Rebecca Ann Kelly

Rebecca Ann Kelly, 67, of Canon City, Colorado, passed away peacefully February 9, 2020 in her beloved home. She was born June 4, 1952, in Bryan, Texas, to the late James Burton Kelly and Page Blanche Higgins.

She grew up in Houston, Texas, where she attended St. John's High School, graduating in 1970.

She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas in 1975 and a master's degree in education from Texas A & M University in 1976.

Rebecca worked for the Department of Corrections for more than a decade and was named Colorado Correctional Education Association Teacher of the Year in 2003 for her work at Territorial Correctional Facility where she taught health classes and served as an advocate working to reduce inmate recidivisim.

Rebecca was diagnosed with atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome in 2009, undergoing a transplant in 2010 when her friend Shellen Rhoden passed away and donated her kidneys. When those kidneys failed, she underwent dialysis until she received a second life-saving kidney transplant in 2015.

She was a champion of organ donation.

Rebecca was an accomplished educator, photographer, world traveler and a devoted Aggie.

She is survived by her brother James B. Kelly Jr and. his wife Sonia; her daughter Kelly Guettlein and her husband Brandon and son Jacob Patterson. She also is survived by granddaughters Rebecca Dalgleish and Olivia Guettlein; and nieces Briana and Kaitlin Kelly.

There will be a remembrance celebration at her home in Canon City at a later time. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in her name to Rotary Club of Canon City, of which she was a long-time member.

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