Gail E. (Moore) Kelly

Gail E. (Moore) Kelly, 78, of Norton, formerly of Randolph, Brockton and Milton gained her angel wings on March 22, 2024, at Milton Hospital after a courageous 8½ year battle with breast cancer and many other illnesses.  She was surrounded by her loving family in her final hours, holding the hands of her daughters as she left this earth peacefully to join her beloved husband, the late James “Jimmy” Kelly of 46 years in Heaven.  She was the loving mother of 7 daughters, Donna Stilphen and her husband Richard, Carol Borden and her husband Jackson, Linda Clark and her husband David, Kristine Huber and her husband Scott, Corrina Kelly-Dias and her husband Jose Jr., Jamie Reardon and her husband Daniel and Ellen Kelly and her boyfriend Aaron.  She was the proud nana/grandma of Matthew, Andrew, Tiffany, Felicia, Christa, Kevin, Nicole, Christopher Jr., David Jr., Michaela, Phillip-Lewis, Rileigh and Emma.  She is also survived by her great grandchildren, Nathaniel, Trinity, Jaliyah, Johanse, Aniyah, Amelia, Noah, Leo, Jordon, Aliyah, Lilly, Hunter, Carmen, Isabella and Chase; her sisters-in-law, Ann, Patricia and her husband Lenny and Cathy, many nieces, nephews, friends and we can’t forget her constant companion, her cat Bridget.  She was predeceased by her mother Barbara Hanson (Poole) Goggin, her father Charles K. Moore, her step father Maurice Goggin, her beloved maternal grandmother Ethel and her brothers-in-law, Bernard, Edward, John, Thomas, Robert, Philip Jr. and Paul, her granddaughter Heather and her sons-in-law Richard Stilphen and David Squibb Sr. 

Gail was raised in Milton by her mother and grandmother.  As an only child she dreamed of having a big family and being a mom.  She attended Tucker Elementary, Pierce Middle School and Milton High School.  Gail spent summers at her Aunt Marion’s house in Kittery, Maine and she would take her children there for frequent vacations later in life.  She was a lover of all things Victorian, Thomas Kinkade (Gail herself was a talented painter in her youth), Elvis, jewelry, the beach, light houses, stained glass, flowers (especially briar roses and sunflowers ), the colors peach and baby blue, Christmas (she didn’t care what time of year it was!), movies (especially The Christmas Card, Little Women, Fried Green Tomatoes and her favorite, the Notebook) fuzzy slippers, bathrobes, cheeseburgers and spaghetti and meatballs.  She was never seen far from her beloved fat black cat, Bridget that she bottle fed up from a kitten and would spend most days and nights on her lap or on the pillow next to her head.

Gail did not like planes or boats but enjoyed day trips to Cape Cod, Maine and taking her children to Boston, especially at Christmas to see the Enchanted Village when it was part of Jordan Marsh and to Barnes and Noble for a book.  She loved returning to the old neighborhood and visiting Alexanders Restaurant in Brockton, Jamaica Pond and her favorite date spot with Jimmy, Tony’s Place in West Roxbury.  Gail never met a food that she could not add ketchup to and taught this religiously to all her grandkids and not a day went by that you would catch her without a peach Dunkin Donuts refresher. 

Gail was the neighborhood mom - always opening her door, her home and table to everyone.  All kids were Gail’s children.  She was not a cook but could make you a mean egg sandwich, PB and fluff, BLT or a great bowl of soup.  She collected cards people gave her, drawings /coloring pages from her grandkids and all things Lady and the Tramp that reminded her of herself and Jimmy. 

She reconnected with her teenage love in the 1970’s.  Gail and Jimmy had a love story that could rival Ally and Noah in the Notebook. She grew up wealthy and he was poor.  They would quarrel over the dumbest things, but they had a true deep love and always made up right away.  They married on his birthday, and he would tell everyone it was the best and worst birthday gift he ever received.  Despite this joke, he loved Gail more than anything in this world and she also felt this way.  They battled cancer together; Gail being diagnosed in 2015 and James being diagnosed during the pandemic in 2020.  James died in the fall of 2022 and Gail bravely continued her battle until her last breath in his memory.  We will forever miss our mom, grandma and nana – our midgey, our “Fancy Nancy.”  

Funeral Services are provided by Farley Funeral Home, 358 Park St. (Rt. 27), Stoughton, MA with her wake on Monday, April 1 from 4-7 PM. Funeral will be held from Farley Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 2 at 9:30 AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Immaculate Conception Church, 122 Canton St., Stoughton at 10:30 AM.  Burial will follow immediately at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Randolph, MA.  We kindly ask all attending to be colorful (think spring) as this is a celebration of life and memories of our queen and she would want to be surrounded by happiness.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Gail's memory to Tommy’s Place in Falmouth, MA at Tommysplace.org or by mail to Tommy's Place, 90 Shore Ave., Quincy, MA 02169.