11/07/2025
Obituary For Lisa Ann Kelley
Lisa Kelley passed away October 12, 2025 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, California less than three weeks after her diagnosis of cancer.
Lisa was born on January 9, 1960, in Grass Valley, California, the only child of Gordon Kelley and Nancy Dickerson Marshall Kelley. The family moved to El Segundo, California following Space Race careers where Lisa and her brother Eric Marshall attended public schools. In May 1970 the family moved to Weaverville, California to the pine trees and mountains of Trinity County.
Sports were a huge part of Lisa’s life starting with her parents helping to organize Weaverville basketball and softball girls’ leagues. A dream team with her friends Terri, Ruth, Terrianne, and Cheri started in fifth grade culminating in their senior year at Trinity High School in 1978 winning the NSCIF Girls Small School Basketball Championship where Lisa was named the tournament MVP. Later in 2009, her coach Carole Miller wrote about that game in Lisa’s bio for the induction into the Trinity High School Sports Hall of Fame, “She had the skill, we needed it and that was that! The final score was 55 - 20 – poor Pierce basketball team never knew what hit ’em”.
As a Junior, Lisa discovered her lifetime love of golf – qualifying and playing in her first tournament at Pebble Beach. She played one year on the Varsity Golf men’s team as there was no women’s team. After graduating from Trinity High in 1978, Lisa headed off to San Diego State on a golf scholarship where she lettered all four years. She was a professional golfer for 12 years and traveled extensively including a cycle of tournaments on the Asian tour. She played in Bangkok, Bali, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. In the US, she played the Players West Golf Tour from 1982-1994, and the Futures Tour from 1984-92. She attended the LPGA Qualifying School in Florida and as well as Palm Springs.
She returned to Redding in the off season to manage Golf World in 1986, and taught golf to her many customers. She especially enjoyed giving her time and mentoring the Junior Golf Program for 10 years. For many years, you could also find Lisa umpiring softball and Little League games for the Redding Recreation Leagues.
In 1993 her love of cars became her career. Over the years, she was always attentive to the needs of her customers as a sales rep then later as finance manager which resulted in a high rate of return of customers. Her PT Cruiser customers especially loved her for organizing rallies and road trips. She retired earlier this year as a Finance Manager at SJ Denham, Mt Shasta City and Redding, after over 15 years of loyal service to her customers.
Her surviving family includes her mother, stepmom Paulette, her brothers Eric (Nancy), Erik (Michelle), her nephew Andy (DeeDee), nieces Katie (Matt) and Emilee plus her adorable great nieces Addie, Lindsay, AnnaLisa Jennifer and Faye as well as her bonus family Suzanne, Nick, Geno and Billy. She was predeceased by her dad, sister Terri, and her wonderful and devoted partner of over 40 years Linda Curl Malone.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Wintu Cultural Museum 4755 Shasta Dam Blvd, City of Shasta Lake, California on Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 12 – 3pm. Please bring your stories and photos to share. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Trinity High School Sports Boosters Club for the benefit of girls’ sports programs. Arrangements have been managed by Blair’s Cremation and Burial Services in Redding, California.
