In Memory of

Peter

Keown

Kelley

Obituary for Peter Keown Kelley

Peter Keown Kelley was a cherished friend and family member who was full of love and fiercely loyal. He was genuine and generous, smart and silly, funny and fun-loving. He never met a stranger. Peter died unexpectedly and far too soon at the age of 44; he is survived by his beloved parents, Sandy and Louis Kelley Sr.; wife Jenny Trevathan; brother Louis Kelley Jr. (aka Bink) and sister-in-law Kathy Howard; sister Sarah Kelley and brother-in-law Mark Metzger; along with nieces and nephews John, Bessie, Henry and Willa — his favorite playmates.

Peter attended Our Lady of Lourdes (’86) and Trinity High School (’90), where he made lifelong friends and was active in the theater department. He went on to graduate from Western Kentucky University where he majored in broadcast communications, a path that led him to work as an assistant producer at WLKY News. But it was from behind the bar at FABD and then Patrick’s where his sincerity and smile warmed the room and made everyone feel welcome. The sound of his deep voice belting out Johnny Cash will forever resonate in our hearts.

He was a lover of the Cincinnati Reds (thanks to his great-grandmother, Bessie, who adored him), talking politics, the occasional round of golf, and all kinds of music — but especially the Grateful Dead, who sang these poignant words: “Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest. Won’t you lay your head upon your savior's chest.”

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, May 30 at Our Lady of Lourdes, 510 Breckinridge Lane. Visitation is from 8:30-9:45 a.m. and a memorial mass will follow at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy can be made to The Healing Place or the Trinity Department of Theatre Arts.