10/28/2024
When I wrote the following, it was a nomination letter to the staff at JL Mann High School in support of Kelly receiving her rightful place in the Mann Hall of Fame. I share this with you all today hoping the school will recognize her tremendous career on and off the field. Dede
For #22 - Kelly Fenish
December 24, 1965 - October 18, 2024
As a former JL Mann athlete, it’s my pleasure and honor to nominate my longtime friend, Kelly Fenish, for a place in the JL Mann Hall of Fame. Her career from 1980-1984 as a JL Mann Patriot was stellar. She excelled in every sport – basketball (4), volleyball (3), softball (4), and track (4).
Kelly, a native of Parma, Ohio, moved to Greenville, SC, with her family: Bob and Jean Fenish, her brother, Rob, and her sister, Kerry, of Atlanta. When Kelly arrived in Greenville, she connected with other middle schoolers at BECK Middle and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church. She quickly made friends in Henderson Forest and Gower Estates.
Kelly first appeared on the JL Mann High scene as a member of the junior varsity basketball team ( #22) under the guidance of Coach Linda Shelton. She would take the number 22 into varsity basketball seasons as a sophomore, junior, and senior capturing such accomplishments as MVP, Best Offense, All-Conference, and All-County. She also served as co-captain of the volleyball team in her senior year.
She received accolades throughout her athletic career at Mann for softball, volleyball ( #16), and track.
One of her most notable achievements included receiving the Dinky O’Neal Award which, her sister, Kerry, said, was a HUGE honor for her.
Kerry shared with me, “Kelly told me once it – the award - was the one thing she was most proud of. If I remember correctly, the award reflected sportsmanship and the athlete's character, not the ability or talent.”
Deb Osborne, Kelly’s former high school coach and a retired athletic director from JL Mann said, “Although back in the 80s there were fewer opportunities for girls in sports, Kelly made the most of every program provided and thrived. It was a rarity to have someone excel at every sport they played. Kelly was a 4-sport athlete and achieved yearly awards at the county and state levels. She made girls' sports at JL Mann equally as important as boys' sports. Kelly Fenish did not specialize in a single sport, but she sure was special in every sport she played. She was a standout athlete and leader on and off the court and field. In my opinion, Kelly is among the top five female athletes to graduate from Mann and deserves to have her jersey retired.”
Following high school graduation in 1984, Kelly was recruited to play volleyball, basketball, and softball at Erskine College where she had a successful career.
Upon leaving the college, Kelly returned to Greenville where she became a highly effective retail salesperson for Sam Wyche Sports World and later for First Team Sports. Kelly also had her own landscape maintenance company, Begin2Fenish.
Kelly, known for having a big heart and being person-centered, found her niche as a Dementia Mentor and Hands-on Care Specialist in July 2014 when she began working with Teepa Snow, a prominent dementia care specialist, and founder of the Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Team. Kelly continued for 10 years in the memory care field. She served as the Memory Care Coordinator for The Gardens at Eastside in Greenville.
The former clarinetist also worked for a period at Ace Hardware where she had a reputation for grilling out. Last year, she launched Begin2Fenish Dementia Training, LLC.
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