At age 43, Kelly “KJ” passed peacefully on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Strong Memorial Hospital. He was born in Canandaigua, NY, on October 8, 1982, to Kelly and Mary Chappelle Lincoln.
Kelly was predeceased by his mother, Mary Chappelle Lincoln; his sister, Sheena Lincoln Barry; the mother of his children, Jamie; and his grandparents.
He is survived by his children, Nicole, Jessica, Michael, and Natalie; his father, Kelly Sr. (Mary) Lincoln; as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, brother-in-law, friends, and others whose lives he touched.
Kelly will be remembered as a devoted father, a loyal friend, and the kind of person who was always there when someone needed him. As one of his friends and coworker so perfectly described him, Kelly was “the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back in an ice storm.”
Above all else, Kelly’s children came first. Nicole, Jessica, Michael, and Natalie were the most important part of his life, and he worked hard to make sure they had everything they needed. Providing for them, making sure they had a home and a roof over their heads, and taking care of his family and his German Shepherds were always among his greatest priorities.
Kelly had a lifelong love for anything with an engine or a motor. Trucks, tractors, four-wheelers, motorcycles – if it ran, he was interested in it, and chances were he could figure out how to fix it. Working as a mechanic suited him perfectly, and he put himself completely into his work. As everyone knows, he would come home looking every bit the mechanic, with clothes covered in dirt and grease and hands that seemed permanently stained from years of turning wrenches and working on engines.
Remembering others from the community
More than anything, Kelly was someone who worked hard and gave everything he had to the people and things that mattered to him. Whether he was fixing an engine, helping someone who needed him, or making sure his children had everything they needed, Kelly put his whole heart into what he did.
Family and Friends may call on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 1-2 pm at the Kevin W. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc., 8624 Main Street, Route 20A, Honeoye, NY, where Kelly's Memorial Service will be held at 2 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the educational funds established by Kelly for his children.
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