A. Kelsey Carleton, age 93, died at home on Thursday, November 28, 2024. Kelsey was born on December 14, 1930 in Hammond, Pennsylvania, a son of the late George and Marguerite (Whitney) Carleton. He was married to Cleone (Cranmer) Carleton, who passed away in 2021, for just a few weeks shy of 72 years.  After serving in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, he moved with his family to Tioga, PA where he resided at the time of his death. 

Kelsey was a person of many and varied talents and interests. He was a big fan of baseball, first playing on and then coaching local Little League teams.  Later his attention turned to gardening. Customers placed orders for his heaping quart baskets of delicious strawberries every year for decades; he was also known for his late summer potato crop which drew a huge following as well. He could debate the pros and cons of red vs. white potatoes with anyone.  To take the gardening season into the fall, for many years he produced apple cider using an old-fashioned cider press.

Kelsey was also a master woodworker.  He built everything from doll and children’s furniture, toys, and an exquisite multi-storied doll house to adult-size rockers, kitchen cabinets, dressers and even a major house addition.  With his wife Cleone, he attended auctions to find antique furniture in need of attention.  Over the years, he refurbished and restored hundreds of pieces of furniture for family and friends.  Following a long-standing family tradition, he learned to cane, weave and string rope chair seats and taught those skills to his children. 

After his retirement as field foremen from North Penn Gas Company where he worked for 42 years, Kelsey began collecting and restoring antique gas pumps and vintage signs. He scoured eBay and other sites every day to score items for his hobby and always welcomed visitors who stopped to see his large display of old pumps and signs.

Kelsey was a man of great faith and character.  He generously made sure neighborhood children had new bikes and holiday gifts and was always quick to lend or give money to someone down on their luck.  He was also a man before his time, championing equality of the sexes long before it was embraced by others of his and later generations. 

Kelsey is survived by one son, Rodney Carleton of Canton, Ohio and two daughters, Dia Carleton and Tracie Carleton (Paul Hulbert), both of Tioga, PA, seven grandchildren, six great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.  He was predeceased by a daughter and son-in-law, Kelsie and Edward Kentos of Tioga, PA.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.  Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Tioga, where Kelsey worshipped for many years:  P.O. Box  322, Tioga, PA 16946.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Carleton Funeral Home, Inc. www.carletonfh.com Wellsboro, PA.