Obituary of Lenore T. Kelleher

Lenore Theresa (Burns) Kelleher, 85, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2017. Lenore was born November 27, 1931 in New York, NY and raised in Brooklyn and Breezy Point, where her mother and father, a New York City Detective, had a summer bungalow. She, her three sisters and her brother, a fighter pilot in WWII, loved to spend summers “down the Point.” She graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge and worked briefly in the financial district before marrying Joe, the love of her life, and raising eight children. As the family grew and moved from Brooklyn to Central Islip to Manhasset, the raising of her children became her calling. She had a great sense of humor and loved to dance and sing around the player piano at the many parties they hosted for friends, family and neighbors. Her specialty was a fully realized version of “Second Hand Rose” delivered with style and verve that always brought down the house, the party or the wedding reception. Lenore had an infectious sense of humor and a quick wit and was beloved by her many lifelong friends. She and Joe created a family that loved to be together and has stayed close throughout the years. They treat each other with affection and humor and they respect other people no matter what their circumstances. When the family went out, it was just as likely that they would invite the waiters and waitresses to join them as the owner of the restaurant. Everyone was welcomed to the table and the family has carried this generosity of spirit with them through life. The joy of the later part of her life was the extended family that flocked around her: her children Kevin, Pam, Joy, Keith, Colin, Jill, Tara and Kerry, her eighteen grandchildren and her nine great grandchildren. One of the many fine qualities that she possessed was her devotion to showing her love for all of them equally. She eagerly followed their lives, successes and accomplishments and could tell you the birthdates, confirmation dates and anniversaries of each of them. Her eyes would light up as she told stories of each of them, funny things they said and did, that revealed things she loved about each of them. She attended christenings, graduations and weddings and never failed to commemorate the milestones with a card and “a little something.” This love was returned by all in the family and no matter what their age or stage of life, all of them looked forward to visiting Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma or “GG”, a title she invented and wore with love and pride. She was surrounded by a loving family and right up until the day she left us, full of life, love and laughter. She had a wonderful life, may she rest in peace.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Little Sisters of the Poor in memory of Lenore Kelleher.  Please send donations to:

Little Sisters of the Poor
Queen of Peace Residence
110-30 221st Street
Queens Village, NY 11429-2597
In memory of Lenore Kelleher