Keith R. Donnelly

Keith Donnelly Obituary

59, of Zionsville, passed away unexpectedly on the evening of September 26, 2015. He was born in Cincinnati, OH to Robert Donnelly and Claire Kortekamp Donnelly, who preceded him in death.

Keith was a graduate of Brebeuf Prep., the United States Military Academy, West Point, The Ohio State University, and Indiana University.

Keith was married to Mary Kathleen (Melde) Donnelly, with whom he shared a loving home with their two young children, Kylan and Kee Lee. Keith was an attorney at Allison Transmission. He was also a medical evacuation helicopter pilot with IU Health LifeLine in Indianapolis.

There will be a wake on Sunday, October 4th, 2015 from 2 - 6 p.m. at Flanner and Buchanan Washington Park North, 2706 Kessler Blvd. West Drive.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, October 5th at 10:30 a.m. at St Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 3352 W. 30th Street, Indianapolis, with visitation at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. prior to the mass. Graveside services with military honors and a flyover by IU Health LifeLine Helicopter will be held at Crown Hill Cemetery Field of Valor, immediately following the mass. Arrangements by Flanner and Buchanan-Washington Park North. Please share an online condolence or a memory of Keith at: www.flannerbuchanan.com

U Health LifeLine pilot Keith Donnelly passed away in September. He was exceptionally accomplished, but as his brother Kevin observed, “If someone was talking to him, he would always be more interested in their accomplishments than his own.” Dan Megna Photo

Earlier this year, the helicopter industry lost a remarkable pilot, and the world, a remarkable person.

Keith Donnelly, who passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 26 at the age of 59, wasn’t particularly well known outside his immediate circles. Perhaps he wasn’t particularly well known within those circles, either.

A West Point graduate and decorated U.S. Army veteran, Donnelly was an extraordinary high-achiever — a practicing intellectual property attorney by day; a pilot for a premier helicopter air ambulance program by night.

But Donnelly was so humble, so genuinely interested in the lives of others, that even friends who recognized him as accomplished rarely realized just how accomplished he was.

“There was so much more to him than any of us knew,” said Laurie O’Riley, clinical manager of IU Health LifeLine in Indianapolis, Ind., where Donnelly flew the Airbus Helicopters EC145.

Or, as flight nurse Michele Kirby put it, “He literally was the most interesting man in the world.”

Donnelly’s West Point classmate Russ Quirici remarked that Donnelly’s ability to size up a situation was reflected both in his quick wit and his skill as a pilot. “He was also one of the calmest people I ever knew in tough situations,” Quirici said. Photo courtesy of Katie Melde Donnelly

Donnelly was born in Cincinnati, Ohio; his family moved to Indianapolis when he was three. His brother, Kevin, recalled that even from a young age, “Keith always had a work ethic that was second to none — the words ‘quit’ and ‘fear’ were not in his dictionary.”

That drive and focus landed him a place in the United States Military Academy’s class of 1978. There, surrounded by other motivated high-achievers, Donnelly stood out for an even rarer quality: a good-natured ability to find the humor in almost anything.

“He would keep us all laughing and laughing,” recalled U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Russ Quirici, who was Donnelly’s roommate during freshman, or plebe, year. “Being at West Point in plebe year is a very, very daunting experience. . . . Keith really made that whole challenging and daunting plebe experience so much more bearable.”

That sense of humor never distracted Donnelly from his goals, however. Quirici remembered being struck by the fact that Donnelly “always knew what he wanted in his life — and he did all those things. He always had that plan and followed through with it.”

At the top of Donnelly’s list was becoming a pilot. He attended U.S. Army flight school at Fort Rucker, where he finished first in his class.

Over his 23-year military career — which included time in combat during Operation Desert Storm — he qualified on multiple helicopter models, with much of his flight time in Apache's. He received numerous awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and Army Commendation Medal, and honorably retired from duty at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

But becoming a decorated Army officer and helicopter pilot was only part of Donnelly’s plan. While he was stationed in Columbus, Ohio, he earned a master’s degree in international relations from The Ohio State University. Then, after retiring from the Army, he went to law school, earning a Juris Doctor degree from Indiana University.

As an attorney, Donnelly eventually joined Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, where he served as corporate counsel in charge of intellectual property, and export and defense compliance. Yet, despite this demanding new career, Donnelly couldn’t bring himself to give up his first love — flying.

“His true passion was definitely flying helicopters,” recalled Kevin Donnelly, who, as a musician, often likened his brother’s passion for flying to his own love of music.

To feed that passion, Keith Donnelly took a part-time job flying a local news helicopter. He then hired on with IU Health LifeLine, which operates six helicopters throughout the state as part of the Indiana University Health system.

Donnelly with daughter Kee Lee. Despite his demanding professional commitments, he always made time for family and friends. Photo courtesy of Katie Melde Donnelly

Donnelly’s day job didn’t keep him from excelling in his new role at IU Health. “When you think of the perfect pilot, that was him,” said flight nurse Michele Kirby. “I knew that if I was with Keith, I only had to focus on the patient.”

Beyond his professional skill as a pilot, Donnelly’s enthusiasm and sense of humor quickly won over his colleagues. “You instantly took a liking to him,” said flight nurse Erin White. “He was always a lot of fun to work with . . . he loved to fly and he loved the people he worked with.”

For all of the dedication and enthusiasm he brought to his professional life, Donnelly somehow reserved even more attention for his family.

“He was just an exceptional husband and father,” said his wife, Katie Melde Donnelly, who survives him along with their two adopted children, Kylan and Kee Lee, and Keith’s two children from a previous marriage, Trey and Bridget. “He always made sure I felt appreciated.”

Like many of the people in Donnelly’s life, Katie was impressed by his humility. In striking contrast to people who exaggerate their accomplishments and experiences, she said, “Keith had that reality. But you just had to wait for the right time for it to come up.”

“[He was] a tremendous person who had great talents that you rarely see collectively in one person, and really thrived in serving his fellow citizen,” said Quirici. “We lost him way too soon.”

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