THOMAS KELLEY

THOMAS KELLEY

Thomas X. Kelley, 94, of Fort Dodge, passed away Thursday, May 3, 2018 at his home. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Tues­day, May 8, 2018 at Laufer­sweiler-Sievers Funeral Home and then a Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi Church with Msgr. Kevin McCoy officiating. A visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday with a Vigil at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at a later date at Corpus Christi Cemetery; T.X.’s wishes were to donate his body to the University of Iowa for further research. Thomas X. Kelley was born to W. Thomas and Frances Kelley on September 18, 1923. He attended elementary school at Duncombe and Corpus Christi Elementary. His beloved uncle, Father Rob Kelley was the President of Regis High school in Denver, CO so he followed his brother and sister in the family tradition of attending this boarding High School in Denver. He began college at Regis College before volunteering to serve in the U.S. Army from 1942-1945. Tom saw action in the European Theater during World II. After the war, he completed his education under the G.I. Bill of Rights and earned a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He briefly considered becoming a lawyer and passed the board exam to practice in Iowa. He became associated with Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York in its Des Moines office. Returning to Fort Dodge in 1951, he joined the insurance agency his father, the late Tom Kelley, established in 1917. In 1952, he and his brother, Robert bought Kelley Insurance Agency from their father. He retired after 37 years. He married Mary Virginia Ottoson on October 1, 1949. They made their home in Fort Dodge in 1951. Tom was active in Holy Trinity Parish. He was a Life Member of the Knights of Columbus, a Paul Harris Fellow of the Fort Dodge Rotary Club, and member of numerous other organizations. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ginnie Kelley, who died February 11, 2011; his parents, Frances and Tom Kelley, stepmother, Mary Kelley; brothers, Jim and Bob Kelley and brother in-law, Chuck McCrea. He is survived by his children, Patricia Kelley of Chicago, IL; David Kelley of Madison WI; Peggy (Craig) Murphy of Fort Dodge; Sheila (Mark) Osman of Northbrook, IL; sisters, Jean Kelley, SL of Louisville, KY, Loy McCrea of Las Vegas, NV; sister-in-law, Ginny Kelley of Fort Dodge, IA; grandchildren, Sean (Emily) Murphy and Megan (Tyler) Johnson; Erin (Andy) Kelley Bober, Sara (Terry) Fraser, Katie (Eric) Ennocenti; Thomas Osman and Kevin (Meagan) Sullivan Osman; great-grandchildren, Laila, Lucy and Leah Johnson; Seamus X; Maeve Murphy; Hattie and Cleo Fraser; and Avery Ennocenti. Memorials may be left to UnityPoint Hospice, Holy Trinity Parish or St Edmond Catholic School System.