James "Jim" Michael Kelley
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James Michael "Jim" Kelley passed away peacefully at sunrise Sunday, July 4, 2021.
Jim was born November 12, 1935 to Bernice (Kennedy) and Frank T. Kelley in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.
He is preceded in death by both parents, and survived by sister, Maureen Robbins; daughter, Megan Gregory, and many wonderful nieces and nephews with their respective families.
When he was seven, his family relocated to Cadillac. Jim always had a love of the outdoors, and seemed happiest either in the woods or on a tractor. While he took pride in his long-held position as purchasing agent for Chris Craft - first in Cadillac, then in Ft. Lauderdale Florida - his love of the outdoors ultimately led him back to Northern Michigan to pursue Christmas tree farming. He had an unwavering loyalty to bird hunting and bird dogs, English Setters, specifically.
As a former Spartan, he followed all things MSU. He enjoyed attending Michigan State games, but also spectated countless hockey games at Ferris State, quite often with his daughter. He enjoyed attending livestock and farm equipment auctions, and watching soccer and horse races on TV. He was quite proud of his Irish heritage, and would often toast to a perfectly poured Guinness pint, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
He was a voracious reader of multiple daily newspapers, and one of the most thoughtful people you would ever know. If you had ever mentioned an interest and he came across an article about it, he was going to let you know. Later in life, he continued to keep his mind sharp with reading, and made daily trips into town to stay social. He became a beloved stalwart to the area. To some he was "Mr. Kelley", to one he was "Dad."
A celebration of Jim's life will take place in September. An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.