Earl Alfred Kelly

Earl A. Kelly flew on to his next adventure on May 15, 2017. He was born in 1929 in Muskogee, Oklahoma to Otis Lloyd Kelly and Pearl Elfrida Bluer Kelly (later Langwith). He was named after his uncle, Earl Bluer. He and his brother, Larry, grew up in the Midwest under the care of his mother and step-father, Edward Langwith of Davenport, Iowa. He married Margaret “Mib” Brown on March 7, 1966 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ketchum, Idaho. They had three daughters (Traci, Kenleigh, and Shannon), divorcing in 1999.

His schooling was completed in Rock Island, Illinois, graduating in 1947. He served in the Marines from 1947-1952 and then served in the Air Force from 1954-1970, retiring as a Major. As a career pilot, his military service was the cornerstone of his identity. He experienced so many adventures that it’s hard to begin to catalog them all. He could remember almost every single commander and co-pilot that he ever flew with by name and rank.

After his retirement from military in 1970, the family lived briefly in Redmond, Oregon and then they moved to Gooding, Idaho where he managed the airport in the 1970s. The family later moved to Twin Falls, where he has resided for the past 40+ years. During his time in Twin Falls, he worked as a Snap-On Tools sales rep and then flew helicopters seasonally for the US Geological Service, for private companies in Alaska, for firefighting in the southwest, and locally in and around Twin Falls.

Earl, or “Mike” as some called him, was a fixture around town. He was known for spending many hours at the downtown library reading the papers, books, and taking the occasional nap. He was a regular at the Depot Grill where he would either order pie or a cookie to go. He spent many an hour at Barnes and Noble perusing the books on history, war, military, and politics. Due to his love of reading, watching documentaries, and his own experiences, he was deeply knowledgeable about military history, military aircraft, military firearms, and antique automobiles and aircraft. Because of his service in the armed forces, he had a heart for all those who served and supported them through the Wounded Warrior Project and other veteran-related organizations.

He is survived by his three daughters who loved him dearly (Traci Nathans-Kelly, Kenleigh Kelly, and Shannon Kelly), their spouses, three grandsons who were the light of his life (Henry Nathans-Kelly, Cole Tucker Kelly Stine, and Malcolm Ferguson-Kelly), his ex-wife Margaret “Mib” Kelly, his brother Larry Kelly, nephews and a niece.

A simple service will be held at Ascension Episcopal Church in Twin Falls on Saturday May 20, 2017 at 10am, presided by Fr. Fred Elwood. There will be a reception immediately following at the church. Celebrate his life with us, as we will be telling stories and remembering his many adventures. He will be buried with military honors later this summer in the Veterans Cemetery in Boise, ID next to his fellow soldiers. In lieu of flowers, please send any remembrances to the Wounded Warrior Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/ .