Obituary of John Joseph Kelly

Kelly, John ?Jack? Joseph, III, 74, of St. Petersburg, died Thursday, October 12th, 2000 at St. Anthony?s Hospital after a lengthy illness. He came here in 1971 from his native Savannah, GA where he founded, owned & operated three steel companies over a period of 17 years. He received a degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1947, and he was the manager of the Georgia Tech basketball team. He was a Navy veteran of WW II and the Korean War, serving as a Lieutenant on the USS DesMoines as a gunnery officer. Locally, he was the President of Commonwealth Continental Corporation to supervise the workout of distressed properties. His developments included Seminole Lake Estates, Golf?s Edge in Daytona Beach, and many others over a 10 state area. He was a member of the Breakfast Sertoma Club where he received the South Suncoast District Secretary of the Year award for 1992-1993. He was named Sertoman of the year in 1995. He was an excellent cook and photographer. He was also known as George P. Burdell and ?The Whale?. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Patricia H.; 3 sons, Kenneth L. of Marietta, GA, Stephen D. of Phoeniz, AZ, and Timothy F. of Evergreen, CO; 1 brother, Gary R. of Midway, GA; 5 grandchildren and several nieces & nephews. The family requests memorials be sent to the St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 2nd Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701; Lifelink of Tampa; or the Bonaventure Historical Society, 204 Atkinson Ave., Savannah, GA 31404. Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes & Cremation Tribute Center-Ninth Street Chapel.