Dr. Robert "Bob" Kelly

Kelly, Dr. Robert "Bob", 1/18/193 - 6/13/2007. Bob was born in Denver, Co., and was raised by his mother and grandparents, after his father passed away when he was six years of age. His family moved to Huntington Park, California, where he completed his last two years of high school and undergraduate studies. The Korean War came along and Bob served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Dental Corps. As providence would have it, Bob served in France during this time and rumor has it that it is there that he came to love traveling that has taken him to every one of the United States, every Providence in Canada and all 7 continents. After the Army, Bob entered dental school at the University of Southern California and graduated with his Doctorate of Dental Surgery in 1958, and served the public and the profession of Dentistry with dedication and distinction for 47 years. He was the chief consultant of the Orange County Coroner as a forensic dentist. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Odontology. Dr. Kelly was President of the Orange County Dental Society, Trustee to the California Dental Association, served on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Academy of General Dentistry; as well as their President. He served as a delegate to American Dental Association, CDA, and the American Academy of General Dentistry. His honors include fellowships in the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and Mastership in the AGD. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Orange County Dental Society, as well as Dentist of the Year Award from the California Academy of General Dentistry. Bob was also a pilot for 47 years. He belonged to the Flying Dentists and was also their President and held other numerous offices. During those years his flying allowed him to participate in numerous missionary expeditions to underserved areas of Mexcio and Central America to provide much needed dental care. Dr. Kelly had also been involved with law enforcement with the Sheriff's Department for 38 years and achieved the rank of Captain in which he commanded the department's Aero Squadron's unit with over 40 members. Bob had many hobbies, which included fishing, hunting, world travel and flying. He was a true adventurist. At one time he rented a small airplane for a month and flew the Continent of Africa and took a Russian ice breaker to Antarctica. Bob Kelly was a fighter and a survivor. Having lived through two airplane crashes and fought multiple myleoma for 12 years, a battle he finally lost. Bob outlived two wives, the first, Mary Jane, the mother of his two children and his second wife Jana. His two children, Dr. Russell Kelly, his wife Jacqueline and son, Justin, and his daughter Leanne Elson and her husband James and son Cody survived him. Memorial services will be held at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, California. Viewing to be Friday, June 22, 2007 at 6:00 p.m., with services to be held in their Waverley Chapel in Saturday, June 23 at 9:30 a.m..Donations can be made in Dr. Kelly's memory to the City of Hope in Duarte, California. Fairhaven Memorial Park