William "Poppy" Perry Kelly
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William's obituary
In Loving Memory of
William Perry Kelly
June 11, 1939 – July 7, 2025
William Perry Kelly, affectionately known as “Poppy”, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2025, after 86 years of deep love, quiet wisdom, and an endless supply of stories that will live for generations.
A proud Baylor Bear, lifelong trombonist (always first chair!), antique enthusiast, and former Scoutmaster of Troop 316 in Sheridan, Arkansas, Poppy was a true Southern gentleman in every sense. He spent his professional life as the Director of Physical Therapy at the University of Arkansas, a career marked by kindness, integrity, and unwavering dedication to others. Go Hogs.
Poppy’s greatest role was within his family. He shared 48 years of love and adventure with his late wife, Sunny Callaway Kelly, traveling the world and building a life anchored in laughter and cherished memories, especially those made on Lake Ouachita with his son Bill and family. He never needed much for himself: strong coffee, a cat in his lap, and good company, but he gave everything he had to those around him. He saw people deeply, asked thoughtful questions, and genuinely listened. To know Poppy was to be seen, known, and loved.
He was preceded in death by his beloved Sunny; his father, Dr. Miles F. Kelly; his mother, Ruby Kelly, RN; his brother, Miles David Kelly; and his sister, Dr. Betty Lee Kelly.
He is survived by his son, William Perry Kelly, Jr., and former daughter-in-law, Heather Sutton. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Jane Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas; his nieces, Roxann Taylor, also of Little Rock, and Suzann Taylor Byers of East Texas. His legacy continues through his grandchildren, Tobin Pritchard (Anna Claire) of Ruston, Louisiana, and Perry Kelly of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, as well as his great-grandchildren, Charlie, Brooks, and Baker Pritchard. Poppy was dearly loved by his extended Sutton family, who considered him their own. He also leaves behind two yappy dachshunds and his two cherished companions, Big Cat and Miss Kitty.
Poppy wore many titles: Dad, Husband, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, and Friend, but above all, he was a man of quiet strength, tender loyalty, and steady love.
One of his favorite passages, and one that embodies the life he lived, was John Walter Wayland’s definition of a True Gentleman:
“The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from goodwill and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others rather than his own; and who appears well in any company; a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.”
That was our Poppy, a true gentleman to the end. Poppy requested no services, just for all of you to treasure the memories made with him and to enjoy your weekend with those you love.
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