John Joseph Kelley

1933 - 2022

4 January 1933 - 11 February 2022
Longtime Fairbanksan John Kelley passed away peacefully on 11 February 2022 at age 89 due to cardiovascular complications, in a local care home with his wife of 52 years at his side and the serendipitous strains of Schubert's "Ave Maria" wafting from the background.
John was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 4 January 1933 to John and Josephina Kelley and raised in Germantown with a younger sister. After attending St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School and Northeast Catholic High School (Class of 1951), he worked locally as a bakery chemist and served two years in the U S Army (1953-1955) before entering Pennsylvania State University to earn a B.S. degree in geophysics and geochemistry in 1958. From there he worked for several years (1959-1968) as graduate student and senior scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Chemistry an the University of Washington in Seattle, from where he was sent to Barrow in 1959 to gather data at the Arctic Research Lab (ARL) on UW Project Husky, a study investigating movement of carbon dioxide and trace gases through the Arctic tundra, sea surface and atmosphere, a precursor of some of the climate change studies today. It was on this, his fateful first flight to the Alaska Arctic as only passenger, that he met his future wife, Wien Alaska Airlines stewardess Eleanor Johnson, whom he married a decade later ("just to be sure") at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Barrow (now Utqiagvik).
John began working at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) as a doctoral graduate student and professional staff member in1968 in response to recruitment by Professor Donald Hood, first director of the Institute of Marine Science. In 1974 he received his Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from the University of Nagoya (Japan) and became a tenured faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, retiring from the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences as professor emeritus in 2010. During this period, he also served on professional leave as program manager for meteorology and oceanography at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington, D.C., from 1974-1976, and director of the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) in Barrow from 1997-1980. Highlighting his 50 years' professional life, John regarded as most personally pleasing his interlude at NARL and years later his management experience with the NSF Polar Ice Coring Program (PICO) 1989-1996 that culminated in the world's deepest penetration at the time of the Greenland Ice Cap (with an eye to use of environmentally friendly drilling oils developed at UAF).
In Fairbanks, the College Rotary Club was John's community family, with whom he shared many years of continuous service, especially enjoying educational projects, and warm camaraderie. He remained active and held elected office over the years in many local, regional and national professional societies, including Sigma Xi Honorary Society, American Association for Advancement of Science, Arctic Institute of North America, the American Geophysical Association and the Explorers Club. He also enjoyed working with the Soroptimists to help develop the Fairbanks Sister City affiliation with Mombetsu on the northernmost coast of Hokkaido, Japan, and returned most years to participate in the Bering Sea Ice Conference. Sustained friendships of many years, something of an extended family, developed from these affiliations. Over his long and productive career, John received numerous honorary recognitions and awards. Most cherished was his 2018 Emil Usibelli Award for Distinguished Service.
John was a self-ascribed "people person," recognized as a consummate gentleman and optimist with a welcoming warm smile of unconditional friendship to all and mentoring to many. Always he held the student in highest esteem, promoting both academic excellence in the classroom and responsibility to learn and function responsibly throughout life with open inquiry and critical thinking. He held room in his heart also for generations of imperious but adoring Scottie dogs and loving rescue pets.
An avid reader, John had particular interest in world history and the expeditions and voyages of discovery. With an appreciation of classical music nurtured in urban childhood, he commuted for 25 years with his wife to the Seattle Opera seasonal performances, cultivating lasting friendships as well, and likewise enjoyed the entertaining FLOT and Fairbanks Drama productions locally. John was an enthusiastic traveler throughout life. During his working years, he participated in oceanographic research cruises in the northern seas, with opportunities also to visit field sites in Greenland and Antarctica. On vacation as well, he and his wife traveled frequently, to both domestic and international destinations throughout the Baltic and Western European countries, with a number of driving trips in Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe. A personal highlight was an extensive cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea.
John was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Page, in Los Angeles and by cousins in Philadelphia. In addition to his wife, Eleanor, in Fairbanks, he is survived by niece Kelly Page Zinckgraf (John) of Raymond, Maine; nephew Christopher Page (Thea) and their daughter, Ava, of South Pasadena; and by niece Susan Page Haar (Jeff) of Los Angeles.
Over his final months, John expressed fragments of his general outlook and acceptance of life, woven together here by his editorial consort.
"If in my deficits of aging, I can be of help to anyone - inspire, amuse or instruct - let me live another day. But if I am useless - hail fellow, fare thee well! With love and gratitude for this life, let me be gone, remembered kindly."
The family acknowledges cremation arrangements by Chapel of Chimes, with no funeral service, according to John's request, and extends appreciation to FMH Home Health and Hospice, as well as to caregivers at the Emmanuel Assisted Living Home for contributions of comfort and kindness. Messages to family may be sent email to RememberingJohn2022@gmail.com.
Submitted in loving tribute and gratitude for sharing the life journey of such a good man.