Jeremiah J. Kelliher Sr., D.D.S. Scholarship

The term “family affair” is no understatement when it comes to the Kellihers from Fairfax, Va., where six of seven children followed their father, Jeremiah, into the dental profession. Three are alumni of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry. 

Drs. Dan Kelliher (D.D.S. ’84), Jerry Kelliher Jr. (D.D.S. ’85) and Sean Kelliher (D.D.S. ’02) practice alongside sisters Karen and Kathleen, dental hygienists, at Kelliher Family Dentists in Springfield, Va. Mother Rita is the practice manager. Another sister, Coleen, is a dental hygienist in Fredericksburg, Va., and their brother Jimmy opted for a career in insurance. 

Honoring their father’s inspiration, Dan, Jerry and Sean decided to create a scholarship in his name. They turned to the VCU School of Dentistry because their dad became an alumnus without a home after the closure of Georgetown University’s dental school in 1990. The brothers established the Jeremiah J. Kelliher Sr., D.D.S. Scholarship in 2011 with a pledge of $25,000 and presented their father with a framed letter announcing the scholarship at a family gathering during the Christmas holidays.