S04 Gladys Kelly

Gladys Kelly, wife of George Kelly and honorary NAPCN member, passed away on January 13, 2004. The following obituary was written by her daughter, Jacqueline Kelly Aldridge.

Gladys Thompson Kelly, age 97 passed away on January 13, 2004 at the Fairhaven Health Center in Sykesville, Maryland. She was born April, 27, 1906 in Sioux City, Iowa to Joseph and Matilda Thompson. She was the beloved wife of the late George Alexander Kelly, an eminent psychologist who was the author of The Psychology of Personal Constructs. Gladys Kelly grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and attended Morningside College. Upon graduation in 1926, she moved to Sheldon, Iowa, where she taught high school English and drama. It was there she met her husband. They were married on June 3, 1931. The couple moved to Hays, Kansas, where Dr. Kelly accepted a teaching position at Fort Hays Kansas State Teachers' College. After WW II broke out, Dr. Kelly enlisted in the Navy and the family moved to Washington D. C. where he was also a professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland. In 1946, Dr. Kelly was appointed Director of the Clinical Psychology Program at Ohio State University. The Kellys moved to Worthington, Ohio, where they lived for the next nineteen years. Mrs. Kelly was active in a number of Faculty Women's Club study groups, particularly those devoted to literature and drama. She was an eager hostess. She enjoyed entertaining Dr. Kelly's students when they gathered at the Kelly's home for weekly seminars. In 1965, Dr. Kelly accepted a Chair at Brandeis University, and the couple moved to Framingham, Massachusetts. After Dr. Kelly's death in 1967, Mrs. Kelly continued to live in Framingham until 1976, when she moved to Leisure World in Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1991, she moved to Fairhaven in Sykesville, where she remained until her death. Mrs. Kelly was raised as a Lutheran, but she became a member of the Presbyterian Church after her marriage. During her later years, she regularly attended the Interfaith Services at Fairhaven. Gladys Kelly met the challenges of their life with courage and strength. While married, she devoted her life to her husband and children. She loved traveling; she once spent an entire year accompanying her husband on a lecture tour around the world. After Dr. Kelly's death, she built a new life for herself. She participated in a number of interest groups both at Leisure World and at Fairhaven. She continued to travel extensively, including a six-week tour of China when she was in her late 70's. She loved to read, and books became her constant companions during her twilight years. Mrs. Kelly is survived by her daughter Jacqueline Aldridge of Ann Arbor, Michigan, her son Joseph and daughter-in-law Susan Kelly of Waldorf, Maryland, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In accordance with her wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on January 31st at 10:30 in the Fairhaven Chapel. Burial will take place at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Worthington, Ohio, on February 2nd. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Fairhaven Residence Assistance Fund. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Haight Funeral Home in Sykesville, Maryland.

Obituary courtesy of Franz Epting.