Wayne Kelly

Wayne Kelly was born and raised in Pittsburgh. He graduated from college after majoring in Deaf Education at the University of Arkansas. After teaching one year at the Arkansas School for the Deaf in Little Rock, Wayne and his wife, Ann, moved to Pittsburgh. Wayne retired as a teacher from Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf after 35 years.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Wayne was surrounded with love by great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. He wanted that same extended family experience for his children. Pittsburgh is a special place for families. Although Wayne’s three children, Sarah, Dan, and Mary Kate, all graduated from colleges far from Pittsburgh, they are all Pittsburgh residents today, for which he and their mother are eternally grateful.

Wayne is honored to serve as a board member for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Reading changes lives. Libraries have played a special place in Wayne’s life since he was young. He remembers the excitement he felt as a boy, when the bookmobile would come to Holiday Park. His father would often take Wayne and his siblings to the Main Library in Oakland. He loved getting his first library card and searching the stacks of books while walking on those translucent glass blocks. Wayne had such love for that library that when the soot was removed in 1989, he was very upset. He thought, “What did they do to my library? It’s supposed to be black.” Wayne was in his thirties when he felt this emotion! Now he realizes that the library is cleaner, better, and still creating wonderful memories for children, teenagers, and adults. Wayne is very grateful for this opportunity to help serve this wonderful organization of his beloved city of Pittsburgh.