Daniel Ivan Kelley

Daniel Ivan Kelley passed away on April 8, 2015 at his home in Topeka, Kansas. Daniel was born on January 11, 1977, in Independence, Kansas to Daniel Joseph Kelley and Donna Jean Robinson Kelley.

Daniel attended school at St. Patrick's School, in Parsons, Kansas, before moving to Emporia Kansas, and attended William Allen White Grade School, Emporia Middle School and for a while Emporia High School. He later received his GED. Dan worked for approximately 10 years at Amarr Garage Doors in Lawrence, and at Goodyear Tire Company in Topeka and as a temp at the Del Monte Pet Food plant in Topeka.. He recently attended Washburn Vo Tech Diesel Mechanic School and received his diesel mechanic certificate. He was currently employed by Summit Trucking in Topeka, Kansas.

Daniel never new a stranger. His mom called him "her social butterfly." He was a troubled young man after the death of his step-father, Everette Fox, in 1992. He reached bottom and called his mother and asked her to take him to Valley Hope Treatment Center and after two rounds he came out a much better and much happier young man. He would still enjoy a good drink, especially Crown Royal, but he also spent a good deal of time talking to young men and women about the destructive nature of drugs and alcohol. Daniel became quite a young man to be proud of. Mom certainly was.

Daniel was always very casual in his dress. Dirty or well used T-shirts and holy jeans. When his brother, Erin, got married last summer and Danny stood up with Erin and wore a tuxedo many people didn't recognize him.

Daniel never had any children of his own but always seemed to make small children laugh and play with him. He dearly loved his two nieces, Kaylee and Emily. I'll take that back, his two children were he pet pit bulldogs - Sadie and Chaos. Two of Daniel's friends have stepped up to take the dogs and given them good homes.

Daniel is survived by his mother and step-father Donna and Steve Swan of Burlingame, KS.; his father Daniel Kelley of Boston, Massachusetts; his brother Sean Kelley of Topeka, and his brother Erin Michael, his wife Suzie, and daughters, Kaylee and Emily of Tonganoxie. He is also survived by numerous aunts and uncles, and cousins in the Parsons Kansas area as well as Texas. He was preceded in death by his step-father Everette Fox of Emporia, his grandparents Walter and Helen Robinson of Galesburg, KS, his grandparents Ivan and Rita Kelley of South Boston, Massachusetts.

There will be a visitation service at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 234 SW Van Buren, Topeka, Kansas on Tuesday, April 14 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. The funeral service will be at St. Joseph's at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15. There will be a dinner for family and friends at the church following the funeral. Then approximately at 12:30 p.m. family and friends will be invited to travel his burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Parsons, Kansas. He will be buried next to his step-father Everett Fox. There will be opportunities and both the visitation to speak. His family would like you to tell a good story or memory of Daniel.

The family is asking that everyone come in comfortable casual clothes. In lieu of flowers, we are asking for financial donations to the Daniel Kelley Memorial Scholarship at Washburn Tech School for Diesel Mechanics. A collection basket will be present at the visitation and the funeral service.

At Daniel's request he was a tissue and organ donor and the possibility of assisting 50 other people have a better living. He encourages everyone to do this if possible. He was also cremated at his request. Midwest Cremation Society, Inc. of Topeka.