John V. Kelly

John Vincent Kelly Sr.
Born	(1926-07-11) 11 July 1926 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	30 October 2009(2009-10-30) (aged 83) Belleville, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, banker
Known for	Mayor of Nutley, New Jersey; member of the New Jersey General Assembly

John Vincent Kelly Sr. (July 11, 1926 – October 30, 2009) was a Republican politician from the United States who held the office of Mayor in Nutley, New Jersey and served nine terms in the New Jersey General Assembly. He made two unsuccessful bids for a seat in the New Jersey Senate.

Early life and education

Kelly was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to parents of Irish and Italian descent. His early education took place at St. Nicholas Grammar School followed by attendance at St. Peter's Preparatory School. During World War II, he served as a demolitions expert with the United States Army in the Philippines. After completing his military duty, he graduated from Saint Peter's College (currently known as Saint Peter's University) in 1951 with a degree in accounting and finance. While studying, he worked night shifts at the Erie Railroad docks and for the Railway Express Agency.

Professionally, Kelly began as an accountant at Peat, Marwick, and Mitchell (now part of KPMG), where he audited Nutley Savings and Loan. He joined Nutley Savings in 1962 and quickly rose through the ranks: by 1963 he was comptroller and board member; in 1971 he became executive vice president; following John Dolan’s passing, he assumed the roles of president and chairman. Under his leadership, Nutley Savings expanded its assets from $60 million to $212 million and served 22,000 customers, ranking 13th among 200 savings and loan institutions statewide.

Political career

Kelly first secured a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1981 but lost it in 1983 before reclaiming it in 1985. Throughout his legislative career, he introduced significant laws including New Jersey’s inaugural helmet mandate for children under 14 (1991), regulations for hospice licensing (1997), and requirements for insurance coverage of mammograms and pap smears. Altogether, 143 of his sponsored bills became law. In May 1988, he was elected mayor of Nutley with a record-breaking vote total of 6,179.

In 2001, Kelly vacated his Assembly position to challenge Democratic incumbent Garry Furnari for a State Senate seat representing parts of Southern Bergen County but was narrowly defeated with a 52–48% vote split. This race was closely watched due to its potential impact on Senate majority control. He made another Senate bid in 2003 against Furnari’s successor Paul Sarlo but lost by a larger margin amid Democrats consolidating full Senate control.

Locally, Kelly gained recognition for his active participation in Nutley’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations—famously donning a bright green custom suit—and for helping to found the Columbus Day parade. His tenure as president of Nutley Savings Bank was noted for customer-friendly mortgage approvals, earning him comparisons to George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life.

Death

Kelly passed away peacefully at age 83 on October 30, 2009, at Clara Maass Medical Center located in Belleville, New Jersey. He left behind his wife Elizabeth, two daughters, two sons, and eleven grandchildren.

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