Joe Kelsay

Joe Kelsay, age 88, passed peacefully on November 14, 2023. Born in Fairmount, IN, on December 16, 1934, he was the son of the late Josephine Burgan Kelsay and Oren W. Kelsay.

A former resident of Salome, AZ, and Los Angeles, CA. Joe followed his dream of acting to Hollywood, CA, and had bit parts in a few low budget movies. His signature role was as a lookout in the movie “Run Silent Run Deep” with Clark Gable.

He and actor James Dean were 2nd cousins and often played together as children in the quiet Quaker farming community of Fairmount. Only two years younger, he recalled frequent visits with “cousin Jimmy” back and forth on their family farms on Sunday afternoons. They were both particularly fond of climbing the apple trees and playing games in the woods.

After graduating from Fairmount High School in 1952, Joe worked on the family farm, repaired neighbors’ farm machinery, and did aircraft maintenance work at the Marion airport. In 1953, Joe joined the army reserves and was called up to active duty in 1955. Later that year he was given an honorable medical discharge due to hearing loss due to a childhood accident.

His trade was as a professional welder for over 40 years in the aircraft industry. Acting and welding were both skills he learned in Fairmount High School. Joe made 3-4 tours with the USO as a performer entertaining the troops during the Korean War. In the early 1960’s, Joe became friends with Leo Fender in Pasadena and, in between welding jobs, made guitars for his now famous Fender Guitar company. Joe was a craftsman and enjoyed making guitars for the Fender family.

Joe was a fun-loving bachelor who enjoyed car racing and flying. Growing up, he found a way to modify his bicycle with an engine to make his own motorcycle. He followed auto racing at all levels, attending many sprint car, NASCAR, and Indy Car events. He also loved aviation so much that he bought an airplane hanger at a private air park in Salome, AZ, after retiring. He proceeded to build out the interior for his own home and then built his own airplane from drawings he had made. He flew that plane for the next 18 years.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Agnes Evans and Janet Kelsay, and brothers, Robert W. Kelsay and Gene Kelsay. Joe is survived by two nephews, a niece, nine great nieces and nephews, and six great-great nieces and nephews.

Per Joe’s wishes, there will be a private family memorial service at a later date.