DOROTHY MARIE KELLY (nee Manning), of Waltham, MA, 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 24th, 2018 surrounded by her loving family after complications due to congestive heart failure. Loving and devoted mother to Kelly (Nancy) Ingram (Ray), Michael Kelly (Carol), and Kerry Henkels (Rod). Proud grand-mother of Carly, Kristin, Jayne, Gabriella, Liam, Allie and Marlena.
Dear sister to Eleanor (Manning) Scanlon and Karen Weisbaum, and adoring aunt to Stephen, Sheryl, David and Joshua. Predeceased by her loving husband John J. Kelly Jr. (Jack), brother Joseph and nephew Arthur. Dorothy was born in Boston and raised primarily in Jamaica Plain.
She would say her mother had “sand in her shoes” as they moved eleven times around her beloved city of Boston, but never far from her mother’s large Irish family. She attended Boston Latin School, graduated from Jamaica Plain High School and liked to tell everyone that she was double promoted in 3rd grade. She attended Boston University and worked in the insurance industry as a young woman.
She married the love of her life Jack Kelly on June 17th, 1952. Together Dorothy and Jack took the bold step to strike out on their own and founded John J. Kelly Jr. Insurance Agency in 1958. She raised her three children in Waltham and re-entered the workforce via the temporary placement agency Kelly Girls.
Some joked that she was the original “Kelly Girl”. She then worked at the Sullivan Advertising Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. In 1985 she resumed working at Kelly Insurance with her son and continued working until she was 88.
She loved the work and thoroughly enjoyed the interactions with customers. She enjoyed the game of golf and the many friendships formed at Oakley Country Club. She loved more than anything to be with her family and travelled to Philadelphia, Trenton NJ and thoroughly enjoyed family vacations on Cape Cod.
She spent her last years in Philadelphia with her daughters, but there was never a doubt that she was a Bostonian. Her sharp wit, wisdom and love for her family will be missed, and she will remain forever in our hearts. Visitation is Thursday, May 31, 4-7pm at MacDonald Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Service, 270 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472 Dorothy’s Funeral Mass is Friday, June 1, 11am and will be held at Our Lady the Comforter of the Afflicted Church, 920 Trapelo Rd.
, Waltham, MA 02452. Internment is at Calvary Cemetery, 250 High St., Waltham, MA 02453. In Lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Perkins School for the Blind, 175.
N. Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02472.
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