Carey Ann Kelly

On Sunday, December 6, 2020, Carey Ann Kelly of Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, passed away peacefully of natural causes at 59 years of age. The daughter of Dr. Thomas W. Kelly (1927-2009) and Ramona Kelly, Carey was born on February 22, 1961. She was raised in Grosse Pointe Farms and graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in 1979, where she developed her interest in drafting and architecture.

Carey attended Ball State University and studied Pre-Architecture in 1979 before transferring to the University of Michigan. There, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1984. Carey received her Masters in Architecture from The University of Michigan in 1988. She was a member of Alpha Rho Chi, the Professional Coeducational Fraternity of Architecture and the Allied Arts.

In 1984, Carey moved to West Palm Beach and worked as an architect for M. P. A. Architects, Inc. in West Palm Beach, Florida, for thirteen years, between 1984 and 1997, and worked for Dow Howell Gilbert & Associates for four years, from 1998 to 2002. In 2003, Carey began working as District Architect for The District of West Palm Beach County Schools where she worked for 17 years.

Carey received certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Florida State Board of Architecture and Interior Design in 1992. She became a member of The American Institute of Architects in December of 2005. In her time working for The District of West Palm Beach County Schools, Carey received an award for Outstanding Minor Capital Project, Atlantic High Early Childhood Academy, in 2009.

As a young resident of West Palm Beach, Carey loved working with youths, serving as a soccer coach and soccer referee in the city of West Palm Beach during the early 1990s. She was a devoted Catholic and attended the Cathedral of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens. She was a parishioner and volunteered at the church, including her architecture expertise with structural concerns and sewage systems. In recent years, Carey served on the Board of Directors for the Palm Beach White House Condominiums, where she lived for over 25 years, most recently as Board President.

Carey liked nothing more than being active and outdoors, playing golf and soccer, riding her bike, and long walks on the beach. She was strong, caring, and generous, and loved spending time with friends and family, especially her young nephews and nieces and their children. Living oceanside, she was a constant advocate for conserving sea turtles and their nesting areas on the Florida coast. She was a devoted follower of University of Michigan football and favorite hockey teams, The Detroit Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As a cherished daughter, sister, and aunt, Carey is survived by her mother, Ramona Kelly, and her four brothers and sisters, Timothy J., Erin M., Kevin M., and Kathleen M. (Prescott), and her nephews and nieces, Timothy Daniel and wife Haley Kunitz-Kelly and their children Natalie and Grayson, Kyle J. Kunitz-Kelly, Alyssa M. Prescott, and Dylan M. Prescott.

Carey will forever be remembered by her family, friends, and colleagues with love and admiration. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, at marinelife.org. A small family memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.