Donald Mathias Kelly

pu,sgobits2 KELLY-Donald Mathias Kelly, born in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, Canada on December 29, 1924, died November 27, 2006, Sierra Madre, California. Survived by Gretchen, beloved wife of 55 years, son and daughter-in -law Terry and Alison, grandsons Ian, Conor, Morgan and Colin, sisters Katherine Kelly and Claire Bennett, numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Upon graduation from high school in 1942 Don joined the United States Marine Corps serving in the South Pacific until 1945. He moved to Riverside, California in 1952, and graduated from U.C. Riverside. He worked for the State of California in various capacities including clemency investigator for governors Pat Brown and Ronald Reagan. After attend ing Southwestern University School of Law, he retired from state service and commenced the practice of law in January 1975 in Los Angeles and Pasadena until retirement in 1991. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Sierra Madre Public Library from 1979 to 1987, including four years as chair. At the time of his retirement from that Board, Marylyn Barnes published the following: "But it is the manner of this man. A lawyer, Don Kelly is an excellent leader, a clear thinker with a penetrating ability to get to the heart of the matter. It is his sense of humor, his love of jokes and anecdotes that set him apart." Don was an avid reader, enjoyed woodworking, and loved the outdoors, throughout the Southwest but in particular the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains where he enjoyed fishing, camping, hiking, and exploring ghost towns, mines, and Indian encampments. He was quick witted, never forgot a joke, and was a shameless punster. A private ceremony will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the Sierra Madre Public Library, P.O. Box 334, Sierra Madre, CA 91025 or the Mono Lake Committee, P.O. Box 29, Lee Vining, CA 93541.