Diane Kelleher, one of the original founders of Kelleher Equipment Co., Inc., of Long Beach, CA, beloved wife of John Kelleher, and mother of Kelly Kelleher of Kelleher/Casares Equipment, LLC, passed away peacefully on April 24th.
Diane was born November 15, 1939, in Kearny, NJ. She attended Holy Cross Catholic School and secretarial school. At the age of 17, she married John. After John’s job at Forenta transferred him to the West Coast, they moved to California with their three young daughters, later welcoming a son.
The Kellehers’ opened Kelleher Equipment Co., Inc. in a small warehouse in Downey, CA. Diane was no stranger to a wrench, and she took a hands-on role in those early days of the company, even rebuilding presses while also caring for her daughters. As the business grew, she was an integral part of its success, completely running the back office and handling all the importing of drycleaning machines. Many in the industry will remember Kelleher Equipment’s in-house shows, where Diane was famous for serving her homemade meatballs and lasagna.
Diane was very active in organizations working towards the growth of the industry, including The Greater Los Angeles Drycleaners Association and Textile Care Allied Trade Association. She served as a volunteer with Steel Magnolias benefiting children with developmental delays and became a mainstay at both Our Lady of Refuge School (her son’s alma mater) and St. Bonaventure School (where her daughter rose to the role of Principal).
Anyone who knew Diane knew that her greatest loves were her children and grandchildren. She openly professed that when her daughter Kelly became pregnant, she would officially retire from Kelleher Equipment upon the baby’s birth… and that she did! On November 22, 1995, she left the company to care for her grandson, John Robert.
Surviving Diane are her children, Deborah (Joe), Kelly (Robert), Kim (Jeff) and John (Kelly), along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.