Marge J. Kelly (born Marguerite Jeanette Tetreault) passed away on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at The Cedars in Cranston, Rhode Island. Born to Irene Ivins on January 4, 1935 in Central Falls, Rhode Island, Marge was the youngest of the family and joined her three older brothers, Roland, Raymond, and Gerard. She attended St. Mathieu’s school, the Jesus-Mary Convent in Woonsocket, and the Central Falls High School. She also attended the Sawyer School to further her education and provide greater career opportunities for herself and her family.

Marge met Philip Salzberg in Central Falls and they married in 1952, just before he deployed with the Navy. They started a family in 1953 with the birth of their daughter Debra. The family quickly grew with the births of Jo Anne, Gail, Kenneth, Lynn, and Nancy. The family home at 567 Hunt Street was always bustling and never still; Marge was a matriarch in the truest sense. She was resilient and resourceful with the support and care she provided. She ensured her children were always neatly dressed, sometimes in matching outfits that were expertly pressed. Marge took great pride in her presentation and was always fashionably dressed. She truly enjoyed shopping for clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

Marge had an impressive and influential work ethic, starting as a young child when she would help her brothers on their paper routes. During her life spent many years working at Hasbro and then Garde Manufacturing, which became Staffall, where she worked until her retirement. With a knack for business and numbers, she was a true Girl Friday.

Following Philip’s death, she married Alfred Kelly in 1984. They built a house in Seekonk, MA and moved in 1988. Marge loved to garden and host holiday dinners, Easter egg hunts, and family events at her home. She was a wonderful cook: her family will fondly remember and try to recreate her clams casino, chicken marbella, rice pudding, French meat pie, and turkey chow mein.

Her favorite time of year was the Christmas season, especially the snow. She maintained a robust collection of Santa figurines and porcelain dolls. Each year, her Christmas shopping began in August and she had an organized system of different wrapping papers for each recipient, of which there were many. She always made sure her granddaughters in Oregon received their presents on time, too. When her children tried to limit her gift-giving to one Christmas stocking per grandchild, she responded by finding comically large stockings to circumvent this limitation.

Marge led a very active life - she loved bowling and participated in several leagues. She played golf and watched the PGA and LPGA tour whenever possible. She loved dining out with her group of gals. She could captivate a room with her humor and good nature. Her generosity took many forms including supporting local and national charities and volunteering annually with the Special Olympics of Rhode Island. She was fun-loving, social, and loved to laugh. Though prudent, she could also be spontaneous and impulsive. Famously she bought a 1973 Pontiac Firebird (red, of course) on the spot one day after driving past it and thought, “I want that. I need that!”

Marge will be remembered for her incredible devotion to her family. She protected and advocated for her daughter Jo Anne throughout her entire life. She was unwavering in her care for her mother during her later years. She was exceedingly generous to her family members with both her time and her resources. She encouraged all to pursue higher education and never missed a graduation ceremony.

Marge was predeceased by her mother, Irene, her brothers Roland, Gerard, and Raymond, and her daughter Jo Anne. She is survived by her children: Debra Salzberg, Gail Salzberg, Ken Salzberg, Lynn Fournier, Nancy Keegan and their spouses; her grandchildren: Rebecca and Lillie Zuck, Alex and Max Sherry, Rosalind Curtin, Samuel Keegan, Karina Shipman and Katelyn Salzberg, Tanisha and Jasmine Fournier; and her great-grandchildren, Virginia, Mateo, Callum, Esme, Thomas, Louis, Sara, and Ariah.

Marge packed an incredible amount of living into her “29” years in this world. If you think the math is wrong, you might need to check again.

A memorial service will be held at Keefe Funeral Home on Sunday, January 28, 2023 at 1 PM.