John Gerald Kilroy, 82, died Sunday, December 17, 2017 at Village of Brookwood in Burlington, North Carolina surrounded by his family following a brief illness. He was recently a resident of Aiken, South Carolina.
John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Bernadette Wagner Kilroy; three daughters: Bernadette Kilroy Martin (Lansing) of Greenwich, Connecticut, Kathleen Kilroy Bradford (Eric) of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Cynthia Colleen Kilroy of Sausalito, California and two grandchildren: Eric Spier Bradford Jr. and Caroline Kilroy Bradford.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late John Aloysius and Marie Wambold Kilroy.
After graduating from Northeast Catholic High School in 1953, he attended Saint Joseph’s University, graduating with a B.S. in Accounting in 1961 and an MBA in 1980. He met his wife, Bernadette, at a dance in 1957 and they were married in 1961 at Resurrection of Our Lord Church.
Mr. Kilroy was a strong believer in education and demonstrated his tireless work ethic throughout his life. As Chief Business Officer at Montgomery County Community College from 1969 until 2002, he led and managed the relocation of the college from its first campus in Conshohocken to it’s current 186-acre Central Campus in Blue Bell in 1972. Over his 33 years of service to the students and community of Montgomery County, he expanded the “MontCo” system to multiple campuses, grew the faculty and student body and oversaw the development of innovative educational and cultural programs that continue today to benefit the residents of Montgomery County.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Kilroy worked at the public accounting firm Arthur Young and Company, McNeil Pharmaceuticals and McMaster’s. He received his Certified Public Accountant license in 1964 and was an active member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). Mr. Kilroy also owned his own certified public accounting business providing accounting and tax advice and services to small businesses. His career exemplified the highest standards of integrity and professionalism and he relished the friends he made during his time at the college and in his private business.
Mr. Kilroy’s passion for education and patriotism translated into teaching and public service. He was a Professor of Accounting at Montgomery County Community College and taught at Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. He served two years in the United States Army (1954-1956), including during the Korean Conflict. He received an honorable discharge in 1956. Mr. Kilroy was elected and served as Auditor of Towamencin Township from 1982 to 1987.
In his spare time, he was an avid gardener, non-fiction reader and baseball enthusiast. He enjoyed dancing and traveling throughout the United States and abroad with his wife, Bernadette.
To honor his life, friends are invited to his funeral Mass at 11 a.m., Monday, January 8, 2018 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 235 East State Street Doylestown where the family will receive guests from 10:30 a.m., until the time Mass. Interment will follow Mass at 1 p.m. in Washington Crossing National Cemetery, Newtown, Pennsylvania, where John will be laid to rest with Military Honors .
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions in John’s name to: Saint Joseph’s University, The Saint Joseph’s Fund, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131.