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In memory of

Sean Thomas Kelly

Beaver, UT, USA

October 27, 1968 - August 23, 2021

Oct 27, 1968 - Aug 23, 2021

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Sean Thomas Kelly passed away at his home in Beaver, Utah on August 23, 2021. He was 52 years old.

He was a beloved brother and uncle. He had a unique influence on his nieces and nephews.

Sean was born on October 27, 1968 in Richland, Washington.

He graduated from American Fork High School in 1986.

He served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Honolulu, Hawaii from 1988-1990.

Sean graduated from the University of Hawaii with a degree in Philosophy in May of 1996.

After Sean’s mission, he spent a few months at home in Utah before returning to Hawaii where he lived for the next 25 years. He loved the people and the lifestyle of Hawaii. He worked as a bartender, a veterinary hospital caretaker, and in the job he loved most of all—as a surf instructor at Hawaiian Fire in Kapolei, Oahu. He especially enjoyed teaching children how to surf.

Sean took many jobs throughout his life, from milking cows as a young boy to working as a landscaper, construction worker, bartender, and bronze caster. He was also a security guard, a surf instructor, a camp counselor for troubled teens, a photographer, a farm manager, a film processor, and a cook.

Sean had knowledge, first-hand experience, or an opinion on pretty much everything. He loved surfing and being near the water as well as in the mountains. He enjoyed outdoor activities like hunting, skiing, biking, gardening, and camping. He was an avid reader and enjoyed a lot of classic literature. Sean loved to run. He was involved in the Ultra Marathon community for several years and completed four 100-mile races.

Sean moved to Utah in 2015 in part to be with his mother before she passed away. From 2015 to 2020, he traveled and lived across the Western states, spending time in New Mexico, Nevada, Southern and Northern California, Washington, and Utah. During that time, he worked on organic farms and wrote about his experiences. He spent much of his time in those years camping, reading, spending time with family, and enjoying the freedom his nomadic lifestyle offered. In the fall of 2020, he settled in Beaver, UT.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Petrea Ann Gillespie Kelly and his father, Brian Kermit Kelly.

Sean is survived by his nine siblings and their spouses: Megan (James) McQuivey, Heather (David) Taylor, Bronson (Cherie') Kelly, Dylan (Laura) Kelly, Erin (Josh) Stanley, Brigham (Rachel) Kelly, Rebecca (Geoff) Morgan, BJ (Analia) Kelly, Elizabeth (Matthew) Allen, and 31 nieces and nephews. He loved his nieces and nephews.

The family will celebrate his life with a family memorial service at a later date.

Condolences to the family may be sent to Ever Loved.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Sean’s name to your favorite charity or to Hawaii Youth Surfing Development Organization (https://hysdo.org)