Cal Hugh Kelly passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 18, 2007, surrounded by family. He was born in Beaumont on December 10, 1935 to Louise and Edgar Kelly. He grew up in the Beaumont area and attended Beaumont High School. He was a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University and received a Masters of Theology from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He married Diane Daigle on December 27, 1958 and was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church in 1969.
During his years of ministry, his charges included Forest Park in Beaumont (as a student minister), Crossroads, Union Ridge Circuit, Pine Hill Circuit, New Diana Circuit, associate pastor of First United Methodist in Orange, Teneha, East Houston, China, Daisetta-Devers Circuit and Middleton Memorial Methodist Church in Wallisville. He was also a teacher in the prison system for the Hightower Unit in Dayton.
Cal had been active in the Boy Scouts of America and was a member of the Order of the Arrow. He was an avid fisherman and was instrumental in the establishment of the Hull Daisetta Volunteer EMS/Ambulance Service.
Cal is survived by his wife, Diane of Houston; his daughters, Kristina Waldrop and her husband of Tim of Cedar Park and Elaine Kelly Diaz and her husband Mike of Houston; granddaughters, Lauren Waldrop, ‘Lizabeth Waldrop and Hayli Salinas; brother, James Kelly of Beaumont; aunt and uncle, Adrian and Ruth Mathieu of Vidor; nephews, Mike Kelly and Ron Kelly; nieces, Kathy Campbell and Michelle Bartholomew; and a host of friends.
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at First United Methodist Church with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A gathering of family and friends will be from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at the mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Program at the Methodist Foundation, P.O. Box 4384, Houston, Texas 77210-4384 or to The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center-McCombs Institute, P.O. 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486.
Special thanks to the staff of Heartland Hospice and Heartland Willowbrook, as well as Dr. James Ling of Methodist Hospital and Dr. Kevin Lisman of Houston Cardiology Associates.
