John Michael Kelly

John Michael Kelly
August 13, 1939 – July 29, 2024
John Michael Kelly, 84 of Los Angeles, CA died after a short illness in a long-term medical care
facility, in Gardena, California. He had been married to Nancy Harwood and was the only child to
Sgt. John Kelly and Althea Tisdel of Ithaca, New York. After graduating Ithaca High School in 1957,
he attended Staunton Military Academy, and joined and was trained by the Marines, doing basic
training at Perris Island. He also served three years in the military reserves. At the same time, he
was attending Ithaca College, and taking classes at Cornell University.

In 1959, and for several years thereafter, in his hometown of Ithaca, he was the Ithaca City Marshall,
and in the summers, a lifeguard at Enfield Glen and Taughannock Falls State Park. He also spent the
spring of 1965 as a lifeguard in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

In the summer of 1961, he and his best friend Steve Knapp formed a band called The Thrashers, and
played many shows in upstate New York, including Grossingers Resort, parts of New England, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, and the famous Peppermint Lounge in New York City, where they shot a video at the
Empire State Building which was later shown on the Dick Clark show. In 1962, he returned to school
at Ithaca College, and graduated in 1962.

Always the adventurer, in the fall of 1962 and into 1963, Mike traveled around the world, including
stops in Italy and France where he developed a life-long love for the cuisine and their wines, and
Australia where he stayed for three months. In the fall of 1965, he returned to school at the
University of Miami Law School and after taking additional classes at UCLA Law School in the summer
of 1967, he graduated early with his law degree in 1967. He then drove to California in 1968, and
passed the CA bar. He started working in his first law firm, located in Los Angeles, moving to Marina
del Rey, then Westwood. In 1977 he partnered with other attorneys, including his friend, Steve
Knapp, and formed his first law partnership. In 1980, he and Mike Cogan founded a new law firm
specializing in family law matters, which continued and then was transformed into several law-firm
partnerships, with an emphasis on family law matters, in Santa Monica, until his retirement in 2014.

Also in 1980, he met and married the love of his life, Nancy Harwood. They traveled to France,
Italy, and Ireland many times and enjoyed many social events together with family and friends in
Los Angeles, Palm Desert, Virginia, and Ithaca.

His love of Ireland, his Irish heritage, including an annual St. Patrick’s Day party, was legendary. His
early days of practicing karate in Santa Monica provided everlasting bonds and friendships. Many
memories were made from riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, his love of Cadillacs, and talk of
great white sharks. He was a long-time member of the Jonathan Club, the King Harbor Yacht Club,
and the NRA.

He leaves behind his sisters-in-law, Cathy Harwood and Norma Naber and their families, his close
friends, some over fifty years! He was also a mentor to all he felt a closeness to.

Renowned Family Law attorney, Teacher and Lecturer, including many Chairmanships, he was the
first California Attorney to try a Grandparents’ Rights Suit, Child Advocate.

Funeral services were held on August 17, 2024, 9am – 11:30am at Holy Cross Mortuary, 5835 West Slauson Ave., Culver
City, CA 90230.

Graveside services for both Mike and Nancy will be held at 11AM on Friday, November 15, 2024 at Calvary Cemetery with Deacon George Kozak officiating.