Sofia Rose De Lucia Kelly

June 15, 1926 - September 29, 2020

Sofia Rose De Lucia Kelly, 94, passed away peacefully from natural causes on September 29, 2020 at her home in Murrells Inlet, SC. In her last weeks, Sofia was orbited by her children and grandchildren, who took turns holding her hand and listening to her stories. Sofia was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, June 15 in the year of 1926 to parents Ralph and Marianna (Mirarchi) De Lucia. Sofia was raised in Upper Darby, PA and attended Upper Darby High School. As a young lady, Sofia excelled at typing and graduated from Drexel Institute of Technology with an Associates degree. In 1950, Sofia married the suave and debonair Robert N. Kelly of the United States Navy. Even though he was not Catholic, Sofia was unable to resist his proposal: a phone call in which Robert stated bluntly, “I just got my flight pay. If you can find a ring, we can get married”. The young couple raised their five children in Springfield, PA until 1990, when they retired to Murrells Inlet, SC. Sofia was a lifelong lover of the culinary arts and she relished cooking for herself as well as family and friends. She sincerely appreciated food and she baked an amazing apple pie. She enjoyed reading, playing tennis at the Cynwyd Club, hosting unforgettable dinner parties, and indulging in formidable bridge games. In her nineties, she learned to control devices using Alexa and to text her friends and family; she even mastered the art of emoji insertion. Sofia Kelly was an amazing, loving, classy lady who consistently kept her nails, her silver, and her extensive jewelry collection polished. She believed in good manners, dressing nicely even if staying home all day, and card games. She used her good china, crystal, and silver daily; she set the table for dinner and always lit the candles. Most importantly, she was an expert in her field - that of being a mother, the “best mom on the block”. Sofia was preceded in death by her husband in 2005, and her only sibling, Ralph De Lucia, in 2015. She is survived by many friends and a large, loving family: her five children and their spouses, Robert and Robin of Brookeville, MD; Hank and Patti of Milford, MA; Michael and Linda of Earlville, MD; Stephen and Dina of Allentown, PA; and Janet and Jeff of Murrells Inlet, SC; eight grandchildren: Jennifer, Susan (and John McDonald), Brian, Heather (and Justin Vinson), Lisa, Devin, Braeden, and Colin; and five great grandchildren: Luke, Sofia, Jake, Dylan, and Lillian. Due to travel restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus, Sofia’s funeral mass at St. Michael’s Church in Murrells Inlet, SC has not yet been scheduled. Following the mass, Sofia’s urn will be interred with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Jude’s Hospital or St. Michael’s Catholic Church of Murrells Inlet in Sofia’s name, as she was an ardent supporter of each. Please sign the online guestbook at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com.