Mr. Kelley transitioned Thursday, May 22, 2025, after a short illness.

He was born June 12, 1959, in Lufkin, Texas, the 7^th child of Mr. and Mrs. Garlin Kelley.  He attended Lufkin public schools and graduated from Texas Southern University (TSU). While at TSU he joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Tau Epsilon Chapter, a brotherhood to which he kept a lifelong commitment. Before his career in education, he spent over a decade with Digicon Geophysical Corp., now Viridien. He then dedicated 33 years to Spring Woods Middle School in Spring Branch ISD, where he served as a physical education teacher, coach, and department chair. He was also the school advisor for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) for many years, an organization he participated in as a student at Lufkin High School. He began officiating little league games and pee wee football in 1984 and quickly moved up to middle and high school football games eventually becoming a referee in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for college football, serving historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the southern United States. He also served as an official with the Southland in 2012, the PAC-12 in 2017, and in 2013 he was hired as the Kicking Ball Coordinator’s Assistant for the National Football League (NFL). After excelling as a head referee for ten years, in 2019 he became SWAC’s Coordinator of Football Officials and founded the A-Team Football Officiating, LLC.He was also a member of Windsor Village United Methodist Church for over 30 years.

Mr. Kelley was preceded in death by his parents, Garlin Kelley, Sr. and Jimmie Lee Hyde Kelley; sister, Linda Kelley-Booker; and brothers Garlin Kelley, Jr. and Pierce K. Kelley.

Mr. Kelley will always be remembered and loved by his wife, Yolanda; daughters, Taneka Nicole Shepard, Brittany Llashay (Terrence) Carter, Brooke Symone Kelley, and Brianna Rychelle Kelley; granddaughter, Jazmine Nikole Shepard; sisters, Mary Louise “May-Lou” Alston, Nettie B (Cleo) Hunt, and Cheryl Ladean (Richard) Griffin; brothers, Jimmy Earl (Hope) Kelley, James Alfred (Necie) Kelley, Don Ray (Faye) Kelley, and Royce Wayne Kelley; godsons, Joe Hartsfield Jr, Jeremy Reece, and Cameron Lewis; and a wealth of nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews, family, and many loving and caring friends.