Michael A. Kelly, M.D., founding chair of orthopedic surgery at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, passed away on Monday, October 10, 2022, at the age of 70 in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. He died after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Dr. Kelly specialized in and taught hip and knee reconstructive surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was named chairman of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine in 2005. A pioneer in total knee replacement, Kelly was also a founding member of Insall Scott Kelly Institute in New York.
Kelly also served as president of the American Knee Society and was head team physician for the New Jersey Nets basketball team. He was the recipient of many awards including Orthopedist of the Year by the New Jersey Arthritis Foundation and two Lifetime Achievement awards at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery.
“Michael was here at the School’s beginnings—he played a critical role in establishing the Hackensack Meridian Health network. He was always a voice of reason; always expressing strong and constructive ideas as the school came together. He was an incredible mentor to our students and was bursting with pride when we placed a student in one of the most competitive orthopedics residencies in our first national match,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., Interim Dean and Professor of Pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Kelly attended Georgetown University Medical School and did his surgical internship and residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, and his orthopedic surgery training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, also in New York City. He then completed a knee surgery fellowship under Dr. John Insall, a pioneer in knee replacement surgery, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Kelly was born in Washington D.C. to Jacques Michael and Ann Muse Gillespie Kelly, but he grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, before moving back to Washington, D.C. to attend Gonzaga College High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He married Sarah Brand in 1987 and they moved to Franklin Lakes in 1988 and that is where they raised their son Michael Aloysius Kelly, Jr. and daughter Alexa Nash Kelly. They were married for 35 years.
Kelly is survived by his wife, his two children, as well as his sisters, Adrianne Posey Kelly and Jacqueline Kelly Collamore, and his brother Sean Christopher Kelly.
Hi family wrote, “Michael’s greatest passion was for his family. He was an amazing friend and mentor and will be missed greatly by all who knew him.”
Dr. Kelly gave me my life back by successful knee replacement surgery in 1997 and 1998. 26 years later, my Insall replacements are still letting me lead a normal life with no assistive devices. I moved to Florida in 2009 and the last time I saw Dr. Kelly was about 12 years ago when we drove up to the Northeast to see family and managed to get an Xray and see him. When I arrived I was received by the gals–even got a hug from one– in the front office and it felt like I was returning home. There are two kind of doctors’ offices–1. offices run by compassionate and caring doctors and staff and 2. offices that don’t have that. My husband’s comment was that Dr. Kelly had created a culture of caring. I have never been treated so well at any other doctor’s office and that covers a lot of territory–Tokyo, LA, NYC, FL and Massachusetts. I also have a fun memory. At his discovery of cancer, I was seeing him regularly because I lived in Rockland County and needed annual visits. I told him that I was praying for him. He smiled and said that he had two nuns praying for him also so he felt well-covered by prayer. I’ll never forget that. I just discovered this sad news and send my condolences to his family.