Sister Jean Kelley SL, died May 30, 2021, at Loretto Motherhouse Infirmary in Nerinx, KY. She was 99 and in the 77th year of her commitment as a Sister of Loretto. Born Jan. 21, 1922, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to parents Frances (Flaherty) and William Thomas Kelley. Received into Loretto April 25, 1945. Sr. Jean earned bachelor's and master's degrees in sociology. In her early ministry, Sr. Jean taught at Loretto-staffed schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri and New Mexico, where she also served as principal. From 1963-77, she served in Loretto's South American missions in Chile and Bolivia, where she lived with Aymara communities and ran an adult education program. From 1977 to 2003, Sr. Jean served in La Jara and Capulin, CO, in the Pueblo Diocese. There, she sang in a parish choir, taught adult ed and assisted with an amnesty program. She then moved to Sunland Park, NM, where she taught ESL classes, and in 2010, to El Paso, TX, where she volunteered, gave piano lessons and baked delicious bread. She moved to Loretto Motherhouse in 2012 and to the Infirmary in 2014. Sr. Jean donated her body to the University of Louisville. Sr. Jean's wake is 6:30 pm ET June 21; funeral services are 10 am ET June 22, both at the Motherhouse. Her cremains will be buried in the Loretto Motherhouse Nature Preserve Cemetery. She is survived by her sister, Loy McCrea of Las Vegas. Preceding her in death were her parents and her siblings Thomas, Robert (Bob) and James (Jimmy) Kelley. Memorials may be made to the Sisters of Loretto for our mission, c/o Loretto Motherhouse, 515 Nerinx Road, Nerinx, KY 40049 or as an online gift to lorettocommunity.org .