Harry Kelley Rollings ’48

Kelley was a native and lifelong resident of Tucson, Ariz. He was born Jan. 12, 1927, and died Oct. 24, 2018, in Tucson at age 91. He and his wife, Sally, were high school classmates. They married in 1948 before his college graduation in August 1949. Their house in Tucson has been the family home for more than 70 years.

Kelley was an investor in real estate and businesses throughout his life. He and Sally were prominent participants in local arts groups and in numerous other organizations and programs. He was president of the Tucson Art Museum and the Tucson Festival. He founded the America West Primitive & Modern Art Gallery. He was also an art collector and art dealer. He collected and traded gemstones from around the world and designed jewelry.

While a Democratic candidate for mayor, Kelley bought two buildings to block the proposed path for an expressway that would have cut through downtown and destroyed many of the oldest historic buildings. With their children, Kelly established a family business in the downtown Barrio Viejo District, while acquiring and restoring historic adobe houses and other buildings there. Many of these are now on the National Register of Historic Places. Kelley was honored for his leadership in the local arts community and for his efforts for community development and historic preservation.

Kelley is survived by Sally and children Bradley ’73; Donald ’74 and his wife, Nan ’74; Betsy ’76; and Anne ’79 and her husband, Sandy Shiff.