John J. "Jack" Kelley Obituary (1936

Lorain-John J. "Jack" Kelley, 80, was born in Lorain, Ohio on March 14, 1936 to his loving parents, Laverne and John J.(Cap) Kelley. He died Saturday, March 27, 2016 at Specialty Hospital of Lorain in Amherst, Ohio. Jack attended Lorain St. Mary School during his elementary and high school years where he excelled academically, athletically and spiritually. During his high school years he worked at the American Ship Building Company as a riveter. After graduation, and at the conclusion of the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army oversees in Germany as part of the U.S. peacekeeping efforts as a tank operator. While in Germany he was recruited to and played football for the U.S. Army tank division where he was a standout player. Upon returning home from the U.S. Army, Jack continued his football career at Bowling Green University where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration. On January 30th, 1960, he married the love of his life, Barbara C. Kelley (Long). Soon after, they moved to Los Angeles, California to start their life and family together. In Los Angeles, Jack began his career in the insurance industry as a manager of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company. In 1966, to be closer to his mother and sister, Jack moved back to his hometown of Lorain with his wife Barbara and their three young children. With another child on the way, Jack began his career as a sales agent with the New York Life Insurance Company which had spanned over 50 years. During his sales career with the New York Life, Jack earned both Industry and company specific top awards of distinction for his service to the community. Some of the service and sales accolades he achieved were; 45 year qualifying and life member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), with several Top of the Table, and Court of the Table qualifications. The MDRT is an Industry recognition that less than 1% of all insurance and financial professionals qualify. He was a 28 consecutive year member of the New York Life "10" a month club, he earned 30 times the New York Life Centurion Award, multiple New York Life "Man of the Year" awards for leading all New York Life agents in total production in his General Office territory, he qualified multiple times in all club levels of the New York Life, The Executive Club, The Presidents Club & The Chairmen's Club. In addition to being a leading Insurance sales agent, Jack was constantly learning and mastering the complexities of his business. He earned several professional designations; most notable were the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) and the Registered Health Underwriter (RHU). Jack gave back to the Industry in which he excelled by serving on the Ohio Board of the National Association of Life Underwriters (NALU) as its President in 1974 and 1975. He also served many years on the board for the Lorain County Chapter of NALU as its President and in other multiple capacities. In 1983, he incorporated his expanding business which was morphing into recruiting Managing General Agency focusing on Life & Health Insurance. At this point Jack was acting as a General Agent for several Major Medical companies most notably, Central Reserve Life (CRL). As a General Agent with Central Reserve Life, Jack recruited and appointed over 85 agents in the Tri-county area and was one Central Reserve Life's top producing General Agencies. In 1992, the need for additional space prompted Jack to locate and build a professional office building on Leavitt road in his hometown of Lorain to accommodate his business, Jack Kelley, CLU & Associates Inc. His Agency and Legacy are located there presently as a full service wholesale brokerage focusing on Life, Health & Annuities and serves the community as the area's leading resource on healthcare reform. His agency continued to receive recognition from within the industry for its successes, but, he was always proud of the outside the industry recognition; in particular as the recipient of several Golden 30 awards in the established business category. As a respected community leader, Jack gave back to the community that supported him. He sat on several boards in the area, most notably the Lorain Port Authority board from 2001-2004. He was an active member in Lorain Kiwanis. Jack was a PSR teacher and Eucharistic Minister at St Peter Lorain and with his wife gave weekly communion to the sick in hospitals and nursing homes in the area. He was and avid Right to life Supporter. He was extremely generous with his time and money and gave both to countless organizations throughout the area. Although Jack was a dedicated businessman and a community leader, he will be most missed as caring, loving, and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. While his children were growing up, he made them a priority by supporting them and attending all of their sporting events and school functions. He always made time for his family and instilled importance of persistence, discipline, strong work ethic through everyday example molded in the catholic faith. He taught his children that they could do anything they wanted to do if they did it with "faith, courage and enthusiasm". He often played backyard football, basketball, baseball games and other outdoor activities with his and neighborhood children. He was a competitive racquetball player and often challenged anyone, including his children to play with him. He was a pet lover and brought a variety of pet's home over the years as surprises for his children. Jack had a variety of hobbies that he shared with his family with a favorite being boating. Jack enjoyed and had several boats on Lake Erie and took his family fishing, on weekend trips to the islands every year and even ventured all the way up to Lake Huron. His most adventurous trip was taking his boat from its dock in Lorain to his dock in the Florida Keys, a 20 day excursion and a view of the east coast from the water that most will never know. Jack was a certified scuba diver and enjoyed scuba diving throughout the Caribbean and in the Florida Keys. He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed deep sea fishing in the Florida Keys and Caribbean. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Kelley of Lorain; his sons, Patrick Kelley of Sheffield Lake, Kevin Kelley of Wellington and Daniel Kelley (Natalie) of Amherst; grandchildren, Erin, John, Katie, Riana, Brenna, Ryan, Bryan and Kara; and great grandson, Maxwell. He was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; sister, Jane Dur Java; Sons, John and Michael Kelley; and daughter, Kathleen Kelley. The family will receive friends at Reidy-Scanlan-Giovannazzo Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2150 Broadway, Lorain (440) 244-1961 on Friday, April 1, 2016 from 3:00 - 7:00 PM. Closing prayers will be held at the funeral home on Saturday, April 2nd at 10:20 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, April 2, 2015 at St. Peter Parish, 3655 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, Fr. Craig M. Hovanec, Pastor, officiating. Christian burial services will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Lorain, OH with military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jack's memory to the Blessing House, 5440 Grove Avenue, Lorain, OH 44055 or St. Peter Parish School Scholarship Program or St. Peter Parish St. Vincent dePaul Society 3655 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, OH 44053. Online condolences may be sent using www.rsgfuneralhome.com.