A loving Son, Brother, Uncle, Husband and step-"DAD"...
One of those men who wake up happy to a cup of coffee, keeping himself busy helping people after becoming disabled shortly after their wedding in 1969. At 74 he had a long list of illnesses, none of which were the cause of his death in home hospice. He was born to Floyd Milton KELLY and Irma Belle KIZER of Mishawaka, Indiana. His Mom and family came to call him "MICK"; but in adulthood he was well-known as Neil.
He has one living brother, Ted, who was born when Neil was eleven. He loved and took care of his little brother until he entered the Navy at the age of 18 (1951), his wife and son and daughter live in Washington; He left a widow, his second wife "Winnie" of 39 years, and was a loving stepdad to both my eldest brother Paul and myself. Over the course of his life his devotion to family and friends grew to include many.
After training in the Navy in Hawaii he came in contact with the Baha'i Faith through the fireside meetings of Morrey Willows. He declared his faith in 1952 and devoted the rest of his life to serving the Cause of God through various endeavors serving people he met all along the way. He was often known to love holding Fireside chats e v e r y Friday night in bank rooms, homes, parks, wherever he was, "let's get a cup of coffee and talk".
My friend describes him as a rare man of "earth and globe'. He stood tall at 6'0", 170 pounds, warm-loving brown eyes; his dark curly hair turned to a beautiful, white-wavy hair, and wore a mustache.
Became homefront pioneer by leaving a 30-year home in Sunnyvale, CA to Monmouth, Oregon in 2000 endeavoring to help build the small Baha'i Communitty of Polk County.
He always had something nice to say. An avid cook, reader, crossword author, loved to travel, nick-named 'GoSherlock' for his interest in helping Adoptees and natural adult parents search for one another after founding A.I.D. Adoptee's Identity Discovery over 30 years ago. He retired about four years ago after signs of Parkinson's began to show.
Neil was proud to be the only male in the Home Economics Club, the first at Mishawaka H.S. He was handy with construction tool as well as the tools of the kitchen. He turned his loving energies to becoming a caretaker of his family after he became disabled. Winnie returned to full-time work until retirement and he took care of shopping, planning meals, cooking, BBQ'ing, always hunting for new recipes and treats. He loved cooking as much as eating. He made the best chili and chicken soup ever, and a speciality red pepper soup was delicious. Soups were his forte until the Weber arrived.
Throughout his life, Neil engaged in many practical professions. Construction work ran in the family. His great-grandfather Milton Kelly (namesake), a Civil War Vet died at 90 and worked until his retirement in construction. Another Great-Uncle was in the business and his brother is very handy with painting and power tools. Although the family tradition was so skilled they went without drawing plans, Neil's interests led him to join the Engineering Club as President in High School to augment the natural talent. With an active and constantly creative mind he kept busy. He often applied both sets of skills to make anythin that was needed for family and friends. By the time he met Winnie, he was running a Janitorial service catering to young Silicon Valley businesses. Winnie did the accounts as long as possible, but eventually the business folded.
After years of dedicated service challenged by debilitating accidents and illness, he relinquished his earthly frame for a new life in the spirit. After long series of illness (PD, Diabetes, AAA, NPH, COPD, and chronic pain due to a car accident in 1969 eventually caused three spinal surgeries which may've contributed to his neurological deficit with being a fall risk.
Even these tests and trials generated by his life did not hinder his enthusiasm for sharing his Faith as these phrases from Baha'i friends from Sunnyvale to the Willamette Valley attest:
* Neil's love of community and devotion to the Faith was admirable.
* We will always remember Neil as the warm, sweet, loving person that he was; we always looked forward to seeing him at Assembly meetings and Socials in Sunnyvale.
*His ready smile and quiet demeanor...
*Neil's sweet, kind and gentle nature - always humble, always patient, always loving.
We love him and miss and look forward to meeting again in a celestial palace with our other beloved friends and family.
