Kevin Kelley

Services are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at Ellis Resthaven Funeral Home in Midland, Texas, for Kevin Dean Kelley of Midland.

Kelley, 41, passed away Sunday morning, April 14, 2024, at Midland Memorial Medical Center.

Bro. Michael Elliott will officiate the services. Honorary pallbearers are BC Martin, Lance James, David Chappell, Dominic Ochoa, Casey Robinson, Eric Fitzgerald, Wesley Kelldorf, James Logsdon, Doepp Crockett, John Angell, Hagan Crockett, Blane Smith, Jeremy Campbell, Eric Schmidt, Joshua Ramirez and Nicholas Ramirez.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Kevin was born July 15, 1982, in Clifton, Texas, to David M. and Linda K. (Campbell) Kelley. He attended Artesia High School, where he completed his education in 2001.

After high school, Kevin began his longtime career in the oil and gas industry. At the age of 18, he began his roughneck adventures for L&M Drilling in Artesia. During his career, he worked his way up the ladder before finally becoming a directional driller and, later, a coordinator for various producers in the basin area.

In 2000, Kevin met Michele Brown in Artesia and proposed quickly, knowing he had found his person. The two were married on Aug. 17, 2002. They later welcomed a daughter, Morgan Lacey, on Jan. 19, 2013. Morgan was the pride of her daddy’s eye and had him wrapped around her little finger from the moment he laid eyes on her.

Kevin had many great passions in life but none more than the family he built with Michele and Morgan. When he wasn’t working, he was planning spur-of-the-moment adventures for him and his girls to see all the world had to offer. He loved traveling and wanted to share that love with them. From the coast of Florida to the mountains of New Mexico, he never passed up a chance to hop in the truck or on his motorcycle and go.

When he wasn’t getting “wind therapy” on his bike, Kevin took every opportunity to brag on how outstanding of a softball player Morgan is and spent every chance he had watching her on the field. He also enjoyed the simple pleasure of dropping a line in the muddy waters of Texas and New Mexico any chance he got, spinning Michele around a dance floor, singing anywhere he could be heard, NASCAR, and starting projects he never quite got around to finishing.

Kevin became a founding member of the Midland chapter of the Rig Riders MC in 2019. He began his service to the club as a road captain, later serving as president from 2021-24. As a proud member of the Rig Riders, he was able to serve his community by participating in many fundraising events benefiting Oilfield Helping Hands. He was also the first in line to help with any other charity event or toy drive and was always willing to help anyone in need; he never met a stranger.

Survivors include his wife, Michele Kelley; daughter Morgan Kelley, 11, of the family home; parents Linda Kelley of Artesia, and mother-in-law Tracy Ramirez and husband Jesse of Midland; siblings Kristy Crockett and husband Doepp of Artesia, Kary Angell and husband John of Artesia, sisters-in-law Jessica Ramirez and Cheyenne Ramirez, both of Midland, and brothers-in-law Nicholas Ramirez and wife Kim, and Teagan Ramirez, both of Midland; grandparents Donna Bishop and Glen Bishop; nephews Blane Smith, 20, Hagan Crockett, 17, Joshua Ramirez, 16, and Michael Ramirez, 3; nieces Emma Serna, 14, Charlie Angell, 11, Daphne Angell, 10, Ella Crockett, 9, Sophia Ramirez, 8, and Hazel Ramirez, 6; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, David Kelley; father-in-law Jerry W. Brown; and grandparents Bill and Marlene Campbell, and WL “Red” and Georgia Ann Kelley.