Dr. Thomas W. Kelly Jr., 83, dentist taught at UNC
October 7, 2022
Dr. Thomas W. Kelly Jr. of Murrells Inlet, a dentist who helped train others during his career, died Oct. 2. He was 83.
He was born Nov. 16, 1938, in Spartanburg, the son of Thomas and Anne Kimbrell Kelly. Following graduation from Spartanburg High School, he earned summa cum laude degrees from Wofford College (BS), where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and from the Medical College of Virginia (DDS).
Dr. Kelly’s dental career began with five years of private practice in Spartanburg. In 1970, he joined the Veterans’ Administration as a staff dentist, serving in Salisbury, N.C., and Leavenworth, Kan., where he obtained his master’s degree and specialty degree in prosthodontics from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
In 1974, he was chosen as chief of dentistry for the VA Medical Center in Fayetteville, N.C., where he also served as chief of staff. During his years in Fayetteville, Dr. Kelly also held a faculty position with the UNC Dental School. He helped train over 500 dental students and nearly 100 dentists seeking postgraduate training and degrees.
Retiring after 29 years of service to the VA Medical Center and UNC, Dr. Kelly returned to his home state to join Dr. Jason Meares in private practice at the Carolina Dental Center in Murrells Inlet. From 1999 to 2017, he served on the faculty of the dental department of Horry-Georgetown Technical College, helping train approximately 540 dental assistants and hygienists. In 2013, he received the Patron Emeritus Award for outstanding support of the college.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, the former Gay Maddox; his daughters, Kimbrell K. Tucker (Butch) and Beth K. Meares (Jason); his grandsons, Austin T. Meares (Katherine), Bennett A. Meares and Jonathan “Mo” Meares; his great-grandson, Jason M. Meares; and his sister-in-law, Janet M. Luiz.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul’s Waccamaw United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Students in the Word, P.O. Box 163, Pawleys Island, SC 29585 or to St. Paul’s Waccamaw United Methodist Church, 180 St. Paul Place, Pawleys Island, SC 29585.
Condolences may be sent at burroughsfh.com.
