Obituary of Brian Douglas Kelly

February 12, 1946 – Ottawa, Ontario

July 7, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

It is with profound sadness that we announce Brian Douglas Kelly, beloved husband of Darlene Kelly (nee Greer) of Calgary passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, July 7, 2023 at the age of 77 years.

Brian was born on February 12, 1946 in Ottawa, ON to Allan Kelly and Beatrice Kelly (nee Fogarty). Brian attended the University of Ottawa where he obtained a Master of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering in 1970.  Brian met the love of his life, Darlene, in 1968 and they married on July 11, 1970.  Brian began his career as a Professional Engineer when he joined Imperial Oil in 1969 relocating to Sarnia, ON where he and Darlene started their family by welcoming their first son in 1974. 

In 1975 Brian and family moved to Alberta where Brian transitioned his career to Syncrude for the next 28 years, briefly settling in Edmonton before moving north to Fort McMurray in 1976.  In the years that followed Brian and Darlene’s family grew with the additions of a daughter and two more sons during which time the family had another short stint in Edmonton from 1980 to 1983 before returning to Fort McMurray.  Following a brief sojourn to Markham, ON from 1987 to 1988 the family returned to Fort McMurray once again until Brian retired from Syncrude in 2003.

Following Brian’s retirement, he and Darlene relocated to Calgary where Brian leveraged his 34 years of industry experience and technical knowledge into the establishment of his own business, BriRisk Consulting.  Over the next 20 years Brian traveled the world on various assignments with BriRisk, including trips to Argentina, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Scotland, Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Yemen. Through his consulting work Brian educated countless industry professionals with his expertise in process safety and risk management.

During his time in Fort McMurray Brian volunteered with the Canadian Cancer Society as well as with Scouts Canada as a Cub and Boy Scout leader.  Brian held the designation of Professional Engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta since 1976.  He was also a member of the Chemical Institute of Canada, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and a Fellow with the Centre for Chemical Process Safety.  Throughout his career Brian was the recipient of numerous industry awards in recognition of his contributions to the field of process safety.

Aside from his work Brian had numerous other passions and hobbies.  Brian was an avid golfer, having inherited his love for the game from his late father, Allan.  Brian also enjoyed alpine skiing, taking the family on countless road trips to Banff to ski together at Sunshine and Lake Louise, year after year.  Brian was also a handyman, having learned woodworking and other skills from his grandfather, the late William Fogarty. Few things made Brian happier than getting to use his vast collection of tools on any number of household and woodworking projects, particularly taking pride in the construction of large wooden toy chests for his children when they were young, then each of his grandchildren years later.

Aside from travelling to numerous countries for his work with Syncrude and BriRisk, Brian also enjoyed travelling for fun, taking Darlene and the children on numerous family vacations, and going on many lengthy international adventures with Darlene, including multiple trips to both Europe and Asia, and a visit to Australia.

Above all Brian was a devoted family man who lived for Darlene and his children and doted on his grandchildren. Brian always tried to instill in his children the same values that he held so dear: devotion to family, an appreciation for education, a love of travel, and a fondness for “do it yourself” projects.

Brian is survived by his loving wife, Darlene of Calgary; his children, son Jason Kelly (Jo-Lee) of Beaumont, daughter Cheryl Kelly (Jonathan) of Calgary, son David Kelly (Sunae) of Calgary and son Trevor Kelly (Stephanie) of Edmonton; as well as eight cherished grandchildren, Sebastian, Isla, Jenson, Everett, Patrick, Violet, Luke, and Lucy.  Brian is also survived by his younger sister Sheila Kelly of Gig Harbour, WA, and younger brother Colin Kelly of Ottawa, ON.  Brian was predeceased by his parents, Allan and Beatrice Kelly of Ottawa, ON.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Brian’s memory to the Canadian Sepsis Foundation.

Funeral Services will be held at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church (541 Silvergrove Dr NW, T3B 4R9, Calgary, AB), on Friday, August 11, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., with reception to follow. Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Mr. Kelly's service streamed live (https://st-peters.ca/private-event/ ) on the day of the service. Internment of Brian’s ashes will be done privately by the family at a later date. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Brian Kelly, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.