Cornelius Kelleher of Stoneham, formerly of Melrose passed away at his home surrounded by his loving family at the age of 89 years old. Born in Everett to the late Cornelius & Molly (OLeary) Kelleher, he was one of six brothers & one sister. He was a graduate of Everett High School & began his working career as a young boy counting Sunday collection coins at Immaculate Conception Church in Everett. He moved on to delivering ice as an adolescent. He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Vermont during the depression. Mr. Kelleher served in the South Pacific during WWII as a Yeoman Third Class with the US Navy. Cornelius received the Victory Medal, an American Area Medal & an Asiatic Pacific Medal. He then started his career in leather at Slattery Brothers in Salem where he learned the tanning business as a clerk of shipping & receiving. He became a leather man, knowing how to tan & dye leather. Eventually he moved out of the tannery & into sales. He lived in Taunton, MA & worked for Geilighs Tannery, St. Louis for Lowengart Tannery & then ended his career as an independent leather sales representative. While working in Taunton, Cornelius & his wife Elaine built their first house in Rayham, MA. He would walk round trip from Taunton to water the new grass as the home was being built. He collected leather commission checks into his late 70s. The family settled in Melrose after St. Louis & resided there for 30 years before moving into retirement in Stoneham. Mr. Kelleher spent his time devoted to his family. He would take his three daughters to activities & continued this with his grandchildren, many times picking them up from school or bringing them to lunch. He loved to travel & every July when the leather factories closed, he would take his family on a vacation on the Cape. This tradition extended to renting a large home together with his daughters & their families. He wintered for a number of years on Marco Island, FL. & kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland. He loved his flower boxes & reading the Globe & was a premier patron of the Melrose Public Library. Cornelius loved sports & played golf throughout his retirement. He enjoyed jazz, big band music. Mr. Kelleher & his wife Elaine shared 65 years of happiness & he was boastful of his daughters, grandchildren & his son-in-laws. He considered their accomplishments his crowning achievement. Devoted husband of Elaine (OBrien) Kelleher, Loving father of Maureen E. Kelleher & her husband Bert Spector, Nancy M. Kelleher & her husband Robert Calnan, & Sharon Kelleher-Pippy & her husband Douglas Pippy, all of Melrose. Cherished grandfather of Kayte & Tess Kelleher Spector, Patrick & Brian Kelleher-Calnan, & Corey & Haley Kelleher-Pippy. Brother of William Kelleher of Everett, James Kelleher of Chelsea, & the late Stephen Kelleher, Hugh Kelleher, John Kelleher, Jerimiah Kelleher, & Marie Higgins. Funeral from the Gately Funeral Home 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Thurs., Aug. 24th at 9AM. Funeral Mass in Incarnation Church 425 Upham St., Melrose at 10AM. Family & friends invited. Visiting hours Wed. 4-8 PM. WWII Navy veteran. Interment in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. Donations in Cornelius memory may be made to the Melrose Public Library 69 W. Emerson St., Melrose, MA 02176.