Alice Mary Kelly

Alice Mary Kelly, 96, a retired nurse and loving mother and grandmother, died on July 6, 2026, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 5, 1930, to James and Alice Gerrity, Alice was the youngest of three children. She spent her early life in the Windy City, growing up in a largely Irish-German Catholic South Side neighborhood that she described as "very warm and protective." Like many in her community, Alice lived in a home filled with family. Her parents had the second-floor apartment in her grandmother's building, while single aunts and uncles lived on the first floor.

Born into a Catholic family, Alice remained faithful throughout her life. She attended Catholic schools from primary school through college and completed her three years of nursing training at a Catholic hospital. From 1956 to 1960, Alice lived in community with the Grail Institute for Overseas Service. After joining the program in Brooklyn, she spent a year in the agricultural program at Grailville in Ohio before serving for two years in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. This was a time of joy and growth in Alice's life, but also one of difficulty and sorrow. She took exceedingly well to the challenge of working with an international team from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds but described the suffering she encountered during her time there as devastating. Caring for patients at a clinic run out of a favela, she was particularly affected by the "grinding poverty" she witnessed and by the deaths of infants.

In 1960, Alice returned to the United States to finish her degree. In 1961, she received her B.S. in Nursing from Loyola University in Chicago and went on to work in public health with the Visiting Nurses Association and later in the clinics at Illinois Research Hospital. Her work in healthcare was deeply tied to her faith, with Alice expressing a desire to help alleviate the pain of others. She would continue throughout her life to work with communities in need, including through the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN), volunteering with Meals on Wheels and served on the social justice committee at Christ the King Parish.

The same year she graduated from Loyola, Alice met her husband, Raymond Kelly, a neighbor and friend from her childhood parish with whom she reconnected at an event for singles over thirty-an occasion their children and grandchildren playfully refer to as "the last chance dance." The couple had five children, whom they raised in Omaha, Nebraska and then Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Tulsa, Alice found spiritual homes at Church of the Resurrection, Immaculate Conception Church, then Christ the King Catholic Church in midtown as well as Osage Monastery in Sand Springs.

In Tulsa, Alice and her family became part of a community of families who called themselves the camping group. True to their name, these families often went on camping trips together; however, they also frequently gathered in one another's homes. The camping group served as a sort of extended family for its members, many of whom, like the Kellys, had moved to Tulsa from other parts of the country and left relatives behind. One fellow camping group member, Cathy Peppito, became a lifelong friend and remembers frequent phone calls during which Alice would kid around with her.

While she opened her heart to her Tulsa community, Alice remained in close contact with loved ones who lived far away. She chatted on the telephone and exchanged letters, becoming especially known for her yearly Christmas letter. During her time in Brazil, she made a close friend, Jacy, whose family later took trips to visit Alice, her husband, and their children at their home in Park Plaza South and then the house they built in Gilcrease Hills.

Alice maintained an active and social life well into her final years. She explored the world through extensive travel and remained intellectually curious through the many book clubs she joined over the years. She also showed her competitive side in regular bridge tournaments and spirited games of Mexican Train dominoes and Scrabble.

While Alice has returned in death to those she loved-her parents, her brother James Gerrity,
her sister Marie Therese (Gerrity) Geary, many wonderful friends, and her beloved husband Raymond Kelly-she is survived by her children, Raymond Kelly, James Kelly, Marie (Kelly) Kraus, Kathleen Kelly, and David Kelly; their spouses; and eight grandchildren.

Funeral Mass:

Sat. Aug. 29, 2026 10 am

Christ the King Catholic Church

1520 S. Rockford Ave.

Tulsa, OK 74120
Reception to follow in Fletcher Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Metro Tulsa's Meals on Wheels.

https://www.mealsonwheelstulsa.org/