Thomas Va Kelsey

Thomas V.A. Kelsey
Tom Kelsey passed away October 29, 2025 just a month shy of his 93rd birthday. Tom was finishing up the summer at his favorite place, his home on Squam Lake in Center Harbor, NH where he enjoyed hosting family and friends. A medical event required emergency surgery and he succumbed to post-operative complications. His three children were at his side. Tom was predeceased by his wife of 61 years Elizabeth "Liz" Sessions Kelsey in 2019.
Thomas Van Antwerp Kelsey was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1932, in Montclair, NJ, the first child of Suzanne V.A. and Preston H. Kelsey. Tom spent his childhood in Montclair with numerous cousins nearby before moving to Hillsborough, CA where he graduated from Burlingame High School in 1950. Tom attended Dartmouth College, joining the swim team and Delta Tau Delta fraternity, receiving a BA in economics in 1954. He spent two years in the US Army Medical Service Corps in La Rochelle, France.
Tom began his career in the insurance industry, joining Chubb & Son Insurance in New York in 1956. Starting as a trainee underwriter, Tom spent 36 years at Chubb progressing through various roles and responsibilities, ultimately retiring as the Executive Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer of the Chubb Corporation in 1992. Then for five years, Tom was President of School, College & University Underwriters, Ltd, Bermuda. Tom served on several boards including College of Insurance, Industrial Risk Insurers, and the Sun Insurance Company.
While living in New York he met Liz, they married in 1958, beginning their life together in San Francisco. Returning to the New York area, they settled first in Chatham, NJ and then Summit, NJ where they raised their family. In early retirement, they lived in New Providence, NJ and Smith's Parish, Bermuda. Later, they travelled often, visiting old friends and making new ones, while spending winters in Naples, Florida and summers on Squam Lake. Tom loved chatting with people and was always eager to make a connection. His positivity endeared him to all who knew him and he was never too busy to be kind. After fifty years of living in New Jersey, in 2010 they moved to Riverwoods in Exeter, NH.
Squam Lake has been a constant in Tom's life. He first visited as a baby and spent his childhood summer vacations with cousins on the lake. Tom introduced his young family to the lake bringing them to Rockywold-Deephaven Camps, where his grandparents vacationed a generation earlier. Eventually, Tom and Liz built their lake retirement home. Here they spent quality time with grandchildren, with "Pop-Pop" taking them fishing and sharing stories. Days ended with large family dinners. As his grandchildren became adults, the seeds sown during Squam summers grew into unique relationships with each one texting often to share news. Tom was active on several boards including the Chocorua Island Chapel Association, Squam Lakes Conservation Society, and Squam Lakes Science Center.
His relationship with Dartmouth and his friends in the Class of 1954 was lifelong: starting with organizing the Class's Fifth Reunion, serving in various Class Officer and fundraising capacities, to most recently organizing the memorial service at the Class's 70th reunion. He served the Summit community in both appointed and elected roles, serving as a City Councilman from 1980 to 1985. Tom's greatest commitment was to the Episcopal Church. He was the senior warden of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chatham NJ from 1972 to 1979 and later active at St. Andrew's Church, New Providence NJ, Trinity Church, Meredith NH and Christ Church, Exeter NH. A man of great faith, Tom enjoyed church discussion groups and gifted spiritual books to family and friends. Tom and Liz were active supporters of numerous charities in NJ and NH, founding a private foundation that supports underserved families.
Tom is survived by his brother and wife, the Rev. and Mrs. Preston T. Kelsey; his three children and their spouses, Margen Kelsey and Mark Pine, Suzanne Kelsey and Ken Siegert, and Bill and Lea Kelsey; his eight grandchildren Liza, Tommy and his wife Haley, and Carolyn Pine, Noel and Julia Siegert and Hannah, Nate and Lila Kelsey; and nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at Christ Church (Episcopal), 43 Pine Street, Exeter, NH on Saturday, November 29 at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Tom's memory may be made to the Christ Church Endowment Fund, 43 Pine Street, Exeter, NH, 03833 at https://www.christchurchwfb.org/endowment or Archways, a community resource center, 5 Prospect Street, Tilton, NH 03276 at https://www.archwaysnh.org/