James Richard Kelley

JAMES RICHARD KELLEY;(Jim, or Jimmy to many), 71, of Northfield, Ohio, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away on November 2, 2023, following a brief illness. Son of the late James J. and M. Patricia Kelley, son-in-law of the late Betty Jane Moloney, and brother-in-law of the late Tracey Greenwood. Survived by his wife Cindy, daughters Jennifer and Emily (Kendall Wangsgard), brothers Michael (MaryEllen) and Timothy (Rita), brother-in-law Timothy Greenwood (Darlene), sister-in-law Patricia Greenwood, and numerous nieces, nephews, and other cherished family members. Jim was one of those rare people who listened more than he talked. Generous to a fault, he never asked for anything for himself – as he put it, he already had everything he could want. Jim’s wife Cindy treasured his sense of humor, his patience, and his dedication to family. He was a loving and caring father who always encouraged his daughters to pursue their dreams. A hard worker his entire life, Jim built an extended family at the Ford Motor Company Walton Hills Stamping Plant, where he was in Human Resources for thirty-three years. Recently, he made many new friends working as a trainer for the Summit County Board of Elections. Throughout his career, he was known for always treating everyone with kindness, fairness, and respect. Jim was a lifelong resident of Northeast Ohio and a diehard Cleveland sports fan. He enjoyed playing softball, golfing, swimming, scuba diving, and camping, and was a wily card player. Jim loved animals and made frequent trips to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. He especially loved his dogs and grand-dogs as well as the lost cats who frequently found him. They, of course, all adored him. For many years, Jim volunteered at the Fr. Hilkert Ozanam food bank run by the St. Vincent DePaul Society. He strongly believed that no one should go hungry. The family invites all who knew Jim or whose lives he touched to share stories, laugh, and smile in his memory at a Celebration of Life to be held on Thursday, December 28, 2023, from 5-9 p.m. at Gambitta’s Party Center, 160 E. Aurora Rd, Northfield Center, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jim’s name to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank or the Cleveland Zoological Society (Honor and Memorial fund). 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James Richard Kelley, please visit our floral store.