Marcus Kelly, Former Judge, Dies Of Cancer Superior Court Judge Known For Giving Out Hard Sentences

Former Superior Court Judge Marcus M. Kelly, the second half of the only father-son judging duo in Spokane County, died Friday.

Kelly, who battled stomach cancer for several years, was 65.

A memorial service will be held Thursday at 8 p.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 428 W. 19th Ave.

The funeral mass, also at St. Augustine, is planned for Friday morning at 11. Internment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Born and raised in Spokane, Kelly attended Gonzaga Prep and Gonzaga University, graduating from its law school in 1957 after a two-year hitch in the Army.

Kelly began his career as a clerk to Washington Supreme Court Justice Frank P. Weaver before beginning a four-year stint as assistant attorney general in 1958.

After 12 years of private practice, Kelly was appointed to serve as a court commissioner.

When Kelly was sworn in as commissioner in the spring of 1974, he continued a family tradition his father started four decades earlier.

His father, Raymond Kelly, served as a justice of the peace and judge before retiring in 1973.

In July 1979, Gov. Dixie Lee Ray appointed Marcus Kelly judge.

Kelly earned a reputation for handing out tough sentences during his 21 years on the bench. He retired from the court on Dec. 31, 1995.

Kelly is survived by his wife of 42 years, Dorothy, of Spokane, and four grown children. His daughter Meaghan Kelly died in 1980.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Gonzaga University School of Law Marcus M. Kelly Memorial Scholarship Fund, established in his honor.

, DataTimes