James Kelly
December 23, 1955 - September 16, 2024
Jim Kelly took his first breath in Paisley, Scotland and began his life’s journey on the day of December 23, 1955. Forever a Scot at heart, he enjoyed his youthful years growing up in Paisley until the family migrated to Canada when he was 11 years old. There he further developed his love of trains and planes and all things comprising the mechanics of transportation. He obtained his commercial pilot’s license in his teens, as well as later earning his degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Toronto. In that regard, he was employed by Boeing for a number of years and also later by Alcatel for a number of years.
In the year 2000, he arrived in San Francisco, California having acquired a position with San Francisco Municipal Railway (“SFMTA”). He served as Operations Manager and finalized his career with SFMTA as Deputy Director of Transit from which he retired in 2017 and at which time he moved his life from California to Pennsylvania when he accepted a Position with Thales Transportation & Security. He remained in the employ of Thales until April 2021 at which time he retired from Thales and immediately accepted his final position of his career, which he brought to a close with Parsons Transportation Group, for whom he worked from home three days a week from May 2021 to May 2024 when he ultimately decided the time had come for him to fully retire. In February 2018, Jim also obtained his United States citizenship after many years of living and working in the States.
In those last few years of semi-retirement, Jim began a number of hobbies, of which one of the most enjoyable for him was teaching himself wood working where he handcrafted wonderful pieces with his beautiful hands that he made specifically with someone in mind and which he lovingly gave to family and friends.
As to friends, Jim Kelly’s legacy would be incomplete if no mention were made of Jim’s ability to quickly and easily make friends wherever he went, and he nurtured those friendships and kept them close no matter how far the miles or how many the years. He was a gentle soul but possessed a wicked quick wit and sense of humor, which among his friends will highly likely be the thing for which he’s most remembered.
Aside from Jim’s very well regarded and accomplished career, he married the woman he could not live without and who could not live without him on October 18, 2003. Their fateful meeting occurred when a girls’ weekend away was planned from Orange County, California to San Francisco. His future wife, Cynthia Schneider, almost made a decision not to go on the trip that day, but at the urging of her friends and with just enough time to make the flight, she got on the plane headed to San Francisco and to her future husband, Jim Kelly. An impetuous course began, and when the future best man asked her why she wanted to marry Jim, her very rapid response was “his heart, his soul, and his spirit”.
His heart has now stopped beating but not the love in it which is forever indelibly sealed into my own; his soul and spirit have soared beyond me yet remain forever tethered on an everlasting continuum into the life of the world beyond. In this world, Jim Kelly took his final breath in my arms on September 16th, 2024 at the hour of noon on the day his life’s journey ended.
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Jim was a beautiful spirt, who cared deeply for his colleagues and his work. He was a kind mentor to me – there were no dumb questions and his door was always open for advice. He will be truly missed by his Muni family.
RIP peace Jim.
How do you love someone else’s son, brother, husband as much as they do? Well it’s possible and without an intimate relationship, you can ,with respect, admiration, friendship!
You grow up, your parents tell you that you will meet many people in your life which you will spend time with share memories with but you will count the true friends most likely in one hand.
Jim Kelly ( because everyone used his full name… so special) is one of the five!
I was working in Cynthia and Jim’s lunch spot in San Francisco. This place which I choose not to name as it might incriminate me as I go further into this story….lol
Jim would arrive first, setting up the scene for his beautiful wife to join, he would have me tuned in on what they might order to eat and the time frame that they would have. To be sure the love of his life would be taken care of.
This is what he loved to do… care for his wife and his brilliant genuinely funny Scottish mom Jesse whom he took his wonderful traits from. The Genuine,good hearted scartastically funny , caregiver person that he truly was.he would come to my place of work which had , for me , way to much drama amongst the staff, he would slip in some very funny comments in our conversations to make my difficult days much more bearable.At the time I became good friend with Jim and Cynthia I was struggling with some health issues of my own and they supported and watched out for me , gave me flowers to cheer me up, shared their fun stories with me all to make my day better. Jim Kelly… one true gentleman!
Jim, working with you was a pleasure. Through many challenges we kept Muni afloat. RIP my friend, may God keep you in his loving embrace