Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge God and He will direct your path. Prov. 3:5-6

 So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Truth to stand on! As I prayed over how to start this, what to say, I honestly was at a loss but then almost immediately I thought I need to start with God’s word. Over the years and certainly through this battle of cancer it was God’s word that carried me. In fact two thing sustained our family.

1.God’s word

2.Community

1.I started posting scripture that spoke to me, or that I was choosing to stand on by faith, even when I didn’t “feel it” early on our friend Trevor came to the hospital and told us-don’t ask me how I feel, ask me what I know. What I felt many moments was fear, anxiety, anger, despair, but I chose to stand on what I knew. God is with us and will never forsake us, he is our refuge and our strength, He is a good good father. God allowed me to wrestle well.

2.Community-You can not do life alone, and our community blew us away in coming along side of us. It was during this time that it became so evident that you need to have your people, your tribe. You have to be willing to connect, be vulnerable, and put in the time. I don’t think we really realized what we had been building through the last 20 years through connecting and serving until this happened.

Cherished, Loved, Protected, Laughter=These are a few of the things I felt being Ronn’s wife. It has been an honor standing by his side, through the ups and the downs

that life brought over the last 27 years. We lived out to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. So often Ronn would say, you shouldn’t have to do this as I cared for him and every time I would say for better or for worse in sickness and in health. Would you do it for me Ronn? He would nod, and I would say we are living out the vows we spoke over 27 years ago.

I always knew that I could count on Ronn in every way. He knew me so well, he supported every new adventure that God called me to, he was my sounding board and so often would keep me in balance reminding me that I can’t do it all. I will so miss having him as my partner, as my councilor, as my protector, my provider and as my friend.

I was always inspired by his work ethic, integrity and his ability to never meet a stranger. I am basically an introvert and he was an extrovert. Ronn knew how to work a room and make everyone feel important. He would always stop and take with people, whether at church, in our neighborhood, wherever he was. I learned so much from him. I admired him and loved him so.

As we became parents I watched Ronn become a father that our children adored. He was an amazing dad, so proud of Grant and Sydney and all that they did. He never missed a game or activity that they were involved in. When our kids realized that there was a call on their life for worship that made Ronn so proud. Worship was a big part of our home. I loved that the 3 of them shared in that gift. In the morning he passed we had worship going on our TV and Sydney fell to her knees and started worshipping I sat next to her and for the next few hours those gathered in our home worshipped with us. I know Ronn was so proud at that moment. He had cultivated an atmosphere of worship that extended when he passed from this life to his forever life with Jesus. Ronn was so proud of the calling that  Grant and Sydney have

Sydney-Every time in the hospital when a nurse came in he would ask them questions about themselves and then tell every single nurse my daughter is in nursing school and brag on her. He was so proud of Sydney and what she was accomplishing at Samford. Sydney and I often joked I think dad loves Samford more than I do. They had a beautiful relationship and Ronn modeled the kind of man that Sydney would look for in future husband. From never missing a daddy/daughter dance(where she wouldn’t let Ronn see her dress until she was all ready) she would come down the stairs and twirl and wait for him to say-Sydney you look so beautiful, and then say very nice syd very nice. to never missing a time when she lead worship Sydney knew that her daddy was her biggest fan.

Grant-I see so much of Ronn in Grant. Grant was a rock during this whole time and picked up doing what Ronn could no longer do. When Grant realized that he was called to the ministry Ronn was his biggest fan and told Grant, God is going to do great things through you. Show up, work hard, stay humble. Ronn modeled what it meant to be man, to work hard, to provide, to protect his family, to walk in integrity. Grant daddy was so proud of you and so loved who you have become.

We will take one day at a time, and our hearts ache for Ronn, but at the same time, what gives us peace is knowing he is with Jesus and he is whole. No more pain no more suffering and we will see him again.

I started a journal June 28th when I drove him to Tampa General. On the front cover I wrote

Never waver!

Stand on God’s promises!

Choose to grow stronger!

God will be glorified!

It often looked messy, and so many tears fell but I can stand here now and say we are #Kellystrong!

Ronald Sidney “Ronn”  Kelly’s “Celebration of Life Service” is scheduled for Friday, 11:00 AM,  January 25, 2019 at Grace Family Church, 5101 Van Dyke Road, Tampa, FL with Pastor Chris Bonham, to officiate.  The family will receive friends at the church from 10:00 AM until service time.

Ronn was born on May 17, 1958 in Miami, FL to Sidney and Janet (Price) Kelly and passed away on January 20, 2019 at his residence under the care of Hospice with his family and friends at his bedside.  He moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1997 from Boston, MA and was an administrator/business owner of Spectora Health Care.  He attended and was very active in Grace Family Church-Van Dyke Campus.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce (Salley) Kelly of Tampa, FL; his children: Grant Austin Kelly of Tampa, FL and Sydney Kelly of Birmingham, AL; his parents; Sidney and Janet Kelly of Miami, FL; two sisters; Sherri and Linda Kelly, both of Miami, FL and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.

Veterans Funeral Care

727-524-9202