Virginia Kelly

Virginia (Williams) Kelly, 100 years old, Frostburg, passed this life peacefully at home on Sunday 23 December 2018. She was born on 29 July 1918, the daughter of Cambria Williams and Emma Susan Whetstone, both of Frostburg. She married the love of her life, Pat Kelly, also of Frostburg, who preceded her in death in 2007. Their love was an inspiration to all who knew them. She is survived by her children, Pat Kelly Esq., and his wife Barbara Lynne who was devoted to Virginia and her every need in her last days, both of Frostburg and Gaithersburg, Katie Kelly PhD, Esq. of Port Orange Florida, and Diane Kelly Weintraub and her husband Gerry of La Jolla, California. She leaves behind three loving grandchildren, Patrick Kelly-Goss and his wife Aimee of England, Molly Kelly-Goss PhD, and Michael Kelly-Goss also of Post Orange Florida. She is preceded in death by her siblings, Dorothy Williams Conrad and Cambria Williams Jr. She is survived by numerous beloved nieces and nephews who will miss her. Virginia graduated Beall High School in 1938. Although she loved to read and read voraciously and widely her whole life. She was not fond of school but loved the classes she took at Frostburg State University. She was an avid and well-known local genealogist who helped anyone who needed it, wrote and published an inventory of all the graves in St. Michaels Cemetery well before these things were online, and contributed to several books about families in the area. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Allegany County Genealogical Society. She played golf and she and her husband were members of Maplehurst Golf Club where she served on numerous committees. She was raised in The Shiloh Congregational Church of Frostburg where her family had been members for many years. After marriage she became a devoted member of St Michaels Catholic Church. She lived her entire life in Frostburg except for about 10 years spent in the Cleveland area where her husband had a successful career in the young plastics industry. They happily returned to Frostburg in 1964 and were surrounded once again by family and friends. Virginia’s family wish for all to know how remarkable she was, as a strong woman who could find a way to get things done, no matter how hard. She had an independent spirit with generosity to match that inspired all who knew her. She had a wonderful outlook on life and often said philosophically, “Well, I can’t do anything about that,” when hearing about politics and other human frailties. In reply to those who asked about her longevity she said that she walked everywhere she could, ate her vegetables, and had a small glass of Scotch every evening. The family thinks it was her deep abiding love of life and sense of humor that sustained her. Last July, on the occasion of her 100th birthday, a party took place to honor her. She had a blast. When her husband Pat died, she told the family that life is for the living, so celebrate often and love hard. As was her wish, no funeral services will be held but a Celebration of Life will be planned for the summer.