Evelyn was born June 5, 1927, in Detroit, MI to Mae and Madoel Sabatini; she was the oldest of their three daughters. She was a very precocious child and loved anything to do with numbers. She spent her young years in Pennsylvania with her parents and enjoyed playing with her cousins; to whom she remained close to until her death.

She met and married Jim Kelly on October 23, 1946 and they had seven children while living in Michigan. Jim was called to active duty for the Army in 1961 and following that the family moved often, including five years in Italy. Evelyn moved to Washington state around 2004. Evelyn was active in both the Irish Club and the Knights of Columbus.

Evelyn was a devote Catholic with a strong faith and great wisdom. She devoted her life to caring for and helping others and touched everyone’s hearts that knew her. Her interests included her family, cooking, gardening, reading, and traveling. In fact, she visited 26 countries on five continents throughout her lifetime.

She is survived by her sister, Dorothy Pulford; her seven children and their spouses: Coleen and David Kahle, Patricia Heim and James Butler; James and Connie Kelly, Nancy and Danial Sipka, Sallie and William Harrison, Timothy and Sally Kelly and Kathleen and Robert Mayfield. In addition to her sister and children, she is survived by 23 Grandchildren, 31 Great Grandchildren and two Great Great Grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by both parents, her husband and one sister. Evelyn died surrounded by her family and friends on October 21, 2015.

There will be a viewing on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 from 2-5 pm at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 5930 Mullen Rd SE, Lacey, WA followed by a funeral mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 812 Bowker Street SE, Lacey, WA on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 9:00 am. Evelyn will be laid to rest next to her husband at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL. A Memorial mass followed by a luncheon will be held in Cincinnati, OH at a later date.