Griffs star Kelly dies at 76
Published: October 28, 2009, 12:30 am
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Bob Kelly, 76, a former Canisius captain who figured in one of the college’s signature men’s basketball victories, died unexpectedly on Sunday in Havertown, Pa.
Kelly, a 6-foot-1 guard from West Catholic High in Philadelphia, was considered the Golden Griffins’ top defensive player and averaged 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in his career. In six NCAA Tournament games he averaged 9.5 points. That included his 14 points in the Griffs’ epic four-overtime 79-78 triumph over second-ranked North Carolina State in the 1956 NCAA Tournament in Madison Square Garden.
He and Johnny McCarthy were co-captains of the ’56 Canisius team. Kelly was inducted in the Golden Griffins Hall of Fame in 1984.
Kelly is survived by his wife, Marie, four sons and a daughter, two sisters and a brother and 13 grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Thursday at Sacred Heart Church in Havertown.
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