Michael Francis Kelley, 67, died Tuesday, May 16, at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa, of complications related to an autoimmune disease.

Mike was born in Le Mars, Iowa, on July 26, 1949. He was the fourth of seven children born to Judge James P. Kelley and Helen (Reidy) Kelley. He graduated from Gehlen Catholic High School in Le Mars, and received a BA in Sociology with Honors from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his law degree from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. 

Mike began his legal career with a law firm in San Francisco. He then worked in Miami, Florida in the private sector before taking a position with a company in central Florida as general counsel and administrative vice president. He also served in the State of Florida's Attorney General's office in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. He was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Des Moines from 2002-2014, when he retired for health reasons.

Mike was happiest in the natural world, taking long walks, often with a pair of binoculars in his hands. He was a dedicated birder with an excellent memory. He read extensively, until he lost his eyesight. Physical fitness was a priority throughout Mike's life. He was a long-time practitioner of tai chi and yoga, and completed the Miami Marathon. He enjoyed music of all kinds, and sang bass in the Miami Civic Chorale for several years. He traveled widely, and had a special interest in maps and geography. He had a quick wit and a great sense of humor, which he reserved for those who knew him well.

Mike is survived by his wife, Dorothy (Vander Meer) Kelley of Des Moines; daughter Kathleen Kelley of Portsmouth, VA; son John Kelley of Chico, CA; stepdaughters Nora (Tyler) St. Peter of Chicago, IL, and Emily (Joshua) Pierce of Boston, MA; two step-grandchildren, Sylvia and Georgia Pierce of Boston; and four siblings, Nora (Fred Hegeman) Kelley of Milwaukee, WI, Mary Kelley of Dubuque, IA; Ann (Vijay Pillai) Kelley of Arlington, TX, and Patrick (Halina Wojnicz) Kelley of Oakland, CA., as well as a niece and four nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, older brothers James and John Kelley, and brother-in-law James Brown