Beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend - Kelley left us suddenly and unexpectedly on June 3, 2019.  She was a force to be reckoned with, an unforgettable personality who had an impact on all she met.

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She began life in Inglewood, California, but in those turbulent times of the late 1960's her father Ted decided to pack up the family and move to the quiet northern Kansas town of Belleville.  It was here she spent her formative years with her parents Ted & Connie, sister Mindy, and her brother Tom.   Kelley decided to attend Pittsburgh State University, in Pittsburgh, Kansas, where she earned two college degrees....one in biology and one in medical technology. 

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Along the way she got married and brought her son Zac into the world.   She worked as a med tech, but felt unfulfilled.  The marriage ended, and she decided to try and become a Physician Assistant.  Unsurprisingly to those who knew her, she won the coveted National Health Service Corps scholarship, which allowed her to attend PA school at Wichita State University.   She passed her board exam and became a certified Physician Assistant.   She somehow found time to marry her husband Charles, and continued working as a PA at a variety of locations over the years, making friends as she went. 

 

The last couple of years, she turned to locums work (temporary assignments), but on only about her fourth assignment, she landed in Susanville, CA.   This was a special job and special place for her.  She fell in love with the people at Northeastern Rural Health Clinic, and fully expected to be working there full time as a regular employee soon.  Charles was getting ready to uproot and move to Susanville as soon as the offer came.

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It was not to be,  she was taken from us too soon, and those who knew her and loved her must grieve the loss but also celebrate her life.  She was a devoted Christian, having a strong relationship with God.  When not spoiling her french bulldog Henry, she spent much of her free time reading scripture, sermons, and doing Bible studies.  She wanted to write devotional books, and had completed some preliminary work on that task.

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She was whip smart, quirky, occasionally sassy, and all in all unforgettable.  The sound of her laugh will linger on in the memories of those lucky enough to have been part of her life.

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