Cover photo for Michelle Kelly's Obituary
Michelle Kelly Profile Photo
Michelle

Michelle Kelly

d. October 28, 2012

Obituary for Michelle L. Kelly

Michelle Lyn Kelly passed away Sunday, October 28, 2012, in Durango, Colo.

She was born to Mike and Rozanne Kelly on June 20, 1972, at Mercy Hospital in Durango. Michelle has three brothers, Chris Kelly of Grand Junction, Colo., Tim Kelly of Scottsdale, Ariz., David Kelly of Durango, sister, Aimee Martin, and brother-in-law Steve Martin of Durango. Michelle also has four nieces and three nephews whom she thoroughly adored and spoiled. They include Sara and Tim Martin of Durango, Andrew and Ellie Kelly of Moab, Utah, Hunter Kelly of Delta, Colo., Kayla Sherman of Aliso Viejo, Calif., and McKenna Kelly, of Montrose, Colo. She also has one grandniece, Niomi Kelly of Moab, Utah.

The last three years of Michelle’s life were spent living in Arvada, Colo., where she earned her master’s degree in Elementary Education at CU Denver. She substitute taught and tutored, hoping to soon move back to southwest Colorado to teach. Michelle graduated from Durango High School in 1990 and Fort Lewis College with two degrees, business, art, and a minor in French. While attending Fort Lewis, she studied abroad for a year in Germany and another semester in Paris.

Michelle loved to travel, and took many trips with her mom, friends, and family to Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Germany, France, England, Belgium, Greece, Holland and most recently to India this past January. There she traveled with the New Hope Kids Mission Team to New Hope Orphanage. The 180 children at the orphanage have become Michelle’s passion since January. She and her mom sponsor two boys monthly, Mark and Kumal. Upon finding out that Michelle was sick, the kids at the orphanage signed an oversized card with well wishes for Michelle. Kumal said he wanted his to be separate because his love for Michelle was the biggest and best. Michelle had hoped to return to India at the end of June, but could not because of recovering from surgery. She also hoped to go in January of 2013 with her mom, who will still attend to love on those precious children. While lying in the pre op room at Swedish Hospital in June, Michelle had her operating nurse, Mary, in tears, while she shared stories of the children and India with her.

Michelle touched the lives of so many during her short, but very full forty years of life on this earth. Michelle completed the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic twice. While in Paris, Michelle was able to watch the Tour de France, and there she became a tour aficionado. She and her mom followed the Pro Cycling Challenge last year, only missing the start in Colorado Springs. This year she attended the opening weekend in Durango and was able to go to the Gala event with her sister Aimee serving as her personal photographer. There she met all her favorites including, Cadell Evans, George Hincapie, and David Zabriskie, who actually remembered Michelle from a tweet sent by a friend about her after her cancer diagnosis.

Michelle was an outstanding artist. She made jewelry, quilted, and painted with oils, pastels, and watercolor. Last Wednesday, Michelle was escorted by three Flight for Life EMTs, her mom, brother Tim, and Aimee to the “Becoming Van Gogh” exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, before being flown home to Durango.

Michelle was an amazing daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She was a member of New Hope Church in Durango. She was a part of the Ken & Sue’s Restaurant family in Durango for over ten years and was an integral part of implementing their philosophy of embracing others. There she accumulated some of the best friends of her life, with owners, peers, and patrons. We would like to thank all Michelle’s friends who filled her life with laughter, adventure, great food, God, and most of all love.

A celebration of life will be held Thursday, November 1, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church, 2917 Aspen Drive, Durango. The celebration will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by burial at Greenmount Cemetery and then back at FUMC for a gathering of friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up in Michelle Kelly’s name at Wells Fargo Bank, 200 W. College Drive, Durango, CO 81301. Phone 970-247-3242
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Michelle Kelly, please visit our flower store.

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