Northfield Mount Hermon
Class of 1970
Remembering Neil Kiely
Collins Lein composed the following song in remembrance of Neil. Click icon to listen.
Neil Kiely ’70 passed away 2/3/2024.
Neil Kiely was the heart and soul of the Mount Hermon Class of 1970.
To remember Neil, please comment below.
Cornelius Edward Kiely IV passed away unexpectedly on February 3, 2024.
‘Neil’ was born on March 20th, 1951, in Newton, MA, and was the son of Edward and Esther Kiely.
Neil attended Classical High School before attending Northfield Mount Hermon, where he met the love of his life, Laurie Reich — his wife of nearly 50 years. Following NMH, Neil attended Brown University, where he was President of the Sigma Chi fraternity and a member of the men’s football team.
Neil held a variety of professional roles, his fondest probably being both his first and last. As a young Ranger for the Cape Cod National Seashore, he developed a love affair with life ‘down on the cape.’ The Cape was a place where Neil felt most at home among family, nature, traditions, and ‘good times.’ Most recently, his role as the Director of Institutional Advancement at St. Luke’s School combined his talent of creating community with his love of building relationships with students, staff and parents.
Reunions were especially important to Neil, and his dedication to his Alma Maters earned him recognition and Alumni Service Awards at both NMH and Brown. Whether a family reunion, a class reunion, or a reunion among friends, Neil found great joy in bringing people together to preserve and celebrate the bonds of friendship. He especially loved the annual excursions with the “Merry Band of Wanderers,” his NMH classmates who have remained friends for over 50 years. Neil was a passionate volunteer and served on the Bristol 4th of July Committee and as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary’s in Bristol. In addition, he helped lead a local Suicide Survivors Support group and was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 26 years, where he offered mentorship and support for those suffering addiction in their lives.
Neil’s personality filled the room. He cared deeply about connecting with people on a meaningful level and was quick to offer friendship and empathy to anyone he met. His optimism, faith, and gratitude were an inspiration to all who knew him. Neil’s compassion and love were often shared through his letters of congratulations, condolence, appreciation, or encouragement.
Neil loved football, reading, grilling, yardwork, boat rides to the outer beaches in Chatham on the Cape, and, most important of all, his family. A proud grandfather to his 5 grandchildren, Madeline, Camden, Spencer, Taylor, and Griffin – An endless amount of laughter and love was always present when he was around. He leaves behind his beloved wife Laurie, sons Stuart, Patrick and predeceased son, Ross; his daughters-in-law Michea and Adare; his sisters Karen Bartlett (Phil), Kathy Seifert, a large extended family and a countless number of friends. Creating friendships was Neil’s life work.
Over his 72 years, Neil lived a life grounded strongly in faith, with love for others, treating people the way he wanted to be treated, and an unbelievable Irish sense of humor. He simply wanted to be remembered as a ‘Good Man.’
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Wood Street, Bristol, RI 02809, at 11 am on Friday, February 9th, with a reception following immediately after. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Luke’s School in memory of Neil Kiely, a beloved member of the St. Luke’s community.
NMH 50th Reunion Planning Group Photos
Neil at 1985 reunion with Rajan Batra
Here are a collection of photos over the years of Neil at the Merry Band of Wanderers. One of my favorites is the final one of Neil “besting” Alex at the end of the three day Presidential Traverse. The hike was, he said, the hardest thing he had ever done, but he wanted to do it again.
Heart and soul, indeed. I recall Neil at MH as bit of a cut-up — mischievous, fun and funny, always up for a misadventure — and would never have guessed that he’d become the gravitational center of our class universe. Neil pulled us all together in ways that may never have happened without his energy and enthusiasm, and for that I will be forever grateful. He was a gentle spirit, a great friend, and a wise man who enriched us all in countless ways. Travel well, Neil. We’ll miss you.
I knew you played football but otherwise I didn’t know you well at school. When you took over as class secretary, I noticed you signed your many (many) pleas for news, your updates from school leadership, your reminders about Christmas vespers, your reunion updates, “Love Neil.”
I always liked class notes, and your efforts invigorated them. My connection with Mount Hermon, which may have attenuated over the years, returned. Some days — sadly, like today — I may be excused for feeling as though I never left the place.
