Robert Marshall Kelley

Robert Marshall Kelley passed away quietly on March 11, 2025 in Houston, from heart failure.

Bob was born on September 6, 1948, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Walter Earl Kelley and Helen Bernice (Bergent) Kelley. When he was 6 years old, his family moved to Abadan, Iran, where they lived for several years. When that assignment ended, they moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where the five Kelley kids grew up.

Bob attended high school at the American Community School (ACS) in Beirut, Lebanon, followed by college at Michigan State University where he majored in physics and philosophy.

He worked for several years at the US military base in Thule, Greenland, as a civilian in the defense early warning program. Bob then made his career with Saudi ARAMCO at their laboratories in Dhahran. During that time, he married Joyce Masikat, and they raised two children, Kristine and Michael.

Bob enjoyed many interests, including travel, scuba diving, history, politics, and astronomy. His innate curiosity and wide reading meant that he seemed able to talk knowledgeably on any subject. He volunteered on the library committee and played fantasy football with friends.

Bob decided to enter a new chapter of his life and took early retirement. The family settled in Austin, Texas in the 2000s. After several years he decided to start a home business as an online research consultant, and also had a brief career with Costco as a store associate.

Once Kristine and Michael reached adulthood, Bob and Joyce made the decision to divorce. This led to Bob moving Houston, Texas, where he stayed for the remainder of his life.

While in Houston, Bob was thankful to Alcoholics Anonymous for helping him regain sobriety and leading him to rediscovering his faith in a higher power. He eventually converted to the Christian denomination of Quakerism, and attended AA meetings weekly with his friends.

Bob is survived by his children and his siblings, Cameron, Lana, Eric, and Marcia.