KELLEHER, William Francis Jr., 63, a Boston native and anthropologist and scholar of Northern Ireland, died of melanoma on Sept. 18, 2013 in Syracuse, NY. He was a dedicated teacher and was beloved by students at Syracuse University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Professor Kelleher was a native of Boston, the eldest child of William F. Kelleher, a Boston firefighter, and Marjorie (Mitchell) Kelleher. He was a graduate of Catholic Memorial High School and earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his Ph.D. in social cultural anthropology from the University of Michigan.
Professor Kelleher is survived by his beloved wife of 27 years, Jo Thomas and daughters Susan of Syracuse and Kathleen of Manhattan; his brother Dennis, of Florida; sisters Nancy Kelleher and Joan Casey of Brookline, and Janet Harter of Vermont; and stepmother Margaret Kelleher of Harwich.
He was the author of many scholarly works, including his 2003 book The Troubles in Ballybogoin: Memory and Identity in Northern Ireland, and was a lifelong Red Sox fan.
A Graveside Service will be held in St. Joseph Cemetery, 990 LaGrange St. WEST ROXBURY, on Monday, Sept. 23 at 11 am. Relatives and friends kindly invited.
Gifts in Bill’s memory may be made to the William F. Kelleher, Jr. ’76 Scholarship Fund and sent to UMass Amherst, Records & Gift Processing, Memorial Hall, 134 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003-9270.