Robert J. Kelly – National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Robert J. Kelly Jr. was a strong and courageous man with a heart of gold. Robert was born in 1959 to Mary and Robert Kelly in Levittown, New York. He was a graduate of Division Avenue High School, Class of 1977. After high school, he studied hotel management at SUNY Delhi, New York. After a successful career in the restaurant industry, Robert joined the New York Fire Department as a firefighter on September 8, 1991. He was assigned to Ladder 128 in Queens. On March 31, 2007, Robert was promoted to Fire Marshal at Fort Totten, Queens, where he served the City of New York until his retirement in August 2012.

Although his career with the FDNY was important to him, nothing compared to the love and dedication he had for his family. In 1987, Robert married Jacqueline Schouten and later had four girls: Nicole, Kristie, Jaime and Jillian. Family was the pillar and strength in Robert’s life; There was nothing more important to him. His legacy lives on in his girls with the morals and wisdom they all have, the strength to persevere through tough times, and the love they have for each other.

Robert fought courageously after being diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2019, which resulted from his work as a firefighter in New York on and after September 11th. He passed away on December 20, 2020, surrounded by his loved ones and brothers from the FDNY.

He is survived by his wife, Jackie Kelly; four daughters, Nicole, Kristie, Jaime and Jillian; and grandson, Leo. Since Robert’s death, he has had three more grandchildren, Lucia Mignano, Nora Wittenberg and Rory Robert Dutton. He is also survived by his two sisters, Sheila Kelly and Susan Papalia (Kelly).

Anyone who had the honor of knowing Robert knew that he was a sincere, kind, loyal man, give you the shirt off his back. He is remembered for his sense of humor, his incredible ability to fix anything, and for his love of dodgy sports teams (Let’s go, Mets and Giants!). The man enjoyed the simple things in life, classic rock and a cold beer, but above all he put his family first.

Losing Robert was a great loss in many ways. We lost a husband, father and best friend. He was the guiding force in all our lives. His bright and generous spirit is missed by many.