William R. Kielty

William (Bill) R. Kielty passed away peacefully on Oct. 18, 2023, with his beloved wife of 65 years, Sharon (Britt), and his family by his side.

Bill is survived by his four children, David and his wife Connie of Simpsonville, SC, Lori of New York City, NY, Julie and her husband Michael Connolly of Concord, NH, and Kristine and her husband Patrick Baker of Boscawen, NH; ten grandchildren, Jamie Connolly and his wife Allison, Peter Connolly and his wife Anika, Caroline, Jack, Liam and Maggie Connolly, Matthew Kielty and his wife Sarah, Nicholas Kielty, and Tyler and Sammy Baker; and five great grandchildren, Cameron, Fiona, Michael and JJ Connolly and Mason Kielty. Bill is also survived by two brothers, Sam of Athens, AL, and Mike, of Dubuque, IA, and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, John and Ruth (Trask) Kielty, his sister Katherine and his brother Robert. Bill was born on April 2, 1937, in Charles City, Iowa.

After graduating from Loras College in Dubuque, IA, Bill began a successful business career, initially as an accountant and working his way up the corporate ladder to become an executive in international operations at Harnischfeger Corp., which took him all over the world, from Brazil, to Germany, India, China, Japan, Australia and South Africa. After retiring from Harnischfeger, Bill and Sharon moved to Tucson, AZ, where Bill worked as the chief financial officer at TBS International, Ltd. Bill ended his career as the president of Cline Corp., in Greenville, SC. After so many moves, Bill and Sharon decided to spend their golden years closer to family and moved to Concord, NH. Regardless of where Bill went in the world, he remained a Midwesterner at heart, down-to earth, hardworking, and friendly to all. Bill was the life of the party and always brought a smile to everyone’s face and heart. He loved sports, as both a participant and a fan. He played basketball and baseball as a boy and as much golf as he could throughout adulthood. Bill was generous with his time, volunteering as a youth sports coach, a member of the Knights of Columbus and the rotary club, serving in various church ministries, and working on neighborhood boards. Bill’s warmth, sincerity, and sense of humor drew people to him, as he effortlessly entertained but also generously listened. Bill will always be remembered for his signature sendoff, “Keep Smiling.”

Visiting hours will be held at Waters Funeral Home, 50 South Main Street, Concord, NH on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, from 5-7 p.m.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Christ the King Church, 72 South Main Street, Concord, NH at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, www.arthritis.org, or the VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire, www.manchestervna.org.