Joseph William Kelley

“Joe” Kelley, 74, passed away on May 6, 2020. He was a man of great Christian faith. He was born November 2, 1945, the son of Lloyd and Gladys Kelley. Joe was a graduate of Edgewater High School, attended Orlando Junior College, served his country in the Army and spent 14 years in the National Guard Reserves. It all started with, “How Sweet It Is to be Loved by You” - Joe married his perfect match, Linda, and for 41 years, he never missed an opportunity to celebrate their wedding anniversary, an FSU win or his Valentine. He loved a good game of golf with his buddies. He demonstrated to his children, Rob and Ashley how to be “blue collar” which to Joe meant to work hard, be honest and always be fair. Joe was a mentor in the community and never missed an opportunity to influence young folks' lives. He coached basketball and improved their basketball skills as well as their life skills. He was always there for them and provided a safe place for advice, quiet time or just a space to talk and think. To say that Joe never met a stranger would be an understatement; his reputation always preceded him and he put everyone he met at ease and became instant friends. Joe loved sports from Nascar to College Football and when he wasn’t rooting for Dale Jarrett #88 he was cheering on FSU. Joe loved southern home cooking and some of his favorites were fried catfish and key lime pie. To share a meal with his family and friends brought him true joy. Joe held many titles in his life. He took none for granted and excelled at all. To list but a few: Husband, Best Friend, Son, Brother, Father, Uncle, Father-In-Law, Grandfather, Mentor, Neighbor, Gift Giver and Coach. Of all, he most enjoyed being a partner to Linda, best friend to his daughter Ashley and son Rob. Joe had a special place in the hearts of his 8 nephews and 2 nieces and he will be dearly missed. He is survived by his wife, Linda Kelley; son, Rob and daughter Ashley; grandchildren, Alexis and McKenzie; sister, Emily Chambers and her husband Don, Dan and Dotty Gammage; Faithful pal Lucy and Granddog William. Following COVID-19 restrictions a Memorial Service will be held at: DeGusipe Funeral Home, 9001 N. Orlando Ave., Maitland, FL, May 13, 2020 between 1:30 - 3:00 PM (EST) To view the services you must log into a Facebook account and search for the DeGusipe Funeral Home & Crematory page here: https://www.facebook.com/DeGusipeFH/ Following the service Joe will be laid to rest at the Oviedo Cemetery and at 4:00 PM (EST). You are invited to leave a message of condolence on the Tribute Wall created in Joe's memory for his family. Donations to assist with the final funeral expenses for Joe Kelley are sincerely appreciated. Please follow the link below. Payments will go directly to the DeGusipe Funeral Home. https://www.fundafamily.com/Family.aspx?ID=491

Joseph William Kelley

November 2, 1945 - May 6, 2020