Former College of Connecticut males’s observe and area coach Invoice Kelleher handed away on January 2, 2023, on the age of 91.
Kelleher graduated from UConn in 1955 and served as a coach on the UConn program for 22 years. He was assistant coach from 1967 to 1974 and was appointed head coach in 1975 and held that place for 15 years earlier than retiring from UConn in the summertime of 1989.
As head coach at UConn, Kelleher led the Huskies to the 1980 Huge East indoor observe and area championship and the 1982 Huge East outside championship. UConn gained the 1975 New England outside championship underneath Kelleher and led the Huskies to eight Yankee Convention indoor and outside championships.
He was named 1981 New England observe and area coach and was a member of the 1982 Huge East observe and area teaching staff of the 12 months.
Following his UConn teaching profession, he was a longtime assistant coach at Trinity Faculty in Hartford.
Kelleher was born in Goodyear, Connecticut (now Killingly) to William Leo Kelleher and Pauline (Trudeau) Kelleher. The eldest of two sons, Kelleher was an avid athlete and lifelong learner who valued exercising his thoughts and physique.
After attending Putnam Excessive College, the place he was an excellent soccer participant and holds a number of long-time observe information, he attended Brown College after which UConn, graduating with a grasp’s diploma in schooling. He performed soccer at Brown and ran observe and area at UConn, cementing his lifelong love of the game. After graduating, she taught and coached biology at East Hartford Excessive College earlier than beginning her profession at UConn.
Kelleher’s contribution to UConn and the game of observe and area can’t be measured in wins and losses alone. A real educator, his unwavering dedication to a principled teaching philosophy has earned him 4 All-Individuals (Andy Bessette, twice; Bob Hopson and Raymond James), an Olympian (Bessette), and UConn’s first Huge East title in any sport. His philosophy has produced not solely nice groups and people, but additionally down-to-earth, educated younger women and men who’re higher individuals as a result of he’s coached by him.
Kelleher additionally had a big and loving household. He married his highschool sweetheart, Pleasure (Wilde) Kelleher, in 1950, and collectively they’ve loved 72 years of beginning a household, operating a profitable enterprise, and touring. Earlier than that, his mother and father died; brother Jim Kelleher; and daughter Ellen (Kelleher) Marrotte. Survived by his spouse Pleasure; sons Bruce and spouse Jean, Brian and spouse Cherie and Barry; grandchildren, Jennifer, Alyssa (Director of Veterans Affairs and Army Packages at UConn), Candice, Brenna, Jocelyn, Chelsea, Vanessa and Charlotte; and lots of great-grandchildren. He was additionally a lifetime member of the Coventry Lions Membership.
As an alternative of a memorial service, Kelleher’s household will bear in mind and have a good time Kelleher’s life in personal at her favourite locations. Individuals who need to honor Kelleher’s lifelong dedication to his household and group can donate to his reminiscence on the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic, the place Invoice has supported and distributed meals for over 20 years. Please make all donations on his behalf on his web site. www.covenantsoupkitchen.org
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