Bill Kelly died peacefully on February 1, 2026, in Vergennes, Vt., at the age of 93. From humble beginnings in Erie, Pa., Bill never forgot where he came from as his career took him from high school teacher to university administrator to international development practitioner.
Bill graduated high school in 1950 and began his college career at Pennsylvania State University before he was drafted by the U.S. Army. After two years of military service, Bill returned to Penn State, finished his undergraduate degree and began teaching in Waverly, N.Y. He enrolled in a PhD program at Cornell University and moved his young family to Newfield, N.Y. In 1969 Bill moved again, this time to Vermont, to begin what became a long and distinguished career in higher education.
As a member of the University of Vermont community, Bill served as associate dean of the College of Agriculture and had many adoring students. Many students found not only a mentor but also a welcoming home in Burlington, where he and his wife, Judy Kelly, loved to bring students and faculty together for lively potluck dinners, friendship and conversation.
Bill always took care to be a friend to those in need. He was kind and had a deep commitment to helping others, and this was most evident in his international work. Through academic scholarship, and with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bill helped establish lasting rural development programs in Nigeria, Honduras, Uganda and Botswana. His quiet manner and ability to actively listen without judgment left a lasting impression on all who knew him.
In addition to his academic and international pursuits, Bill was an avid gardener and skilled woodworker. He built two dollhouses and numerous pieces of furniture but was most proud of his three handcrafted wooden kayaks.
Bill is survived by three sons, Steven, David and Eric Kelly; a stepdaughter, Ann Simon; and a stepson, David Saurman. He also leaves behind three grandchildren, Keith, Coco and Calvin Kelly, as well as two New Mexico granddaughters, Katie and Jenna Simon.