In Memory

Dr. Christopher Pat Kelly

Dr. Christopher Pat Kelly

Dr. Christopher Pat Kelly

Dr. Christopher Pat Kelly, 68, of Las Vegas, passed away May 31, 2016 with his loving wife of 27 years, Wendy, at his side. Born July 22, 1947, in Las Vegas, Chris was the son of James and Patsy Kelly, and brother to David Kelly.

He graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1965 before obtaining his bachelor, two masters, and a doctorate degree from UNLV. Chris was respected by students and faculty throughout his career as a professor and dean at universities including UNLV, CSN, Regis University and WGU. He was an avid sportsman who played basketball at UNLV and tennis for over 40 years. He also attended every UNLV basketball and football game.

Christopher will be remembered for his caring and supportive personality. He was a wonderful husband and father who loved his family and put them before everything. Christopher's passion was teaching, as he loved helping people succeed in surpassing their goals.

He is now in Heaven with his son, Brandon Dimick;, his parents, and his brother. Chris is survived by his wife, Wendy Kelly; daughter, Heather (Ryan) Mahoney; and granddaughters, Madison Davis and Ryleigh Dimick.

Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Friday, June 24, at Palm Valley View Memorial Park, 7600 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to City of Hope Cancer Treatment and Research Center in Southern California.

"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."-Pablo Picasso



 
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06/12/16 05:10 PM #1    

Jean Heywood (Slocum)

Nice guy. He accomplished a great deal in his life.  His example will be felt by those who knew and loved him. What more could a person want.


06/22/16 10:20 PM #2    

Lillian Kovats (Cross)

It never ceases to amaze me how well our classmates have done in life. Dr. Kelly is another fine example.
 


08/20/16 06:17 PM #3    

Craig Jolley

Not sure when we started hanging out because Chris was such a natural, low-key guy, never in your face, easy to take for granted, comfortable to be around.   We were complimentary in some ways, I think to our mutual benefit.  I worried about what people thought of me, sometimes worked to change those opinions where he was always himself, reserved.  I tried to see humor in everything, went around making fun of things, cracking  jokes, and I think some of my breeziness rubbed off on Chris like his genuineness had an effect on me. 


Every year somebody would throw an election party.  We’d make banners, posters, badges with campaign slogans. One year Bill Preece hosted it in his den.  As it was winding down we got the idea to pull off a prank at the Arctic Circle drive-in, two rows of cars serviced by waitresses who’d bring your order to your car, put it on a tray attached to the driver’s window.  It’s Friday night so almost every parking space is occupied.  They let me off a block away.  The first car driven by Bill Griffiths creeps up behind me.  I start running on the gravel sidewalk adjacent to a row of cars.  Riding shotgun,  Chris yells, “There he is,” fires 2 shots from his blank gun.  I fall dead on the gravel, Bill and Chris speed off.  Bill Preece, right behind in car 2, slams on his brakes.  Terry Ryan and Dean Slade hop out and sling me into the back seat and we peel out.  Bill notices a car in his rear-view mirror he suspects is following us so he speeds up and loses them before taking us back to his house where we celebrate our triumph with those who stayed behind.  After that I just went home, but Dean and a few others returned to the scene of the crime.  A couple of cop cars were there investigating with customers standing around talking.

Sports, playing and spectating, was the beginning of our friendship.  His best sport was basketball, mine fast-pitch softball.  In those days the LDS church sponsored competitive leagues of 8-10 teams.   We were allowed to recruit a few non-Mormon ringers.  Chris was a natural, not only for his ability but also because he was such a great friend to the other players, like Gary Earl, Steve Nelson, Kaye Ellsworth, Ken Ammon.  Our senior year was memorable with strong teams in both sports.  At 6” 3” Chris was good around the basket, and he could dunk with a running start.  He and Grant Cox were our best players.  I still think we could have won our league in both sports.  We were tied for first in basketball with three games to go but lost our next 2 games to blow the season.  That summer when our softball team held our first practice we expected to have the same manager as the year before, but he didn’t show up.  Chris nominated me to take over, and nobody else said anything so I did.   I was OK at making lineups, and we did come in first, but I had a terrible temper, spoiled some games by arguing with the umpire.  

We started going to UNLV basketball games beginning in the early 60’s when (still called NSU) the Rebels played other small college teams in a gym on campus with rollaway stands.  After they graduated to Division I the Rebels moved to the Convention Center.  Four or five of us usually went together, got there early for the JV games at 5:30, sat on the front row, mid-court.  I’d bring a spiral notebook to score the games, keeping track of shots taken, missed or made, rebounds, steals, fouls, blocked shots, turnovers.  Bill Preece sometimes refereed, mixing in football like throwing his handkerchief on the floor when he called a foul. We took turns announcing the games, but Chris was our best play-by play man.  He listened to Laker games, stole some of Chick Hearn’s pet phrases like "Bob Moon brings the ball up left to right across your dial," "Bob Florence fakes his man into the popcorn machine."  Chris also handled commercials, “This is Carl Poole, Warthen Buick.  We’d like every Rebel fan to come in and test drive the new Riviera.” His daughter Heather told me Chris eventually got season tickets to Rebel games first row, half court. He loved Tarkanian's teams with all-out pressing defense and wide-open offense.  Sometimes Chris went to Rebel practices, knew every player’s game.  Not sure, but I think his favorite team was the mid-70’s Rebels with Reggie Theus, Gondrezick.  This was before 3-point baskets, but the Rebels shot 25-footers anyway.

