August 21, 1974 - August 29th, 1997
The family of Kelly Brennan is extremely proud and honored to have the legacy of their beloved Kelly be the namesake of Kelly’s Whitewater Park in the picturesque town of Cascade, Idaho. Her accomplishments were many and her humor, smile, and love of life were unsurpassed.
Although born in Brooklyn, NY on August 21, 1974 Kelly lived most of her life in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Kelly was a sports enthusiast and embraced all of the gifts nature had to offer. This was evident in her team spirit and leadership in skiing, track, swimming, and field hockey. She joined the freestyle ski team in the 6th grade. By the 8th grade she received the Freestyle Sportsmanship Trophy for her Ballet skiing skills and earned several trophies in various mogul competitions. Her love of running earned her many medals in track and field.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” was Kelly’s motto as she played field hockey. Her team number 33 followed her from high school to college, where she was an All American and Team Captain. Her friendly and competitive nature contributed to her everyday life quotes and encouraged those around her. One of her favorite sayings was: “ Those that say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those that are already doing it!”
Kelly’s love for sports facilitated her selecting her major in Sports Medicine at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Upon graduation she embarked on her new career and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she continued to be a strong role model to her younger sister Kristina, who was attending the University of Utah. Kelly was in awe of the magnificent Rocky Mountains and was excited to explore all that Utah had to offer.
Upon traveling to Lake Powell, Utah the driver lost control of the vehicle, and sadly Kelly passed away on August 29, 1997 at the age of 23. Her loved ones will forever miss Kelly and the moments they shared with her will always be cherished. Her words of inspiration, her forever engaging smile, her quick witted yet warm sense of humor, and her undying determination to “Never give up on your hopes and dreams,” will forever be instilled within all of us.
We hope the legacy and the spirit of Kelly continues to touch those today and through the years by eliciting the gifts of grace, hope, life, and encouragement as it does to those who knew her.