Jack Kelly Obituary

A visitation for Jack Wallace Kelly is set for 4:30 ~ 7:30 PM, Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS, 66044. A funeral service is set for 2:00 PM, Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Wesleyan Fellowship Church, 546 6th Street, Las Animas, CO, 81054. A burial will follow at Las Animas Cemetery in Las Animas, CO.

Jack Wallace Kelly passed away on Veterans Day, November 11, 2025. His wife of 71 years, Diane, was by his side. He was born February 8, 1932, in Las Animas, Colorado, the first of five children of James C. and Verna E. Felkner Kelly. Jack spent the first 23 years of his life in Las Animas except the time he served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Jack received an emergency discharge from the Air Force to take care of the family farm and ranch following a serious injury to his father that later resulted in his father's death at age 41. Jack gave up farming and ranching because of respiratory problems diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Jack graduated from Bent County High School in 1950, where he was Student Body President, and attended La Junta Junior College, and the University of Colorado. In the early 1950's he was an Undersheriff of Bent County. In 1955 he began employment with the engineering department of the Santa Fe Railway Company. His thirty-five year career with Santa Fe had the family living in Pueblo, Colorado; Las Vegas, New Mexico; Flagstaff, Arizona; Prescott, Arizona; Homewood, Illinois and Topeka, Kansas. He retired in 1990 as Manager of Real Estate and Contracts. Subsequent to retirement Jack became a collector of railroad dining car china and other railroad artifacts. He was recognized for achieving the first complete collection of Santa Fe's Mimbreno china collection.

Jack was a Life Member of the American Railway Engineering Association. He became a member in 1961 and served several positions within AREA. He joined the American Legion in Las Animas in 1951 and transferred to the Prescott, Arizona Post 6 after moving there in 1992. He had 73 years of continuous membership in the American Legion.

Jack and Diane Butner were united in marriage on June 13, 1954, at Las Animas and have achieved 71 years of happiness with each other. In addition to his wife, survivors are sons Col.(Ret.) Michael Kelly (Georgiana Beverly) of Lawrence, Kansas; Thomas Kelly of Topeka, Kansas; and daughters Patti Kelly of Littleton, Colorado; Jackie Kelly of Lynnwood, Washington. Surviving grandchildren are all of Thomas, Valerie Marshall (Timothy), Christopher "Kit" Kelly, Timothy Kelly, Aaron Kelly, Sarah Kelly, Hope Herrera (Robert), Rebekah Soper (Brayden), Elijah Kelly, Jonah Kelly, Nathan Kelly and step granddaughter-in-law Karoline Kuhn Kelly. He had seven great-grandchildren, Savannah "Sam" Cook, Chloe Cook, Klementine Kelly, Hudson Kelly, Sage Kelly, Haven Herrera and Robert "Robbie" Herrera III. He was predeceased by his sister Elizabeth Bartholomew, and brothers James Kelly, Robert Kelly and William Kelly and grandson Bryan Kelly.

During his lifetime he served as a Little League manager and a PTA president at McEachron Elementary School. He was a member of the International Right of Way Association, the Railroadiana Collectors Association and Questers International. He was also a member of the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society. He contributed information to assist authors of railroad historical books and manuscripts and was himself the author of historical articles. Jack was proud to be a life member of the Pioneer Historical Society of Bent County, Colorado, the location of his birth. He was also member of the Tai-Chi Group of the Lawrence Welcome Club.

His was a happy, creative and productive life. He will be remembered for his courage, his judgment, his dedication and his integrity, each of which was on display many times in his life. His family will remember the love, the care and the joy he provided through the years.

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.