Leland D. Kelly

Leland Kelly was born in Sulphur, OK on April 3, 1943, and died in Oklahoma City on March 4, 2026. Leland grew up in the rural poverty areas around Sulphur. His father was a stone mason and his mother always grew the biggest garden every year so that his family never experienced hunger, despite being poor. Leland was raised with country people in the same socio-economic situation as his own. He said he never felt especially poor or disadvantaged; he remembers having a happy childhood.

Always a bright child, Leland would check out books from the Sulphur Library and he would read constantly. He went to small county schools where he excelled academically. He attended and graduated from Sulphur High School in 1961. Although he was very athletic and was said to have “run like the wind”, he concentrated on his studies and student activities, which helped him earn an academic scholarship to allow him to attend the University of Oklahoma.

Leland loved his time at OU. During his time in the dorms, he and some of his fellow dormmates conceived the idea to run a football relay-style from Norman, OK to Dallas, TX. The run on I-35 took over 19 hours to complete the 200+ mile distance between the cities.

Leland graduated from OU in 1965 and was subsequently drafted into the army. The United States was at war with Vietnam, and Leland has been adamantly opposed to the war since its inception. After completing his military service in 1967, Leland returned to OU where he used the GI bill to enroll in law school. Becoming disinterested in law, he changed course and switched his studies to math and physics.

While working as a math teacher periodically, Leland became fascinated with abstract painting and writing novels. He self-published his first novel in 1979 titled “Tobius”. It was a book about his experiences and escapades in the army during the war. He eventually wrote two more novels, which went unpublished. Leland immersed himself in painting abstract art, and to this day, he has a plethora of his abstract paintings in his home.

Leland enjoyed travelling throughout the west, especially when he was able to camp and hike in the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. He fell in love with the scenery, culture, and people in Taos and Santa Fe.

He met and married Ann Hassler, a wonderful woman, in Norman, OK in 1977. Always a life-long democrat and lover of animals, he and his wife continued to live with their many cats in Oklahoma City.

Leland is survived by his wife, Ann; two younger siblings Marilyn and Jack and their spouses; three nephews and nieces, and their children; and a host of many other beloved extended family members and friends.

Memorial Services will be held at Smith and Kernke (1401 NW 23rd Street, OKC, OK 73106) on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 1pm. The family wishes to thank the caregivers at Centric Hospice for their care and compassion during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to ASPCA.