Obituary of Frank Kelly

Kelly, Francis Christopher "Frank"

Frank (Frannie) Kelly passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, with his wife, Mary Elena, by his side after 64 years of marriage. Proud father of Francine, Sean and the late Christopher Kelly, he was also the cherished grandfather of Joshua, Nick, Shannon, and Benton. Frank was a pilot with the Royal Air Force before moving to Canada at the age of 23. At 24, he began teaching himself to play the violin, mandolin and banjo. His Irish bands, Kelly’s Heroes and The Hooligans, entertained audiences of all ages for more than 30 years in the London area and at the Toronto waterfront. Frank will be remembered by family and friends for his great sense of humour, his deep love of music, and the kindness he showed to the homeless community. Visitors will be received at John T. Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo Street at King Street, London, on Wednesday, August 5, from 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 p.m. Prayers will be held at 3:30p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Francis-St. Martin Church, 46 Cathcart Street, London, on Thursday, August 6, at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery, 806 Victoria Street, London. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Frank’s memory to Mission Services of London (www.missionservices.ca)