Samuel Philbrick Kelley Jr., the son of West Point graduate Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Philbrick Kelley Sr., West Point Class of 1930, and Dagmar S. Kelley, was born in the Philippines on November 8, 1934. Sam grew up on Army posts around the world: Germany, Panama, Georgia, North Dakota, Kentucky, Rhode Island, California, Maine, New York, and Vermont. As a kid, Sam enjoyed playing sports, working with his hands, and occasionally pulling pranks and getting in a little trouble.
Sam graduated from high school in Windsor, VT and then tried his hand at a few different colleges. Deciding he was not yet ready for college, Sam enlisted in the Army and served in the paratroopers. That service enabled Sam to attend the USMA Preparatory School at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, NY. He then entered West Point and graduated with the Class of 1960.
As a cadet, Sam was known for his sense of humor. His laugh was infectious, and he could make any challenge easier by the way he joked about it. Academics were a challenge for him, but he always rolled up his sleeves and studied late into the night so he could master every subject.
Sam’s entire personality changed when, as a cadet, he met his future wife, Barbara Santoro. Barbara met Sam at West Point on a blind date that had been arranged by her roommate, who was dating another cadet. Sam was late to their date, making a less-than-positive first impression. Luckily, Barbara gave him a second chance, and from that point on it was obvious to his roommates that Sam had fallen head over heels in love. The two soulmates married just two weeks after Barbara graduated from Goucher College on June 24, 1961.
Upon graduation, Sam was commissioned in the Signal Corps and attended the Signal Corps Officer Basic School at Fort Monmouth, NJ. He then was stationed in France and Germany before returning to Fort Monmouth to attend the Signal Corps Officer Advanced Course. Afterward, he went to Fort Gordon, GA, where he trained officer candidates and then received special training with AT&T before deploying to Vietnam in 1967 to serve with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam.
After returning to the States and spending three years at the Defense Communications Agency in Washington, DC, Sam and his family moved to Boulder, CO, where he earned his master’s degree in telecommunications engineering from the University of Colorado.
Sam was then sent to Schofield Barracks, HI, where he worked with both the Defense Signal Support Agency and the staff of the commander in chief, Pacific Command. His final assignment before retirement was at Fort Carson, CO, where he commanded the ACC Detachment from 1977 to 1979. During his 20 years of service, Sam received the Army Commendation Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, two Joint Service Commendation Medals and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Following retirement from the Army, Sam worked from 1980 to 1981 as a telephone engineer with CALCULON in Texas and as a network director with SATELCO in Virginia from 1981 to 1984. From 1985 to 1991 he worked as a systems engineer with both General Electric and BDM Corporation.
Sam and Barbara then moved to Monument, CO, where they launched Pinetree Video Productions, LLC. In that capacity, Sam and Barbara were privileged to be able to create recordings of the weddings of hundreds of Colorado couples, military reunions, and memorial services.
In his retirement, Sam enjoyed visiting historical sites, national parks, and presidential museums, as well as attending his granddaughters’ sporting and school events. He would travel several times a year to visit with friends and family in Utah, Texas, and, when possible, New England. Sam loved cuisines from around the world, New England lobster and clam chowder in particular. He also loved wine, music, reading and conservative politics. Sam was a loving father, husband, brother, and friend. He had an irrepressible sense of humor and enjoyed telling jokes, stories, and pulling the occasional prank.
West Point remained dear to Sam, and prior to the pandemic he was very much looking forward to attending his 60th class reunion and seeing West Point and his classmates again. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Sam died April 2, 2020 from complications resulting from the coronavirus.
Sam is survived by Barbara, his cherished wife of 58 years; his son and daughter-in-law, Kevin H. Kelley and Patty Kelley of Denver, CO; his daughter, Heather M. Kelley, of Manhattan Beach, CA; his sister, Susan Millis, of East Greenwich, RI; his brother, David Kelley, and sister-in-law, Barbara Kelley, of Southington, CT; his brother-in-law, Ralph Santoro, of Salt Lake City, UT; and his granddaughters, Samantha Marie Kelley and Darby Hill Kelley of Denver. In addition, he is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. In all the 60 years he lived after his graduation from West Point, Sam exemplified and modeled integrity, courage, duty, honor, and love for his country. May he rest in peace.