Born in New Mexico, Sherwin Kelly was a 1917 graduate of the University of Kansas. After obtaining a fellowship in geology and mineralogy at the Sorbonne in Paris, Sherwin Kelly taught at the University of Kansas and Toronto. During World War I, he served in what was to become the U.S. Air Force as one of its first flyers. He established himself as a consultant in electrical prospecting for metallic ore bodies in rock and as a result, every county in the Americas, except for Paraguay and Nicaragua, owe some portion of their mineral development to Sherwin Kelly.

Following Mr. Kelly’s move to Merritt, at the tender age of 65, he contributed more to his community and the province than most do in a lifetime. Even at age 95, he continued to be sought as a mining consultant. Over his long lifetime, Mr. Kelly contributed heavily to the body of human knowledge. Satellite technology had to catch up with his slide-rule, pointing to likely deposits he had staked years earlier. He had written about cold fusion before it made headlines in the early 1990s.

Mr. Kelly worked for the betterment of his community. What is now the major transportation corridor into B.C.’s interior, the Coquihalla Highway, was his vision back in the 1960s. He led annual caravans along the route to prove to successive highways ministers that it was needed and could be done. He forced government to have a serious look. A long-time member of the Chamber of Commerce, he was honoured by the B.C. Chamber with its highest award – Honorary Life Member – for his commitment to the B.C.’s economic health.