Deadly good deed

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Joseph Kelly loved life, and one of his favorite things to do besides spend time with his family was to attend concerts by the David Christopher Orchestra and the Dynamic Duo.
Kelly, 55, was also known as someone who would help anyone at anytime. That generosity cost the good Samaritan his life in February.
Driving eastbound on the Vine Street Expressway at about 2 a.m. on Feb. 18, a Monday, he saw a man in a wheelchair heading west against traffic.
Kelly pulled his Dodge van to the shoulder on the right side of the road, near 15th Street. He turned on the vehicle’s flashers, put on his orange reflector vest and walked across three lanes to the man in the wheelchair.
Another automobile slowed down, and a pickup truck swerved to avoid that vehicle. The truck hit the car and the concrete median before smashing into Kelly and 43-year-old Jeffrey Williams. Both pedestrians were killed.
The fatal accident has devastated Kelly’s family. He was the father of three and "Poppy" to seven grandchildren, with an eighth on the way. The Kellys are close-knit.
The family has paid for some of the expenses associated with the accident and the funeral, but is bracing for other bills.
Kelly’s favorite bands decided to help the family and, at the same time, honor his legacy.
"They want to give him one last hurrah," said his son Steve. "It will be a party for him."
A beef-and-beer will be held Friday, June 6, at the Townsend Room, at 12273 Townsend Road.
Dolores Ferber, his sister, is helping to spread the word about the event. A Far Northeast resident who works at a doctor’s office in Rhawnhurst, she said the patients and staff who knew her brother are supporting the effort.
Those are just a few of the countless people he touched during his life. Next week’s party will not be somber, but a celebration.
"It’s like a tribute," his sister said.
Kelly, a U.S. Army veteran who met his wife in Germany, was a chauffeur for much of his life. His son joked that he knew the roads so well that he was better than a GPS car navigation unit.
Over the years, he lived in numerous neighborhoods in the Northeast and elsewhere, with most of that time spent on Rosemar Street in Olney. He lived in Levittown at the time of his death.
Kelly worked for Marine Guard Service. On Feb. 17, he drove a seaman to Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden. He spoke to his sister three times that day, and the two planned a dinner at Gallo’s Seafood, but he had to work late.
Early the next morning, he dropped off the seaman at the Best Western Hotel in Center City and was on his way home when he saw the man in the wheelchair.
After the tragedy, the Kelly family attended the funeral for Williams.
The driver of the pickup truck is facing charges related to the accident. He was allegedly intoxicated.
"A lot of lives were affected," Ferber said.
On a brighter note, the 9th Police District, its Advisory Council and neighborhood civic associations recently honored Kelly with a plaque and certificate.
Still, Kelly’s family misses him dearly. His funeral attracted a large crowd of mourners.
"He was fifty-five years old. He had a lot left in him," said his son, who lunched with his dad most Fridays. "He had an impact on a lot of people. The people we met have said he did something good for them one way or another."
Ferber described her brother as an "all-around great guy" who is missed by a lot of people.
Kelly was the kind of unassuming guy who wouldn’t have spoken about his act of charity on the highway, had he survived.
"He was so humble. He probably wouldn’t have told anybody he did it," she said.
Shane Kelly, 13, and his 9-year-old sister Amber miss going to McDonald’s and camping and fishing with their grandfather. Amber recalls her Poppy giving her $100 during one of her frequent trips to New York to visit a Manhattan store that sells the popular American Girl doll.
Steve Kelly recalls asking his dad to pick him up from a bachelor party in Atlantic City one morning at 5:30. Joe Kelly didn’t hesitate to make the long drive.
So, Steve Kelly isn’t surprised his dad would risk his life on the speedway known as the Vine Street Expressway to help a disabled man in peril.
"He wouldn’t even think twice about it," his son said.
Added his sister: "I can picture him saying, ‘Holy God. What’s this guy doing? I’ve got to help him.’" ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com

To honor his memory . . .

The beef-and-beer to honor Joe Kelly Sr. will take place on Friday, June 6, from 8 p.m. to midnight at P&P Caterers inside the Townsend Room, at 12273 Townsend Road.
Tickets cost $30. There will be raffles, a silent auction, a 50-50 and basket of cheer.
Call Dolores at 215-805-4833.