Dr. Patrick Kelly

East Aurora, New York 

Surgeon

Years before becoming a distinguished neurological surgeon, Patrick Kelly joined the East Aurora Boys & Girls Club seeking refuge from a chaotic home life. There, he found friends and role models, particularly then-Club director H. Kenneth Whitney, who taught him compassion, courtesy and respect. The only person in his family to finish high school, Kelly joined the Navy during his final year of medical school, requesting assignment to a surgical unit in Vietnam. Dr. Kelly’s numerous honors include the prestigious Van Wagenen fellowship from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and his appointment as chair of New York University’s department of neurology.