Lawrence Wayne Kelly 1942 – 2022

Lawrence (Larry) Wayne Kelly passed away surrounded by family at the age of 80 at Keck Hospital in Los Angeles on August 31, 2022. Larry courageously battled serious medical issues over the past year, and his tremendous light and spirit lives on for all who knew him.

Larry was born to Gerald and Sally Kelly in Long Beach, California in 1942. He overcame polio at a young age and approached his adolescence in Southern California with a zest in playing football, running track, and surfing the North Shore waves of Oahu by his college years. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in 1964. The grand adventure of his life accelerated in 1968, the magical year for him upon meeting the confidante and love of his life, Jan Kelly. Larry and Jan were married 54 years and had three children, Greg, Scott, and Debbie.

Larry was so caring and generous throughout his entire life. This was shown time and again in his steadfast loyalty to family, friends, employees, clients, and all those who he made a good connection with. Larry absolutely loved bonding over a nice meal. He enjoyed a range of pursuits that included fly-fishing, golf, hunting, tennis, skiing, woodworking, traveling, and dominoes. Larry would never pass up taking the grandkids for a Wild Toad Ride in his golf cart after a dinner. He had a larger-than-life presence and a confident smile that would brighten up any room. He was a gentleman who brought little touches of class to situations, such as remembering the name of a driver who had helped him, or always signing a document with his trusted Montblanc pen that he never misplaced.

Larry treasured his long career where he assisted his clients in growing their investment portfolios. His first post-college job from 1964 to 1966 was as a project consultant for Economic Research Associates where he helped conduct a feasibility study for a potential theme park in Orlando, Florida for Walt Disney Productions. In 1966, he began his investment counsel career working for Channing Management Corporation. In 1974, he was hired by Kidder, Peabody, & Co, and in 1976 he helped form a new wholly-owned investment advisory subsidiary of Kidder. This subsidiary was called Webster Management Corporation, and Larry became its chairman and CEO in 1978. From Los Angeles, he ran the New York City-headquartered Webster Management until 1985. In 1985, Larry founded his own investment management firm, Lawrence Kelly & Associates, where he worked for the next 28 years until his partial retirement in 2013. With his own firm, he could more easily zero in on his passion for assisting clients – many of whom began with Larry in the 1970s – in achieving their investment aims. Even after his partial retirement, he stayed engaged in helping a handful of clients over the last several years.

Larry and Jan lived in Pasadena for 52 years and enjoyed spending significant time with family and friends in Laguna Beach and Montecito over the years. Larry’s interests didn’t wane after his retirement. He was an avid Trojans football fan who would never miss a game, unless USC was down by two touchdowns in the first half when he’d promptly turn off the TV, of course. He was a Western aficionado who devoured every book the western author Louis L’Amour wrote. You’d be hard-pressed to find an older John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movie that he didn’t relish. 

Larry was attached at the hip to his beloved wife Jan, and they only grew closer over time. Their house was always filled with joy, laughter, and at least one Labrador Retriever. Larry was a faithful Catholic who loved life and put his trust in God. 

Larry Kelly was preceded in death by his parents Gerald and Sally. He is survived by his wife, Jan; his children, Greg, Scott, and Debbie; his daughter-in-law, Sara; his grandchildren, Logan, Sawyer, and Quincy; his siblings, Doug and Pat; and his dog, Alani.

Funeral services honoring the life of Lawrence Kelly will be held, and family and friends are invited to attend. Please contact the family for details. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in memory of Lawrence Kelly to support cancer research and patient care at USC Norris, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Suite 8302, Los Angeles, CA 90089.