The Town of Walpole lost one of its best citizens last week, as we all mourn the death of Stan Kelliher. Stan was a long-time member of the Finance Committee and a Town Meeting member. He is a person I have known most of my life, and he is a man who I have always admired and greatly respected.
Stan was born in Norwood but raised in East Walpole. As a member of the Walpole High School class of 1949, I believe he was a member of a state championship baseball team that included Joe Morgan and John Turco. When Stan returned to Walpole from the Korean War, he went to work in the East Walpole Post office, where he would remain for the next 42 years. Legend has it that in those 42 years, Stan never took a sick day. I don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t doubt it, knowing Stan. You can read more about Stan’s full life at http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/newsnow/x1664793017/Obituary-E-Stanley-Kelliher-79.
I have known Stan for most of my life, and in many different capacities. I remember as a little kid going to the shoe store in South Norwood to get shoes from him. I worked for Stan as an umpire for the Babe Ruth league in the 1970’s. I also grew up in the same neighborhood with the Kellihers. Stan’s sons Mike and Tim were the best athletes in the neighborhood, so they ruled summer baseball at the High School and pond hockey on Clark’s Pond in the winter. In high school, I had the great honor to play football with Mike and Tim. Mike was co-captain of the 1975 team that went 9-0-1. Tim was tri-captain of the 1976 team that went 10-1 and won Walpole’s first Super Bowl. Both were excellent players and leaders (Mostly through fear and intimidation, but it worked!). Mr. Kelliher was a huge supporter of the program back then. He was always around and always had an encouraging word. He expected a lot from the players and obviously got if from his own: I always thought it must have been cool to be the father of consecutive captains of the Walpole Rebels, who went a combined 19-1-1 in the two years his two sons were captains. He was the Master of Ceremonies for our Super Bowl banquet, the night I was elected tri-captain for the 1977 season.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that in my opinion, the Kellihers had the most meticulously landscaped yard in Walpole, which Stan did himself. Actually ‘landscaped’ doesn’t do his yard justice; it was groomed to perfection every year.
Many years later, I got the chance to work with Stan. As most of you know, after retiring from the Post Office, Stan went to work for Delaney’s Funeral Home as a “dress man”, along with my father Ray Rockwood and a whole host of other characters. While I was in law school, I worked there once in a while as well, and got to know Stan all over again. There is a fair amount of waiting around as a dress man, and Stan was always a great guy to just talk to. I don’t think Jay’s crew will be the same without him.
Then, when I became Moderator in 2004, Stan was already on the Finance Committee, appointed to the committee by Jim Brady in 1999. I reappointed Stan in 2005 and 2008. Although Stan was quiet at meetings, he hardly ever missed a meeting, and his input and presence were appreciated by all members of the Committee. Stan stayed on the committee as long as he could, finally resigning in September 2009, when his health prohibited him from taking the active role Stan believed being a member of FinCom required. Despite his bona fide credentials as a Townie, Stan kept an open mind to every article that came before the Committee and gave every line in every budget his full attention and objective analysis. I think I can speak for FinCom in saying that he has been missed, and will continue to be missed. Also, like so many others, he had his regular seat at Town Meeting. For my first six years as Moderator, I could always count on Stan to be right there in the second row, and I will miss seeing him there as well.
Everyone who knew Stan will greatly miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Kelliher and all the whole family. Has any of the many groups in Walpole who celebrate a person-of-the-year ever done so posthumously? Now might be the time, because Stan Kelliher deserves such recognition.
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