DAVENPORT CENTER - James E. Kelley, 82, of Davenport Center, passed away suddenly at his home on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021.

Born on Oct. 16, 1938, in Oneonta, James was the son of the late Fay and Bertha (Roof) Kelley.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1955 until his honorable discharge in 1958.

As a young man he worked for Van Buren's in Hobart, then Agway in Stamford until landing his career job at General Electric Co. in Schenectady where he worked for 25 years as a winder and machinist until his retirement.

Mr. Kelley served as a volunteer firefighter for the Hobart Fire Department for more than 25 years. He also served as secretary of the Tri-County Firemen's Association. He was a member of the Moose Lodge in Oneonta and enjoyed playing in their horseshoe leagues. In his younger years, James also played in the local men's softball league for Lamport's. He was also an avid New York Yankees baseball fan.

James was known for his extreme wit and incredible sense of humor, always pulling pranks, never giving a straight answer and always looking for a good laugh. He was forever thoughtful, kind and fun loving. All who knew him loved him. His greatest joy was spending time with his family.

Besides his parents, James was predeceased by his daughter, Sonya Kelley; and sister, Jane Temple.

He is survived by his longtime love and companion, Joan Davis of Davenport Center; children, Darlene Kelley (Philip Van Etten) of Hobart, Rhonda Kelley (Rodney Johnson) of East Worcester and Shawn Kelley (Teresa Boecke) of Jefferson; grandchildren, Stephanie (Sheldon) Griffin of Chesapeake, Virginia, Joseph Marold of Albany, Jessica Baldi of Bloomville, Jacquelyn (Jennifer) Kelley of Walton, Jenelle (Ford) Zimmerman of Oneonta, Kelsey Kelley of Jefferson and James Kelley of Jefferson; 12 great-grandchildren, Alexandra, Andrew, Madison, Elizabeth, Jayden, Levi, Daniel, Gage, Desiree, Memphis, Justice and Willow; sisters, Joyce (Frank) Harkenreader, Betty Lou (Bob) Clark and Shirley (late Edward) Collins; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A celebration of James's life will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 16, at Stamford VFW/American Legion, 65721 State Highway 10, Stamford.

Share condolences with the Kelley family at www.macarthurfh.com.