You became a central figure in our class, and at our 45th reunion I saw the love. I saw it when you lamented the premature loss of so many of our classmates; I saw it socializing in Hayden; I saw it when you talked about our upcoming 50th.
You were as well at the center of our August mini-reunions. I don’t think you sought the center out, but there you were: wry, self-deprecating, and above all full of grace.
We will miss you more than you know.
Love, Jerry
Heartfelt condolences to Laurie, Neil’s entire family, and his many many friends. What a terrible loss. His memory, good heart, and great deeds will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Neil.
I am deeply saddened to receive the news about Neil, whom I came to know best during our post-Hermon years. I never failed to be moved by his exceptional capacity for kindness, generosity, and friendship. I feel fortunate to have known him.
The only connection I had with Mount Hermon since leaving was with Neil, writing about reunions and class news. He became for me the embodiment of everything that was good and memorable about the people who inhabited the school. Decent, upright, funny, hard-working, funny, and smart, Neil tried for a long time to convince me to become more involved. Sadly, I couldn’t for many reasons, not least the distance since I live just outside Los Angeles. Thank you, Neil, for your graciousness, persistence, charm, and humility. I will miss the connection, I will miss the news, and I will miss you.
Neil and I had virtually no interaction while at MH, yet through our emails regarding alumni activities he made me feel like I was a best bud. A truly gentle and caring soul who will certainly be profoundly missed. My deepest loving kindness to his family and those fortunate enough to have been close to him.
Neil reached out to all of us as class secretary and touched our lives individually and as a group more than he could have imagined. We all miss him, grateful and privileged to have such a friend in our lives.
Love,
Basil
Neil, I didn’t know you while we were at school, but that all changed because of the reunions. You were everywhere. Any time I wear one of my caps or a T-Shirt, I’ll think of YOU! Love!
Laurie,
We remember meeting you and Neil at a recent reunion Neil set up before Vespers. We enjoyed talking with you both and appreciated the effort that Neil put in to make reunions happen. That was a special gift. So many memories are evident in the collection of photographs that Neil’s classmates have assembled. Les and I extend our sincere condolences to you and hope the many memories will sustain you as you move forward. Best Wishes, Liz and Les Clifford ’70.
Dad, I only wish that I had the same power of connecting people and fostering friendships as you did. It’s a lost art. These pictures from class reunions and excursions with the “Merry Band of Wanderers” are a testament to your talent of bringing people together in the celebration of friendship and shared values. I love you and hope that a little piece of your tremendous talent in this area rubbed off on me and others. Go Hoggers!
Dad, I love seeing these pictures. You had such a passion for connecting with people and retaining the bonds of friendship which – without care and attention — are fragile and can quickly dissolve. I can only hope that a little of your talent and ability in this area rubbed off on me. You were one-of-a-kind and these pictures confirm what we mentioned in your obit that “creating friendships was your life’s work”. I love you, Dad.
What a kind, wonderful and loving man. As my fellow classmates have said, Neil was interested in all of our lives and what we have achieved in the years since our time together at Mount Hermon. We are all richer for having known him.
After our 40th reunion, I called Neil with an idea for a hike in the White Mountains. The next year 11 of us did the Presidential Traverse which was the first of our gatherings. Nearly 35 of our classmates have now become members of The Merry Band of Wanderers as the idea from that phone call has grown and our friendships have deepened as we have hiked, rafted, kayaked and rappelled our way through the wilds of New England. Neil never missed a gathering.
As we meet again this year, he will still be there, cheering us on.
Of course, I knew who Neil was while at Hermon. Can’t say we were bosom buddies at that time but whenever we interacted, he was always warm, open and respectful. When I saw the first email saying Neil had passed away, I was absolutely stunned. He had become the steady, dependable glue of the Class of 1970. Through that and our more and more frequent exchanges, I began to feel that I had known him probably better than I realized. I remember his teasing me at the 45th. You’d have thought we were buddies from birth. The first group picture on this page shows Neil and Ted Swett and that moved me very much. Along with my roomie of 2 years, AJ Eckert, those three have held my closest, warmest memories of Hermon who weren’t black. And now one of them is gone. No wonder I’m so sad…