William E. Kelly

William E. Kelly (Bill) passed away on Tuesday September 15, 2015 in his home in Ridgefield CT. Born February 4, 1921, Mount Vernon, NY. He graduated from Davis High School where he played football. Bill first became involved in scouting in 1930 as a cub scout, eventually joining Troop 16 in Mount Vernon, New York, where he rose through the ranks from Tenderfoot to Life scout and Sr. Patrol Leader. He helped to establish Troop 37 at St. Ursula's Church when he was just 18 years old. He was one badge shy of his Eagle Scout Award when in the fall of 1942 he joined the United States Army during World War II. He was sent for basic training in Panama and remained there as part of the Coastal Artillery for Defense of the Panama Canal. Shortly after leave in 1944, during which time he married his first wife, Alvenia (Zimmerman) Kelly, he was deployed to England and then France. Until the end of the war, he served with the 143rd Motor Ordinance Battalion going from France to Belgium to Germany and back to France. Upon returning home in 1946, Bill continued working with the boy scouts as Troop 37's Scout Master for 5 years before joining the Commissioners staff. Bill was appointed Commissioner of the Bronx Valley Council in 1956 as well as Commissioner of the newly merged Siwonoy and Bronx Valley Councils from 1964 to 1967. In 1957, Bill was asked to be Scout Master and took his troop as well as his children (in matching outfits made by their mother Alvenia) to the Jamboree at Valley Forge.
Bill has been the Ceremony Chairman of the annual scout mass held at St. Patrick's Cathedral for 65 years where he has worked with the various Cardinals to distribute medals and awards to the scouts who earned them. He served as Order-Of-The-Arrow Advisor and received the Vigil Honor and the Founders Award and also was on the Executive Board and Catholic Committee. Bill has been Chairman at the annual Thunderbird Games selling lunch to tens of thousands over 15 years. Most noteworthy, is his dedication to the special needs Scouting programs in Westchester-Putnam Council. Starting in 1986, he raised over 2 million dollars at the annual Bowl-O-Ree that was renamed in his honor in 1989.
Bill was inducted into the National Boy Scouts Hall Of Leadership in 2010. He was 1 of 300 in the United States to be so honored. In 2014, he was given the Good Scout Award from the Westchester-Putnam Council of Boy Scouts.
Outside of scouting, he volunteered as a Board Of Directors Member and President of both the Mount Vernon YMCA and the New York Food Distributors Association.
On September 27, 2014, Bill was accompanied by his daughter Nancy on a trip to Washington, DC to see the World War II Memorial. He was one of a group of veterans brought by the Hudson Valley Honor Flights organization. The trip was an overwhelmingly momentous honor for him as well as his fellow veterans.
William was blessed with a loving family. We was married to his late wife Alvenia Kelly (Zimmermann) on July 1, 1944. She passed away in February of 2000. They were married for 56 years and had 2 children. He remarried Helen Kelly (Carmichael) on May 25, 2002. They spent 13 loving years together.
William Kelly was predeceased by his sister Loretta Gibbons and his brothers Joseph, Francis, and Raymond Kelly, his brothers-in-law Joseph Gibbons and Jack McCoy and his sisters-in-law Charlotte and Eileen Kelly and Ruth McCoy.
He is survived by his Wife, Helen Kelly, children William G. Kelly of South Yarmouth, MA and Nancy Varvaro of White Plains, NY, his grandchildren Kathy, Dawn, and Joseph T. Varvaro, Liam and Colin Kelly, his granddaughter-in-law Lauren Haley and his sister-in-law Eleanor Kelly.
Boy scout volunteer for 84 years
Mount Vernon YMCA Man of the year 1986
Boy scout awards
Distinguished service y to Boyhood 1964
Four Rivers District Merit Award 1985
Mount Vernon Distinguished Service Award YMCA 1990
Grosvenor Dana award YMCA 1992
Concession Chairman 1990 at Westchester Putnam County
Founders Award for the National Order of the Arrow Committee
Shofar Award for Jewish Youth Boy Scouts 1993
Distinguished Commissioner Service Award 2004
Founder Award for the Catholic Committee for Scouting Development
Countless Commendations and Appreciation Certificates and Plaques
Raised over 1 million dollars for Durland Scouting Center
Bowl-o-Ree
Raised over 2 million dollars for the Special Needs Scouting Program in Westchester-Putnam Council
Army Veteran served in World War II
Served in Panama in October 1942
343 Anti-Aircraft Special Infantry Battalion
New Orleans, LA
Married Alvenia (Zimmerman) Kelly while on leave on July 1, 1944
September 1944 Co C 25th Infantry
Camp Vandorn, Mississippi
Camp Shelby
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Camp Cleveland
Reims, France
9/14/45 H+S Co 143rd Ordinance Base Automotive Maintenance Battalion
APO 350 NY, NY
In lieu of flowers please send donations in Bill's name to:
Westchester-Putnam Council
Boys Scouts of America
41 Saw Mill Road
Hawthorne, NY 10532
Reposing, Hawthorne Funeral Home on Thursday 6-8PM and Friday 4-8PM. Funeral Mass, Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY on Saturday 10AM. Interment to follow.

Born in Mt.Vernon, N.Y. on Feb. 4, 1921
Departed on Sep. 15, 2015 and resided in Mt.Vernon, NY.

Visitation: Thursday, Sep. 17, 2015
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
&
Friday, Sep. 18, 2015
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Funeral Mass: Saturday, Sep. 19, 2015
10:00 am

Cemetery: Gate of Heaven Cemetery

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