Well-known photographer and ‘absolute gentleman’

A keen supporter of pipe bands in the Province, he was honorary vice-president of the Royal Pipe Band Association (Northern Ireland Branch).

John Andrew Kelly was the son of the late Andrew and Mary-Emily Kelly, and youngest of a family of four, his other siblings being two sisters Marjorie and Vera and a brother George.

He was brought up at Mackey’s Lane (Ballaney) and the family attended First Dromore Presbyterian Church, where his father Andrew Kelly was an elder.

John would reflect in later life that he gained much of his early Christian education at First Dromore , at the afternoon Sunday School and midweek meetings held in Quilly Orange Hall and at children’s meetings held each Monday evening in Mount Ida Orange Hall.

He was educated at Tullymacarette Primary School and Dromore High School, then later at Lisburn Technical College and Belfast Technical College.

The Kelly family moved to Barban Hill, Dromore, in 1964, and, in 1969, John married his wife Sylvia and went to live in Lurgan.

He was a Sunday School teacher at Hill Street Presbyterian Church in the town and later became a member of the congregational committee.

After moving to Lisburn in 1978, he became a member of Railway Street Presbyterian Church and he was a youth leader and Sunday School teacher there, as well as serving as a member of the congregational committee from 1979.

His working life was in engineering, and he served an engineering apprenticeship at Bridgeport Brass Ltd, Lisburn, from 1964 to 1969.

He later moved to TRW Mission at Castlereagh, where he was employed as a Product Engineer.

In the early 1980s he went to work in the Technical Building at Shorts as a tool engineering draughtsman and, in 1984, he was promoted to the position of training officer in the training department and later as a human resources Officer in the aircraft division of the human resources department.

After leaving Shorts, he worked some time at Marks Spencer and later at Wallace High School before returning to Shorts as an aircraft fitter.

After taking early retirement due to ill health, John turned his attention to writing and photography, which was a field in which he would excel and come to be known and respected by a wide range of people.

Since 2003 he had compiled church articles for the local press, and was also published in mainstream church magazines.

His book Footprints on the Sands of Time, was published in 2008 and charted the 150 year history of Railway Street Presbyterian Church.

The following year, in June 2009, he published Lisburn’s Rich Church Heritage, as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations of the foundation of Lisburn.

He also turned his attention to the history of the loyal institution in the local area, publishing a third book in 2011 on the history of lodges, halls, bands and banners in Lower Iveagh District LOL No1.

Over the years his photographic skills were utilised by many local newspapers for their Twelfth coverage of the local demonstrations.

John was also an official photographer for the Orange Order newspaper, the Orange Standard.

John Kelly was , in addition, a pipe band enthusiast and from 2008 to 2016 his weekly reports and photographs on pipe band contests were published extensively in weekly papers throughout Northern Ireland. They were also published in the quarterly RSPBA magazine and daily newspapers.

In November 2012, he was delighted to be appointed honorary vice-president of the Royal Pipe Band Association (Northern Ireland Branch).

He photographed many other groups and events in his new career after retirement, including pipe bands, church organisations, the Loyal Orders, the Boys’ Brigade and others.

Paying tribute on Facebook, 1st Lisburn BB said John Kelly had “been a wonderful supporter of the BB over many years and has captured some amazing moments on camera that we are so grateful for. He always wanted the perfect shot and made sure everyone was positioned exactly where he wanted them”.

Tributes paid to him also included one from local MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who described the photographer as “a dear friend”.

He added:“He was meticulous in his photography and his pictures were published far and wide.

“I remember chatting to him and offering advice about his book on local churches and he responding with his customary wit and charm.

“He was a gentleman in every sense and will be sorely missed, not least by his family and wide circle of friends.”

Mr Kelly passed away peacefully at the Royal Victoria Hospital after a period of illness.

A private family committal took place on Wednesday, January 30, at 10am in First Dromore Presbyterian Church Graveyard, Diamond Road, Dromore, and was followed by a Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration of John’s life in Railway Street Presbyterian Church, conducted by Rev Michael Davidson and Jamie Maguire.

Mr Kelly is survived by his children Jason, Emma, Chris, Laura and Paul, son-in-law John and daughter-in-law Ciara, and grandchildren Jude and Jayden.