Barbara A. Kelly

Sept. 20, 1927-Oct. 13, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- A memorial service for Barbara A. Kelly, 82, Lawrence will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, at Plymouth Congregational Church. Private inurnment will follow at Pioneer Cemetery on the West Campus of The University of Kansas. She died Oct. 8, 2009, in Lawrence.

She was born Sept. 20, 1927, in Bennett, the daughter of Vaclav and Mary F. (Kuncl) Vesely.

Barbara attended the University of Nebraska and graduated with a degree in Elementary Music and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Kansas. She was an elementary music educator in public schools in Lincoln and McCook, Gunnison, Colo., and Lawrence Public Schools. In the Lawrence Public Schools, she served as an elementary instrumental, strings and vocal music teacher. She had a firm belief in music as a therapy for the soul. Her life mission was to assist people in their personal journeys by encouraging them to express themselves through music.

Barbara was well known in Lawrence for her strong local volunteerism, as a leader in the nationally recognized Plymouth Congregational Church Hand bell Choirs, and manager for the Lawrence City Band.

She was active in many musical organizations, Mu Phi Epsilon, Music Educators National Conference, Kansas Music Educators, Lawrence Music Club, Guild of English Hand bell Ringers, Kansas ORF Society, and American String Teachers Association. She received the Service to Mankind Award in 1998 from Lawrence Sertoma Club and the Sunflower Award from the Kansas Association of Retired School Personnel. She was also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a women-in-education society, and Czech-Slovak Club.

She married William (Bill) L. Kelly on Dec. 21, 1947, in Crete. He preceded her in death on Nov. 3, 1998.

Survivors include a son, Bill and wife, Carolyn, Lawrence; three daughters, Kathy Scannell and husband, Jeff, Topeka, Kan.; Mary Jo Shipley and husband, Dan, Olathe, Kan.; Susan Bracciano and husband, Mike, St. Joseph, Mo.; 13 grandchildren Cortney, William II and Joe Kelly; Travis, Jeremy and Kelly Scannell; Matthew, Paul, and Joel Shipley; Nicholas, Michael, Patrick and Anna Bracciano.

She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Karen; sister, Marion Padboy; brother, Francis Vesely and her niece, Mary Claire Rozanek.

The family will greet friends from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, at Warren-McElwain Mortuary

Warren-McElwain Mortuary of Lawrence, Kan., is in charge of arrangements.