KEVIN EUGENE KELLEY

Sept. 14, 1959 - Jan. 19, 2021

Kevin E. Kelley of E l Centro, p assed away peacefully of n atural causes in his home on January 19, 2021. He w as 61 years old. Born in Monterey P ark, California, to Karen and Malcolm Kelley, he was the eldest of three siblings.

He g raduated from BUHS (‘77) and continued his education graduating with honors from the University of Southern California earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communication (‘84). He found a love f or writing influenced by Irish authors, such as F. S cott Fitzgerald a nd James Joyce, yet he was well- versed in all great literary works.

Kevin had a breadth of career experience. He once wrote that, “I was a lot of things in the course of g rowing up in the Imperial Valley and forging what would become my unconventional career path to the top job at the largest irrigation district in the nation. For the record, I was a cotton stomper, a cantaloupe sorter and a tractor driver, and that’s just a sample of the jobs I had in the agricultural sector of the local economy.” He was also an irrigator, marketing c onsultant, founder of the Valley Grower magazine, editor of I .V. Press, Chamber of Commerce P resident, Rotary President, and the aforementioned longest tenured I. I. D. General Manager. He r etired in 2019.

A musician from the age of eight, Kevin was also known as a b rilliant jazz i mprovisionist, gaining notoriety for sitting down at a ny piano. He played semi- professionally in bands from Los Angeles to San Diego during his college years. H e played with the Valley Jazz Band and formed the Blue Lake group in the 1980’s with Holbrook on drums, Rahman on guitar, Anderholt on bass, and Cavers as saxophonist.

Kevin was passionate about serving the working class people as well as deeply caring f or t he Imperial Valley and the

Salton Sea. He w as concerned with the Valley’s air quality and the working conditions of farm laborers. While it was his intellect, ambition and political s avvy that helped him climb to the top of every organization he joined, it was his empathy and his common touch that are most remarked and remembered.

At the time of his passing he was nearly f inished writing a book about the Imperial Valley. His family ensures that it will be published in his honor.

He is survived by his parents; wife, M ary Beth Kelley; daughter and spouse, K athleen and Christopher Spanos; son, Kevin Kelley; daughter, Maureen Kelley; g randson, Kellen Spanos; sister, and spouse, Janet and Tom Winkowski; and brother and spouse, Ryan and Robyn Kelley. His family cherishes the life he l ived. His dry- wit, artistic spirit, musical affinity, a nd loving p resence will be greatly missed.

A Celebration of Life event has been planned for Saturday, May 8th, at Sts. Peter and Paul Episcopal Church in El Centro at 10 a.m. It is open to family, friends, and all those that shared love and respect for Kevin E. Kelley.

Found in the Valley Grower, he left us w ith this thought: “And this is where love comes in, the hopeful unconditional kind you read about in books but can only be said to exist between and among p arents and their children. Friends will come and go and even the closest relations will gradually fade into the distance, b ut a p arent’s love l asts as long as the parent does.” - Kevin E. Kelley

Rest in Peace.