David Kelley, former California State Senator and Cal Poly student, died Sept. 24, according to an obituary from Dignity Memorial. He was 96 years old. Kelley served several counties in the Inland Empire, most known for his work on water policy before retirement in 2001.
His death was confirmed on Friday, Sept. 26 by Leslie Schneider, director of marketing and communications for the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, Calif. Schneider also confirmed Kelley graduated from the academy in 1947 and served as a board member emeritus.
Kelley was born in 1928 in Riverside, Calif. According to state library records, Kelley graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the late 1940s and majored in citrus fruit production. In the 1950s, he paused his studies to serve as an Air Force pilot in the Korean War and later worked as a citrus farmer for over 50 years in the Hemet area in Riverside county.
The late senator served in the California State Assembly from 1979 to 1992, and then again from 2000 to 2001. In 1993 to 2000, Kelley served as a senator and represented districts from Southern California, ranging from West Riverside county to Coachella Valley and the Imperial and San Diego districts. During his terms, Kelley was an expert on water management, serving on several water district boards.
According to the state library website, Kelly was “considered to be one of the state’s most knowledgeable and key water leaders” and “authored many bills that pertained to water quality and conservation with a strong focus on his district and constituents.”
His position as a California legislator allowed him to create an office overseeing water reclamation in the state’s water resources department, according to the state library website.
Kelley was also on the board of the California Farm Bureau Federation, and served as president and vice president of Riverside County Farm Bureau starting in 1955.
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