Genevieve Kelly

GENEVIEVE FRANCES (ZYVOLOSKI) KELLY January 29, 1924 to April 12, 2014 Monterey -Genevieve "Gen" Kelly, 90, passed away peacefully, at Carmel Hills Care Center, in the early morning hours of April 12, 2014, after a brief illness. Genevieve was born in Flensburg, Minnesota, the youngest child of Frank and Elizabeth Zyvoloski. Gen grew up in Flensburg and Little Falls, Minnesota, where she enjoyed playing baseball, ice-skating and swimming. After graduating from Little Falls High School in 1942, Gen attended Estelle Compton's Models Institute and the Minneapolis Business College in Minneapolis. She was working in the Kansas City Quarter Master Depot in Missouri, when she decided to follow in her brothers' footsteps and join the military. She entered the Navy in April 1944, attended boot camp at Hunters College in New York City, followed by Yeoman's School at Iowa State College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Upon completion of training she was stationed to the Communications Unit in Charleston, South Carolina where she worked in the code room, as one of the first female code breakers for the Navy. Gen received the American Area Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. She was Honorably Discharged from the Navy in August 1946, holding the rank of Y1C V-10. She completed her Reserve service in March 1949. Gen moved to the Washington D.C. area where she worked in the Federal Housing Administration Office and assisted with dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studios. She met the love of her life, Bobby Joe Kelly, who was in the Air Force, stationed at Bolling Air Force Base. They married in Hyattsville, Maryland in June 1951 and in October 1952 she gave birth to the first of 5 children, Stephan. In 1954 they moved to Monterey where Elizabeth, Kathleen, Judith and Robert were born. Gen worked as a Secretary Stenographer at Ft Ord, in many departments including DCS Plans, Combat Development Experimentation Command and the JAG office, just to name a few. During her career at Ft. Ord, she received many awards for Outstanding Performance, Superior Performance and Sustained Superior Performance. She retired from Civil Service in 1983. Gen enjoyed being with her family, cooking and baking for them. She enjoyed watching after her grandchildren, working crossword puzzles, bowling, sewing quilts with Bobby and making items for their grandchildren. She was an avid San Francisco 49ers fan. Gen is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Elizabeth Zyvoloski; her sister Gertrude Perala; brothers, Benjamin and George Zyvoloski; her daughter Judith and granddaughter Amanda Kelly Bujol. Gen is survived by her loving husband of nearly 63 years, Bobby; children, Stephan Kelly (Valerie), Elizabeth Owens (Doyle), Kathleen Bartlett (Johnny), and Robert Kelly (Deborah); As well as six Grand Children, Emily Flinders (Mitch), Doyle Owens III, Kelly Chambers, John Bartlett (Kittrina), Allison Bonanfant (Adam), Amber Kelly; nine great grandchildren, Rhyanne, Madison and Matthew Flinders, Jake, John and Abbigayle Bartlett, Angelina and Abram Bonanfant, Bryce Bujol; and two great- great grand-children, Alejandro and Lilyana Aguirre; and many in-laws, nieces and nephews. Gen was a very devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and leaves behind many wonderful memories with her family and all those who knew her. The family would like to thank Sunrise Senior Living, Carmel Hills Care Center and Heartland Hospice for the wonderful care and attention they provided Genevieve. Cremation services were provided by California Cremation Society. Memorial Services will be held on May 3, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.at Mission Memorial Park, 1915 Ord Grove Ave., Seaside.