2025-06-12

The loss of our beloved Kelly

Dear HCSSiM,

Yellow Pig community, it is with deepest sadness that we share that Kelly passed away peacefully at home, in the arms of his husband Al MeNeely, on the afternoon of June 10, just shy of his 85th birthday.

Each of you no doubt has special memories of working with and learning from Kelly.  We hope that you can find joy in those memories and take this opportunity to share your fond stories of Kelly with those fellow alumni and friends of the Program with whom you are still in contact.

Little might be known to you of Kelly's pre-Hampshire life.  He was born in New Rochelle, NY, and spent much of his childhood moving around (even internationally, including living in Brazil for a while) with a parent in military service.  After finishing high school one year early, he pursued his BA in mathematics at Princeton.  A brief, unfulfilling stint in graduate school at MIT led him to transfer to Dartmouth where he completed his graduate work, finishing his doctoral program with a Masters of Science, ABD.  While at Dartmouth, he fixed up a barn (where he lived) and reinstated Dartmouth's Flying Club — he got a pilot's license flying a small Dartmouth plane to Northampton, and would later fly himself back and forth between Dartmouth and his various university appointments.  Shortly before finishing his doctorate, he got offered a job at Talladega College; then he moved to New College (where he met Don Goldberg), and later served a short stint at Oberlin College before being recruited to be a founding Hampshire College faculty member.

Less unfamiliar is Kelly's math program history — he spent 10 summers before Hampshire's founding teaching at (and later directing) math programs, including the program at St Paul's School in New Hampshire and the pre-Hampshire UNH program some of you are familiar with as "negative first" alumni of HCSSiM.  He served as Director of HCSSiM until his last day, infusing his wit, love of mathematics, curiosity, and dedication to students and learning in all parts of the Program.

Our deepest condolences go to Kelly's family.  He is survived by his husband of 17 years (and partner for over 51) Al MeNeely, their dog 'Pollo, sister Sharon, brother Donnie, nieces Meghan (the Program's R/A for many years), Morgan (the only one of Kelly's relatives to attend HCSSiM as a student so far), Portia, Kate, Mandy, nephew Daniel, and many grandnieces and -nephews.

We hope to hold a memorial of some kind at a future date, but no concrete plans have been made at this time.  Your patience while we navigate the unique challenges of this difficult time is appreciated.

Please refrain from sending flowers or food to Kelly's family.  Cards, memories, and stories are welcome either via email, or sent to the Program's address:

Kelly-MeNeely Family

c/o HCSSiM, Box NS

Hampshire College

893 West St

Amherst, MA 01002.

We will collect cards and other shared remembrances and forward them to Kelly's family.  In lieu of flowers, by request of the family, donations in memory of Kelly can be made to the program via the Yellow Pig Math Foundation.

In case you were concerned, the Summer Studies has plans to continue.  We look forward to welcoming 51 enthusiastic students to Hampshire's campus in a couple of weeks and are committed to keeping Kelly's spirit alive in our work.  We welcome visits for Yellow Pigs Day, to give a Prime Time, or both.  Please write to Amber or Susan if you would like to visit this summer.

Gratefully, on behalf of Al, the entire Kelly family, and the Yellow Pig family,

Amber and Susan

In memoriam, 

David C. Kelly 

Professor Emeritus Hampshire College, Founder and Director HCSSiM 

June 16, 1940 - June 10, 2025