MICHAEL KELLY, 1937 - 2003 November 27, 2003 was a sorrowful day for teachers when the news spread along the Labrador Coast that Mr. Mike Kelly had lost his battle with cancer. Mike was a very special man and friend to many. He was the epitome of what it means to be faith-filled, an exceptional colleague, a confidant, an outstanding community leader, and a phenomenal family man. Mr. Kelly, as he was known by many whom he taught and worked with, was born August 13, 1937 at Burnt Island. He started teaching in 1959 and his professional career took him to places such as Burnt Island - Bonavista Bay, Dover, St. Brendan’s, Lower Cove and in 1972 he came to Our Lady of Labrador School in West Ste. Modeste, where he taught until his retirement in 1992. Mike devoted many hours to the NLTA as Branch President of the Northern Light Branch. He spent countless hours volunteering his time to extracurriculars. He was always concerned about how much he could give or do; never once did he expect anything in return. NLTA awarded him the Bancroft Award in 1992. From the time he arrived in Labrador to his retirement, Mike and his wife lived in Capstan Island, a small community of about 60 people on the South Coast of Labrador. Mike was a pillar of strength, dedicated fully to both his school and community. A former colleague and friend of his, Mrs. Bernice Tracey, says that “Mike was always the person who was there to help out with Christmas concerts, carnivals, sports weekends, fundraisers, darts, school trips, church services and every aspect of school life. He was a kind, caring and dedicated teacher.” The people of Capstan Island saw Mike and his family as their family. The love was reciprocal. It was a privilege to have known and worked with Mike. His great sense of wit and humor will be forever missed. Mike is predeceased by his son Sean, who died accidentally in October 1993, and survived by his wife Myrtle, daughter Sandra Hynes, son-in-law Nish Hynes, grandsons Clarke and Scott Hynes, four sisters and one brother. Many of us have been blessed to have known him. The world is forever changed because of such great men as Mr. Mike Kelly. He was an inspiration and mentor to many. (Submitted by colleague and good friend, Terry Casey, Branch President, Northern Light Branch.)
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 01:02:22 +0000
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