Daniel Thomas Kelley Jr.

Daniel Thomas Kelley, Jr., age 96, passed into the arms of his loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on 30 October 2019 at Lincoln Court in Idaho Falls. He was under the care of Hospice of Eastern Idaho. He was born in Kalamazoo, MI, on 3 Sep. 1923 in Kalamazoo, MI, to Daniel T. and Bessie (Wells) Kelley. He graduated from Central High School there and served in the Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1946. In 1946 he met his wife-to-be Joanne Ray-Jones while they were attending Western Michigan College. They were in Apr 1951, then moved to Glendale, OH, where he joined General Electric Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project as a mechanical engineer. He taught their Creative Design course.

He transferred to Idaho Falls in Feb. 1958. He was laid off in 1965. In the late '60s he lived in Ohio to finish his time with GE, then moved back to Idaho Falls where he has lived ever since. He worked for Industrial Contractors, Inc. as Chief Engineer as a Cost Estimator. In the late '70's, he joined EG&G as a Cost Estimator. He worked for Freitas-Lancaster, Inc. in the same capacity before retiring in the mid 1980's.

Dan loved to fly, but was unable to keep it up due to time and expense involved. He was an avid target shooter, fisherman and outdoorsman. He was one of the original members of the North-South Skirmish Assn. The Glory Land Band used him as the harmonica player in the 1980's. Clay sculpture and making things on his wood lathe were his hobbies.

Dan was involved in jail ministry for over 30 years. Then he conducted Chapel services at Lincoln Court for 13 years. He was an ordained deacon with Calvary Baptist Church and was a member of Berean Baptist Church at the time of his death.Dan is survived by wife Joanne, his daughter Susan J. (Steve) DeMaranville, son David D. (LauraLee) Kelley, three grandchildren, Jenny, Robert, and Marie DeMaranville, and one great-granddaughter.