Kathleen
Marie
Kelly

1943-2019

Gadsby
Volunteer
Extraordinaire

  

 
Kathy Kelly was a docent at Gadsby's Tavern Museum for over 40 years. She was a Life Member of GTMS and served on the GTMS Executive Board for 12 years.  For many of those years, Kathy was the GTMS Treasurer.  

Kathy's involvement in Gadsby's went back to when it was assumed that the Tavern had been built before the Revolutionary War and her costumes at the time reflected that interpretation.

While normally a historic fashionista, she was happy to play other roles including the Ghost of the Female Stranger during Historic Hauntings Nights.
  

The Historic Alexandria Community had originally planned a memorial service for Kathy at Gadsby's in mid-March.  When that became impossible, the scheduled speakers were asked to record their memories of Kathy for a Tribute Video. Many of the pictures sprinkled within the reminiscences and in the accompanying slide show also provide great glimpses of mid-20th century fashions as well as Kathy’s Philadelphia childhood and world travels. A number of other photos highlight events held in support of Historic Alexandria, especially at Kathy’s beloved Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. You might even see yourself in the background. We recommend watching this video with a glass of wine and a cheerful heart, as Kathy would have wanted you to do.

To honor Kathy's dedicated service to Gadsby's Tavern Museum and the other Historic Alexandria sites and projects including the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, the George Washington Symposiums, and the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee GTMS is hosting a campaign to purchase a Memorial Bench in her name.


The bench is currently outside Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum (201 S. Washington St.). The Memorial plaques read:



Should you wish to contribute to this memorial to Kathy's memory, you can:
  • Send a check to Gadsby's Tavern Museum (136 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA 22314) made out to GTMS indicating the check is for the Kathy Kelly Memorial 
  • Use the online system for PayPal or credit cards below (This is the recommended method given the current circumstances.)
The suggested donation levels are $50 / $100 / $250 or whatever you wish to give.
 
  • Excess funds will go to support plantings around the bench.
Should you wish to become Alexandria's next Volunteer Extraordinaire, see