Read at Funeral Mass by 1st Daughter, Kathleen Kelley

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Poem by Kathy Kelley:

Dave, Dad, Pop-Pop

Pictures on the walls
Here, there, everywhere
Pictures of the love he gave
And the life he lived.

Many moments, many loves
And so many more
Not photographed.

Which pictures to hang
To tell his story?

Too many to choose from
Not enough to contain
The life of Dave, Dad, Pop-Pop
No matter how many
Pictures hang on the walls.

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by Kathy Kelley at Funeral Mass:

It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death-ought
to decide, indeed, to earn one's death by confronting with passion, the conundrum of life. One is responsible to life. One must negotiate the passage through the darkness from which we come and to which we shall return, as nobly as possibly, for the sake of those who are coming after you. 

James Baldwin in The Fire Next Time (1963)


"My father was many things, none the least of which was noble." Kathy Kelley

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Things said about Dad in emails from others:

· He is loved and revered
· One in a million
· Quite a man
· A fighter
· Forever in our hearts
· A wonderful person
· An inspiration
· Abundantly compassionate
· Powerfully loved
· Courageous
· Dedicated to the program and to a life of recovery

Our neighbor, Colleen, said. "He is a real person, very sincere, down to earth, told you how it really was, had a great sense of humor and really cared about people".

Our Uncle Harry Meyer said, "I always looked up to your father…he was a super brother-in-law…and a Great War hero."

His granddaughter, Andrea, said, "Pop Pop is a legend in AA….He is the strongest man I've ever met….He gives me such inspiration. I am so proud to be his granddaughter."
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On Alcoholic Anonymous:

AA gave Dad a new way of life, one which he could not have imagined in his prior life. Before AA, his spirit was dying. In AA he went from being a fighter and a lover to being truly loving. He went from being a father to being a real Daddy and from being a grandfather to being a Pop-Pop. In AA, Dad went from surviving to living the blessed life you saw last night and see today through all his hundreds of loved ones….Kathy Kelley