Joseph E. Kelly
Augusta, GA- Mr. Joseph Elton Kelly III, husband of Carroll Lamb Kelly, died peacefully at the Medical College of Georgia on Tuesday, January 8th, surrounded by his loving family.
A vigil service will be held at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church at 6:00 p.m. Thursday evening, January 10th, 2013 and the family will receive friends following the vigil.
A funeral Mass will be held Friday, January the 11th at 11 a.m. at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church with Fr. Jerry Ragan celebrant. Pallbearers will be Phillip Douglas, Greg Bowles, Robert Harn, John Mulherin, Sean Burke, Dennis Welch, Paul Dorr, Edward Dorr, and Mike O’meare, and Phillip Thompson.
Joe was born October the 6th 1927 in Savannah, GA to Joseph Elton Kelly Jr. and Ethel Cook Kelly. Joe attended elementary school at the Marist School for Boys and the Cathedral School in Savannah. He attended high school at Benedictine Military School and graduated from St. Bernard in Cullman, Alabama in 1945. During WWII he served two and a half years in the United States Navy as a Pharmacist Mate Third Class, working in the operating room in the United States Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. After an honorable discharge from the Navy, he attended St. Bernard's College and graduated in 1950.
He re-entered the Navy in August of 1950 and began Naval Aviation Flight School training which he completed with honors in 1952 and received his Naval Aviator Wings. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the United States Marine Corps. He served 10 months in Korea flying F9F Panther Jets with the Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-311. Following the Korean War he began a career with the Savannah Morning News. In 1964 he and his family relocated to Augusta where he became the General Manager for Morris Communications Company in Computer Services and Data Processing. He retired in December 1994 as Vice President of Computer Services. He was a founding member of the Irish American Heritage Society and the Grand Marshall of the 1989 St. Patrick's Day parade. His family was recognized as the Irish Family of the Year in 2010. He was a member of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church. He was a longstanding member of the Irish Mafia Golf Association, a member of the Forest Hills Golf Club, a member of the Knights of Columbus, Patrick Walsh Council and Assembly 174.
He was preceded in death by his son, Michael John Kelly, who died in 1962. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Carroll Lamb Kelly; sons: Dennis Joseph Kelly (Kim), Brian Egan Kelly, Patrick O'Hara Kelly (Becky), and devoted daughters: Dee Kelly Harriott (Tim) and Carroll Marie Kelly. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Martin (JJ) Bower (Luisa), Brandon Bower(Adrienne), Catherine Harriott Tuttle (Jake), Timothy Harriott, Katie Roberson, Alexandra Kelly, Egan Kelly, Parker Roberson, McKenzie Claxton, Madison Kelly, Emerson Kelly, Patrick Kelly II, Jimmy Bower (Elizabeth), as well as his great grandchildren: Elton Patrick Bower, Eliza Bower and Ava Tuttle. He is also survived by his sister: Mary Anne Kelly of Savannah, GA.
The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Medical College of Georgia Department of Neurosurgery for their compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made to Catholic Social Services, 2108 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30904.
Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com