FREMONT, NH: Sheldon J. Kelleher, 94, died January 17, 2011 in the Portsmouth Regional Hospital following a brief illness.
Born in Lawrence on April 22, 1916, he was the son of the late Edward F. and Delia (Lacourse) Kelleher. He was a resident of Lawrence for many years and attended Lawrence Public Schools before moving to Kittery, Maine and Salisbury.
A World War II Veteran, he enlisted in the U. S. Army on June 8, 1942 and was honorably discharged on September 27, 1945. Sheldon was captured in Sicily and taken to Germany as a prisoner of war from February 23, 1944 until June 23, 1945. He was a recipient of the Bronze Star and the European African Middle Eastern Theater Medal. He was a member of the VFW Post #8349 and the American Legion both in Methuen.
He worked as a pipefitter for the Pipefitters Union Local #57 for many years until his retirement. In retirement, he also worked as a caretaker for Health Force Incorporated for several years. He was also a member of the Newburyport Boat Club and the Pipefitters Union Local #57 in Boston.
There were many activities that he enjoyed among them were ballroom dancing and reading. He was known to be adventurous and enjoyed traveling. Sheldon was always interested in gaining more knowledge and learning about new things. He had taken many correspondence courses in varied subjects over the years. You can best describe Sheldon as a “character” who also had a great sense of humor. He was the proud great-grandfather of three year old Madalyn Rose O’Brien who he cherished spending time with.
He is survived by his son, John Kelleher of Methuen; two granddaughters, Kristy O’Brien and her husband, Tom of Sandown, NH and Amy Kelleher of Lowell; a grandson, Sean Kelleher of Methuen; three great-grandchildren, Madalyn Rose O’Brien, and Mariah and Carlos Vasquez and a niece, Jan Meuse and her husband, Owen of Bradford. He was also predeceased by his son, Kevin Kelleher.
His funeral services will be held on Saturday in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 129 Kenoza Ave., Haverhill at 1 p.m. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10 – 1 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Attn: Contributions, One Intrepid Sq., West 46th St. & 12th Ave., New York, NY 10036 (www.fallenheroesfund.org). Interment will be held privately at a later date.