Tom Kelley’s Sports Legacy
OCTOBER KITCHEN COMMUNITY
... Continued from cover games were televised and some high school games had as many as 6,000 people in the stands. Tom says he never minded the crowds. “If you do your job right, they don’t bother you,” Tom said. “I loved every minute of it.” He eventually graduated to the collegiate level and reffed basketball games for almost every college in New England. This love for sports runs in the family. Tom’s mother, who lived to be 103, rooted for the Red Sox her whole life. Tom’s father, Thomas F. Kelley, science teacher and athletic director at Manchester High School, was considered one of the best collegiate football refs on the East Coast. His career culminated in reffing a Navy vs. Army NCAA football game attended by President Harry Truman. Tom still has the silver dollar President Truman gave to his father before the coin toss. Tom and his father were both inducted into the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame, making them the first father-son pair to earn the honor. While you won’t find Tom calling shots beside the court today, he still keeps up with the games, watching golf on TV and continuing the family tradition of rooting for the Red Sox. the first one to reel in a big, fat, blue fish. It was uncanny. Whenever they were around, one of them would always win the raffle drawing or the door prize. They never went home empty-handed. Above all else, I will always remember my dad as a generous soul. On many occasions, I’ve heard the story about a time when a friend of my dad found himself in a pickle. The friend was getting a divorce and his business was struggling. Dad lent him $10,000 on the spot. That generosity really saved that guy, helping him and his daughters keep their heads above water. Though it took a few years, Dad’s friend paid him back every penny. This was just one of the many times my dad would do favors for people, large or small. He’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. After leaving that event in April, I immediately texted my sister: “He’s gone, but not forgotten.” It felt good to meet so many people who wanted to tell stories about my dad. After we’re gone, all that’s left is our legacy, the stories people choose to tell about us. My dad was a man who made an impression and left a lot of good stories.
_____________________________ Write your name here and fax the completed puzzle to 860-533-0585, send it via empty delivery box or bring it to the shop and receive 10 percent off your next order . Limit one per customer. Expires June 30, 2019. Octob r Kitchen “My daughter, Kathy, found October Kitchen after getting her hair cut at the salon near their shop. Curious, she walked in and found nothing but excellence. I can’t overstate how much I appreciate October Kitchen. They deliver every Tuesday and bring the best meals that prioritize your health. I’ve always believed that having your health is the most important thing.” –Tom Kelley If anyone can speak on the importance of good health, it’s Tom, who spent his life in and around sports. In 1948, Tom was a state champion golfer before even graduating high school. But as Tom says, you can’t play golf forever. With a family to take care of, Tom passed up the opportunity to play on the PGA Tour and instead attended Springfield College to earn his degree in health and physical education. Tom’s college experience was interrupted when his draft came up. Tom elected to join the Navy and spent two years in Washington D.C., working as the base’s athletic director. After getting out of the Navy and graduating from college, Tom had just one job interview which landed him the job he would have for the next 30 years: athletic director for Illing Middle School in Manchester. Tom also coached golf at the high school and worked as a basketball official in the winter. This was before most of the
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