Memorial Service: Friday, March 3, 2023 at 1pm, W.E. Lusain Funeral Home Chapel, 249 6th Avenue SW, Birmingham, Alabama 35211. 

John Allen Kelley, lovingly known to his family as “Shuga Bear” and to his close friends as “Shug”, was born May 2, 1948, to the late John Allen Kelley and Mable McKinney in Leeds, Alabama. He departed this life on Monday, January 23, 2023 at Elite Royal Nursing Home. He was the youngest of three male children, which preceded him in death, Rufus and Richard. He had a special bond with his oldest brother Rufus a.k.a. “Big Rufus” who had a brief career in boxing and was undefeated during his tenure in Detroit, Michigan. He confessed to Christ at an early age and joined Little Rock Baptist Church in Leeds, Alabama. He was educated in the Jefferson County public school district and a 1966 graduate of RR Moton High School. In 1972 he married the love of his life and to their union, his first and only child was born, Wynell, affectionately known to her family as Wyndy. He worked as a laborer and provided services to the Cement Plant in Leeds, Alabama and Anderson Electric Company. He was a quiet man but had a heart of gold. He loved sports and loved his family. One of the happiest moments of his life was the birth of his two grandsons, Solomon and Nehemiah. They were the apple of his eye and he took pride in their many accomplishments. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mable, his grandparents, Bobbie and Tom, and his brothers, Rufus and Richard. He leaves to cherish his memory a loving daughter, Wynell Kelley Gilbert, two grandsons, Solomon Andwele and Nehemiah Ade and his childhood friend, Butch. May his soul find Peace in God and comfort amongst the Ancestors


Professional services provided by W.E. Lusain Funeral Home and Crematory, Birmingham, Alabama.