Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1283597
10 WAC Magazine | wac.net first take roger kelly court E M I L I O H U E R T A S To those who knew him in life, Roger Kelly was a retired U.S. Marine tank com- mander and helicopter pilot, a successful businessman, a Seafair pirate, a supporter of many Seattle nonprofits, and a tough basketball player with giant hands. "Rog- er tended to be a larger-than-life charac- ter," recalls longtime WAC member and friend Kirk Clothier. "He gave back to the community in so many ways." At the WAC, friends most remember Roger as the driving force behind the over-40 basketball league, which later morphed into the over-50 league and the over-60 league. Roger, who himself "retired" from basketball two or three times only to return to the court, played into his sixties. His death in 2006 at age 69 shocked the WAC community and especially players in the basketball league. "All of us who remember Roger remember him saying. 'What do you mean we're going to stop playing?'" Kirk says. "e over-40 leagues have provided so many of us the opportunity to keep playing." Fourteen years aer his passing, Rog- er's kindness and friendship still stick with those who knew him. In honor of his life and legacy, a group of friends, family, and WAC members recently raised $100,000 for the WAC Founda- tion to name the 8th Floor gym Roger Kelly Court. "It's a great legacy for my dad," says daughter and WAC member Kathleen Krekow, one of Roger's three children. As a child, Kathleen spent Saturday mornings at the WAC. While her dad played basketball, she and her siblings would oen explore the Clubhouse. "e WAC has played a huge part in all our lives," she says. Roger served on the WAC Board of Governors and on the boards of e Salvation Army, Virginia Mason, and Seafair, which he chaired for a year. He also supported e Forgotten Children's Fund and dressed as Santa to deliver gis to children in need. WAC gym named for Club legend Roger Kelly Court marks a milestone for the WAC Foundation By Darrick Meneken, Content Director W A C M A G A Z I N E , S E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 5 u Roger Kelly, center, holds a WAC Masters basketball championship banner on the cover of WAC Magazine.