Paul William Kelley, 90, a longtime resident of East Falmouth, MA and formerly of North Easton, MA, Braintree, MA, and Quincy, MA, died following a long illness on March 22, 2024 at Atria Woodbriar Park, in Falmouth, MA. He is the beloved husband of Martha Jane (Peterson) Kelley with whom he shared 64 wonderful years of marriage.

Paul was born on August 5, 1933 to his parents the late Edward J. Kelley and the late Anna (Goulais) Kelley, in Quincy, MA. He grew up in Quincy and following high school, Paul proudly served his country in the US Air Force. He was stationed in Lubbock, TX at Reese Air Force Base during the Koren Conflict. Following his time in the service, Paul went on to attend Northeastern University in Boston, MA where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management. His career began working at E.T. Ryan Iron Works, Inc. for several years. In 1973, Paul and his business partner, Howard F. Shea, purchased the company and renamed the firm Ryan Iron Works, Inc. In 1984, the company expanded with the purchase of 33 acres of land and established Ryan Industrial Park, which consists of 225,000 square feet of industrial space. The company continues to operate today under the direction of both Paul and Howard’s sons.

When Paul was not working, he and Martha loved to travel the world including trips to Europe, China, Russia, and South America to name a few. Upon retirement, the couple built a home on Coonamessett Pond on Cape Cod that was at the heart of many family gatherings, and spent many winters at their home in Phoenix, AZ visiting with family. Paul loved his home on the water, and he especially enjoyed gardening and watching the beauty of the pond. He had an inquisitive mind, spending many hours reading, focusing on such diverse topics from matters of business or finance to historical eras like the Civil War and World War II. More than anything, Paul enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Paul is survived by his wife, Martha Kelley, of East Falmouth, MA; his daughter Laura Darling, and her husband Jonathan, of Phoenix, AZ; his son Lawrence Kelley, and his wife Monica, of Bridgewater, MA; his grandchildren Timothy Darling, and his wife Nicole, of Glendale, AZ, Stephen Darling, and his wife Sandra, of Peoria, AZ, Philip Darling and his wife Jordan, of Glendale, AZ, Brian Kelley, of Bridgewater, MA, and Erica Kelley, of Bridgewater, MA; his sister-in-law Faith Manzer, and her husband Steven, of East Bridgewater, MA; his nieces Hope Baldi, and her husband Vincent, of Braintree, MA and Kristin Mullaney, of Nashua, NH; his great niece Kate Baldi, of Braintree, MA; and his 7 beloved great-grandchildren Madelyn, Caleb, Joy, Eloise, Theia, Emma, and Patrick Paul. Paul was preceded in death by parents Edward and Anna Kelley, his brother Edward Kelley, and his sister Barbara Quirk.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 485 Brick Kiln Rd., in Falmouth on April 18, 2024 at 11:00 AM. Paul will be laid to rest at a later date in a private ceremony at Massachusetts National Cemetery, in Bourne.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul’s memory can be made to: The American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692 or online at www.heart.org OR to The Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601 or online at www.alz.org.