Bruce Kelly

Bruce W. Kelly, of Rockland, MA

Our beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, concerned citizen and community blogger Bruce William Kelly passed away on Friday, February 7 at the age of 62.  He died suddenly after a brief illness.

Bruce was born in Boston in 1951 and lived there before moving to Hingham where he attended public schools.   After a brief stint with American Airlines as a passenger representative he became a Hingham Firefighter following in the footsteps of his father, John E. Kelly.  He served as President of the HFF IAFF Local 2398 for many years. He became a photographer for the Patriot Ledger and the Boston Globe picked up his photos along with national and international wire services.  He owned his own photography studio but it was his insatiable quest for knowledge and its’ distribution to the masses that led him to writing and hosting many local community blogs.  He loved working with his hands and rehabbed four family residences.  He enjoyed camping and traversing the states making two cross country trips in one of his beloved recreational vehicles.  His biggest passion was being with his ten grandchildren and extended family of siblings, nieces and nephews.  He never missed an opportunity to spend time with them and always looked forward to the yearly caravan to Sandbridge Beach, Virginia with the entire clan.  After recently moving to Leisure Woods in Rockland and rehabbing the house, he immediately made friends through setting up a blog and volunteering his photography skills on many occasions.

Bruce is the son of the late John E. Kelly and Joan (Bagley) Kelly of Hingham and the brother of the late Thomas Kelly of Hingham.  He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Ruth, and their children Eric Swingle and his wife Laura of Cincinnati, OH and children Kyle, Brian and Derek, William Bennett and his wife Shelley of Monterey, CA, and children Roxy and Ruby, Elizabeth Cashman and her husband Jeffrey of Hingham, and children Brady, Bennett and Brooke, Toby Bennett of Boston and Joshua Kelly and his wife Brandi of Dunstable and children Mason and Asa, his siblings Brian Kelly of Hanson, Jack Kelly and wife Jane of Hingham, and Brenda Stevens and husband Bill of Toronto, Canada, and his many nieces and nephews.

You are invited to honor Bruce in a service of remembrance and a celebration of his life on February 22, 4:00 pm at the Hingham Community Center, 70 South Street, Hingham.  Donations may be made in his memory to the American Lung Association.