Tylor Wade Kelly, was born in Allagash, Maine on May 17, 1937 and on his 87th birthday, Friday May 17th 2024, he passed away peacefully at his home in Allagash, with his family by his side.
He was the son of John and Fern (McBreairty) Kelly. He grew up in a family of eight siblings, brother Guy and sisters Jewel, Cora, Jacqueline, Faye, Susan and Jill. In 1958 he married the love of his life, a girl from Allagash, our mother Leitha (Michaud)Kelly. On their wedding day a pledge
to each other was instilled “Where I go, you go, and where you go, I go” which was repeated time and again throughout our childhood. Together they raised a family of five children and spent their entire lives by each other's side. Tylor was a bit of a legend in these parts of Northern Maine. As a young logger, he worked the last of the log drives and eventually became a lumber contractor with his two sons Wade and Stacey. He was an iconic fur trapper, and a Master Maine Guide. He and Leitha built Two Rivers Lunch, which is now in its 48th year, with what hard work and the land provided them. Tylor went on to build the Allagash Logging Museum next door to their restaurant in his later years and there was nothing that pleased him more than sharing his knowledge, love, and stories about his life in his beloved Allagash, to visitors.
He leaves to cherish their memories of sixty five years together, to his loving wife Leitha Michaud-Kelly and their children, Darlene Kelly-Dumond, Lisa Kelly-Powell and her husband David, Wade Kelly and his wife Sue, Stacey Kelly and his wife Jill, Tylor Kelly and his wife Rebecca and William (Willey) Dancy, a young boy from Boston who spent summers with the Kelly’s growing to love him as a father. He has been a role model to his grandchildren, Sara, Robert, Erin, Jesse, Devin, John, Jacob, Zachary, Cameron, Lucas, Abby and Jacob and adored by his great-grandchildren, Griffin, Kinley, Hailey, Jaiden, Landon, Natalie, Clementine, Kylie, Tylor, Wyatt, Avery, Colter, Avery, Dillon and Arlo.
Our father didn’t tell us how to live; he lived and let us watch him do it. He remains here with us on our sacred land and that is where we shall honor him with a Celebration of Life on Thursday July 4th at 4pm. Everyone is invited to the homestead to share in prayers, music, food, storytelling and laughter, for our father loved to laugh over memories.
