John R. Kelley, owner/CEO of Kelley Technical Coatings, passed away in his sleep June 15. The former president of APSP’s precursory association was 67.
“He was the most giving person I knew,” said D.J. Wright Jr., president of Pittsburgh-based distributor H.C. Harrington Co. “He never had a bad word to say about anybody.” The two had been close friends since they met in the 1970s, as newcomers to the pool industry.
Born Sept. 12, 1949, Kelley was devoted to his Louisville, Ky. manufacturing firm — and the industry. For several years, he served on the Manufacturers Council and Board of Directors of the National Spa & Pool Institute (NSPI), which eventually became the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. Kelley served as president during the 1995-96 term.
“He was very pro-NSPI and the membership,” Wright noted.
Another longtime friend and former NSPI president, Erik Carlson, also remembers Kelley’s devotion to the association.
“He was at the helm and kept the ship on course,” said Carlson, senior vice president of operations at Seattle-based retailer Aqua Quip, and a friend for 22 years. “He was very committed to the pool industry.”
As active as Kelley was in the industry, he also was known for his other passions: fine wines, restaurants and motorsports.
Kelley knew every five-star restaurant in the country and had been to all of them, Wright said. Indeed, Kelley enjoyed talking with chefs and sommeliers at eateries throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Kelley also was known as a voracious reader. Wright said his friend traveled with book constantly in hand.
Then there was Kelley’s love of motorsports. A lifetime member of the Sports Car Club of America, he drove in road rallies for a spell. In one particularly memorable experience, he got the chance to drive for Yugo Corp. in the Cannonball One Lap of America. The grueling event tests drivers’ endurance as they cover thousands of miles, going from one race track to the next, competing in time trials at each one.
“The life he lived, he enjoyed very much,” Carlson observed. “He’ll be missed by many people.”
Kelley is survived by his wife of 27 years, Elizabeth, and sister-in-law Nancy Atz (James).
