Fredrick Kelly

Fredrick (Fred) Kelly died at home on June 5 after a long and brave battle with COPD. He was 75.

Kelly was born in Boise, Idaho on Jan. 8, 1943 to Virgil and Margaret Kelly. He moved with his family to the Central Valley of California when he was seven, eventually settling in Modesto and living there until his retirement from the Laboratory in 2008.

In 1960, at the age of 17, Kelly joined the Navy and spent four years leading a team of air craft mechanics, whose winter station was at Naval Air Station Fallon, where, as an avid dirt-bike rider, he learned to love the high northern Nevada desert. Upon leaving the Navy in 1964, he attended Modesto Junior College, receiving an associate’s degree in 1969. He had a varied early career ranging from motorcycle mechanic instructor, commercial pilot, comptroller, production manager, scuba instructor (where, in 1978, he met his wife of almost 39 years, Tina Carlsen) and commercial diver.

Kelly joined the Laboratory in 1985 as a senior mechanical technologist in the Mechanical Engineering Department/Nuclear Test Engineering Division, eventually rising to engineering technical associate. During his 23-year career, he supported numerous high-profile projects, including the last down-hole test shots at the Nevada Test Site and the development of X-ray laser detectors for NOVA. He was particularly proud of his work with the Forensic Science Center, where he was instrumental in the development of a suitcase thin-layer chromatography system, which led to numerous patents; and his work on nuclear counter-terrorism and response, where he developed water-jet cutting technologies for nuclear disablement and trained Army response teams on their use.

He prided himself on being able to solve problems others could not.

Kelly was an avid skier and hiker. He also enjoyed flying friends and family throughout California and Nevada, trips that could often prove unexpectedly exciting. He and Tina frequently traveled throughout the southwest in their beloved motorhome. Kelly learned to play Irish whistle and pipes in his later years, becoming active in the Modesto Irish music scene and playing in the local band, Greenstone, with Tina and other area musicians, including several from the Laboratory.

He returned to northern Nevada after retiring in 2008, moving with Tina to Minden. There, he enjoyed riding his numerous motorcycles and four-wheeler and hanging out with his buddies swapping old stories. During his final years, Tina regularly took him to lunch at local restaurants, where the staff loved him and treated him like family.

Kelly is survived by his wife, Tina, who cared for him at home until his death; sister, Kathleen Lander; nieces, Kelly Ann Winter and Julia Lander; nephews, Robert Kelly and Jim Kelly; son, Kevin Kelly; and grand-daughter, Renee Kelly. He was preceded in death by his parents; step-mother, Lillian Kelly; and brothers, Roland, Verland and Charles.

A celebration of Kelly’s life will be held on June 19 in the gazebo at 1869 David Walley’s Hot Springs and Resort in Genoa, Nevada at 3 p.m., followed by an Irish wake. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent the American Lung Association in Kelly's name. To share written memories with the family, send an amsinckia [at] aol.com (email).