Keith D. Kelley

Keith Darrel Kelley passed away from colon cancer in the comfort of his home on November 29, 2021. He was 83.
Keith lived his entire life in the Waverly area. He was born on December 17, 1937 near Olivet, KS, and grew up in the country. He was the youngest of 4 children born to Rollie and Lola (Smith) Kelley. He graduated from Waverly Rural High School in 1956. He spent most of his life earning a living as a farmer and cattle rancher and rarely took a day off. After Rollie's death, Keith helped fulfill his father's dream of purchasing the family farm in Waverly. Keith had the mind of a brilliant engineer and never shied away from a challenging puzzle. He enjoyed learning how things worked and how to fix them and always approached broken toys, cars, and farm equipment with a curious and intelligent mind. Keith was meticulous in all things he chose to do. He made many significant improvements to the family home where he and Brenda lived almost all of their married life, and he was always available to help his family and friends figure out a difficult repair. He loved learning about farm equipment by visiting equipment lots and researching on the computer. He was fiercely loyal to John Deere and to Ford, where he worked as a mechanic in the 1960's.
Keith appreciated the simpleness of small town living and valued his deep-rooted friendships in the community. He spent decades enjoying morning coffee and camaraderie at the Lunch Box café and Grand Central Station. He served the community he loved as a volunteer fireman for over 50 years, including a four-year stint as fire chief, as well as serving as the town's night watchman during the 1970's. For many years he was a regular blood donor. He always had a large family garden and enjoyed planting seeds even in his final months. He harvested, canned, and shared his produce, in addition to cooking his own soups and apple cobbler. He had a lifelong passion for helping others and strove to do it daily.
Keith knew how to make others feel welcome and appreciated and was skilled at reading others' emotions. He loved having visitors and would often welcome them with a huge pan of homemade popcorn. He was affectionate and generous with his "I love you's" and big strong hugs. Often quiet, he was a good listener but always witty and quick with a joke, even in the final weeks of his life. He was both quick-tempered and quick to laugh, with a good memory for dates and events in his and others' lives. He enjoyed recounting exciting stories, such as his narrow escapes from death during multiple serious farming accidents. He also cherished going fishing and hosting weenie roasts for his kids and grandchildren. He liked to prolong goodbyes by walking out on the porch to wave to those leaving his home.
Keith leaves behind his loving and devoted wife Brenda (Burton) Kelley. They were married August 12, 1967, at the United Methodist Church in Emporia, KS, and were together for an impressive 54 years. Keith also leaves behind 5 children and 12 grandchildren: Scott Kelley and wife Lisa of Boerne, TX, and their children Ann, Elisa, and Meghan; Kathy Schaefer and husband Randy of Waverly, KS, and their children Emily and Gunnar; Jan Leighty and husband Stephen of Overland Park, KS, and their children Madison, Cassie, and Grant; Mike Kelley and wife Julie of Waverly, KS, and their children Matthew, Vienna, and Eric; and Elizabeth Hart and husband Kyle of Overland Park, KS, and their daughter Presley; as well as 2 VERY spoiled dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Violet Dalby, his brothers Gale and Hugh Kelley, and his son Doug Kelley.
Keith was grateful to his hospice team and his family members who cared for him during his final months. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
A celebration of Keith's life will be held at 1 pm Friday, December 3 at Waverly City Park. Please wear a mask and bring a chair. Interment will be at a later date in the Waverly cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Keith's memory to one of these organizations:
1) Friends of COF https://cofts.networkforgood.com/projects/126323-2021-everyday-giving-campaign
2) Waverly United Methodist Church