One of those men who wake up happy to a cup of coffee, keeping himself busy helping people after becoming disabled shortly after their wedding in 1969. At 74 he had a long list of illnesses, none of which were the cause of his death in home hospice. He was born to Floyd Milton KELLY and Irma Belle KIZER of Mishawaka, Indiana. His Mom and family came to call him "MICK"; but in adulthood he was well-known as Neil.
He has one living brother, Ted, who was born when Neil was eleven. He loved and took care of his little brother until he entered the Navy at the age of 18 (1951), his wife and son and daughter live in Washington; He left a widow, his second wife "Winnie" of 39 years, and was a loving stepdad to both my eldest brother Paul and myself. Over the course of his life his devotion to family and friends grew to include many.
After training in the Navy in Hawaii he came in contact with the Baha'i Faith through the fireside meetings of Morrey Willows. He declared his faith in 1952 and devoted the rest of his life to serving the Cause of God through various endeavors serving people he met all along the way. He was often known to love holding Fireside chats e v e r y Friday night in bank rooms, homes, parks, wherever he was, "let's get a cup of coffee and talk".
My friend describes him as a rare man of "earth and globe'. He stood tall at 6'0", 170 pounds, warm-loving brown eyes; his dark curly hair turned to a beautiful, white-wavy hair, and wore a mustache.
Became homefront pioneer by leaving a 30-year home in Sunnyvale, CA to Monmouth, Oregon in 2000 endeavoring to help build the small Baha'i Communitty of Polk County.
He always had something nice to say. An avid cook, reader, crossword author, loved to travel, nick-named 'GoSherlock' for his interest in helping Adoptees and natural adult parents search for one another after founding A.I.D. Adoptee's Identity Discovery over 30 years ago. He retired about four years ago after signs of Parkinson's began to show.
Neil was proud to be the only male in the Home Economics Club, the first at Mishawaka H.S. He was handy with construction tool as well as the tools of the kitchen. He turned his loving energies to becoming a caretaker of his family after he became disabled. Winnie returned to full-time work until retirement and he took care of shopping, planning meals, cooking, BBQ'ing, always hunting for new recipes and treats. He loved cooking as much as eating. He made the best chili and chicken soup ever, and a speciality red pepper soup was delicious. Soups were his forte until the Weber arrived.
Throughout his life, Neil engaged in many practical professions. Construction work ran in the family. His great-grandfather Milton Kelly (namesake), a Civil War Vet died at 90 and worked until his retirement in construction. Another Great-Uncle was in the business and his brother is very handy with painting and power tools. Although the family tradition was so skilled they went without drawing plans, Neil's interests led him to join the Engineering Club as President in High School to augment the natural talent. With an active and constantly creative mind he kept busy. He often applied both sets of skills to make anythin that was needed for family and friends. By the time he met Winnie, he was running a Janitorial service catering to young Silicon Valley businesses. Winnie did the accounts as long as possible, but eventually the business folded.
After years of dedicated service challenged by debilitating accidents and illness, he relinquished his earthly frame for a new life in the spirit. After long series of illness (PD, Diabetes, AAA, NPH, COPD, and chronic pain due to a car accident in 1969 eventually caused three spinal surgeries which may've contributed to his neurological deficit with being a fall risk.
Even these tests and trials generated by his life did not hinder his enthusiasm for sharing his Faith as these phrases from Baha'i friends from Sunnyvale to the Willamette Valley attest:
* Neil's love of community and devotion to the Faith was admirable.
* We will always remember Neil as the warm, sweet, loving person that he was; we always looked forward to seeing him at Assembly meetings and Socials in Sunnyvale.
*His ready smile and quiet demeanor...
*Neil's sweet, kind and gentle nature - always humble, always patient, always loving.
We love him and miss and look forward to meeting again in a celestial palace with our other beloved friends and family.
A loving Son, Brother, Uncle, Husband and step-"DAD"...
