Leo sang with the Kroks of 1968 and ’69. His contemporaries recall him as “a lovely, fun and steady guy whose love for baseball and beer stayed with him through the years.” He is remembered for his warmth and “winning smile,” along with his sustained love and generosity towards the Kroks.
William “Leo” Kiely III, 75, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, died peacefully at his home on Jan. 6, 2023.
He was born in Marblehead on Jan. 16, 1947. He met Susan Burkhardt in Philadelphia, where they were married on May 16, 1970. Together, they shared their deep faith in Jesus Christ and were blessed with two children, four grandchildren and a lifelong, long marriage.
Leo graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1969 and from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA. in 1970.
Leo’s remarkable business career started at Procter and Gamble. He worked at Wilson Sporting Goods, Ventura Coastal Corp. and at Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo.
In 1993, he became president of the Coors Brewing Company. He led the acquisition of Carling in the U.K. in 2001 and the merger of Molson (Canada) and Coors in 2005. He also led the merger of the second and third largest beer companies in the U.S., forming MillerCoors in 2008 and was CEO until 2011.
Leo served on several corporate and philanthropic boards, including the Altria Group Inc. and the Denver Center of Performing Arts.
In retirement, Leo and Susan enjoyed time with their children’s families in Denver, Colorado, and Hermosa Beach, California, and eventually settled in Palos Verdes. Leo adored his wife, Susan, an ordained minister, and eagerly supported her charitable activities, including a foundation centered on women’s empowerment.
He partnered with both of his children in many ventures, including numerous film projects via Windowseat Pictures with his son Bill.
He sailed the BVIs and the Pacific Coast with family and friends, rode a Harley with his buddies in the Colorado Rockies, and shared his passion for sports and music with many, including Whitney and his cherished grandchildren, Leo V, Tegan, Margot and Marshall.
The family is grateful for all prayers and sympathy as they celebrate Leo, a man who lived life to the fullest. His powerful intellect, great heart and uplifting spirit will live on in the memory of his loved ones, his faithful friends and all those who were fortunate to know him.
William “Leo” Kiely Ill is survived by Susan Burkhardt Kiely, his loving wife of 52 years; his children, William Leo Kiely IV and wife Gail Chalmers Kiely; Whitney Kiely Moehle and husband Doug Moehle; his grandchildren, William “Leo” Kiely V, Tegan Kiely, Margot Moehle, and Marshall Moehle; his brothers, Graves M. Kiely and Frank N. Kiely; and sister, Katherine E. Kiely.
He was predeceased by his brother, Joseph H. Kiely Sr.; and parents, William Leo Kiely II and Judith Graves Kiely.
Family and friends will be invited to gather in Denver and Marblehead at a later date to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, the family would so appreciate your consideration in donating to the Kiely Moehle Family Foundation Fund: denverfoundation.org/fund/kiely-moehle-family-foundation-fund.
Truth is, I didn’t know Bill all that well. We sang together for one year, that’s all. We were never in touch again. So why am I making some remarks about him?
Bill and I were from wildly different backgrounds. He grew up in Marblehead on the North Shore and seemed very much at home here. I grew up and came to Harvard from St. Louis. Steve Glass, my fellow Kroks bass for two years and another native of the Boston area, didn’t seem to be convinced that we had paved roads west of the Berkshires.
I always felt like a bit of an outlier, looking for my place at Harvard. Then came the night in April 1968 when I was trying to study in my third floor suite in Lowell House. There was a sudden noise outside the door, and my roommate Bill Baker turned to me and said, “You got in!” I opened the door and was sung into the Kroks as we went rollicking down the stairs.
Across the street we went and marched up the Adams House steps to the door of a suite. The door swung wide and there stood a hefty guy with a round face, a swooping shock of hair, a big smile, a firm handshake, a huge laugh, and open arms of welcome. His name was Bill Kiely. That moment remains an enduring image in my memory.
I think that’s because Bill’s welcome was emblematic of Krokodiloes spirit. Whatever your background, wherever you come from, whichever subjects and career paths grab you, you are welcome here in the fellowship of song. Wherever our lives take us after our days with the Kroks, we are always at home in this shared heritage of music and brotherhood.
And that, since my days as a 19-year-old sophomore looking for his place, has made all the difference. For Bill, for those welcoming arms and shared spirit, I am forever grateful.
– Thomas (Tom) Frank ’70 – K68-70, delivered at the 80th Reunion Memorial Service, March 29, 2026.
By the way, all of us knew him only as bill dash discovering much later that his real name was William ‘Leo’ Kiely III and that he decided to change his preferred name to Leo. But I don’t know what the “L” I would do with that, so I’m going to remember him through the letter “B.”
I thought maybe he decided to change his name when he became CEO of Coors, because he didn’t want to be pestered every year by the Kroks for donations of free beer at various gatherings. But Steve set the record straight that he was generous to a fault to our group through the years. [By the way, I also discovered that Leon’s dad was William Leo Kiely II]
- BROOD: this family must either really like Roman numerals OR maybe want to start their own version of the papacy
- Bill had a daughter and son, whose name was – wait for it – WLK IV (now he goes by “Bill,” too, just to keep us all confused)
- Investor in his kids’ movie and TV productions along the way
- And several grandchildren, one of whom is named WLK V – So the pattern repeats itself
- BEAR of a guy – big man with a big laugh, big smile and – as Tom mentioned – a big welcoming spirit
- gregarious w/o hogging the stage
- BUSINESS: Econ at Harvard & MBA from Wharton
- Then P&G, Wilson Sporting Goods, and Frito Lay (Where he probably developed a lifelong love for healthy foods)
- BASEBALL: [I also forgot this line and lyric: In the spirit of ”From major to minor,” he also became a minority owner in a minor league baseball team as I recall]
- BEER: CEO of Coors for 18 years
- His welcoming personality must Have come in handy there, because he oversaw the acquisition of Carling (UK) as well as mergers with Molson (Canada) and Miller
- BELIEF: Unbeknownst to me, he also became firmly committed to his religious faith dash along with his wife, Susan, of 52 years – she, in fact, became an ordained minister and Established a foundation encouraging women’s empowerment in the developing world
- BIKES: – rode Harleys with his buddies in the Colorado Rockies
- BOATS: As you can see in that picture behind me, he loved big boats. Sailed the BVIs and the Pacific Coast with family and friends. Most specifically, Bob Noonoo and his wife – who joined him for many voyages
- But the real “B” I want to end with is BOND: Because Bill and Bob shared a deep and abiding lifelong friendship that was forged in the Kroks of ‘68 & ’69. Their love and joy together stands as strong evidence of what brings all of us together in this wonderful brotherhood across the years . . .
Love is not a gadget, love is not a toy
When you find two guys like these
They’ll fill your hearts with joy
If we could start anew, we wouldn’t hesitate
We’d gladly take you back, and tempt the hand of fate
Tears on our pillows, pain in our hearts, caused by you
Nunc.
– John Danner ’69, delivered at the 80th Reunion Memorial Service, March 29, 2026.
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