Frederick William Kelly Jr.

1931-2024

Fred Kelly, age 92, peacefully passed away on April 7, 2024. Fred was very proud of his family, friends, church and his long 38 year career with Marathon Oil Company exploring for oil all over the world. He was born on November 5, 1931 in a suburb of St. Louis MO, to Fred W. Kelly, Sr. and Dana Ruth (Milleson) Kelly. Fred graduated from Clayton High School, St. Louis, MO, and earned a Bachelor of Geology Degree from the Engineering School of the University of Tulsa, OK in 1954, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity. Pursuing his boyhood ambitions, he then spent 22 years exploring for oil overseas for Ohio Oil Company (later Marathon Oil Company). In the late 1950s and early 1960s: he did surface geology living in tents in the Sahara Desert of Libya for the Oasis oil consortium; was well sitting on the first Oasis well in Libya when it struck oil; sat on other oil discoveries; and then was exploitation geologist for Oasis. During the 1960s: Fred carried out regional oil exploration studies in Europe and Africa from his office in London, England; was resident manager for a well drilled in Northern Ireland; and was a Fellow of the Geological Society (London). In 1964, while on the home leave, he married Marcia Grace Mehl of Findlay, OH, and their happy, adventuresome marriage lasted for 43 years until Marcia’s sudden death in 2009. They had 3 children; Frederick III and Heather born in London, England, and Christine born in Karachi, Pakistan. Fred and his family moved to Karachi, Pakistan in 1972 where Fred was regional manager in charge of a large exploration venture on the Makran Coast of Pakistan. Fred and his family moved from Karachi to Houston in 1979, where Fred was an international oil contract negotiator and then became Marathon’s first manager for international governmental affairs until his retirement in 1992. Following his retirement, Fred was very active with several archaeological societies in Houston, especially The Friends of Archaeology and Houston Archeological Society, was an active elder with Pines Presbyterian Church, and enjoyed playing tennis. In 2006 Fred wrote and self-published with AuthorHouse an autobiography of his worldly adventures exploring for oil entitled, “Global Oil Finder – Autobiography of a Petroleum Geologist.” He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Houston geological Society.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John Kelly. He is survived by: his son, Frederick Kelly III and grandson, Brent Kelly; his daughter Heather Ross and husband Gil, and granddaughter, Chelsea Jijawi and her husband Stan; and his daughter Christine Kelly-Weaver and husband Jason.

A memorial service celebrating Fred’s life will be held at Pines Presbyterian Church, 12751 Kimberley Lane, Houston, TX, 77024 on Friday, May 10th at 10 a.m.