Ann Kelley's Obituary
Margaret Ann Pearsall Kelley (“Ann”) was born on July 10, 1924 in Bay City, Michigan, to Marion Buck Pearsall (“Mayo”) and James Winfield Pearsall. She was an outgoing girl who loved horse-back riding, being with friends and dancing. Her father died unexpectedly when she was near twenty leaving her and her older sister Pat to care for their mother. Ann attended college for only a few months before World War II broke out in 1944. During the war she worked as a bookkeeper at the Defoe Company shipyards where they made destroyer escorts. Following the war, she fell in love with Timothy Edward Kelley (“Tim”) also of Bay City. They were married on August 21, 1948 and they moved to New Haven, Connecticut where Tim graduated from Yale Law School and their first daughter, Marcia Jeanne Kelley Leachman (“Marcy”) was born. They moved to Dallas in 1951 where Tim joined the law firm of Thompson Knight. Over the next eight years, Ann became the mother of 3 more girls, Barbara Ann Kelley Charlebois, Joan Stacey Kelley Smith and Laura Jo Kelley Myers. Raising and loving her family became her greatest passion and delight. Her four daughters were her “angels” and she treasured the times she would spend together with each of them. Ann was always involved in her daughters’ school activities whether it was in chairing the fund raising efforts for Ursuline Academy or the Drill Team social events for W. T. White High School from where all of her daughters graduated. Everyone knew her as the talented and creative mom who was willing to help with any event. She was a gracious hostess and her artistic abilities were often put to use in drawing Disney figures or dressing Barbie Dolls as exact replicas of the Longhorn Drill Team. That endeavor even made the front page of the Dallas Morning News in 1969! She joined many social and philanthropic clubs in Dallas serving on countless committees. She was a member of the Dallas Lawyers’ Wives Club, the North Dallas Women’s Club, PEO, the Knife and Fork Club, The Mary Martha Gourmet Circle, the Symphony League, the St. Jude St. Bridget Circle, and Treinta y Seis Book Club and she was president of Mes Amis in 1998-1999. Closer to home, Ann served as the Social Chairman of “The Encore” heading up coffees and cocktail parties throughout the years. She also spearheaded many bridge and “Birthday Girls” groups. She started a decorating business “Ann Kelley Interiors” while she worked for 20 years at the Dallas Trade Mart’s Fitz and Floyd Showroom and The House of Global Art where she was showroom manager. While Ann accomplished a great deal at home and in the community, her strongest quality was her loving heart. Known as “Gigi” to her 14 grandchildren and her 7 great-grandchildren, she cherished spending time getting to know them. She had a way of drawing people into her joy when she met them. She knew no strangers. She made everyone feel at ease and special right away. When asked how she was, she always answered “FABULOUS” without a complaint or word of discouragement. Her smile was warm and her words were gracious. She lived life with an appreciation for all that it offered and brought happiness to all she knew. Ann loved her Lord deeply and her faith in Christ was her cornerstone. Her family will miss her greatly. We love you, Gigi. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to Catholic Charities of Dallas or the charity of your choice.
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