Dorothy Kelley

Dorothy Kelley, 83, passed away Monday March 2, 2015 at St. Rita’s Hospital after a brief illness.

Dorothy Lay was born in Auglaize Township, Allen County, Ohio on December 14, 1931, the third of five children of Earl and Elizabeth (Sproul) Lay.

Dorothy worked for many years at Lance’s IGA and Albers Supermarket in Kenton and retired from DAB in Bellefontaine after 25 years. She loved helping with the contest horses for many years with first husband Loren Cox. Dorothy was an excellent baker and made delicious pies, cakes, and homemade strawberry jam for her family. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and kept many holiday traditions going for the family.

Dorothy also loved traveling with her beloved husband Jim and often with her brother Eddie Lay and wife Linda. She and Jim enjoyed two extensive trips across Europe, two to Alaska, and one to Hawaii. They also went on thirteen cruises all over, including going around Cape Horn at the southernmost point of South America and going through the Panama Canal.

Dorothy is survived by her beloved husband of 38 years Jim Kelley, brother Don (Jane) Lay and sister Evelyn Jones. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Lloyd Lay and Edward Lay, and her first husband Loren Cox.

Also surviving is daughter Randie (Chris) Pfister of Lima and son Rick (Lisa) Cox of Ridgeway; grandchildren Danielle Pfister (Corey) Foster, Jonathan (Julie) Pfister, Jessica Cox (Matt) Brackman, Heather Cox (Mike) Struble, great grandchildren Zoey Foster, Parker Struble, and Journey, Jaelyn, and Jakoby Pfister.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Dorothy is greatly missed by all.

Rev. Scott Johnson will officiate a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 6, 2015 at the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, 306 N. Elizabeth Street, Belle Center. Visitation will be Thursday at the Belle Center funeral home from 4 to 8 p.m. and 1 hour prior to the funeral on Friday. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, Belle Center.

Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, Belle Center assisted the family with arrangements.

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