Birth date: May 19, 1945 Death date: Jan 23, 2019
Brian Allan Kelly Family: Brian was born in Detroit, Michigan on the 19th of May in 1945 and died in Dunedin, Florida on January 23, 2019. He is survived by his beloved foster son Yew Teck (William) Tan of Schenectady, NY, his s Read Obituary
Brian had a smile that would make a person happy! He was truly a wonderful neighbor. Every time I was working out in my yard and Brian was taking his walk, he would stop and chat, and he would often compliment me on my gardening efforts. Once when I was complaining about the weeds, he told me what he used to keep the weeds from taking over - and it worked. I will truly miss such a nice man and neighbor.
Diane K
I met Brian about twelve years ago, after he had retired and moved to Florida, and I think of that day as a gift, leading to a friendship which has been refreshing and uplifting to my life. As it happens, we grew up within minutes of each other in the same area of Detroit, and even went to the same church, Redford Presbyterian. We were part of the same Sunday School program but never actually met, as a two year difference in our ages meant we would have been in different classes. Had my family not moved to the suburbs, we might have run into each other in high school, being in the same Redford High School district. It would be another forty-five years or more before our paths finally crossed one day at my workplace, which just seems so random, yet maybe not. Our conversation that day led to the discovery of our similar childhood roots, and we must have spent at least an hour trading stories and memories and reminiscing about how nice it was to grow up in Detroit in those days. I’m hopelessly nostalgic and was in my element, but I could see that Brian was enjoying it, too, and I was struck by his thoughtful, sincere, and delighted manner throughout the conversation. I remember thinking that it almost seemed as if we were old friends. And that day did lead to a delightful friendship that made a difference in my life.
Brian was such a wonderful person, a kind, considerate, gentle and caring man. He seemed to have a joyfulness that came from within and a positive outlook that was inspiring. Even though the sadness and loss is so painful and raw, just writing this brings a sense of gratitude and joy for being even a small part of his life. Through his own example, in his quiet, humble way, he was an inspiration and touched many lives, including mine.
Thank you, Brian. I will miss you very much. Aloha, my friend.
Brian was a kind, gentle, thoughtful and caring person. We attended many concerts together with like - minded friends, and it was always interesting hearing his musical reviews after - mostly very positive. He will be greatly missed. Betty Dethmers
Brian and I met on the Lake Huron beach 73 years ago. Brian was my steady friend all that time. I talked on the phone with him a week before he died. I will miss him so very much. Heart hurts. 💔😥
-Dear Jean, and George and William, too,
-You have lost a dear brother, a wonderful brother-in-law, a kind and guiding father figure and I have lost my oldest friend. I am so sorry.
-You probably don't remember, Jean, when your terrific mother and her baby son met another fantastic mother (mine) on the Lex Hi Beach in Michigan when Brian and I were 10 weeks old, born 2 days apart. I'm older.
-Brian and I grew up together and stayed in touch all our lives. He went to Redford H. S. and I went to Cooley. We have visited each other's homes. We celebrated our birthdays, sometimes together, once at Disney World. We called. We emailed. We confided. Each year as I read his Christmas letter, I followed news of his friends, the trips he took. I will miss those letters.
-May Brian RIP and may your souls and beings be stronger because he was in your life, and in mine.
His passing is like a sunset on Lake Huron... we have come full circle.
Wow. Just yesterday Brian popped into my head when I was reading an article about controversial newspaper stories written by kids for their school papers. Brian taught the newspaper class at Lahainaluna when I was a sophomore in 93', I think? I wrote an opinion piece about the no slipper rule Lahainaluna had at the time. Slightly controversial back then. Brian wore many hats while teaching at that school. Well, 8 or 9 years later my husband and I ended up buying Brian's house when he decided to move back to Florida which we still live in for the past 18 years and counting. He was good friends with our neighbors, who are his old neighbors and would visit pretty regularly each summer and he would always come over to take a tour to see what we've done with the place. He always had a few tips or tricks with this or that and can I just mention how unbelievably ORGANIZED he was! Everything, every single work order, receipt or invoice having to do with the house he had in a file along with every manual for every appliance and I still have all of it however we no longer have any of those appliances. Lol, and even 18 years after he moved we still get mail for him for music catalogs and such.
I'm kinda in disbelief right now so I'm sorry for rambling on but I really haven't taken this all in. My condolences to his family members blood related or not. Brian was a kind and rare person, always smiling and genuinely interested in the world around him. I can't recall a time where I ever saw him get mad or impatient or bothered by anything or anyone. He took the time to address each person or issue that came his way. Very sad to hear about this, Brian definitely made use of his time while here.
Aloha Brian,
Sincerely,
Kalea and Jason Dean
I had Mr. Kelly for Band at Lahainaluna H.S. and was his Drum Major my senior year 1983. He was a wonderful teacher and person. He knew how to be a coach, a mentor and disciplinarian and he blended all three perfectly. Being in band was very special because Mr. Kelly made it special. Thank you Mr. Kelly for your dedication to your many many students over the years. You truly made a difference in our lives.
I remember singing at Church of the Good Shepherd in Dunedin and hearing a fine bass voice in the congregation. I made a point of meeting him after the service, introducing him to the choir director/organist Carol Alexander, and encouraging him to join the choir.
I was always glad when I ran into Brian. We were facilitator of Celiac Support groups - he in Pinellas and me in Hillsborough We would compare notes and swap names and numbers of people seeking support on living the GF life style. I always had a warm feeling when we departed and he wished me “Aloha”. Aloha Brian
Janet Heitler
I came to Lahainaluna High School in the fall of 1995, and one of the first people who welcomed me was Brian. Over the years I enjoyed our lunches together almost as much as attending his Music Concerts. Aside from his music classes, he also contributed to the well-being and education of LHS students by agreeing to teach a math class, so that class sizes would be smaller and students could receive more individualized instruction. Perhaps his greatest legacy is his tireless work on setting up the Lahainaluna High School Foundation, as well as his contributions to Lahainaluna's accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) . The lives of all who knew him, as well as those who benefited from his work are forever enriched by his friendship and optimism. Rest in Peace, Dear Friend, and now you can sing with the Angels.
