William “Bill” Kelly, 67, of Holliston, passed away unexpectedly at Tufts Medical Center in Boston on Thursday, June 15, 2023. Born in Boston, he was the son of the late Marie (Steeves) and Thomas Kelly. He was married to his beloved wife Lois (Chavie) Kelly for 25 years. They shared a family home in Holliston.

For thirty-five years, Bill worked as a window clerk at the Wellesley Hills Post Office, and before that, he retired from the Army as an Army Veteran. And if you knew Bill, and experienced his unapologetic willingness to be his crazy, corny, zany self, you’ll feel the truth of this quote from his son Bryan:

“You can’t stop the Wild Man,

You can only hope to contain him.”

Bill was often called “The Wild Man” and “Wild Bill” by those who knew and loved him. No job was too big for him to tackle, and there was no skill he was unwilling to learn, to create the life he dreamt of for his family. He was a self-taught mechanic, electrician, plumber, carpenter, accountant, financial advisor, time-share expert, and more – anything that was needed. He was a Rustie (Neil Young fan), a Boston sports fan, and an amateur professor of history, politics, economics, and statistics to his family and loved ones. 

What defined Bill’s life, was his daily focus, and what brought him the deepest joy were the people who call him Husband, Dad, Grandpa Bill, and Buppa. And because he was the Wild Man, he created a world where in his retirement, he was able to spend summers with many visits from his children and grandchildren playing in the pool, holidays surrounded by his family, and vacations that he enjoyed, planning endlessly to maximize his resources and be able to share those experiences with his family – Bill created himself as the patriarch of his family through his love, dedication, and steadfast commitment to helping his family. If there was a problem, his mind churned relentlessly until he found a solution, no matter how difficult.

Besides his wife, he leaves behind his children, Lisa Kelly, Joyce Kelly, Bryan Kelly, Peter Kelly (Lindsey), Keri-Anne Margolycz (Ian), Scott Kelly (Courtney); his step-children, Jeff Miller (Melissa), Mike Miller (Sarah), Marcy Terry (Josh); his siblings, Charles “CK” Kelly (Scott Tootill), Joan Kelly, Mark Kelly (Eileen), and Frank McCallum (Rose). He also leaves behind 17 grandchildren, Tommy, David, Aurora, Sophia, Jackson, Ethan, Ashlynn, Brielle, Payten, Devin, Elana, Natalie, Sofia, Luke, Allie, Collin, and Elisabeth, as well as his former wife Linda McBride. He is predeceased by his brother, Gerald Kelly, and his Godmother, Mary Donnelly (Aunt Mary). 

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 21st from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, June 22nd at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Mary’s Church of Holliston. Burial will follow at Lake Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Unbound Program unbound.org or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org