Although unorthodox, we open this memorial with an apology. Several years have passed since the Army–Navy Game when we laid Gary to rest in Seattle. The delay was primarily due to denial. As a group, we entered this self-appointed task with sadness and loss. By delaying the article, we could rationalize his death never happened. Armed only with Yearling Psychology, we will not attempt to complete the interpretation.
Gary Joseph Kelley was an Irish Catholic American patriot totally committed to his family. He had a sly twinkle in his eye, a passion for life, and a sense of commitment, credits to his parents, his Catholic faith, and West Point. When talking to Gary, he made you feel like you were the only person in the world. Gary was more than a classmate: he was an intimate friend and brother.
Gary entered West Point from California. Much of what our class attributes to Gary, his “charming, self-assured, and witty” nature, resulted from his formative years on the West Coast. Among those traits was his ability to span multiple circles of friends. This became evident when we met Gary at a Catholic Chapel mixer during Beast Barracks. Every new cadet remembers those events, and Gary’s winning smile and ease among people was apparent even then.
Four years later, commissions in hand, we reported en masse to our respective service schools. Many of us newly minted Armor officers—Gary included—received initial assignments at Ft. Knox, KY. Life at Ft. Knox, including our winter sojourn to Ft. Benning, GA, for Jump School and Ranger School, was far from boring. We fondly remember Fiddler’s Green, Army–Tennessee Football, and Eastern Kentucky University co-eds from those early years. Too soon, we scattered to the remote posts and camps comprising the Cold War Army. Gary’s journey took him to the 2d Infantry Division at Camp Casey, Korea. Not surprisingly, he was later selected as an aide-de-camp and returned with the general for subsequent assignment at The Presidio of California. Soon thereafter, it was Ft. Knox for the Armor Officer Advanced Course. Those were idyllic days. We attended class at “Bodinot U,” held beer call at Fiddler’s Green, and closed the day with great dinner parties at Gary’s quarters.
After company command at Ft. Riley, KS, Gary resigned from the Army to accept a career opportunity with W.R. Grace. There, he completed a series of developmental rotations, culminating with the company’s placing him in Boston. From Boston, Gary accepted a promotion in Seattle, WA, representing his division on the West Coast. While in the Pacific Northwest, Gary was a Military Academy liaison officer and helped many young men and women gain admission to West Point, some of whom no doubt are majors and captains in our Army today.
Because of his West Point roots and deep-seated values of service to the nation, but unbeknownst to many of his friends and colleagues, Gary retained a commission in the Army Reserve. During the height of America’s peacekeeping and stability operations in the Balkans, Gary accepted an operational assignment in that troubled region. He was not required to deploy, and his decision to do so deeply illustrates the man whose sense of duty and patriotism compelled his service—the harder right. Gary’s return from the Balkans led to a new career with Microsoft and the best thing that ever happened to him: Anne.
Anne and Gary were soul mates in every way, and it was evident to everyone that theirs was a match made in heaven. Gary had a depth of emotion and power to love that few people could match, and he poured every ounce of himself into his love for Anne. They both glowed in the light of the other, and it was not long before the wedding date was set. It was no accident that the best day of his life, their wedding day, was on St. Patrick’s Day. The church was “Kelley” green, and the mass was powered by a joy that directly reflected their love and commitment. Who could forget the way Gary dominated the dance floor? Watching him was a treat; dancing with him was an adventure filled with laughter and, often, fear. Gary was also a tremendous athlete. In fact, he had completed a triathlon with his oldest brother a month before his collapse playing tennis on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Gary’s funeral mass was celebrated in the same church in which he was married less than nine months before. Again Gary’s spirit filled the church, giving us the strength to provide some meaning to God’s will. Gary was coaching us in his singular focus: believe in God’s plan, have faith, and love each other. The power of his presence that sad day, combined with our vivid memory of his laughter, rang him out from physical life and into our souls forever.
Gary’s legacy is his family, and by his definition, it is a very large group. At the top of that list is his darling Anne. He also leaves his mother and father, Helen and Robert; brothers Bob and Kevin (USMA ’76); and sister Sharon. Gary treated his nieces and nephews as his own children: Brian (USAFA ’88), Brendan (USAFA ’89), Dan (ROTC ’93), Joanne, Tim, Matthew (USMA ’02), Ryan (USCGA ’04), Colleen, Adam, and Mary. In Gary’s world, the title “friend” equaled family. In the great military tradition, those he served with in and out of uniform became so close to family that there was little difference in terms of his love and commitment.
Physics tells us that a light burns brightest before it ends. Gary’s challenge to us is to live our lives as he lived his: an American patriot totally committed to his family, his faith, and his country.
’Till we meet again, old friend, be thou at peace.
His classmates