Deacon Richard "Dick" Kelley

Deacon Richard “Dick” Charles Kelley, 86, of Cedar Falls, IA, died Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at the Martin Suites, Western Home Communities, in Cedar Falls.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Waterloo, IA, with a public visitation from 1:00 p.m. until Mass.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, December 18, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with a rosary recited at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aberdeen, SD.

A graveside committal service will follow the rosary at Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com. Services will be recorded and posted on Schriver’s Facebook following the service.

Online condolences may be left at www.hagartywaychoffgrarup.com.

Richard was born in Pierre, SD, on March 9, 1939, the son of Verne and Iva (White) Kelley.

Dick grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and had fond memories of playing basketball and participating in theater productions in high school. After graduating from Crosier High School in 1957, he received his B.A. degree in philosophy from St. Paul Major Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., in 1961. In 1966, he obtained an M.A. degree in guidance and counseling from Northern State College in Aberdeen.

After college, he married, started a family, and began working as a guidance counselor at Sacred Heart Junior High School. He worked as a counselor, coach, and teacher for many years. In that time, he also worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor at Iowa Central Community College and taught DUI classes.

He was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church for the Diocese of Sioux City on May 24th, 1980. Becoming a Catholic Deacon gave Dick’s life a lot of meaning. He shared his passion for the Catholic faith with many people through conversation, bible study, and the books and booklets he wrote. His faith had always been an important part of his life and though his faith journey wasn’t always easy, he found a way to stay connected to it.

He was known for his sense of humor, love of playing cards, chess, and fishing, and often would spout out well-rehearsed phrases, such as, “I could have been rich, but I had kids instead.”

He is survived by his sister, Margaret Smith, his children: Carmen Kelley (Darwin), Carolyn (Chad) Miller, Margaret (Gaylen) Hiesterman, Sharon (Cory) Vaupel, and Janice (Joel) McDonald; his grandchildren: Abbey (Kevin) Young, Michelle (Zach) Kieffer, Miranda & Morgan Miller, Savoy Hiesterman, Sylvia, Cooper & Scarlett Vaupel, and Ansel & Orson McDonald; and his great grandchildren: Millie & Remi, and Ben & Emily.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings: Kathryn, Mercedes, Mary, Sr. Verna, Fr. John, and Vern.