John “Butch” Robert Kelly, 78, of Junction City, passed on October 7, 2024 in Augusta, Kansas of natural causes. A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Johnson & Mass-Hinitt in Junction City. Graveside services will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery in Manhattan, Kansas. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Dementia Society of America, 188 N. Main St., Doylestown, PA, 18901-3731.
John was born in Vancouver, Washington on February 14, 1946 to Charles and Jean Kelly. He is survived by his son Mike Kelly, sisters Pamela Schmidt, Jane Simms and Pat Small, nine nieces and nephews and twelve great nieces and nephews who will miss Uncle Butch.
John graduated from Junction City High School in 1964. He proudly served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967 and was a veteran of the Viet Nam War.
John enjoyed a life on the road, spending most of his years driving a passenger bus or long-haul truck. He made his home in places from Kansas to Texas to Japan to Arizona and more in between. His wanderlust was a constant companion even in his final days when his favorite topic was the next vacation he was planning which included, of course, a boat and history. There are many ways to remember John. Some may picture him with a tanned left arm hanging out of an open window, hand on the mirror, humming along to whatever old country crackles through the am radio. “Now, that’s what I call music,” he’d say and grin.
His nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews may have holiday reminders of his skill with a needle when they hang their intricately stitched holiday stockings. And God help you if you were his cashier at the local store where he would chat you up, a one-man queue creator. He was a man who, at the same time, longed for Americana and Fiji, human connection and solitude, and more fried potatoes and ice cream. Sometimes he got what he wanted (especially when it was mint chocolate chip). May he get it again. See you down the road, Butch.