We are deeply saddened to report the loss of our beloved friend and fellow moderator Kellyhime. Early in the morning on Sunday, May 8th, Kelly passed away. Her devoted husband Robert has kindly allowed us to use his words to provide more details: She had been having increasing difficulty in breathing over the past few weeks, and I had to take her to the hospital on Friday. Within 24 hours, she was moved from the regular nursing floor to the advanced care floor and finally to the cardiac ICU as her oxygen needs kept increasing. The doctors discovered on Saturday afternoon that a new metastases had appeared in her lungs ("lymphangitis carcinomatosa") that prevented her blood from being oxygenated. On Saturday night, most of Kelly's family were able to pay her a visit and she was all smiles and, as always, gracious and thoughtful towards them, despite barely being able to breathe or speak. I was at her bedside the entire time and I do not think she was in pain, nor suffered. As we all know, Kelly was one-of-a-kind. Beyond her talents and her ability to learn new things quickly, she was unfailingly a lady of the old school -- demure, graceful, with inherent kindness and impeccable manners. Never once during her nine-month battle with cancer did she ever ask "why me?" or feel bitterness or self-pity. She continued to do as much as was humanly possible, and remained optimistic until the end. I have had the great good fortune to have been able to spend the last 27 years of my life as her partner in every way. We had hoped to spend our 25th wedding anniversary in Japan, but her condition required us to remain in the Bay Area. Instead we spent a lovely day at Filoli, where I gave her a new engagement ring and asked her if she would marry me again. I was so happy to hear her say "yes" for a second time. While I regret with everything in me that I will not have 27 more years, I will find some solace in memories of happier times with her. And part of her will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. One of Kelly's abiding joys in life was her BJD family, in both their resin and flesh-and-blood forms. Kelly volunteered as a moderator on Den of Angels for many years, she created Sarah Day on LiveJournal, she was the Program Director for the Golden Gate Ball Jointed Doll Association Convention in San Francisco, and she was the very first person to have a Volks omukae ceremony performed in the United States. Kelly brought a bubble of calm and happiness to BJD meets and outings in the Bay Area, and her love of vintage clothing and jewelry inspired her to create beautiful items for BJDs under the name Lavender Kiss. More details and photos of Kelly's beautiful doll collection can be found on her personal website Dollfieville. Kelly's burial will be private but if anyone wishes to attend her memorial in San Francisco on Sunday June 26th, please contact St. James for information. Kelly regularly donated to Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary and would surely be grateful to any who carried on in her stead.
I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of Kellyhime. She sounds like she was a beautiful, creative person. Robert's words are filled with love and compassion for his sweet wife. And the pictures reflect his sentiments so well. May her friends and family find peace during this sad time of loss and may the angels guide Kelly through heaven.
This is very sad news for the community and so many others. I hope that her friends and loved ones can find some comfort in their cherished memories. My deepest sympathies to everyone. ♥
Oh, so sad. I didn't know her, but this post is so filled with love and compassion that I can feel the loss that her death will leave on others My heart goes out to everyone!
I don't have the words to even start conveying how much our Kelly meant to me personally, AND to the original doll scene here in the States.... She was in on the ground floor of this scene since like 2003 or '04, bringing dolls & knowledge home from Japan, being the first person to get a Volks omukae ceremony outside of Japan once they moved here, masterminding the creation of first American BJD convention (Dollectable, later GoGaDoll), not to mention all her contributions to the central doll forums of the day (Controversialdoll as well as DOA), and her line of handmade doll clothes. When she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer this past September, we knew we wouldn't have her around for all that much longer (a few months? a year on the outside? we almost lost her right then shortly after the diagnosis).... but I'd been hoping for just a little while longer. We had that sort of friendship where you can pick up a conversation you started six days/weeks/months ago, & it's like you'd never left off. Friendship tends to assume you've always got eternity to hang out, and the reality isn't always driven home until it's too late. Her loss has left a big hole in the scene as well as in my heart. I'm happy & lucky & privileged to have known her -- and lived just up the hill from her, here in San Francisco-- for an all-too-brief 11 years and change. I'm still looking through my old photos to find more snapshots of her to post here, but it'll be a long slow project as I take the time to have a little cry over each one.
I'm so very sorry to hear of the loss of such a sweet soul. I may not have known her, but you can really get a feel for what a genuine person she was just by reading her husband's words. I will be mindful to keep her and her loved ones in my thoughts and prayers.
