John "Jack" Joseph Kelleher

John “Jack” Joseph Kelleher, 94, of Chatham and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on April 4, 2026, at Keystone Place Assisted Living in Buzzards Bay, where he thrived and was lovingly cared for during the last several years. Jack lived a long and full life shaped by devotion to his family, service to his country and community, and an enduring zest for life that carried him well into his tenth decade.

Born on May 24, 1931, in Brockton, Massachusetts, Jack was the middle son of Margaret and George Kelleher. He graduated from Brockton High School and worked summers at the Wayside Inn in Chatham, MA. Jack went on to earn a B.A. in Economics from Stonehill College, one of the first in his family to graduate from college. He then joined the U.S. Navy, graduating from Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI and serving four years during the Korean conflict. He was stationed in New York and in Guam and served on board the USNS General A.M. Patch.

Following his military service, Jack accepted a job with United States Steel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He met Connie Larkin while skiing with a friend at Seven Springs ski resort. They married in 1959 and welcomed five children in eight years, moving from Johnstown, PA to Merrillville, IN in 1962. In 1969, Jack and Connie brought their family home to the northeast. Jack began a distinguished financial management career with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and they purchased a home in Glastonbury, CT, where the Kellehers put down roots for many years, raising their family amongst a community of lifelong friends. During this time Jack also earned an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Jack and Connie’s love of skiing led them to build a second home in Mountain Lakes, NH, where they built a supportive community and a network of lifelong friends and passed their love of skiing on to the next generation.

In retirement, Jack realized his dream of returning to the beach community of Chatham, MA on Cape Cod. He thoroughly enjoyed Chatham’s beaches, ponds, waterways and golf courses, while engaging deeply in community leadership and building a wonderful network of friends and neighbors. Between 1994 and 2021, Jack was involved in many local causes and organizations, including Town long-range planning and affordable housing organizations, the Chatham Newcomers Club, the Cape Cod Salties Sports Fishing Club, the Chatham A’s baseball team and Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod. He was especially proud of his volunteer work helping to create affordable housing in Chatham — a legacy of generosity that will outlast him in the community he cherished.

When he wasn’t giving back, Jack could be found doing the things that brought him joy: skiing, swimming, golfing, fishing, playing Old Timers’ softball, riding his bike, and giving tours of the town he loved so much to visiting family and friends. He was a devoted sports fan, loyal to the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. More than thirty years ago, he founded an annual family golf tournament and summer reunion on Cape Cod that has been a highlight of his summer each year since, bringing together the extended family he valued so deeply.

Jack is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Constance Kelleher; his five children, Michael P. Kelleher and his wife Dawn, James P. Kelleher and his wife Tracey, Kathryn Kelleher Harris, Janice Kelleher Hughes and her husband Michael, and Karen E. Kelleher; He also leaves nine cherished grandchildren - Maggie Kelleher, Ryan Kelleher, Jack Kelleher Jr., Jamie Kelleher, Rachel Hughes, Jacquelyn Harris, Adeline Kelleher, Brenna Hughes, and Conna Kelleher. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Colonel John Kozimor, and many beloved nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand nephews and and cousins. He was predeceased by his brothers Robert Kelleher and Franklin Kelleher; and their wives, Maureen, Claire and Barbara, and by Connie’s sister Joan Kozimor.

Visitation will be held 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 pm. on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home 154 Route 6A Sandwich, MA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:00 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church 324 Quaker Meetinghouse Road East Sandwich, MA. Burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery is private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Jack’s name to; Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, Citizens Housing and Planning Association, Alzheimer's Association.