Edward F. Kelly, Jr.

Edward F. Kelly, Jr., 91, of Pawtucket, RI passed away peacefully after a brief illness on November 24, 2023 in St. Antoine Residence, North Smithfield. Born in Pawtucket, he was the son of the late Edward and Mary (Blake) Kelly.

He was the beloved brother of the former Rhode Island State Senate Majority Leader, Paul S. Kelly, of North Smithfield and West Palm Beach, FL and the late Ronald J. Kelly of Rumford. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Eileen B. Kelly and Barbara J. Kelly, as well as nieces, Kathleen (Peter) Taraian, Martha (Jon) Walker, Karen (Patrick) Kane, Jennifer (Carl) Kelly, and Paula (David) Lea. He was the uncle of the late Christine Kelly.

He graduated from the former East High School (Tolman) in Pawtucket and received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Rhode Island College. He served, with honor, in the United States Navy as a medic and was honorably discharged as a Second Class Petty Officer.

As a lifelong educator in Rhode Island, he finished his teaching career for 25 years at J.C. Potter Elementary in Pawtucket. Ed was a devout catholic, having been a reader at the Catholic Mass of St. Leo’s Church and St. John Paul II for a combination of 50 years, until his health prevented him from performing his favorite task.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 10 AM in St. John Paul II Church, 745 Central Ave., Pawtucket, RI. Burial will follow at St. Francis Cemetery, 163 Smithfield Ave., Pawtucket, RI. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s memory to National Council of the US Society of St. Vincent De Paul, 66 Progress Parkway, Maryland Heights, MO  63043-3706.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edward F. Kelly, Jr., please visit our floral store.