The Richmonder 25: Joe Kelleher went back to school in his 80s to help veterans with PTSD
When Michael Kelleher heard that his father Joe was nominated as part of The Richmonder 25, he wasn’t surprised.
“My immediate question was, ‘So what exactly did he do this time?’” said Kelleher. “Because I think he could be nominated for many different things. He's 84-years-old and he can still swim two miles? Or he's 84-years-old and still president of a company? Or he's 84 years old and just became a Ph.D.?’”
Joe Kelleher’s main passion currently revolves around his work with helping veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, which is a mental health condition caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event. He recently earned his Ph.D in psychospiritual counseling from Regent University’s School of Psychology and Counseling.
During a four-year course of study at the VA Medical Center in Richmond, Kelleher worked with veteran PTSD groups and realized a need for spiritually focused psychotherapy when treating moral injuries. Through his work he published an adapted curriculum and facilitator manual that offers veterans a way to participate anonymously in remote sessions.
Kelleher is also working with members of the Joint Legislative Council of Veterans on passing legislation based in part on his work with those veteran PTSD groups.
“There's a higher rate, higher than the general population of incarcerated veterans, who are probably resisting arrest in an altercation that goes the wrong way, so they end up in jail,” said Kelleher. “The bill is basically training how to recognize PTSD in veterans or anybody, to recognize those symptoms, because in general, they get triggered. So it's a personal interest that I have.”
If you recognize the name, it's probably because of Kelleher HVAC, the family's heating and oil company.
“We started out with two tables, two chairs, and two telephones,” said Kelleher. “My dad was 57 when we started. And he died when he was 96. So, he had a good career. But starting a business at 57 was unheard of. I was kind of the lifeline. My brother, Pat, joined us after a couple months.”
Kelleher HVAC is still a family affair.
“It thrived because my dad had a wonderful reputation for customer service. And that's what we sustained,” said Joe Kelleher. “We didn't really care about money. We just cared about taking care of people. And then the money started coming.”
Military service
Joe Kelleher grew up in a family of five in Lakeside, close to what is now Lewis Ginter Park. He graduated from Benedictine High School in 1960 and eventually enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served until 1964.
“I was a helicopter technician and crew member,” he said. “In order for pilots to go anywhere in the United States or elsewhere, they had to have a mechanic with them. So whenever a helicopter was leaving New River in North Carolina, whether it went to Memphis or New York or the Bahamas or Florida, whatever, I would be there because I was not married, and I wanted to go places.”
Kelleher later deployed with the 1st Marine Division and went overseas. He served as the helicopter crew aboard the USS Valley Forge with expeditionary forces in Thailand and Vietnam during Operation Shufly.
“Things weren't happening that much at that time,” Kelleher said. “They were trying to figure out what to do with helicopters in war. We didn't even have a machine gun mounted in the door of the helicopter. We were the first squadron to even do that. But we did medical evacs, troop deployment, resupply.”
After his stint in the Marines and college, Joe was ready to settle down.
“I decided I was established enough to have an income because I was living at home. And so, I found my bride of 49 years. She was Salvadorian. I didn't know anything about her culture,” said Kelleher. “I met her in Washington where she was working for the Inter-American Development Bank. I moved her to Richmond. We started a family in our 30s. We had three children by the time she was 40. And from that, we have 11 grandchildren. She passed away four years ago from Alzheimer's.”
To this day, Kelleher continues his connection with the Marines and the Armed Services by participating in a local Marine Corps League Detachment meeting. The Detachment meets on a monthly basis to discuss community volunteering opportunities, raising money for veterans and for reunion events like an upcoming ball.
At the meeting, close friend Mary Ann Wilson said Kelleher is just a man who wants to help people.
“Joe is a man of integrity. He's a man who's so thoughtful of people,” she said. “He doesn't want to be in the limelight. He's a wonderful father and grandpa. ‘Papa,’ as they call him. And he's a great friend. There are not enough adjectives to describe. What you see is what you get. He's authentic.”
For son Michael, who in years past took long bike trips with his dad, such as from San Francisco to Los Angeles, or from Chicago to Columbus, it’s his Dad’s character that stands out the most.
“I've often seen a lot of parallels between my father's life and Forrest Gump's life,” said Kelleher, speaking about the 1994 film starring Tom Hanks. “They grew up in basically the same time frame. My father had rheumatic fever when he was in first grade, similar to when Forrest was a little boy with the leg braces. My dad went to Vietnam. My dad started his business. My dad wanted to bike across the country. And then just the pure virtue of who Forrest Gump is and then who my dad is. He's just a good man.”
For Michael Kelleher, his father’s recognition in The Richmonder 25 is fitting for a person who has done so much with his life.
“He is one of the most humble people I've ever met who deserves all the recognition in the world for [the] many, many accomplishments over the years,” said Kelleher.
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