Mimi Yvonne Kelley

Long time Sacramento resident, Mimi Kelley passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday,  January 25th.  Mimi is preceded in death by her husband, Guy C. Kelley (of Kelley Opticians) and her parents Ruth and Louis Nicolaus (of Nicolaus Optical).  She is survived by her three children Guy, Kym and Shawn Kelley; grandchildren Keema and Kevin Kelley; sister Marcy Cronin and brother-in-law Herbert Cronin.

 Born in San Francisco on May 8th, 1935, Mimi was raised in Sacramento and graduated from McClatchy High School on 1953.  She attended UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley.  While skiing on the Berkeley Ski Team, Mimi met and later married Guy in 1955. They shared a happy and active life together until his death in 2005. Mimi’s life has been blessed with the love and devotion of her children and grandchildren and for the last several years the tender care and cheerful companionship of Albert “Babe” Lovotti, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Mimi founded Kelley Contact Lenses, which she owned and operated from 1976 to 1995. Her dedication was reflected in her professional life as well as through her public service. Mimi was a two-term president of the Sacramento Children’s Home, the Sacramento Children’s Home Guild and a founding member of Los Amigos, a family organization benefitting the Sacramento Children's Home.  She served on the Del Paso Country Club Board of Directors where her family’s membership goes back to 1942. She was a member of the Junior League of Sacramento and for more than 50 years, a member of both Kandahar and Tamarack Ski Clubs. When she wasn’t skiing down expert runs, you could catch Mimi playing bridge or golfing, as she was a member of the California 15 Elite Golfers.

 A Celebration of Life memorial was held at the Carmichael Presbyterian Church on Marconi Ave. on Saturday, February 6th at 2:30 PM.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Sacramento Children’s Home at 2750 Sutterville Rd. Sacramento, CA  95820.