Dr. Thomas W. Kelly, Jr., DDS, MS

Thomas W. Kelly, Jr., DDS, MS, Born in Spartanburg, SC on Nov. 16, 1938, Thomas W. Kelly, Jr. was the son of the late 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). His dental career began with five years of private practice in Spartanburg, his home town. In 1970 Dr. Kelly joined the Veterans’ Administration as a staff dentist, serving in Salisbury, NC, and Leavenworth, KS, where he obtained his MS 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, NC, 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 five hundred dental students and nearly one hundred dentists seeking postgraduate training and degrees. 

Retiring after twenty-nine 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 five hundred forty dental assistants and hygienists.  In 2013 he received the Patron Emeritus Award for outstanding support of the college.

Survivors are his wife of 61 years, the former Gay Maddox; daughters, Kimbrell K. Tucker (Butch), and Beth K. Meares (Jason); grandsons, Austin T. Meares (Katherine), Bennett A. Meares, Jonathan “Mo” Meares; great grandson, Jason M. Meares;  and sister-in-law, Janet M. Luiz.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, October 8, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Waccamaw United Methodist Church, 180 St. Paul Place, Pawleys Island, SC 29585.  The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations 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.

To view these details online or to offer condolences through the online guestbook, kindly visit, www.burroughsfh.com

Burroughs Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Murrells Inlet (843.651.1440) is in charge of arrangements.

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