Donna Schaplow Kelly, widow of the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s founding vice president Dr. Samuel E. Kelly, passed away on Mon., April 3.
Kelly was a champion for diversity in her own right and a longtime friend of OMA&D. During her time as a personnel administrator for the UW in the 1970’s, she helped facilitate the hiring process for many OMA staff members and was known for her dedication to recruit women and people of color for positions in the university’s workforce.
She attended many UW and OMA&D events over the years before and after Dr. Kelly’s passing in 2009 including Celebration, the Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture and the Multicultural Alumni Partnership Bridging the Gap Breakfast.
In lieu of flowers, Kelly requested that donations be made to OMA&D’s Dr. Samuel E. Kelly Endowed Scholarship Fund or the Washougal High School Scholarship Fund in Washougal, Wash. There will be no public service.
Kelly was also remembered in this Seattle Times obituary.