March 6, 1950 – January 16, 2012
Fred Kelly began working at BriarPatch in early April of 2011, as a Grocery Clerk. Soon after he began, though, he was weakened by illness and was transferred to the less strenuous duties of a cashier. Though Fred was clearly not well, he persevered in working, even on many days when the depth of his pain was clearly etched upon his face. In all this, he was always kind and helpful, qualities that were reciprocated and appreciated by our Front End staff and by shoppers as well. This courage and kindness were who Fred was, and were truly admirable.
On the morning of January 6, 2012, Fred called to say that he had to go to the hospital and would not make his shift. We kept in touch, as I called every couple of days to check on him. It was with a heavy heart that I heard from Fred’s wife, Deborah, that he had passed away. The news passed through the store like wildfire, as we all mourned the sudden loss of a friend.
Before Fred’s passing, his fellow employee Lyndsay Molsberry wanted to do something great for Fred’s family by putting together a bake sale. After we heard the sad news, Lyndsay forged on with the bake sale and raised $1,500, thanks to the community, and another $500 thanks to the Lions Club. It was an honor and a privilege for us to be able to help out Fred’s family. He is sorely missed by all of us at BriarPatch and in the Nevada County community. – Jackie Wapp
To help Fred’s family with a memorial contribution, checks payable to Deborah Corrick may be left at the Customer Service window, attention Jackie W.