Edward John "Ed" Kelly

Edward "Ed" John Kelly of Sugarloaf Twp. was a loving husband, father, brother and community member. He left the world suddenly Wednesday in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, at the age of 70.

Born in Harrisburg, Ed grew up in Newtown Square, where he attended Cardinal O'Hara High School and graduated with a degree in food marketing from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia. Throughout his professional life in retail management, he was loved by his employees for working alongside them, making stores better and promoting from within. For the last eight years, Ed was retired and worked to help others as a handyman and with Merrick and Sons in nuclear power plants, a job he enjoyed for its opportunity to travel to new places.

Ed was an active member of his church, serving as a council auditor and making pierogies. He also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, was an active Red Cross donor and member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In his free time, Ed loved being with his family, playing with his dogs, working on his garden and house projects, seeing live Celtic music and taking vacations with his wife, preferably to sunny beach locations.

Ed was preceded in death by his mother and father, Edward V. and Dorothy (Maguire) Kelly.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 44 years, Janice S. (Cullinan) Kelly; his children and their partners, Melissa Kelly and Matt Mickelson; Erin (Kelly) Wilcox and Tom Wilcox; Edward V. Kelly and Phedra Penn; and Meghan Kelly; his siblings, Diane and Richard Sipala; and John Kelly; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Barbara Kugelman; John and Amy Cullinan and Robert Cullinan; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at St. John the Baptist Polish National Catholic Church, 748 N. Church St., Hazleton. The church will open for family visitation at 10 a.m. and the service will commence at 11 a.m. followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the church in Ed's name.