Keith T. Shelly

Keith Thomas Shelly of Malvern, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully at his home on January 1st, 2023 with his wife by his side. He was born September 7, 1959 in Naples, Italy to Ronald G. Shelly and Joan R. Shelly (née Kierce). 

Keith is survived by his wife of 26 years, Katharine (Kate) Knobil, and his sons Sumner M. Shelly and Sutton C. Shelly.  He is also survived by his sister, Kim E. Shelly; brother Kevin M. Shelly (Pam Shelly); sister Kerri J. Shelly (Edward Butler); niece, Haley K. Fitzgerald and aunt, Lee Sullivan. He was preceded in death by his sister Karen L. Shelly-Duggan. 

Keith graduated from Langley High School class of 1977, attended Frostburg State College then transferred and graduated from Towson State University. He then earned his Master’s in Business Administration at Johns Hopkins University. 

Keith was a natural athlete and began his baseball career at the young age as pitcher for the McLean Optimists, a team coached by his father who introduced the aluminum bat as a secret weapon to gain a winning edge over their opponents. He also played for the McLean Boys Club football team - the Devil Dogs.  He played Babe Ruth baseball and at Langley High School played basketball, baseball, and football. He was quarterback at Frostburg State University and went on to play semi-professional football. 

Keith and Kate and the children became world travelers, first in Europe from their home in London for three years, and then across Asia for three years after moving to Shanghai, China.  These experiences provided many wonderful memories for the family and fostered deep appreciation for different cultures and created close friendships that have been maintained to this day.

Keith loved life and never did anything halfway.  From the finest cars to the hoppiest ales, he would never settle for second best.  When he learned to play the guitar or picked up painting, he was his own harshest critic, but he would always do things impressively well.  He was a talented writer and a shameless punster, drawing the groans and eyerolls from his family, but we all secretly loved his jokes.  He was especially proud of his sons and loved them more than anything. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice online at https://www.mainlinehealth.org/ways-to-give or the Brandywine Valley SPCA, online at https://bvspca.org/donate/
A Celebration of Keith’s life will be held on January 15^th at 1pm at La Cabra Brewing, 642 Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn, PA, 19312, online at https://www.lacabrabrewing.com/welcome.