ROGERS — Eugene Theodore Kelley,
82, died surrounded by his children on November 16, 2021, and lovingly followed Jesus home to his Father in Heaven. He was born May 6, 1939, in Orange, N.J., to James and Josephine Kulsziski Kelley.
He grew up in an urban West Orange neighborhood, anchored by a large Polish and Irish family and the Our Lady of the Valley Church, where he attended church and school. The turning point of his life was meeting Joye Rouse of Fayetteville, Ark., as they both worked summer jobs on the Jersey shore. He had previously attended college at Villanova and Seton Hall, but he transferred to the University of Arkansas to be with Joye. Together, they raised five children and built a beautiful life.
Gene sowed the seeds of his strong faith in his home, his profession, and his community. As an attorney for more than 50 years, Gene focused on building families and placed more than 1,400 infants in loving, faith-filled homes through adoption. He was honored with the award Angels in Adoption from U.S. Senator John Boozman and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.
Gene launched his legal career after graduating from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1967. He first worked as a law clerk for Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Lyle Brown. Gene practiced with several partners in the early years but eventually formed Kelley Law Firm with two of his children and his wife as business manager. They were delighted to later be joined by one granddaughter. His legal career included taking a case to the U.S. Supreme Court with his law partner Mack Luffman and appointments as special associate justice and special chief justice to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Gene was a visionary who had a great eye for real estate. Although he owned dozens of pieces of property through the years as Northwest Arkansas developed, he had a special love for his own farm on Walnut Valley Road, which was his passion and his hobby.
Gene loved Rogers and the state of Arkansas, which he always touted as the land of opportunity. He served on many boards, including the Rogers Community School Recreation Association for nearly 40 years. He was a past president of the Benton County Bar Association and the local Rotary Club.
Many sought his counsel, not only in legal matters, but also in politics. At age 30, he helped propel Gov. Dale Bumpers into office and served on the Governor’s cabinet as his chief of staff. He also had an active role in the presidential elections of Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. He served as a delegate to the 1976 Democratic Convention in New York City. That political journey was featured in a series of front-page articles in the New York Times.
Gene was married to Joye Rouse Kelley for 60 years until her passing in 2019. He is survived by their five children: Jodie and her husband Douglas Miller; Glenn Kelley and his wife Katie; Ashley and her husband Tomek Siwiec; Heather and her husband Rick Ellington; and Shelby Kelley. Gene was a loving mentor to his grandchildren: Caroline Kelley, Andrew Kelley, Adam Siwiec, Alexandra Siwiec, and Elizabeth Siwiec. Among his many parables and memorable pieces of advice for his family, he always reminded them to “anticipate, anticipate, anticipate.”
Gene was one of five children, and he is survived by his brother, James Kelley; and his sister, Helen Jeanne Cuoco; and a large extended family with many beloved nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Josephine Kelley; and his brothers Peter and Gregory Kelley.
Gene followed the Way of the Cross, thoughtfully marking each Station in Jesus’ journey, absorbing its significance and putting his faith into action. He was an active member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, serving as a catechist for more than 30 years and volunteering as a greeter and usher. He said the greatest gift he ever received was a copy of “Encountering Truth” by Pope Francis. After he read it, he shared hundreds of copies with friends and family, along with other spiritual books he treasured.
All services for Gene will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Rogers, Arkansas. A rosary service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Monday, November 22, and visitation will follow in the church gathering space from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 23, and will be livestreamed on the St. Vincent de Paul Facebook page. The internment will be a private ceremony.
Memorials may be made to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (www.nwafoodbank.org) or the Rogers Public Education Foundation (www.rogerspef.com).
Arrangements by Benton County Funeral Home, 306 N. 4th St., Rogers. Online condolences to www.bentoncountyfuneralhome. com.