J. Michael Kelleher Sr.

J. Michael Kelleher Sr., board chairman of Kelleher Corp., passed away on Thursday, February 2, 2006, at Henrico Doctors' Hospital, after a series of illnesses. He was 94, noting shortly before his death that he was still "doing pretty well for a 1911 model." He focused his life on seven core values: family, friends, business, community, commonwealth, God, and country. Despite recent health setbacks, he remained active in the family heating and cooling business until shortly before his death. A Richmond native, he was an executive with a number of local firms specializing in petroleum products before starting his own company in 1968 at the age of 56. All the while, he stayed busy in various aspects of life in Richmond. He was a life member and past state deputy of the Knights of Columbus, a past member of the St. Benedict Catholic Church parish advisory board, past president of the Benedictine High School PTA, the Richmond Oil Heat Association, and the Lakeside Civic Association, co-founder of the Lakeside Recreation Association, past vice-president of the Navy League of the United States Richmond Council, and a past board member of The Metropolitan Richmond Chamber of Commerce, The Retail Merchants Association of Greater Richmond, Richmond After Care, and the Central Richmond Association. He served more than a quarter century on the Henrico County Grand Jury and eight years on the Multijurisdictional Grand Jury. He was a past committee chairman of the Richmond Newspapers Marathon and a past advisory board member for Commonwealth Bank. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Marie Kelleher Harris. He is survived by the love of his life and wife of 67 years, Marie Krafft Kelleher; four sons and their wives, Joe and Maria, Pat and Debra, Ed and Emily, and Frank and Ana, all of the Metro Richmond area; 13 grandchildren, Barry Kelleher, Brian Kelleher, Erin Kelleher, Dr. Nicole Kelleher, Kathleen Kelleher, all of the Richmond area, Johana Hoofnagle of South Riding, Va., April Kelleher and Fumi Kelleher, both of Brooklyn, N.Y., Frank Kelleher Jr. of New York City, J. Michael Kelleher III of Notre Dame, Ind., Alice Kelleher of Austin, Texas, Shaun Kelleher of Phoenix, Ariz., and Ulala Sakashita of Kobe, Japan; and 11 great-grandchildren. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Homes' Central Chapel, 3801 Augusta Ave., where family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, with a Christian Wake at 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 1 p.m. Monday at St. Benedict Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Benedict Church Restoration Fund, 300 N. Sheppard St., Richmond, Va. 23221.