I am choked up, and saddened to hear about Kelly's passing. My heart warms when I recall the many, many pleasant interactions I had with her online. It is an honor to consider her one of my earliest BJD friends. We met for the first time in August 2006 at the Volks Tea Party, held at the luxurious Volks Mansion in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Kelly and I both won one-offs at that unforgetable event. I hope you'll indulge me in sharing some of my Kellyhime memories. Here is the One-Off MSD F-06 Kelly won, whom she named Odette: And here were Kelly's "dolly dates" from that wonderful day: Hoshi and Xie For those that have the Volks Super Dollfie Perfect Catalog Vol. 3, you can see Kelly in one of the photos taken of the guests from the Volks Halloween Party, held that following October: Kelly is the lovely lady in white at the right, with the radiant smile. That smile was mega-watt in person! The last time I had the delight of her company was at the LA Dolpa the following year, when she was a vendor for her LavenderKiss line. I am grateful I purchased one of her designs, and I will cherish it even more now. It's a shame she was unable to make it to this past September's Volks LA Dolpa, as I know she was looking forward to it, and it would've been nice to bask in that radiant smile once again. While I didn't know him personally, I know that Kelly treasured her relationship with her beloved husband. I recall admiring photos from the many trips and outings they took together, always impeccably attired in their period outfits. It was obvious they were very close and shared many adventures. Thank you for posting this tribute, and for providing the link to Kelly's favorite charity. I will make a donation in her honor.
I am sorry to hear this. I didn't know her, but her sweetness shines through in all the photographs. condolences to her friends and family.
I am absolutely heartbroken to hear of Kelly's passing. She was truly a wonderful and unique person who was so full of life and spirit, and she always believed in bringing people together, whether you were just getting into this hobby, or if you've been a long time member. Not only did she possess great leadership, but she was also a fantastic supporter for those who had their own BJD conventions or gatherings. Here's a video from the GoGaDoll 2009 Wedding that I filmed. Right behind "Brother Danny", you can kind of see Kelly in the background. To eliminate the captions, please turn off "annotations" on your YouTube player; not the CC: Pity I didn't get her closing speech towards the end of the convention. She was happy but emotional about GoGaDoll 2009. There was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that were put into that event, and I'm sure some of the members and moderators of this forum, who were a part of that convention, can back me up on this statement. As I said to some people, I will miss her warm personality, her smile, and her determination. I think she was one of the most dedicated people I have ever known, and I'll never forget her.
So sad to hear of this - I didn't know Kelly personally but I knew her Lavender Kiss creations Very sad loss.
My heart goes out to all who knew and loved Kelly. She seemed like an amazing, inspirational, and beautiful human being. I will be making a donation to the Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary tonight in her honor. As someone who loves animals, as well as works with, and advocates for people with disabilities, I can truly see the kindness Kelly has given to the world.
I never got to know this radiant woman, but all those kind words woven for her were very heartfelt. My condolences to her loved ones, and may she RIP..
Thanks so much for sharing this old video..... I'd almost forgotten what a raucous good time that mass wedding was. Kelly was a San Francisco girl born & bred, and that cityloving theme was her idea. I hope someone still has videos of the other speeches and events! That con was a labor of love and dedication indeed. I'm tearing up right now while I laugh at Reverend Dannyboy's faaabulous service....
Although I didn't have the privilege of knowing Kelly personally, she sounds like a wonderful human being. My heart goes out to her friends and family.
I was lucky enough to consider Kelly amongst my doll friends. I know there are many of you in the community who were much closer to her and send my sympathies your way. She was always such a kind person. After I heard the news, I read completely through the Sarah Day LJ, then went looking through old threads from Dollectable and other past meetups/events, and was so reminded about how much my bjd friends mean and have meant to me over the years. Truly, Kelly was such a positive figure for the BJD community and will be so very missed. Her passing is very sad. I hope we can all be reminded by it, as I was, to cherish friendship and togetherness in the hobby.
This was a sobering article to find on the dash. While I never had the honor of knowing her personally, Kelly's name and presence were well-known to me. When a person of great good makes an impact, they never really disappear. Kelly was an innovator and a beacon of positive. I have many fond memories of the old doll meet videos and photoshoots that have just become more precious. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her widower and family/friends. Thank you, to everyone who knew her, for sharing a bit of your experiences.
I'm so very sorry to hear this. I remember seeing her posts around the forums, she always seemed to be such a nice and fun lady. My heart breaks and goes out to her, her family and her friends. Big, big hugs to all of you who were close to her!
