John Patrick "Jack" Kelly Sr., resident of Palo Alto, passed away peacefully at Channing House in Palo Alto on May 26, 2015, with his loving wife and sons by his side.
A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church at 3:00 PM on Thursday, June 4, 2015 (751 Waverley Street, Palo Alto California 94301)
Jack is survived by his wife, Kathleen, sons, John Patrick Jr. and Charles Quigley, daughters-in-law Katherine Davis and Kathryn Weisbrod and four grandchildren Katie, Jennifer, Jacqueline and Gracey to whom he is lovingly known as Grandpa.
Born on October 20, 1933 in Boston, Massachusetts to Catherine and Patrick Kelly, he was their only child. Jack attended St. Anthony's Grade School and Commerce High School in Boston before graduating from the University of Michigan in 1955. Jack went on to work for General Motors and served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard before graduating from Boston College Law School.
Jack moved to San Francisco, met and married the love of his life Kathleen and in 1965 began their 50 year marriage. He began practicing law at the Hoberg Law Firm and continued his prestigious legal career as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary for Consolidated Freightways. He later attended Harvard University Business School's AMP program and was elected President of his class.
In addition to his business career Jack served as the Chairman of the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and sat on the boards of UC Berkeley's Haas Business School and Saint Mary's College.
Jack loved people and cherished his time with family and friends and was a man of deep and devoted faith. He was always interested in how he could help others and used his engaging humor to put people at ease and make the world a happier place.
A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church at 3PM on Thursday, June 4, 2015 (751 Waverley Street, Palo Alto California 94301) immediately followed by a reception at Menlo Circus Club (190 Park Lane, Atherton, CA 94027).
In lieu of flowers please consider a charitable donation in memory of Jack Kelly to Pathways Hospice (585 North Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale CA 94685) or Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.
Published in San Francisco Chronicle on May 31, 2015