Judge Kelly was born on December 29, 1930 in Glenside, a suburb of Philadelphia. He remained a lifelong Glenside resident and attended St. Luke School. LaSalle High School, and LaSalle University. Before obtaining his undergraduate degree in 1956, Judge Kelly served 2 years in the United States Army. Judge Kelly received his JD from Creighton University in 1961 and maintained both a Pennsylvania and Nebraska law license during his career.
Judge Kelly as Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare, PA Constitutional Convention, Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor of PA, and Deputy Secretary for Labor & Industry from 1980-1985. Judge Kelly was elected to the Superior court of PA in 1985, and retained 10 years later. He was appointed to a 4 year term to the Judicial Inquiry and Review Board (JIRB) on December 9, 1988.
When not serving the public, Judge Kelly was an avid skier, golfer, and tennis player. He retired from the Superior Court in 2010. On October 31, 2022 Judge Kelly passed at the age of 91 of natural causes.