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Linda V.G. Kelley, age 74, p ordassed away in her Denver home on Thursday, November 10, 2022. She was the first-born child of Clifford and Violet (Gosnell) Van Gilder and grew up in Middletown, Ohio.Linda was a glamorous force of nature. She loved painting, hiking, her family, her dogs, Masterpiece Theatre, and entertaining family, business, and travel associates. She was passionate about supporting several charitable causes. She could tell you the name of every flower in her garden, fields, and the forest. She decorated for each season with gusto.
Linda obtained her bachelor's degree in education with a minor in art, excelling in her chosen profession. She taught in both public and private schools in Hawaii. She obtained her master's degree in communication from the University of Hawaii and found that it had great application for her work in her husband's family hospitality business. Linda was loved by her exceptional community of friends, artists, caretakers, and especially her large, multigenerational family.
Linda's shining light was her husband, Richard Roy Kelley. Throughout their 42 years of marriage, she helped Richard grow the family hotel company, Outrigger Hotels, from a mom-and-pop management operation to a modern hospitality powerhouse. Linda was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She deeply cared for Richard, who preceded her in death earlier this year after a 28-year battle with Parkinson's disease.
Linda is survived by her two sisters, two children, five stepchildren, 15 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren (and counting!). A celebration of her life will be held on February 4, 2023, in Denver, Colorado.
The family asks that in lieu of remembrances, individuals support Windows to the Divine, the American Heart Association, and the University of Colorado Alzheimer's and Cognition Center Fund.
