult to accept the loss of a loved one. Our hearts are very heavy and we pray that God gives you strength during these trying times. While Gord may be gone, we know that he will always be with you in your thoughts and your family's thoughts and we know that you will always cherish the happy and wonderful times with him. Our prayers are with you.

My sincere condolences to the Kelly family at this time,as a child I remember my father watching the news and always seeing Mr. Kelly and a host of others that are either older or gone,Henry Viney, Gary(the Weatherman) Ken Newans,Joe Carbury etc. As a former Calgarian I treasure these and am truly sorry for your loss

Dearest Shirley,
I was so sad to hear the news of Gordons passing. I have very fond memories of the the many stories you shared with me while we were working as Loaned Reps. about yourself and Gordon, during your early years together. Your in my thoughts and prayers.

Shirley: Our thoughts are with you and your family at this sad time. Over forty years ago we darkened the Main Branch door (and brightened up the inside) Where does the time go? May you take comfort in the many fond memories you have of Gord.

It was a true honor to work with one of Calgary's' best. Gord Kelly was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word and I treasure the opportunity and the time i got to spend with him on shoots which took place all over the province. He knew something about pretty much everything and his stories were always a treat.
Rest in Piece Gord. My heart goes out to the family.

Stuart Serediuk-Former CFCN News Camera

Shirley... May I add my condolences to you and your family at this somber time.
Like so many who worked with, listened to, watched, and socialized with Gord, the news of his passing bears a sense of sadness and loss. But, for me it also brings a flood of warm nostalgia, as I remember the years that we spent at CFCN Radio and TV.
With his ability, creativity, integrity and pride in his work, his personality and sense of humor, Gord became an integral part of CFCN from day one.
I enjoy remembering the things we sweated over, the "hearts" games at lunch down on 12 Ave., the things we talked about, shouldn't have talked about, and dared not talk about, the "brick walls" we did our best to circumvent .... the parties!!!
Gord's success, and contribution to his chosen profession, and Calgary, is appreciated by his co-workers and scores of fans. That will become even more evident, in the future, to us all.
Gord was a committed fellow staffer and friend. I am pleased to have known him as both.
So, I raise my glass to a life well and truly lived. May he rest in peace.
Don Thomas

The Kelly Family
God Kelly was media! I spent many hours "in the company" of Gord Kelly, Marie Hohtanz and Gary Gibney, names from the past. They were entertaining always had interesting topics. During that period of time I was at home raising our family so I enjoyed their stimulating guests and the conversation. My thoughts and prayers to all of you.

Shirley. I can only say that my thoughts are with you during the hard days ahead without Gord. I hope that all the great memories you have will sustain you and knowing that he is at peace.

Shirley, our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.

Gord was one of the nicest guys I have ever worked with in the broadcast business. He was so smooth and professional and I swear he had a time clock in his head. He could get everything you told him to get in a 30 second commercial in one take. He will be sadly missed by myself and many others in our industry. A true gent and mentor. Someone who comes by rarely in a persons lifetime. When its my time, and I hit the perly gates, I hope they put me in the TV producers area with Gord so I can call on him for his advice, his smooth golden throat and so he can save me from a bad show again. God knows he did that a few times. Truly a fine gent, I will miss him.

Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I always enjoyed listening to Gord's radio show. I thought him to be a very fine person.

Farewell to my mentor, Gord. Thank you Shirley for sharing the most professional broadcaster, best boss and decent guy, with all us old radio types for so many years. If only we could take away your pain today in return .... we can and do share it, along with your family.

As a native Calgarian, and lifelong resident of Calgary, I remember with fondness the broadcasting career of Gord Kelly.
The talk show he did with Marie Hohtanz in the sixties is an especially fond memory - they were magic together. I always looked forward to watching them during the summer holidays, or any day when I was home from school.
Mr. Kelly's dry wit and impassive demeanor led to one particularly hilarious broadcast. There had been a severe snowstorm and cold temperatures in Calgary - the schools were closed and apparently the road up Broadcast Hill was impossible to navigate because when they went on the air none of their guests had shown up. After filling as much time as possible talking to each other Gord suggested that he and Marie go to the kitchen set and whip up one of his favorite recipes. Now of course a cooking segment wasn't on the schedule that day so he just opened the cupboards and used whatever he could find. The two ingredients that stick in my memory were oatmeal and ketchup. With as much seriousness as he could muster he recited the recipe as he added anything that was on the set. Marie finally broke him up with her laughter near the end of the segment. But apparently some viewers were too busy writing down the instructions for this concoction to notice the lunacy because a few days later they announced the station had recieived a number of phone calls from people saying they had tried the recipe - and it wasn't very good.