One of those men who wake up happy to a cup of coffee, keeping himself busy helping people after becoming disabled shortly after their wedding in 1969. At 74 he had a long list of illnesses, none of which were the cause of his death in home hospice. He was born to Floyd Milton KELLY and Irma Belle KIZER of Mishawaka, Indiana. His Mom and family came to call him "MICK"; but in adulthood he was well-known as Neil.
He has one living brother, Ted, who was born when Neil was eleven. He loved and took care of his little brother until he entered the Navy at the age of 18 (1951), his wife and son and daughter live in Washington; He left a widow, his second wife "Winnie" of 39 years, and was a loving stepdad to both my eldest brother Paul and myself. Over the course of his life his devotion to family and friends grew to include many.
After training in the Navy in Hawaii he came in contact with the Baha'i Faith through the fireside meetings of Morrey Willows. He declared his faith in 1952 and devoted the rest of his life to serving the Cause of God through various endeavors serving people he met all along the way. He was often known to love holding Fireside chats e v e r y Friday night in bank rooms, homes, parks, wherever he was, "let's get a cup of coffee and talk".
My friend describes him as a rare man of "earth and globe'. He stood tall at 6'0", 170 pounds, warm-loving brown eyes; his dark curly hair turned to a beautiful, white-wavy hair, and wore a mustache.
Became homefront pioneer by leaving a 30-year home in Sunnyvale, CA to Monmouth, Oregon in 2000 endeavoring to help build the small Baha'i Communitty of Polk County.
He always had something nice to say. An avid cook, reader, crossword author, loved to travel, nick-named 'GoSherlock' for his interest in helping Adoptees and natural adult parents search for one another after founding A.I.D. Adoptee's Identity Discovery over 30 years ago. He retired about four years ago after signs of Parkinson's began to show.
Neil was proud to be the only male in the Home Economics Club, the first at Mishawaka H.S. He was handy with construction tool as well as the tools of the kitchen. He turned his loving energies to becoming a caretaker of his family after he became disabled. Winnie returned to full-time work until retirement and he took care of shopping, planning meals, cooking, BBQ'ing, always hunting for new recipes and treats. He loved cooking as much as eating. He made the best chili and chicken soup ever, and a speciality red pepper soup was delicious. Soups were his forte until the Weber arrived.
Throughout his life, Neil engaged in many practical professions. Construction work ran in the family. His great-grandfather Milton Kelly (namesake), a Civil War Vet died at 90 and worked until his retirement in construction. Another Great-Uncle was in the business and his brother is very handy with painting and power tools. Although the family tradition was so skilled they went without drawing plans, Neil's interests led him to join the Engineering Club as President in High School to augment the natural talent. With an active and constantly creative mind he kept busy. He often applied both sets of skills to make anythin that was needed for family and friends. By the time he met Winnie, he was running a Janitorial service catering to young Silicon Valley businesses. Winnie did the accounts as long as possible, but eventually the business folded.
After years of dedicated service challenged by debilitating accidents and illness, he relinquished his earthly frame for a new life in the spirit. After long series of illness (PD, Diabetes, AAA, NPH, COPD, and chronic pain due to a car accident in 1969 eventually caused three spinal surgeries which may've contributed to his neurological deficit with being a fall risk.
Even these tests and trials generated by his life did not hinder his enthusiasm for sharing his Faith as these phrases from Baha'i friends from Sunnyvale to the Willamette Valley attest:
* Neil's love of community and devotion to the Faith was admirable.
* We will always remember Neil as the warm, sweet, loving person that he was; we always looked forward to seeing him at Assembly meetings and Socials in Sunnyvale.
*His ready smile and quiet demeanor...
*Neil's sweet, kind and gentle nature - always humble, always patient, always loving.
We love him and miss and look forward to meeting again in a celestial palace with our other beloved friends and family.
