Seymour Dugout And Road Named In Late Coach’s Honor

SEYMOUR — About 200 past and present Seymour High School Wildcats gathered at French Memorial Park on Wednesday to honor their beloved, late baseball coach Bobby Kelo.

The crowd, many donning the school’s colors of blue and gold and wearing baseball caps and jerseys with Kelo’s #33 emblazoned on them, came to watch as the park’s home field dugout was dedicated in Kelo’s honor.

Kelo’s mom, Jackie, sister Deb, and brother Mike made the trip from Virginia to pay homage to their beloved son and sibling who passed away unexpectedly July 19, 2020 at his home in Fort Meyers, FL of natural causes.

Thursday, July 1, would have been Kelo’s 61st birthday. The family couldn’t think of a better day to honor the man who meant so much to the Seymour community. A service was held earlier in the day at Assumption Church in Ansonia, and a reception held later at Three Saints Park in Bethany. 

The Kelo family earlier this year made a request to one of Kelo’s longtime and dearest friends, former SHS head football coach Paul ​‘Spooney’ Sponheimer, to have the dugout named on Kelo’s behalf. Not only did the Board of Selectmen approve the request, but the road leading up to the baseball field — which Kelo called his second home for more than 30 years — was also named ​“Bob Kelo Way.”

“Every time I step onto this field, I will think about Bobby,” said current SHS Wildcast baseball coach Jeff Gilbert. ​“The dirt, the grass, it’s all filled with his efforts, as was his toil and his dedication to his players. This field will forever be about him.”

Deb Kelo said her brother spent the better part of his life coaching and teaching.

“French Park was Bobby’s happy place, and this is where he spent two-thirds of his life doing what he loved,” she said. ​“We all know Bobby could be tough at times, but he was the first person to offer help. It is here where he will be forever remembered.”

State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R‑105, who served as an athletic trainer at SHS for a decade, said Kelo was an inspiration to generations of young people.

“He touched so many lives, not just on the baseball field or the gridiron, but in the classroom, as well,” she said. ​“We all bleed blue and gold here in Seymour, and Bobby certainly left a lasting impression and made his mark not only in Seymour but in the state. He was a coach, a tough guy with a heart of gold, a teacher, a volunteer and a friend.”

Klarides-Ditria and her sister, former state Rep. and GOP Minority Leader Themis Klarides presented the Kelo family with a citation from the state legislature.

Former coach Steve Reilly said naming the dugout in Kelo’s honor was a fitting tribute, because that’s where he helped shape so many young athletes’ lives.

“A dugout is so much more than just a place for shelter, it’s a team’s home where the players come together and make lasting friendships,” Reilly said.

The Kelo family was then escorted to the dugout, where they unveiled a plaque, featuring Kelo’s photo and endearing smile, and engraved with his numerous accomplishments during his more than three decades of coaching and teaching at SHS.

Kelo, a 1978 graduate of SHS, enjoyed a remarkable, 32-year career as a math teacher and coach at SHS. As head Wildcats’ baseball coach, Kelo earned an impressive record of 438 – 239, which included six league championships, 23 playoff appearances, 11 semi-final appearances, six finals and a state championship in 2007.

Kelo was twice named New Haven Register Coach of the Year, and once named Connecticut Post Coach of the Year. Many of his players went on to play baseball in college, others were selected to All-League teams and six of them-Rob Cafaro, Nick and Joe Kuzia, John Murphy, Jay Perez and Jake Walkinshaw-signed Major League Baseball contracts.

In 2018, Kelo was inducted into Seymour High School’s Sport Hall of Fame. He retired from coaching varsity baseball in 2015, after his 30th season heading up his beloved Wildcats’ teams. Kelo also served as an assistant football coach by Sponheimer’s side for 29 years until Sponheimer himself retired in 2008 and was also a freshman basketball coach at SHS.

One of Kelo’s former football players, Seymour Police Chief Paul Satkowski, was on hand for the ceremony, and was a receiver and defensive back in the early 1980s. Kelo was also Satkowski’s Pop Warner football coach back in the day.

“Coach Kelo was hard on you, but at the same time he wanted to see you do your best,” Satkowski said. ​“He was demanding and wanted his players to reach their potential.”

Satkowski’s son, Andrew, played baseball for Kelo, and attended his popular summer baseball camps.

“Many generations of families were fortunate to play for him and he dedicated so many years of himself to the youth in our town,” Satkowski said.