Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly

July 27, 2024 0 News

Club members were stunned to learn of the passing of Napier Old Boys Marist stalwart Joe Kelly during the past week following an accident while he was out cycling last Sunday morning.  Seriously injured he was admitted to hospital and passed away on Wednesday.  The Napier Old Boys Marist members and Club extended our deepest sympathy to his wife Kathy and children Sarah, Rowena and Mike and his grandchildren…….

Joe Kelly arrived in Napier from Ireland as a seaman in the mid-1960’s where he joined up with the Napier Marist Rugby Club and proceeded to ’learn the game’ in the front row playing for the clubs Senior B team.  He didn’t take long to begin ‘educating’ his new clubmates on life in the Emerald Isles and of his love of Guinness.  One will always remember a team match against the Waikare Club on their home ground followed by the aftermatch at the local hotel.  On the way back to Napier a stopover beside Lake Tutira saw Joe climb on top a picnic table and entertained his new teammates with a passionate spirited rendition of the traditional southern Irish song  ‘Kevin Barry’,  a popular and very moving Irish Republican Army rebel song recounting his death

There have been so many happy memories of days gone by in the company of Joe and his tales of experiences at sea and around the globe both here and at home.  He was a great volunteer, committee man and helper with club activities before and after our clubs amalgamated in 1990.  And he was proactive along with others in establishing the very financially successful weekly Housie nights that the club ran for several years in the 1990’s.

And he wasn’t backward in support of our teams and players and was most instrumental in establishing the ‘Skerries Exchange’.    This was the connection between Napier Marist and the local coastal rugby club Skerries RFC in his former home town, which is out of Dublin in the province of Leinster.  This arrangement saw quite a number of our Napier Marist players and later Napier Old Boys Marist players travel to Ireland over the years for a season of rugby and the reverse occurred with Irish players from the Skerries club who came out and experienced a season in New Zealand playing rugby for our Club.   It has also seen over the years a number of the exchange players marrying local girls in both countries and stay on to live there.   All in all a testimony to Joes foresight.

Also in 2003 and because of the motivation of Joe, a Napier Old Boys Marist team made a tour of Ireland which saw the Skerries club assisting with arranging the tour itinerary.  Napier players who made this memorable  trip still talk about the experience and the wonderful hospitality they were treated to by their hosts.

Joseph Kelly was elected the Club President in the mid 1980’s and was honoured with Life Membership of the Napier Marist Rugby Club in 1988.

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Joe Kelly’s funeral service and send-off was held at the Napier Old Boys Marist clubrooms today Monday 29th July at 2pm.

There was a very large turnout of club members, family and friends who would have been moved by the many tributes and tales of Joe and of his life both in Ireland and New Zealand.
And especially of his love for his family during his near sixty years in Napier.
Joseph Kelly will certainly be forever remembered

 

 

 

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We mourn the loss of NOBM Life Member Joseph Kelly, who was an integral part of our club for many years.
Joe joined us from Skerries, Ireland and leaves behind a legacy of commitment and dedication to our club.
Our thoughts are with his wife Kathy and their children Sarah, Rowena, and Michael as they navigate this difficult time.