Dorothy Kelley

Dorothy Ann Kelley died Friday, May 26, 2017 in Forney, Texas after a long battle with cancer. She was born February 19, 1930 outside of Dodge Center, Minnesota to Earl and Cora (Lynch) Buffington.

Dorothy graduated from Dodge Center High School in 1947 and soon worked at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. It was there that she encountered the Catholic Church and was so moved to seek instructions to become Catholic. She moved to Dallas and continued work in the medical field where she met Samuel Kelley. They married in 1954 and raised seven children in Dallas, Sunnyvale and eventually Forney before retiring to her home outside of Terrell. She had a love for animals from her childhood, particularly her Keeshond dogs and Arabian horses.

She was preceded in death by her husband of forty-seven years, Sam Kelley; her parents; granddaughter, Alexandra Tedesco; great-granddaughter, June Barton; sister, Maureen Strom; and two brothers, Dale Buffington and Virgil Buffington.

Dorothy is survived by her daughters, Kathey Szyperski and her husband, Keith of Fort Myers, Florida, Cindy Kelley of Terrell, and Maria Wallis and her husband, Bobby of Kaufman; sons, Father Daniel Kelley of Arlington, Sam Kelley of Balch Springs, Tim Kelley and his wife, Cathy of Mesquite and Tom Kelley of Terrell; eighteen grandchildren; and twenty-two great-grandchildren.