Kelly Clayton Carnes was born January 9, 1970, in Denver, Colorado, to Marvin and Connie Carnes of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma. Raised on the family farm in Oklahoma, Kelly developed early the love of animals, open spaces, and the natural world that remained an important part of him throughout his life.

Kelly began helping his father on the farm at a young age and graduated from Lone Wolf High School in 1988. He earned a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, before earning his master's degree in Orientation and Mobility from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

After completing his certification, Kelly went to work for the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Alamogordo, New Mexico. For more than 30 years, he devoted his career to working with children with visual impairments, helping them develop the skills and confidence to move through the world with greater independence. His work brought together qualities that were distinctly Kelly: independence, practicality, patience, and a preference for doing rather than making a fuss about doing.

Kelly married Terri Payne in 1995 and helped raise her three sons, Chad, Brad, and Daniel. He married Tiffany Randall in 2016.

Kelly loved God, his family and friends, animals, and the outdoors. He was happiest close to nature-feeling cool grass or hot concrete beneath his bare feet, holding the animals at Runyan Ranch, or simply spending time outside. Restless by nature, Kelly was rarely one to sit still for long.

He was also an avid and curious reader with interests that ranged from historical texts and the Bible to health and natural approaches to wellness. Kelly had his own way of looking at the world and was never particularly concerned with fitting neatly into anyone else's categories. Those who knew him well knew his distinctive sense of humor, his independent streak, and the contradictions that made him unmistakably unique.

Kelly valued his relationships deeply, even if sentiment and ceremony were not always his style. He was, in fact, much more comfortable slipping quietly away than standing around for a long goodbye. But the friendships he built over the years endured, and the people fortunate enough to become part of his circle knew the loyalty and affection beneath that independent exterior.

Kelly is survived by his mother, Connie; his sister, Marla; his dear friends Rick, Jami, Loana, Mary, Jeremiah, and many others. We would like to thank Inhabit Hospice Care for helping us navigate this difficult time. 

Kelly will be laid to rest in Ruidoso, NM. A service is planned for a later date.