Earl Ralph Kelly of Aberdeen, MD passed away on April 9, 2015. He was 93. He was the husband of the late Virginia O. Kelly.

Mr. Kelly was born in Maine to the late George Lloyd and May Victoria Kelly. He was the father to Millicent A. Sarvas, Anthony John Kelly, Peter Michael Kelly and the late Charles Joseph Kelly and the late Sharon Virginia Kalmbacher. He was the Grandfather of Fourteen, Great Grandfather of Twelve and Great-Great Grandfather of One.

Mr. Kelly was one of the “Greatest Generation” and fought bravely during the WWII. He entered military service in October of 1939 with Co. E. 118th Infantry, 29th Division. In the spring of 1942, he became a qualified parachutist and was assigned to 502nd Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. He participated in two parachute invasions (D-Day on June 1944 and Holland on September 1944) and fought in four major infantry operations, including; Normandy, Holland, Ardennes and Central Europe. His decorations earned include the Bronze Star, 3 Purple Hearts, ETO Medal with four Battle Stars and two Spearheads, Parachute Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, Netherland Orange Lanyard, French Croix de Guerre with Palm and Belgian Fourragere of 1940. He was also awarded the French Croix d’Honneur, naming him as a Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration given by France. Although highly decorated, Mr. Kelly was always humble and quick to remember his brave friends who lost their lives during the war and loved sharing his amazing stories about his life growing up and his time as a soldier who among many feats, stormed Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest”, liberated Nazi concentration camp and participated in one of the only fixed bayonet charges of WWII.

He retired from the Aberdeen Proving Ground as an Aviation Weapons Systems Instructor. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the 29th Infantry Association.

A Viewing will be held on Friday, April 17, 2015 from 5 to 8 P.M. at the Zellman Funeral Home, P.A., 123 S. Washington Street, Havre de Grace, MD 21078.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 11 A.M. at the Zellman Funeral Home, P.A.

Interment will be held at Darlington Cemetery on Saturday after a brief service at the Zellman Funeral Home at 11 A.M.

In lieu of flowers friends and family may make contributions in memory of Earl R. Kelly to Operation Comfort, 4900 Broadway, Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78209

Messages of condolences may be made to www.zellmanfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Earl Ralph Kelly, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.