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Melvin Kelly served as sheriff in the 1970s and '80s, and not without controversy.
By JAMIE JONES, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 23, 2002
BROOKSVILLE -- Former Hernando County Sheriff Melvin Kelly died shortly before noon Monday. He was 84.
Kelly, born in Starke, was a deputy with the Sheriff's Office from 1956 to 1972. He was elected sheriff in 1972 and served for 12 years until his retirement in 1984.
His wife, Sarah, said Kelly died at 11:17 a.m. under the care of hospice workers in Brooksville.
"His body had worn out," she said. "It was just his time."
Kelly was remembered by friends and colleagues as a tough, blunt and dedicated sheriff. He was Hernando's chief law enforcement officer at a time when the county was transitioning from a rural to suburban area.
But his tenure was not without controversy.
Kelly was investigated for brutality at the Hernando County Jail after inmates were beaten by corrections officers. More than once, he was accused of cultivating a "good ol' boy" network in his department.
"He was a nice old Southern gentleman and a good sheriff way back when," said Frank Bierwiler, a retired deputy who ran for sheriff in 1980 but lost by 24 votes to Kelly, who was the incumbent.
"But then the county got too big for Kelly," Bierwiler said. "He couldn't catch law enforcement up with the population expansion."
When Kelly was sheriff, few restaurants were open along Commercial Way, and only two or three deputies patrolled the streets at night, recalled Chief Deputy Michael Hensley of the Sheriff's Office, who started here in 1982. Now, about 24 officers are on duty every night.
"I think Kelly was an effective sheriff, but the county was growing quickly," Hensley said. "I think Kelly recognized that he had made his contribution and it was time to pass the job onto the next sheriff."
Kelly retired in 1984, when former Sheriff Tom Mylander won his first election. Mylander is credited with bringing professionalism and higher standards to the department in his four terms as sheriff. Sheriff Richard Nugent took over last year after Mylander retired.
Lt. Joe Paez, who also was hired by Kelly, remembered his former boss as a man who never minced words.
"You always knew where you stood with him," Paez said. "He was always well-dressed, always wearing a business suit, even in the hottest weather. You never saw him with his sleeves rolled up."
Sarah Kelly said her husband had struggled with Alzheimer's disease for the past four years and also had a stroke in 1997 when he underwent triple-bypass surgery.
She said she met Kelly in 1990 after his former wife, Louise Kelly, died.
"I've never loved like I loved that man," said Sarah, 66. "He'll always be with me."
Kelly is survived by two children. His son, James, lives in Clearwater, and his daughter, Melba Spangenberg, lives in Brooksville.
The family plans a service on Friday but details are still being finalized.
-- Jamie Jones covers law enforcement and courts in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to jjones@sptimes.com.