Bret Allen Kelly

Mr. Bret Kelly, 57, passed away Friday evening, March 15, 2019 at the VA Hospital in Durham, NC.

A native of Dallas Texas, Bret was born July 27, 1961 to Diana Woodcock and the late Daniel Kelly.

Bret was a decorated combat medic with the 82nd Airborne division in wartime and in peace.  He was a member of the 187th in peace time.  He served his country honorably from 1980 until medically retired in 1988. He worked in IT with Accounting Machine Systems and the Chatham County government. Then he became a successful Farrier. Bret had numerous achievements. He was a Master Mason and a past Master of Columbus Lodge 102, in Pittsboro; he was a past Commander of Chapter 91 of the Disabled American Veterans; he was a member of Col. David Fanning’s NC Loyalist Militia, a Revolutionary War Reenacting unit; and he was also known as Asbjorn Berbeinn, in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Bret is survived by his wife of 29 years, Donna Kelly; his mother and stepfather, Diana and Warren Woodcock; his sister and her husband, Laura and Keith Haas; his niece and her husband, Renee and Tom Callens; nephew, Rion Ridley; great-nephew, Merritt Lloyd Callens; father- and mother-in-law, Don and Irmgard Ireland; brother- and sister-in-law Gary and Terri Ireland; along with many colleagues, friends and brothers-in-arms.

In addition to his father, Bret was preceded in death by his daughter, Caitlin Erin Kelly.

A service to honor the life and memory of Bret Kelly will be held 7:00 PM, Thursday, March 21, 2019, at Donaldson Funeral Home – 396 West St. Pittsboro, NC 27312.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bret’s honor to the:

Masonic Home for Children at Oxford - 600 College Street, Oxford, NC 27565               mhc-oxford.org