Brigadier General Edwin Charles Kelley, Jr., USMC (Ret.), 79, passed away September 14, 2023 in Williamsburg, VA. He is preceded in death by his parents, Edwin Charles Kelley, Sr. and Frederica Foreman Kelley.
He graduated from Albright College, Reading, PA in 1967, with a B.S. in Economics; the U.S. Naval War College in 1986, with a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies; and Salve Regina College, Newport, RI in 1989 with a M.A. in International Relations.
Ed served in the Vietnam War and earned the following decorations: Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with combat "V", Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with gold star, Combat Action Ribbon with gold star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with silver star.
After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1997, Ed devoted much of his time to non-profits and volunteering. Among other activities, he helped launch the non-profit navigator Guidestar.org, he was a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and he volunteered for the National Parks Service at Yorktown.
Ed enjoyed touring national battlefields, hiking, biking, golf, fishing on the Outer Banks, riding roller coasters at Busch Gardens, Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson's, church fellowship at Williamsburg Community Chapel, and following the Boston Red Sox.
Survivors include his wife, Joan Eleanor Kelley; sons, Alexander Edwin Kelley and Matthew Donald Kelley and his wife, Kelly; daughter, Joy Elisabeth Moore; grandchildren, Sydney Moore, Olivia Moore, Thomas Kelley, Kermit Kelley, and Patrick Kelley; and sister, Patricia Kelley Madden.
There will be a Celebration of Life at the Williamsburg Community Chapel, 3899 John Tyler Hwy., Williamsburg, VA, on Friday, October 13, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. An inurnment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com for the Kelley family.
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