John Dobbins Kelton

JOHN DOBBINS KELTON John Dobbins Kelton of The Pines At Davidson died on November 2, 2013 at Novant Medical Center, Huntersville, NC. He was born on September 15, 1927, the son of Floyd Max Kelton and Mary Hume Kelton in Mt. Pleasant, TN. He grew up in Florida, graduating from Plant High School in Tampa in 1945. He entered Davidson College in 1946 for two weeks only to be drafted into The Armed Services where he served for thirteen months. In the fall of 1947 he re-entered Davidson College. While at Davidson, he served as president of Sigma Chi fraternity, was a member of The Court of Control, the 'Y' cabinet, the 'D' Club, and was captain of the wrestling team. Upon his graduation Phi Beta Kappa from Davidson College in 1951, he received a Morehead scholarship for graduate study in psychology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There he met Paula Abernethy, and they were married on June 26, 1954, in Lenoir, NC. After completing his PhD in psychology, he taught at UNC Chapel Hill and at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He returned to Davidson in 1959 as a professor of psychology at the college. In 1963, Dr. Kelton became director of the college's Richardson Scholars program which brought international students to Davidson College. That experience made him a natural for the college's expedition to Southeast Asia in 1971. It was John Kelton, ever the punster, who dubbed the group of 15 as "the herd shot round the world." He had become department chair of psychology in 1970 and continued that role until 1986 when he became director of Institutional Research. Later President John Kuykendall asked Dr. Kelton to add the position of executive assistant to the president to his duties. He retired from Davidson College in 1998. Among the awards Dr. Kelton treasured were The Thomas Jefferson Award from the college in 1980 and from the town the G. Jackson Burney award which he shared as joint recipient with his wife in 2008. Today the psychology department gives a John D. Kelton award each spring to a senior who has written an outstanding paper in psychology. A classroom in Chambers Building bears his name. Dr. Kelton shaped The Town of Davidson with his leadership role in the Davidson-Cornelius Day Care Community, the Ada Jenkins Center, the Davidson Town Library and The Pines Retirement Community. He was an elder in Davidson College Presbyterian Church. His generosity came from his sense of community service. He once explained, "Where there are good things that need doing, folks should become involved. I see things that look interesting and worthwhile and feel I have a contribution to make." For the past eleven years John and his wife Paula have lived at The Pines in Davidson. He is survived by his wife, his children: David Kelton (Bunny), Cissy Kelton Byrd (Rich), and Mary Kelton Bridges (Byron); grandchildren: Sara Kelton Brelie (Matt), Laura Kelton, Nathan Byrd, Taylor Byrd, Andrew Byrd, Michael Byrd, and John Bridges; one great grandson, Kelton Brelie; two sisters: Mary Kelton Grisso (Lee) and Ann Kelton Krotchko (David). Memorials may be made to The PInes Resident Fund, 400 Avinger Lane, Davidson, NC 28036; Davidson College Presbyterian Church, PO Box 337, Davidson, NC 28036, or Davidson College, PO Box 7177, Davidson, NC 28035. A service honoring the life of John Kelton will be held on Thursday, November 7, at 3PM at The Davidson College Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends after the service at The Congregational House. A visitation will also be held at The Pines at 4PM on Wednesday afternoon, November 6th. Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Huntersville, NC is assisting the family. Friends may offer condolences to the family at http://www.raymerfh.com/