James J. Kelly of Severna Park, MD died peacefully January 20th. He was born June 5, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Michael and Margaret Kelly. He proudly served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, and went on to receive a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Queens College in 1963, and later an M.S. degree in Industrial Management from The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1966. He spent most of his career working for the Office of Naval Research, and retired from his position as a project materials manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in 2001. He began his government career in 1963 as a polymer chemist in the Naval Applied Science Laboratory in New York, and moved to the Annapolis area in 1972 to take a materials coordinator position at the David Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center. He went on to hold a series of materials technology jobs in various government offices in the DC metro area, ultimately specializing in innovative, technical advances for naval ships and submarines. Sighted as an expert in his field, he served as a government liaison during the Vietnam War and also as a Congressional Science Fellow from 1985-1986 with the House Science and Technology Committee, and received numerous commendations for his contributions throughout his career.

In his spare time, he enjoyed his family, friends and grandchildren, as well as several hobbies including model trains, wood working, reading, and photography, and was also a Civil War history buff. He was active in the community by serving as a soccer coach and was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus, the Disabled American Veterans, and the American Legion. He also spent a few years serving on local educational advisory boards.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Patricia A. Kelly, of Severna Park; son Michael Kelly of Severna Park; daughters Tricia Kelly of Annapolis, MD, Susan Thomas and her husband David of Brookeville, MD, and Maureen Salazar and her husband John of Arnold, MD; brother John Kelly of Greenville, NY; sister Catherine Connelly of Athens, NY, and grandchildren Samantha Thomas and Ryan Salazar.

Friends may visit on Wednesday January 25 from 6 to 8:00 p.m. and Thursday 2-4 and 6-8:00 p.m. at the Barranco & Sons,P.A. Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, MD. 21146. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday January 27th at 11 a.m. at the Church of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic, 689 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, MD. Interment Services with military honors will be held at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery, 1122 Sunrise Beach Road, Crownsville, MD at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Kelly's name to Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org, or Hospice of the Chesapeake, www.hospicechesapeake.org.