Thomas Joseph Kelly

As a child growing up in Oklahoma in the 1940s, Thomas J. Kelly would jump in front of oncoming trains "for fun." His taste for adventure never abated, and for 73 years he saw the world, ran successful companies, raised two children, collected countless stories, and topped it off by marrying a fiery Irish woman. Tom, president of Standard Testing & Engineering, died on Saturday at his home in Oklahoma City from lung cancer. He was surrounded by family and his wife Mary Casey Kelly. Tom was born at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City to Lue Elsie Daley Kelly and James J. Kelly, the former president of Kerr McGee. He grew up on 39th Street in Crown Heights. He attended Bishop John Carroll grade school and St. Gregory's high school in Shawnee. He got his BS in chemical engineering from Notre Dame in 1966, and his MS in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1968. In 1969, Tom joined the U.S. Army where he worked on nuclear reactors at Fort Belvoir. There he met his first wife, Susan Haight. They were married for 32 years. They lived seven places before packing all their belongings, two dogs and a three legged cat into a car and driving cross country to Southern California to settle down and start a family. Tom worked for C.F. Braun in Los Angeles, building refineries and chemical plants all around the globe, from Latin America to the Middle East. In 1987, Tom moved back to Oklahoma to take over his father's company, Standard Testing & Engineering. He ran the company for 30 years, expanding it and growing it into a well-respected engineering company. He also founded Elm Tree, a software company. He was active with various local non-profits. He served on the board of the Children's Hospital Foundation for 29 years, and was chairman of the board of St. Gregory's for 11 years. He also served on the St. Anthony Foundation board. In 2003, Tom met Dr. Mary Casey on a blind date. It was "love at first sight." They were engaged three months later and married for almost 13 years. As part of the union, Tom inherited a beloved group of new nieces and nephews. Together the couple cruised down the coast of Croatia in an Alfa Romeo, faced off against lions during a safari in Zambia, and learned to cook from the masters in Tuscany. An amazing and passionate cook, Tom was especially proud of teaching younger generations how to navigate the kitchen. Tom loved telling stories, spending time with friends he'd known since he was a kid, and singing made up songs to anyone who'd listen. He learned how to fly planes and raced his sailboat off the coast of California. But Tom was happiest sitting at home in a comfortable chair reading a book, his faithful pet bird on his shoulder. Tom said his greatest accomplishments in life were his two children, Andrew and Heather Kelly, and his four grandsons, Lachlan, Quinn, Emile and Maxwell. He is survived by his wife Mary Kelly, his children and grandchildren, his sister Kay Bachelor and her three children. Friends may visit at Smith & Kernke from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, March 10. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, March 11, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 3214 N. Lake Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Anthony Hospital Foundation Care and Compassion Fund (405)272-7070.