Kelly Chiccitt, vice president of marketing at Pittsburgh-based promo distributor HDS Marketing (asi/216807), passed away on Oct. 25. She was 59 years old.

A 31-year veteran of the promotional products industry, Chiccitt was considered a voice for women in the workplace. According to her colleagues, she stood up for her clients and co-workers, never taking “no” for an answer. Her tenacity and enthusiasm with the way she did business was unmatched, according to Howard Schwartz, founder and CEO of HDS.

“Kelly was a big sister to me,” Schwartz says. “I courted her for a long time before she came on board. She was tough as nails and fiercely loyal. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but we always saw the benefit of the outcome, whatever that may be. She was the original badass woman of promotional products.”

Kelly (right) with Tara Smith, senior project manager at HDS Marketing. (photo courtesy of HDS Marketing)

Chiccitt joined HDS in 2003 as vice president of sales and became vice president of marketing in 2010. According to her colleagues she was the life of the party at any after-hours work gathering. Her laugh was infectious, and she would come into the office every day with a can of Diet Coke for her daily “pick me up” at lunch.

Chiccitt loved March Madness and always cheered when the underdog won. She loved a crisp Friday night at a Western Pennsylvania high school football game, cheering from the 50-yard line bleachers or working the concession stand as her son Anthony led the way as quarterback.

Chiccitt treated her colleagues like a “9-to-5 family,” says Schwartz, who remembers getting the news when Anthony beat cancer for the second time. “With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, we all breathed a sigh of relief,” he says.

Kelly with her son Anthony (middle) and husband Matt. (photo courtesy of HDS Marketing)

Chiccitt is survived by her husband Matt; her son Anthony; her mother Margaret; her brother John; and her sister Stephanie.

A funeral service is to be held on Oct. 29 at Paul Henney Cremation & Funeral Tributes in Bethel Park, PA, at 11:30 a.m. Family and friends are invited to pay respects on Oct. 28 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and from 5 p.m.- 9 p.m.

In her memory, donations can be made to the Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit.

Memorial messages may be sent to the family here.

In 2017, Chiccitt joined Dawn Shurmaitis, ASI's public relations and corporate communications director, for an episode of Promocar Talk.