When Mr. Kelly retired it was definately the end of an era in Calgary broadcasting, and now his loss to the community is keenly felt. Rest in peace and God bless, sir. Job well done.

So sorry to hear of Gord's passing, he was such an engaging person, he will be missed. Larry the Purolator guy.

Shirley, my heart goes out to you and your family. Although I knew Gord when I was much younger, the memories of knowing him and interacting with him will always be there. A wonderful man who had my respect. Take care

Shirley, may God comfort you during this difficult time. Gord was a class act - such a true gentleman. He hired me at CFCN radio back in the seventies and I couldn't have worked for a better boss.

Calgary has lost yet another icon and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Sincerest condolences to you and the family.

MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU AT THIS TIME. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH GORD, IN THE EARLY 60'S WHEN I WAS IN THE MUSIC LIBRARY, AS MUSIC DIRECTOR AT CFCN RADIO AND TV. I HOPE IT HELPS IN SOME SMALL WAY , TO KNOW I PRAY FOR ALL OF YOU.

Shirley & family,
So sorry for your loss. May all your wonderful memories of Gord bring you comfort now and always.

On receiving the sad news of Gord's passing, my mind immediately went to the happy times we shared in our broadcast careers at CFCN Radio and TV. The pranks we shared (and pulled on) others will always be remembered along with the fun we had with the radio audience on mobile broadcasts of 'Start The Music' in the '60s. There are many memories of the TV shows we hosted and the 'film can' curling games in the attic of the station when no one was looking for us. Shirley: I know Gord will always be in your heart and he will always be in my memories. After all, he's the one who named me "Whoopee Don Wood' when I sat in for Darcy Scott and his afternoon country music show in 1961.

Joan........Very sorry to hear of your brother's passing. I remember him as a teenager, when I worked for your father in the Roadmasters'office in McLennan, early 1950's! (Also good memories of working with your dad!) And always enjoyed seeing him in later years when he appeared on Calgary TV items. Our sympathy goes out to you and your families.
Sincerely, Art & Dorris Rowe.....Victoria BC

May you find comfort in the great memories you have of Gord. We never knew him personally but what we did see and hear of him will remain with us. He was a great part of Calgary.

Shirley,
So sorry to receive the sad news. While we don't get to see you very often, both of you have been in our thoughts and we will always have good memories of Gord. God bless you.

Our sincerest condolences to Shirley and family.

I had the honour and pleasure of working with Gord at CTV for many years. We will miss him greatly.

Shirley, my heart goes out to you and your family. May the memories of the wonderful times help ease the pain for you all. A quote in todays Herald suits who Gord is, "Death is more universal than life: Everyone dies but not everyone lives." Gord lived his life to the fullest in his journey here on earth and he will be loved and missed by many.

It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Gord. I admired him from afar as a broadcaster and newsman and once I got to know him my admiration grew for him as a person. I know Gord will be greatly missed by many and my sincere condolences go out to Shirley and the family.

Shirley may you and your family find comfort in knowing that Gordon is finally at peace. We hope that the wonderful memories that you shared will give you strength and comfort during this difficult time. You will always have your own special angel looking after all of you. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Love always Luizilda and Alfonso

Shirley:
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. May God comfort you and precious memories sustain you during this difficult time.

When Don and I were living in Glendale we had such fond memories of Gord working on his antique cars in our garage. We highly respected Gord and often talked of how he handled celebrity so well and did not have a big ego. Gord was a FIRST CLASS man with a special wife Shirley. Our fishing trips is one of my special memories that I keep.

My condolences to all the survivors at this terrible time. Gord was among my best friends. All the best.

Gord was a Calgary icon. I remember watching him on TV as a child. Part of the city goes with him. Miss you, Gord!

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Our thoughts and Prayers are with you, and we pray that God will give you strength during this very difficult time.

Shirley - may you find comfort in recalling all the wonderful memories you must have.
My thoughts are with you and your family.

Thoughts and prayers are with the family during this time