James K. Killelea

James (Jim) Kieran Killelea, 85, of Branford, CT, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Jim was born on November 5, 1940, in Queens, NY to Thomas Joseph and Mary Kelley Killelea. An only child, Jim was doted on by his aunts Margaret, Rose, and Bessie. He grew up on 116th Street in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of Queens, where he developed his lifelong love for the ocean: in high school, he was a member of the swim team and a lifeguard. He rooted for the Brooklyn Dodgers (later, his beloved Mets). He attended Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Elementary School in Belle Harbor, Queens and Saint Augustine High School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He excelled in the classroom, particularly in history, and was a Regents Scholar upon his graduation from Saint Augustine’s.

Jim graduated from Yale University in 1962. There, he joined the Saint Thomas More Society, a membership he maintained for the rest of his life. He was a history major, and held a scholarship for all four years. He was a member of Jonathan Edwards, where he was on the swimming and softball teams. He was also a member of Yale Key, 1960-61. His roommates were Tony Edmonds, Mike Golden, and Charlie Pleuthner.

Jim was consistently described by classmates who knew him as a true friend who was always there for people. In the words of Lee Bakunin, Jim was “a good guy, always willing to help. He was someone you could also rely upon to show up and lend a hand.” And he would do this without being asked. Tim Hall remembers him fondly for the way that this helpful quality showed up in his close friendship with Bob Oliver. Jim was a fixture at the Olivers’ football parties and other Yale gatherings, and a loyal presence over the years for Bob, especially in his final years. As Bob and Barb’s daughter Katy said appreciatively, “He was a very kind man and an incredible friend to my parents. Benevolence and dignity.”

During college summers, Jim worked as a garbage man for the New York City Department of Sanitation, a coveted job hauling away trash on the Rockaway beaches. He received a JD from New York University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Jim practiced law in Connecticut and then joined Travelers Insurance Company, where he worked from 1970 to 1986 in the Law Department. He then became Vice President, General Counsel of Home Insurance Company and later Senior Vice President, General Counsel of Crum and Forster Insurance Company.

Jim’s family was the core and heart of his life. He met Mary-Rita Curran, the love of his life, on a blind date and in 1969 they married, spending many happy years in West Hartford, CT raising their four children. In 1991, he and Mary-Rita moved to Branford, where they spent the next 35 years. Jim served on several town committees, including the Inland Wetlands Committee and the Building Committee, and was a longtime member of the Branford YMCA, where he could be found spinning, swimming, or chatting most days of the week.

Jim was as devoted a grandfather as he was a father. From the moment his first grandchild was born, “Pop” was a consistent, loving presence. Baptisms, birthday parties, graduations: Jim celebrated them all. His grandchildren remember fondly camping, hiking and swimming with him in Maine, Vermont, and Branford. Jim traveled countless miles to watch his grandchildren play in games in New England, New York, and beyond. They will miss seeing Pop in the stands.

Yale and New Haven were special places for Jim: he was a loyal Bulldog. He served on the board of the Yale Club of New Haven, hosting their annual Yale-Harvard hockey event, and took classes on campus during his retirement. He remained close friends with his fellow alumni Bob Oliver and Ed Sheehy.

In our 50th Reunion Book, Jim described a special debt he owes to Ed: “Many years ago, my good friend Ed Shehy (Class of 1961) in his trademark low-key fashion, said he knew ‘a couple of New Haven school teachers’ and suggested it might be fun for us to double date. Well, Ed was (and still is) a friend, so it was an offer I couldn’t refuse: Mary Rita Curran (Manhattanville Class of ’65) and I were married in 1969.”

He enjoyed introducing his grandchildren to hockey games at the Whale, football games at the Bowl and lunches at Mory’s.

Jim is survived by his wife Mary-Rita and his four children: Brigid Killelea and her husband Chad Czapla of Fairfield, CT, Anne Killelea of Stamford, CT, James (Erin) Killelea of West Hartford, CT, and Megan Killelea and her former husband Jeremy Klatell of Westchester, NY. He also leaves behind his grandchildren — each a source of tremendous joy: Gertie, Franny, and Luke Czapla; Maggie, Tommy, and Michael Killelea; and Jack, Benji, and Julian Klatell. His brothers- and sisters-in-law – Peter and Dorothy Curran, and Joe and Lisa Curran – will also miss his deep kindness, sharp wit and wonderful sense of humor.

As Jim reflected over his rich life at the time of our 50th, “I consider myself very blessed and happy.”

Relatives and friends were hosted at a visitation Friday evening June 12th at the W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford. A Catholic Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, June 13th at 10:00 a.m. at St. John Bosco Parish in St. Mary Church in Branford.

— Douglas T. (Tim) Hall