Former Brick Mayor Kelly Remembered as 'Kind, Considerate'

In the turbulent days at the end of 2006, when corruption charges and political fights roiled the waters of Brick Township’s government, Dan Kelly brought some much-needed calm.

“I remember the first day he came in, after he was sworn in,” said Andrea Zapcic, a Brick Township councilwoman who worked for the township for 11 years, including during the 10 months Kelly served as mayor in 2007.

“We were all uneasy, because no one knew him, no one knew what to expect,” Zapcic said, “but he was such a calming influence. He was just what the town needed.”

“He was just a very kind and considerate man,” Zapcic said.

Kelly, who was appointed to serve as mayor after Joseph Scarpelli stepped down in the waning days of 2006 before pleading guilty to accepting bribes, died Tuesday at Ocean Medical Center, Brick. He was 72.

While the initial days of his administration were marked by a court fight over the right to make township appointments, Kelly’s desire, Zapcic said, was to just steer the town through the difficult time. And he took an active role in what he considered a very serious obligation, attending every council meeting even though it wasn’t required, and, she noted, putting off much-needed knee surgery until his term was over.

“I was just getting started as a marathon runner,” Zapcic said, and she found it was an interest Kelly shared. But he told her he’d had to give it up because of his knees, which caused him great pain, she said.

“He refused to have the surgery while he was in office,” she said. “He said, ‘I didn’t take this job just to sit with my feet up for three months.’ “

Kelly’s public service wasn’t limited to his time as mayor, however.

“He was a great public servant,” said current Brick Township Mayor John Ducey, who noted that Kelly had served on the township Planning Board, including several years as its chairman.

“When I first got onto the council, he was very helpful on how to conduct myself,” Ducey said.

According to his obituary on the Colonial Funeral Home website, Kelly also served on the Brick Township Historical Commission and was a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, and the Metedeconk River Yacht Club. He was a communicant of St. Dominic’s Catholic Church and served as a Eucharistic minister.

Kelly also was heavily involved in the St. Dominic’s Sports League, serving as a coach of both baseball and basketball and as the league’s president. He was a member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials.

“There are a lot of kids in their 30s and 40s who were coached by him,” Ducey said.

Kelly was born in Teaneck and raised in Cliffside Park, graduating from Cliffside Park High School. He served two years in Bamberg, Germany, with the 2nd Armored Cavalry division of the U.S. Army and worked for 40 years in the transportation industry.

Kelly is survived by his wife of 48 years, Geraldine Whipple Kelly; three sons, Daniel P. Kelly and his wife, Pamela; William G. Kelly, and Timothy M. Kelly; and two sisters, Mary Therese Kelly Campbell and Eileen Kelly. He was also the cherished “Grandpa” to Cecilia, Mary Grace, Dignan and Liam Kelly.

Visiting hours are 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Friday at Colonial Funeral Home, 2170 Highway 88, Brick. A funeral Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. on Saturday at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Van Zile Road, followed by interment at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Lakewood. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the American Cancer Society, 2130 Route 34 Suite 1D, Manasquan, NJ 08736, or the Ocean Medical Center Hospice Unit, 425 Jack Martin Blvd., Brick, NJ 08724.