Carol D. Kelley

Carol Durling Kelley, 83, peacefully passed away at her home in Chatham on March 12, 2018. She was the beloved wife of Roland W. Kelley of Chatham for 63 years. Carol was born on October 7, 1934 in Lexington, MA. She graduated from Lexington High School in 1952 and subsequently received a certificate from Chandler College for Women, Boston in 1954.

As a young girl she vacationed with her family on Cape Cod. In 1947 her father, H. R. Durling who was a teacher at Waltham Trade School, built a cottage at Oyster Pond in Chatham and the family started to stay the whole summer. This is when Carol got to know and become a part of the local community. In 1948 she got her first summer job waitressing at Sad Sacks Snack Shack on Old Harbor Road. Sad Sacks was the local hot spot.

During this time she met her husband Ron. They married on June 12, 1954 at Lexington Green. While Ron served in the Air Force in Germany, Carol worked as a secretary at Brandeis University, Boston. When Ron returned in 1955 they built their first home in North Chatham to start their family. Carol was a tireless homemaker and waitressed at virtually every restaurant in Chatham, like the Christopher Ryder House, the Captain’s Table, the New Yorker, as well as the Wayside and Queen Anne Inns. She was bookkeeper for Jim Hallowell at the Chatham Bowling Alley, a Cub Scout den mother and a school bus driver as well. In 1967 her family moved into their new home in West Chatham where she lived out the rest of her life. Later in life she was bookkeeper for the Chatham Cookware, tried her hand at real estate sales and finished her waitressing career at Larry’s PX. Her father in law, Roland B. Kelley, built the original Larry’s PX prior to Shop Ahoy Plaza. She sang with the Cape Chordaires and throughout her life made countless ceramics, dolls, clothing, knitted items and embroideries.

Carol was a devoted patriot to her birthright colonial New England heritage. She was the Regent for the Captain Joshua Gray Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, a member in good standing to the National Society Daughters of Founders and Patriots, the National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars and the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. Her passion for her heritage was surpassed only by her love for sharing with others and assisting new hopeful members in tracing and documenting their colonial ancestry.

In this she was a true elder. Her daily posts were cherished by friends and will be greatly missed. Her greatest joy was closeness with family and community. This is the legacy she leaves with us all. She is survived by her husband Ron, children Jeff, Tami and Todd, grandchildren Jared, Caitlin and Michael and her great grandchildren Cora, Lydia and Brendan. She is also survived by many nephews and nieces.

Visiting hours will be on Saturday, March 24 from 2:00pm – 5:00pm at Nickerson Funeral Home in Chatham. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the charity of your choice. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com .