Kelly Mehler

and his impact

I’m heartbroken to be mourning the loss of Kelly Mehler. My friend Andy Glenn wrote a wonderful tribute you can read here. Kelly was very unassuming and humble, but his impact was huge. Some of you may not know Kelly, his school in Berea, Kentucky closed years ago when he began having health issues and was reborn as PineCroft . Besides being an amazing furniture maker and educator, his influence on the woodworking community has been profound, especially to me. He was an early supporter of myself, Greg Pennington, Chris Schwarz… the list goes on. I’ve always referred back to Kelly in conversation when complimented about my teaching environment. Kelly set the gold standard for how a school should run. He paid the instructors very well and focused on ensuring it was a happy and welcoming place to learn and teach. I model my own environment after what I learned from him and his wonderful wife Teri. Greg and I shared many of fun times at their place. It was always a highlight of my year to teach there and spend time with Kelly and Teri. Whenever I’d ask Kelly, “How ya doin?” he’d reply, “So good I feel guilty”. His joy and energy were infectious.

There are only a few people I’ve met that I still describe as “When I grow up, I want to be like them”, Kelly is on top of that list. His kindness, good humor and skill shone brightly. I’m so grateful for his generosity and example.