Capt. Gardner Kelley

Obituary Capt. Gardner Martin Kelley, 102, of Newport died Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at Harborview Health Care Center. At his request, the family will celebrate his life privately. He was born at the Boon Island Lighthouse off of York, Maine on January 20, 1913 to Harry Milton Kelley and Eva Martin Kelley. Following in his fathers footsteps, he became a sailor and by age 17 was captain of the 30 foot sail sloop, the Black Phantom. Capt. Kelley spent decades aboard various ships, yachts and steamships. During World War II, he worked as a rigger at the Boston Navy Yard where for his first three days on the job he worked on the U.S.S. Constitution. He later was granted release from the Navy Yard and went on to build ships at a Liberty shipyard in South Portland, Maine. While at the Liberty shipyard, he steered for all the harbor trial test runs before the ships were turned over to the Maritime Commission for use in the war. He spent years repairing and running various boats and was also the captain of the Big Bad John, which was the boat of country singer and television host Jimmy Dean. He was later hired to Captain the M.V. Mount Hope to cruises from Rhode Island to Canada. He also worked on the tanker, Esso Camden, as well as a net fishing boat catching schools of herring to sell for canned sardines. He additionally worked in the U. S. Virgin Islands at Water Island Colony Club and then moved to Rhode Island to run a ferry from Narragansett to Block Island. Capt. Kelley retired at The Palms in Sebring, FL, where, with time to spare, he did most of the writing for nine books he wrote. After his wife of 65 years died, his grandson moved him to Newport, NC where he could be close to family. He is survived by his daughter, Janet Kelley Smith of Florida; sons, Gardner Martin Kelley, Jr. of Oklahoma and Robert Neil Kelley of Newport; 10 grandchildren, multiple great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, his wife, Vera Alley Kelley, preceded him in death. A private service will be held by the family. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Capt. Gardner Kelley