C. Richard Kellum

C. Richard Kellum, 91, Mooresville, passed away peacefully at home October 23, 2017. Mr. Kellum was born January 3, 1926, in Indianapolis, to the late Charles R. and Mary Agnes (Sellars) Kellum. He married Rose Mary Aldrich on February 5, 1950, and she survives.

Richard graduated as the Valedictorian of Mooresville High School in 1944, where he excelled in baseball and basketball and was honored in 2000 as an inaugural inductee into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame. He worked briefly at Ballard Ice Cream Company before proudly serving in the United States Army in Japan and Korea. Following his time in the service, he earned a BS in Agricultural Management from Purdue University. It was at this time that he and Rose Mary built the home in which they resided for the rest of his life and raised their family. He later earned a Master’s degree in finance from Indiana University.

A lifelong banker, he started his career with Indiana National Bank, where he worked for 23 years. He transitioned to the Bank of the Commonwealth in Detroit and served as president briefly before returning to Indiana. Richard became the president of the Danville State Bank for a number of years. He retired from Merchants Bank, where he served as the Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending. Richard was a longtime director at Citizens Bank in Mooresville and also served as the Chairman of the Board from 1990-96. After his retirement from banking, he became a fulltime farmer of the family farm where he had grown up, well into his 80’s.

Mr. Kellum grew up in the Mooresville Friends Meeting and had been a longtime member of the Mooresville First United Methodist Church and the Ormond Beach First United Methodist Church. Always active in his church, he was the leader of the Booster Sunday School Class and also participated in the Henderson Settlement mission trip work for many years with his wife. He was a member of the American Bankers Association and served on the Mooresville Consolidated School Board. Richard was an active and devoted board member of the Hoosier Capital Girl Scout Council; he also served as council treasurer. In 1972-73 he and Rose Mary sponsored an AFS exchange student, Sugar, from Viet Nam, which became a lifelong gift as they became an adoptive family and remain close to this day to her and her extended family. They enjoyed more than 30 winters and many late summers at their seaside homes, first an RV then a condo, in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Following the tragic deaths of his daughter and son-in-law in 1986, he and Rose Mary established the Margaret and Greg Worsham Memorial Grant which has been awarded annually since then to recognize and reward outstanding MHS students in the areas of business and industrial arts/technology. Family and friends were frequently amazed by his incredible memory for people, places, events, connections, and countless general facts. Richard will be fondly remembered by his loving family, many friends, and business associates.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Greg Worsham.

Survivors include his wife, Rose Mary, children, Mary Beth Kellum, Charles R. “Chuck” Kellum (Julia), Sallie Thomas (Michael), Grace Holton (Don), and Susan Crites (Dr. Brian); sister, Evelyn Paul (Dick); ten grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Friends and family will gather from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2017, in the chapel at Carlisle – Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, Mooresville. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 28, 2017, in the First United Methodist Church, Mooresville. Burial will follow in White Lick Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to AFS Student Exchange Program (www.afsusa.org), the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana https://www.girlscoutsindiana.org/, or to the First United Methodist Church of Mooresville - FUMC – Henderson Team.

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