One of those men who wake up happy to a cup of coffee, keeping himself busy helping people after becoming disabled shortly after their wedding in 1969. At 74 he had a long list of illnesses, none of which were the cause of his death in home hospice. He was born to Floyd Milton KELLY and Irma Belle KIZER of Mishawaka, Indiana. His Mom and family came to call him "MICK"; but in adulthood he was well-known as Neil.
He has one living brother, Ted, who was born when Neil was eleven. He loved and took care of his little brother until he entered the Navy at the age of 18 (1951), his wife and son and daughter live in Washington; He left a widow, his second wife "Winnie" of 39 years, and was a loving stepdad to both my eldest brother Paul and myself. Over the course of his life his devotion to family and friends grew to include many.
After training in the Navy in Hawaii he came in contact with the Baha'i Faith through the fireside meetings of Morrey Willows. He declared his faith in 1952 and devoted the rest of his life to serving the Cause of God through various endeavors serving people he met all along the way. He was often known to love holding Fireside chats e v e r y Friday night in bank rooms, homes, parks, wherever he was, "let's get a cup of coffee and talk".
My friend describes him as a rare man of "earth and globe'. He stood tall at 6'0", 170 pounds, warm-loving brown eyes; his dark curly hair turned to a beautiful, white-wavy hair, and wore a mustache.
Became homefront pioneer by leaving a 30-year home in Sunnyvale, CA to Monmouth, Oregon in 2000 endeavoring to help build the small Baha'i Communitty of Polk County.
He always had something nice to say. An avid cook, reader, crossword author, loved to travel, nick-named 'GoSherlock' for his interest in helping Adoptees and natural adult parents search for one another after founding A.I.D. Adoptee's Identity Discovery over 30 years ago. He retired about four years ago after signs of Parkinson's began to show.
Neil was proud to be the only male in the Home Economics Club, the first at Mishawaka H.S. He was handy with construction tool as well as the tools of the kitchen. He turned his loving energies to becoming a caretaker of his family after he became disabled. Winnie returned to full-time work until retirement and he took care of shopping, planning meals, cooking, BBQ'ing, always hunting for new recipes and treats. He loved cooking as much as eating. He made the best chili and chicken soup ever, and a speciality red pepper soup was delicious. Soups were his forte until the Weber arrived.
Throughout his life, Neil engaged in many practical professions. Construction work ran in the family. His great-grandfather Milton Kelly (namesake), a Civil War Vet died at 90 and worked until his retirement in construction. Another Great-Uncle was in the business and his brother is very handy with painting and power tools. Although the family tradition was so skilled they went without drawing plans, Neil's interests led him to join the Engineering Club as President in High School to augment the natural talent. With an active and constantly creative mind he kept busy. He often applied both sets of skills to make anythin that was needed for family and friends. By the time he met Winnie, he was running a Janitorial service catering to young Silicon Valley businesses. Winnie did the accounts as long as possible, but eventually the business folded.
After years of dedicated service challenged by debilitating accidents and illness, he relinquished his earthly frame for a new life in the spirit. After long series of illness (PD, Diabetes, AAA, NPH, COPD, and chronic pain due to a car accident in 1969 eventually caused three spinal surgeries which may've contributed to his neurological deficit with being a fall risk.
Even these tests and trials generated by his life did not hinder his enthusiasm for sharing his Faith as these phrases from Baha'i friends from Sunnyvale to the Willamette Valley attest:
* Neil's love of community and devotion to the Faith was admirable.
* We will always remember Neil as the warm, sweet, loving person that he was; we always looked forward to seeing him at Assembly meetings and Socials in Sunnyvale.
*His ready smile and quiet demeanor...
*Neil's sweet, kind and gentle nature - always humble, always patient, always loving.
We love him and miss and look forward to meeting again in a celestial palace with our other beloved friends and family.
Inscription
KELLY
Winifred L. "Winnie" Milton Neiland "Neil"
b. 11/10/1935 b. 10/12/1933
d. d. 03/05/2008
(Rose) Married 4/15/1969 (Rose)
(Image 9 pointed star)
