Thomas J. Kelly

Our beloved Thomas J. Kelly, who was surrounded by his loving family, passed away on February 3, 2023,at the age of 62 after a five-year battle with Pancreatic cancer. No one fought harder than Tom, and his doctors admired his determination, strength, and courage, which gave them hope for the future of Pancreatic cancer research. Tom was born on September 18, 1960, to his late parents Eugene and Ruth Kelly. Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, Donna, and their three boys, Brian, Sean, and Aidan, who adored and respected their father immensely, and the family dog, Brody.

Tom leaves behind and was blessed with a wonderful family; his sisters Kathleen and Maureen; his father and mother-in-law, John and Zee; his brothers-in-law, Kenny, Frank, John, Joey, and Raul; sisters-in-law, Doreen, Lisa, and Dawn; his nieces and nephews, who loved spending time with him, and many friends.

Those who knew Tom, knew he was larger than life and was often referred to as the “quiet man”. Don’t let that quiet demeanor fool you, he impacted so many lives by his convictions, morals, actions, loyalty, and his wonderful sense of humor. When we think of Tom, we think of how he loved his wife and how proud he was of his boys and their accomplishments. He loved playing little league, high school, and adult league baseball and fulfilling his dream of playing with the Mets during Dream Week. He was an avid drawer, enjoyed reminiscing about his wonderful childhood, watching the Mets with his boys, listening to Elvis, loved everything Irish, sharing a shot of Irish Whiskey with his family and friends, and his greatest passion - working out (even while dealing with his illness).A lot can be said about Tom, he was loyal, patriotic, and committed to his life’s ambitions. He proudly served in the United States Navy from 1983-1987 aboard the USS Inchon. His career spanned 31 years at Verizon, and he was a member of the IBEW Local 827 Union.

Our family would like to give a special thanks to the Closter community, the Bergen County Office of Communications, and our family and friends, for all their love and support over the years. We could not have endured all of this without you. Also, a special thank you to his doctors and their staff.

“May the sunshine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”Sláinte!

Tom will be celebrated and remembered at Becker Funeral Home in Westwood, NJ on Wednesday, February 8th from 4-8pm. The funeral mass will take place at 10:00am on Thursday, February 9th at St. Mary’s Church in Closter, NJ. Tom will be laid to rest at Westwood Cemetery following the mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, at www. woundedwarriorproject.org.