It is with great sadness to share that Joseph P. Kelleher, H.D. ’22 passed away on Friday, November 25. Joe was a true friend to Mercy College and advocate for education. He was an experienced business executive with an extensive background in real estate development and philanthropy. He was appointed president and chief operating officer of Hutch Management LLC in 2009 and previously served as the executive director of leasing and property management for the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center in Bronx, New York, home to the Mercy College Bronx Campus.
Joe first began his real estate career in the real estate division of NYNEX as property manager for the Corporate Headquarters Building in New York City. Subsequently, he served as director of property management for Catalano Kornblum Management Corp. and Winoker Realty Corp., as well as chief executive officer for Casino New York LLC.
In 2012, Mercy honored Joe with the Bronx Leadership Award at the Annual Bronx Dinner. In July 2022, Mercy bestowed an honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree to Joe for his outstanding achievement in his field and exceptional contributions to his community. During the ceremony in which Joe received the honorary degree, his colleagues from Simone Development Companies, as well as Mercy College President Tim Hall, spoke to his accomplishments and dedication to community betterment.
“It truly brings me great joy being here tonight, celebrating a very serving and special man, our friend Joe Kelleher…who has brought Hutchinson Metro Center from empty land to the iconic campus that it is today,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies. “His loyalty, vision and passion has always inspired and gotten us through the many challenges we have had to face.”
“In an honorary degree recipient, we look for people who are renowned in their communities, people who have served others more than they served themselves, people who have been friends to the kind of organizations we respect, like the Bronx Chamber of Commerce or the Boy Scouts,” explained Mercy President Tim Hall. “We look for that kind of a leader – a good friend to the college. It is our honor to recognize him.”
A generous supporter of Mercy for decades, Joe became increasingly passionate about the College’s mission when he learned that Mercy students and faculty from the School of Health and Natural Sciences traveled to the Dominican Republic in March 2018 on a humanitarian medical mission. Mercy’s global humanitarian efforts inspired Joe to support several Mercy College scholarships over the years, such as the Trustees’ Dinner Scholarship Fund, the Bronx Leadership Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Mercy Golf Classic Scholarship Award.
Joe was instrumental in establishing the Hutchinson Metro Center Bronx Leadership Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports students who are residents of the Bronx, attended high school in the Bronx and who attend Mercy’s Bronx Campus. Also, Joe was integral in the Mercy Bronx Campus relocation to the Hutchinson Metro Center. Through his involvement, Joe helped to ensure that Bronx Campus students, especially those enrolled in health sciences programs, were afforded a state-of the art educational facility with modern technologies and amenities that prepared them for successful careers.
Joe also long served as president of the Bronx Council of the Boy Scouts, and on the executive board of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce as president, treasurer and vice president. He served as Chairman of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, as well on the board of the Chamber’s Foundation.
Visitation will be held at Clark Associates Funeral Home, 4 Woods Bridge Road, Katonah, NY 10536, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, from 2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, 55 Valley Road, Katonah, NY, on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery, 236 Lexington Avenue, Mount Kisco, NY.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Brain Cancer Research Fund in honor of Joe: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/JosephKelleher
Joe’s obituary can be found here.
The Mercy College community extends its deepest condolences to Joe’s family, friends and colleagues.