William "Bill" Earl Kelly

About Bill

William “Bill” E. Kelly, 92, of Bemidji, died Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.

Bill was Professor Emeriti of Visual Arts at BSU, where he taught for 32 years. He was a man of humor, intelligence and sensitivity and wrote of his life:

“I entered the world in the city of Chicago, Illinois on March 10, 1931. I was the youngest of four sons. The wealth of museums in Chicago provided a large window to the art world that I was privileged to access. I attended school in Chicago until my junior year in high school. My father retired at that time and we moved to southern Indiana. I began my undergraduate education, majoring in Art, in 1951. Upon graduation from Indiana State University, I was drafted into the Army and was stationed in Korea after the “police action” had ended, and served as a craft shop supervisor “on the front lines,” as my fellow conscripts referred to their collective tasks.

Upon separation from the military, I began my first teaching position in suburban Indianapolis. I had the good fortune to meet, and then, after an appropriate interval, marry Pat Barrett. I worked on my Masters at the Institute of Design in Chicago, and in 1963, after receiving my degree, Pat and my daughter Chris came to Bemidji where I had a contract to teach in the Visual Arts Department.

Over the thirty years I worked at Bemidji State, I added, among other things, an MFA from Northern Illinois University, three children: Brennan, Kathy, and Tracey, and many good friends.”

Bill loved jazz and classical music, as well as cooking outstanding Italian dishes, and was a connoisseur of wine. He was a fine craftsman and built the family’s first home on Lake Irving Drive and finished a cabin on Stump Lake, which his family continues to enjoy. He also loved playing tennis, sailing, riding his motorcycle, and traveling the world with his wife.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia, daughters, Christine (Karole Wagner) Kelly, Kathleen (Filip Adamovitch) Kelly, and Tracey (John) Nugent, and son Brennan (Martha) Kelly, five grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Nell Kelly; brothers, Donald, Marvin and Roger; and a toddler son, Martin Paul Kelly.

memorial service

Memorial Mass for Bill

July 28, 2023

St Philip's Catholic Church 702 Beltrami Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601, USA

Father Bill DeCrans will be officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Reception will be held in the Church Hall after Mass. Interment will be at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Bemidji.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Cease Family Funeral Home