Dr. Larry Stephen Kelley
Dr. Larry Stephen Kelley, 75, of Richmond passed away peacefully in his home May 2, 2022, after a brief, but courageous, battle with pancreatic cancer. His family and his faithful dog Bella were by his side.
Dr. Kelley was born January 1, 1947, in Boyd County, Kentucky, but primarily grew up in Bath County where he attended primary and secondary school. The son of the late Steve D. Kelley and Georgia E. Arthur, he was the sixth child born by the mother of eight. Dr. Kelley earned an Associates of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Eastern Kentucky University in 1972 and 1975, respectively. He obtained a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee in 1979 and a Doctor of Nursing Science from Indiana University in 1999. Dr. Kelley was the first in his family to obtain a college degree.
Dr. Kelley was a former Professor of Nursing at Eastern Kentucky University's School of Nursing, teaching in both the undergraduate Baccalaureate Nursing Program and Master of Nursing Program, Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner Tract. Dr. Kelley was instrumental in the development, implementation and credentialing of the FNP program at Eastern Kentucky University. He served as the Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum Coordinator from the program's inception until his retirement. During his tenure at Eastern Kentucky University, he served on various committees within the Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing including the Advisory Committee, Faculty Evaluation Committee, Graduate Committee and the Committee on Promotion and Tenure for which he served as Chair in 2001 and 2006. Dr. Kelley served the College of Allied Health on the Alumni Affairs Committee, the Sabbatical Leave Committee and the Promotions and Tenure Committee, as well as serving as a Faculty Senator from 2002-2005. He retired from Eastern Kentucky University in 2010 after 32 years.
Dr. Kelley was an ANCC board certified Family Nursing Practitioner practicing in Madison, Fayette, Clark, and Knox counties during his career. After his retirement from Eastern Kentucky University, he continued to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner for several years, working with United States Army Reserve and United States National Guard members in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee as well as providing Medicare services for home bound seniors. He was an active member of the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives serving on their Board of Directors. He advocated through the Coalition for unencumbered access to medical care in Kentucky especially in its most rural regions. He worked with the Coalition to lobby Kentucky Congress for the expansion of practice rights for Kentucky Nurse Practitioners, including allowing NPs who had completed a four-year collaboration with a physician to abolish their Collaborative Practice Agreements, legislation which successfully passed and went into effect in 2014. Dr. Kelley was a member of the American Nurse Association and served on the Council of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners. He was an inductee of Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society of Nursing, and was recognized with a research grant in 1996 by the organization for his leadership in scholarly activity. In 2003, Dr. Kelley received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Associate Degree Nursing Program and in 2006 he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Department from Eastern Kentucky University. In 2002, Dr. Kelley was a nominee for the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives for NP of the Year Award. In 2007, he received the Ellen Bailey Share the Light Award. This award is presented by the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives to a NP that displays leadership, clinical excellence, quality patient care and service to the profession and community where they practice.
In addition to his distinguished academic and professional careers, Dr. Kelley was a veteran. He enlisted with the United States Army in 1965 at the age of 18. During this enlistment he was a Medical Specialist and served approximately 11 months in Vietnam. Shortly after his honorable discharge in 1968 he joined the US Army Reserve. In 1990, the US began Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Dr. Kelley's unit, the 810th Convalescent Unit out of Lexington, Ky., was activated in December 1990. He served with 912th Mobile Army Hospital Army Surgical Hospital in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait. He spent approximately eight months in the Middle East. During his service with the U.S. Army Reserve, he rose to the rank of Colonel and received several commendations and service awards. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserves in 2006 after more than 30 years of service.
Dr. Kelley loved to fish and especially enjoyed his annual trip to Arkansas to visit with friends and fish.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Peggy Shrout Kelley of Richmond, Ky.; a daughter Krista Kelley Isaacs (Charles Isaacs) of Richmond, Ky.; one sister Kathy Kelley (Jimmy Dale) of Carlisle, Ky. and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to recognize Mr. Curtis Stillwell who gave Dr. Kelley the incredible gift of a kidney in 2005. They will forever be grateful for the time and quality of life that gift afforded him.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers; Don Kelley, Jerry Kelley and Timothy Shayne Kelley; and three sisters, Betty Kelley Corbin, Sharon Kelley Lowery and Linda Kelley Thompson.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2022, at the Combs, Parsons & Collins Funeral Home with his brother-in-law, Jimmy Dale officiating.
Visitation will be after 4 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home.
Private burial with military honors will take place at the Camp Nelson National Cemetery.