Wm. “Kelly” Kolb

Wm. “Kelly” Kolb was born on March 16, 1947, in Denver, CO to William “Bill” and Neva Kolb and departed this life on April 12, 2020, from complications following open heart surgery at Bryan Heart with family by his side.

Kelly enlisted in the United States Navy in 1964 and served 3 tours in Vietnam (where he was exposed to Agent Orange) and was discharged in 1968. He met his wife, Cathy in 1968 at the Wilber Czech Festival and they were married in 1969; they had the honor of celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in October 2019.

Kelly was a sheet metal journeyman with Local #3 out of Omaha for over 40 years and ran many commercial jobs in Lincoln, especially for Bryan East and West and CHI Health St. Elizabeth. In his free time he loved to fish in Kansas, South Dakota and Calamus Lake in Nebraska, enjoyed baking any pastry and sharing what he baked with friends and family, watching old westerns and was an avid Cornhusker fan for the football and volleyball teams; he never missed a Nascar race on TV. He was a 25 year big fan of Jeff Gordon and an avid collector of Jeff’s memorabilia. He continued watching Nascar, after Jeff retired, where he cheered for the Hendrick Motor Sports drivers.

Kelly and Cathy attended his Navy Ship USS Bexar APA 237 reunions each year and because of this traveling they were able to visit all 50 states. He was a proud veteran and was a lifetime member of the DAV and VFW. His family was very important to him and he loved spending time with them.

He is survived by his wife Cathy, their daughter Keri (Brent) Cooper, Waverly; son Stan (Amy) Kolb, Beatrice. He also leaves behind his granddaughters, Jailyn (Donovan) McNealy and their daughters, Charlotte, Everly and Harlow of Waverly; Courtney Kolb of Lincoln (who joined her grandpa in Heaven in June 2020); Makenna (Mitchell) Schmit and their daughter Ivy Lou of Waverly; Allyssa (Anthony) Bretthauer and their sons Elliot and Laine of Beatrice, grandsons Kody Cooper of Kearney and Braeden Cooper of Waverly; Also survived by his sisters Mary Fore of Greenwood, Deb (Rob) Peters of Lincoln, and brother George (Kay) Kolb of Lincoln. Kelly also left behind many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Preceded in death by his father and mother, his father and mother-in-law Charlie and Ardis Roth, his younger brother Mike, youngest sister Tobi and brother-in-law Rich Fore.

As his service was postponed due to the COVID Pandemic, a Celebration of his Life will take place at Roper and Sons Funeral Home-Waverly Chapel, from 10:00-12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 21, 2021, with Military Burial to follow at the Omaha National Cemetery, 14250 Schram Rd., Omaha, NE 1:00 p.m.