Mark Kelly @ Eagles Landing Basketball Game

When Mark Kelly was the St. Pius X High School athletic director, occasionally he sat with his back against the chair as he watched a varsity game from the northeast corner of the gymnasium. However, since Kelly formerly coached varsity boys basketball for 15 years, he often sat on the edge of his seat or stood up, hanging on every moment of the game. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly @ Eagles Landing Basketball Game

When Mark Kelly was the St. Pius X athletic director, occasionally he sat with his back against the chair as he watched a varsity game from the northeast corner of the gymnasium. However, since Kelly formerly coached varsity boys basketball for 15 years, he often sat on the edge of his seat or stood up, hanging on every moment. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly @ Eagles Landing Basketball Game

St. Pius X athletic director, Mark Kelly, holds the microphone as he leads a prayer before the Dec. 20 varsity boys basketball game against Eagle's Landing High School of McDonough. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly @ St. Pius X Christmas Classic

St. Pius X athletic director, Mark Kelly, prepares to present the winner’s trophy, Dec. 30, to John Carroll School of Bel Air, Md., following a 73-65 championship game victory over St. Pius X during the 18th annual St. Pius X Christmas Classic, a three-day basketball tournament featuring 16 teams from eight states. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly @ St. Pius X Christmas Classic

St. Pius X athletic director, Mark Kelly, right, poses for photo after presenting an All-Tournament Team plaque to St. Pius X junior, shooting guard Emma Drash. Kelly’s final task before officially retiring was handing out tournament trophies and plaques, after the Dec. 30 girls and boys championship games of the 18th annual St. Pius X Christmas Classic. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly @ St. Pius X Christmas Classic

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Mark Kelly @ St. Pius X Christmas Classic

During an emotional moment, St. Pius X athletic director, Mark Kelly, foreground, prepares to present the girls most valuable player award to a basketball player. Starting with the 2017 St. Pius X Christmas Classic, the award was named after the late Megan (Callahan) Ryan. Megan, who died of cancer in 2007, was a 1989 graduate of Pius, the former chairman of the math department and the girls basketball and soccer coach. Standing in the background are members of Megan’s family. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

St. Pius X High School’s Mark Kelly retired at the end of 2017. Kelly credits a number of people for getting 85 percent participation among students in sports and hanging some 114 state championship and runner-up banners during his 31-year tenure as athletic director. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

Mark Kelly is thankful to God and the “angels on earth in his life” that make his existence possible today. In 1974 he was one of 13 participants in an experimental cancer treatment program at Emory University. While the other 12 got an extension on their lives, Kelly is the sole survivor from the group that beat his battle with Stage 4 melanoma cancer. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

Mark Kelly started working at St. Pius X High School in 1975 as a student teacher. He was named the school’s athletic director in 1986. If you ask Kelly, God, family and St. Pius X High School have always been number one in his life. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

St. Pius X High School’s Mark Kelly retired at the end of 2017. Kelly credits a number of people for getting 85 percent participation among students in sports and hanging some 114 state championship and runner-up banners during his 31-year tenure as athletic director. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

St. Pius X High School’s Mark Kelly retired at the end of 2017. Kelly credits a number of people for getting 85 percent participation among students in sports and hanging some 114 state championship and runner-up banners during his 31-year tenure as athletic director. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

Former St. Pius X religion teacher Msgr. Richard Lopez said if you have any doubt how smart Mark is, look no further than Linda, his wife. Kelly concurs, hands down, the best decision he ever made was marrying Linda. They will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this June. They have four children and nine grandchildren. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

Mark Kelly worked at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, for 42 years, 31 of those years as the athletic director. He attributes the school’s spiritual focus to its three original pillars. They include founding principal Father James Harrison, the late Coach George Maloof and the late Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart Sister Rita Marie Raffaele, who was an assistant principal and educator. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Office Interview

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Mark Kelly Office Interview

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Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

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Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

During his Dec. 18 retirement luncheon, Mark Kelly, second from right, stands with (l-r) Bill Schmitz, athletic director at Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fayetteville, Msgr. Richard Lopez, former St. Pius X High School religion teacher, Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart Sister Dawn Gear, a former member of the St. Pius staff, and Ricky Turner, athletic director at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell. Schmitz and Turner are 1986 graduates of St. Pius. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

Dennis Kelly, Mark's younger brother, was one of the speakers during the Dec. 18, 2017 retirement luncheon in the St. Pius X High School gymnasium. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

Chuck Byrd, a former coach and staff member of the St. Pius X High School, shares some words about his former colleague and good friend, Mark Kelly, during Kelly Dec. 18, 2017 retirement luncheon. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

Mark Kelly is the final speaker at his Dec. 2017 retirement luncheon at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta. Photo by Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

I leave knowing for 42 years you have made me happy and whole, said Mark Kelly, during his retirement speech. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

Mark Kelly prepares to share a top ten list with the audience during his retirement luncheon. The list contained his five funniest moments and his five memorable moments during his tenure at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

Chuck Byrd laughs during the retirement luncheon as Mark Kelly shares his top five funniest moments while working at St. Pius. Kelly and Byrd, a former counselor, admissions director and tennis coach at St. Pius, have been friends for 42 years. The two buddies, who like to fish together, also coached basketball alongside each other for nearly 20 years. Byrd retired in 2017 too. Photo By Michael Alexander

Mark Kelly Retirement Mass & Luncheon

After concluding the speech during his Dec. 18 retirement luncheon in the St. Pius X High School gymnasium, Mark Kelly steps off the stage into the arms of his wife of nearly 40 years, Linda. Kelly worked at the Atlanta school for 42 years. For 31 of those years he was the athletic director. Photo By Michael Alexander