James Francis Kielty

      Frank      

November 25, 1936-January 12, 2023

Frank passed peacefully from this world with our love and gratitude for his life. He bore with gentleness his years of illness. His fortitude has been a trademark of his life.

A proud husband, father and grandfather, Frank was supportive of every life endeavour his family undertook. Whether for career advice, course selection and whatever life had in store, Dad was always free to lend an ear and provide some insight you had never considered. He was a mentor to many in life and in business and will be missed by all.

Beloved husband of sixty years to Mary Patricia (née McNamara).

Beloved father to Brendan, Patrick (Silvia), Kevin (Patricia) and John (Mapi).

Beloved grandfather to Paty, Ashley, Nicole, Leo and Samuel.

Predeceased by his parents John and Norah and brother Terry.

Frank, a lifelong Torontonian, had his first job at the age of fourteen, working at a local service station. It spawned a life-long passion for cars and exemplified his strong work ethic. In his youth he had summer jobs as a driver for Leonard Furs, T. Eaton Co. and worked at the O'Keefe brewery. 

During WWII while his older brother Terry served in the RCAF in Gander, NL and his father was a military policeman, Frank, at home with his mother, was playing hockey outdoors at St. Monica's and cheering on Rocket Richard and his beloved Canadiens.

At St. Michael's College School, Frank excelled at sports, especially football as quarterback of the city champion Kerry Blues. His hockey success led to many years later co-founding the St. Mike’s Old Timers hockey club. He would wish us to pay the highest tribute to the order of Basilian priests, the educators who were an enduring influence in Frank’s life. Their motto being Doce Me Bonitatem, Disciplinam et Scientiam. Following then at St. Michael's College U of T, he made many lifelong friendships; the most important was with Mary Patricia McNamara.  

In New York in 1960 Frank once again saw Mary Pat while pursuing an MBA at Columbia University and she was working at Time Life. They were married in Ridgewood NJ in February, 1962. Through 60 years they were there for each other, enjoyed life and provided a loving home for four boys whom they visited in their ventures abroad including Czech Republic, Mexico, Ireland and Colombia. 

After Columbia Frank was selected for the Junior Achievement Program at Merrill Lynch. Then, when the couple moved to Toronto, Frank started his career in Market Research. After establishing his own firm in the early 1970s he bought and was president of Gallup Poll Canada. In the decades following he became one of Canada's preeminent pollsters, advising major corporations, government ministers and a prime minister.

He was fun with his Irish gifts of storytelling, creating puns and penning poems. Long before GPS Frank could give spot on directions to any corner of Toronto. He was a voracious reader of History, knowledgeable about a deep range of subjects and fondue chef extraordinaire. He enjoyed accompanying Mary Pat to lectures at the Celtic Studies Program at their alma mater. Frank, a long time parishioner at Our Lady of Sorrows church, used his talents for 20 years as a lector at the 8am mass.

In our mind's eye, Frank is in the sunken living room at Westridge. The fireplace is aglow and the classical Spanish guitar of Rodrigo is playing on the turntable. Frank is asleep in his armchair, feet upon the ottoman. At his elbow is the Eric Ambler spy novel he has been reading. Marmalade the cat sits on Frank's stomach, asleep as well, rising and falling with each breath as Frank sleeps peacefully. In lieu of flowers a donation in the name of Frank can be made to: Celtic Studies Speaker Series, 81 St. Mary’s St., Toronto, ON, M5S 1J4

Friends will be received at the G.H. Hogle Funeral Home, 63 Mimico Ave. on Sunday, January 22, 2-5pm

Funeral Mass in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 3055 Bloor St W on Monday January 23 at 11:00am.

Live stream link: https://youtu.be/RL0cDMxn9vY