How do you summarize 77 years of a man's life in a few paragraphs? I don't think you really can, so I'll do my best to do justice to our father's legacy.

Kent Hadley Kelly was born on November 16, 1948 in Columbus, Nebraska. He lost his two-year battle to cancer in a peaceful sleep in the early hours of September 14, 2026.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Vera and Hadley, along with his sister, Karen. He is survived by his immediate family: his sister, Dian, and his sons, Brian and Chris.

He loved his extended family deeply, too: Dian's husband Bill and their daughter Elly along with her husband Ricky and their daughter Milly; Brian's fiancée Stephanie and her children and grandchildren; Chris' kids Alexa, Jaxson, and Decklin; Chris' wife Wendy and her kids Patrick and Halie along with Halie's husband Zach and their daughter Maizie; his ex-wife, Mary and her family including Nacy & Dave, Staci & Kayla, and Mark. And last but not least his best friends Shan and Sue.

Dad was raised with small-town, Nebraska values. He was a very practical guy who served honorably in the Air Force as a B-52 mechanic. He then spent most of his post-military life fixing various machines for a living. That being said, his favorite season of life was being retired, allowing him more time to fish and hang out with his grandkids. He was fiercely patriotic and always wanted the best for this country.

Anyone who knew him knows he had a big heart. His passions included fishing, planes, dogs (labs), and Nebraska athletics (specifically football, volleyball, and baseball). He had a seemingly endless supply of random knowledge and probably could have been a champion on the TV show, Jeopardy!

Honestly, though, he was known for being the first person we'd call for help with anything, and he ALWAYS answered that call.

We will miss him dearly, but we have profound peace knowing that he is as happy as he can be right now, reunited with family and friends in Heaven.