Marjorie Kelly will be best remembered for her devotion to the sport of badminton in Ivybridge. Having taken it up when her sons Stephen and Shaun began showing an interest in the game, her own personal improvement led to her being asked to take over the running of Ivybridge Congregational Badminton Club. Under her stewardship, the club grew to 60 members with a waiting list of children wishing to join. Her enthusiasm and coaching qualities were aptly summarised in a news article from the Western Evening Herald (April 1982):

“Mrs Marjorie Kelly is not a qualified instructor and seems, perhaps, an unlikely mentor. But she has been involved in the game for 25 years and has the knack of bringing out the best in young hopefuls. She applies equal measures of dedication to the training and encouragement of developing skills. Her own tenacious, competitive spirit produces confidence in the young players.”

Many of “Marges Team” went on to play for Devon with some even playing at national level. The junior section of the badminton club was one of the most successful junior clubs in the country, supplying at one time, over half of the Devon junior squad, and winning national titles. The achievements of the badminton club reflected the dedication and hard work she and her helpers put into the youth of the town. In later years the club operated from Ivybridge Community College and the Leisure Centre.

Marjorie was the wife of Councillor Jim Kelly who had been Mayor of Ivybridge for two terms.

Marjorie Kelly Way, the Fore Street relief road opened on 13^th June 1994, was named in recognition of her decades of commitment and service to the community of Ivybridge.