We went on a road trip with Jim Gamett and Terry Ryan for a Dodger game in LA, checked into a motel room in Glendale with two double beds, Chris and I sharing a bed.  When I woke up the next morning Chris was trying to sleep in a chair.  He claimed everything was OK, but finally I got him to admit I'd stretched in the middle of the night with my arms extended, smashing him in the face.  He didn't want to make a scene, wake everybody up. 
 
I'd occasionally watch football or baseball games at 1117 Norman, usually with Chris and his father Jim.  They never treated me like a special guest, and I always felt comfortable.  Jim was also a sports junkie, but unlike most fans of his generation he knew the players and what it took to win games.  His mother Patsy doted on Chris.  I still remember the singing quality of her voice.  When I visited Chris, Wendy, and Heather this April I took a shot at imitating Patsy.  Wendy claimed I nailed it, though I suspect her of politeness. I didn’t really know his parents that well, but I’m sure Chris’s magnanimous personality derived a lot from their examples.

When I'd come home from college on holidays or summer, we'd play basketball with serous players like Doug Willets, Russell Masek, usually in high school gyms on Sundays, a tradition Chris stayed with most of his life as I understand with Craig Rollins, Jerry McGimsey, Jim Miller, Mark Larsen, other local jocks joining the rotation over the years.   

We branched out into other common interests:  Golf--we'd play the 9-hole course at the Aladdin.  European films with directors like Antonioni, Truffaut, but we mainly stuck with American comedies like Brewster McLoud, It's a Mad, Mad World, The Loved One, (anything with Jonathan Winters), Goodbye Columbus.  We had an unspoken custom of going to the movies Christmas afternoon after all the Santa Claus stuff was over.  Chris took an advanced American Lit class at UNLV where he got into Jerzy Kosinski, passed that on to me so I read his novels, and we’d talk about them.  Also liberal politics, though we were more interested in social change than in seeing laws passed. 

I took a government job in 1971 in Washington, D.C.  His advice before I left, "Don't let the green buildings get you."  I don't think they did.  We stupidly didn't stay in close contact after that.  We'd sit together at LVHS reunions--it was like picking up a conversation from the day before.


Chris was the nicest guy I’ve ever known.

 


08/21/16 05:35 AM #4    

Bruce Langson

Thank you Craig Jolly for sharing your memories of Chris.


08/21/16 09:51 AM #5    

Jean Heywood (Slocum)

Craig, you have amazing memory and writing skills. I truly enjoyed reading this.Thanks for sharing them.

08/21/16 11:23 AM #6    

Kathy McNally

Thank you, Craig, for this very heartwarming remembrance of Chris -a true gentle soul.


08/21/16 01:17 PM #7    

Bill Stirton

Craig      Thanks for sharing your stories.   Am I correct that Chris was a Detroit sports fan?   For some reason, I remember him wearing a Detroit Tigers cap which stood out at John C Fremont Jr. High  Just a thought but because you seem to have so many memories of so many of our classmates, could we encourage you to write a periodic column for the website?     Finally, the obituary indicates that Chris played basketball at UNLV, is that true ?      I remember going to many UNLV games in the old gym and the Convention Center (Silas Stepp!), too.  But do not remember Chris on the team.  Seemed like many of the players were recruited from other places.  Keep  brushing off the memories     Thanks    Bill 

 

 

 

 


08/22/16 10:30 AM #8    

Craig Jolley

Thanks Bill and others for your comments.


Yeah, Chris was a Detroit fan.  He modeled his batting stance after his hero Al Kaline, and it worked--he could hit.  In basketball he liked Dave Debusschere until he was traded to the Knicks, then switched to Dave Bing.   I asked him about the Tigers when I visited him this spring.  They were still his team, but he was embarrassed when he couldn't quite summon up Miguel Cabrera's name.     

The bit about Chris playing basketball at UNLV is probably a rewrite slip-up by the newspaper.  I think he did play intermurals which could be where that came from.  Because of his connections around town he could usually get a gym on weekends.  He ran a city league basketball team for years that almost always won their league.

Incidentally Wendy Kelly asked me to speak at Chris's memorial held on June 24.   My extended post was  mainly what I said that morning.  It was a bouyant occasion with a good turnout--guys he’s played basketball with for years, college faculty and students, extended family. From our class Louis DuBois (sorry about my faux pas when trying to recognize you), Craig Rollins, Jerry McGimsey, Merwyn Gupton, Judy Dennison, Jim Gamett, Dean and Susie Slade, probably a couple of others I can’t think of.  

Let me think about your idea of my writing a bit more on the website .  I take your compliment, but truthfully I run my mouth too much already--I'm almost a hog.


08/23/16 06:59 PM #9    

Kristina Speer (Cooper)

 

Craig , thank you for posting your sweet memories of Chris.  I have not yet come to terms with and have not yet accepted his passing.  Your memories are so perfect.  Chris was a dear friend.  His parents were so special.  Patsy was my god mother.  I cannot think about him without feeling a huge loss.  He has always been in my life.  I loved seeing him with Wendy.  Both our mothers were just in love with her.  I'm glad he had such a happy marriage.  I don't think I will ever stop missing him.   There was never a sweeter, funnier, more decent humble person.   Thank you so much for sharing your memories with all of us.  

K


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