Patricia Kelly Obituary

Patricia Creel Collinson Kelly passed away on Monday, November 8, in Lawrence at the great age of 96. A third-generation resident of Douglas County, she was born in Lawrence in 1925. During her nearly a century of life in Lawrence, she experienced the Great Depression as a child and attended KU during World War II. She loved, married and mourned two men, William Collinson and William Kelly. While raising three sons, she had a long and varied work life most notably in the office of the Douglas County Attorney and later as the administrator for Women's Athletics at the University of Kansas. In recent years, she was active in the Endacott Society at KU and was a dedicated bridge player, traveler, gardener and reader of mystery novels.

She is survived by two of her sons: Bruce Collinson, of Lawrence, and Howard Collinson, of Weston, MO. She is also survived by a stepdaughter, Billie Manderick, of Topeka, KS, and four stepsons, Michael Kelly of Texas, Tim Kelly of Lawrence, Shawn Kelly of Las Vegas, NV, and Kevin Kelly of Lawrence in addition to their spouses and children – all much loved. Her sister, Sharon McCullough, lives in Henderson, NV.

A memorial gathering will be held at the home at 1301 Stone Meadows Drive in Lawrence on Tuesday, November 16 at 11:00AM. A private inurnment will follow.

Condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com.