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Mr. Kelford (Kelly) Council, who touched the lives of many MASCO shuttle riders with his warm and upbeat personality, passed away suddenly July 15 as a result of cardiac arrest. He was 67.
A Fenway shuttle driver for Paul Revere Transportation, Mr. Council is remembered by BWH riders for his kind words.
“He would beep and wave to passersby and leave us all with this message as we exited the bus: ‘Be good to yourself, be kind, be gentle and be good to one another,’” said shuttle rider Judith Wallace, MSM, administrative director of the joint program in Transfusion Medicine at BWH and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
A retired MBTA employee, Mr. Council’s favorite shuttle route was Fenway, said his manager Michael Swartz of Paul Revere Transportation, which is contracted by MASCO to provide transportation between the Longwood Medical Area and local garages. “He loved interacting with people, and people loved him. People going to work would start their day with a big smile from Kelly and would end their day with that same smile and great service,” he said.
Mr. Council was a devoted Christian and a member of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Dorchester, where he served in several capacities over the years, including assistant pastor, deacon and minister.
Mike Randazzo, BSN, RN, CCN, of BWH Care Coordination, was among hundreds of people from area hospitals who attended Mr. Council’s funeral service on July 20 at St. John’s Baptist Church. Randazzo recalled the day his wife and son met Mr. Council a few years ago.
“From that day on, Kelly always took the time to ask about my family and how everyone was doing,” Randazzo said. “Kelly made an impression on so many of us through his simple acts of kindness.”
Mr. Council is survived by his wife of 41 years, Emma Council, six children, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.