Obituary of Thomas Kello
Troy, NY
Thomas Kello, born in Brooklyn, lived in Port Washington, and then Troy, New York died peacefully of heart disease at home on January 22, 2019.
Tom graduated from Padua High School in Watkins Glen, taught by the Christian Brothers, weaving the moral fabric of his life. Watkins Glen was a place of nature he knew deeply and referred to often in his life. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Manhattan College in 1969, and went on to have two careers, one in information technology and the other as an entrepreneur.
Tom’s IT career began when mainframe computers arrived in the late sixties on Wall Street. He started out at the brokerage firm, Eastman Dillon, as a computer operator. Tom took exams for programming, and scored 100% at the top of the class. He then worked at several companies as an IT specialist, and then manager, including Honeywell, Commercial Credit, Simon and Shuster, and ultimately Director of MIS at American Express.
In the 1990’s, Tom started his first entrepreneurial venture, New York Homebrew, at the start of a boom in homebrew interest and enthusiasm. Then in 2001, Tom and Jackie opened Haven Art. The arts and crafts studio became a resource for the Long Island community of artists, professional or hobbyists, to create and share their work. Tom ran his businesses with heart and generosity to all for nearly 20 years.
Thomas Kello is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, their two sons, Christopher and David, and their grandchildren, Thomas and Emma.
There will be a celebration of life gathering at 132 3rd St., Troy NY on Friday, April 5, 2019.
