The Town Manager and the Social Security District Manager-October 18, 1979

Residents walking through Norwood frequently stop in their tracks when they run into James J. Kelly, offering cheerful greetings of, “Hi John, how’s things going?” It is rarely a matter of poor memory; rather, Kelly bears a striking, remarkable resemblance to Norwood Town Manager John J. Carroll.

The uncanny doppelgänger phenomenon plays out regularly across town. At Papa Nico’s, where Kelly is a luncheon regular, patrons routinely stage loud conversations clearly intended for his ears—commenting on municipal affairs and finishing with a knowing wink. At the local post office, a woman once greeted him warmly with, “Hi John,” before adding, “I’m Mary so-and-so, I went to school with you.” Meanwhile, townsfolk leaving town hall who happen to spot Kelly moments later in the central business district are often left utterly baffled as to how the town manager managed to travel across the square so quickly.

Rather than correcting every well-meaning stranger, Kelly has largely stopped bothering with clarifications. “Why explain your existence,” Kelly remarked. Double-takes have only multiplied as Carroll became increasingly well-known following his arrival in Norwood 11 months prior as town manager.

Striking Similarities and Surprising Parallels-October 18, 1979

While the old adage suggests everyone has a double somewhere in the world, few share one located mere blocks apart. Carroll’s office inside Town Hall sits just across the town square from the Social Security Administration office, where Kelly serves as district manager.

Despite never having met face-to-face prior to these reports—though they had spoken briefly over the telephone—the two men share an astonishing array of physical and personal traits. Both boast ruggedly handsome features, striking blue eyes, and curly dark hair touched with gray, complemented by quick-witted, rapid-fire speech.

Beyond appearances, their backgrounds share fascinating intersections:

• Heritage: Both men proudly claim an Irish heritage; Kelly’s family hails from Galway in western Ireland, while Carroll’s roots trace back to Waterford in the south. Furthermore, Carroll’s mother’s maiden name was Kelly.
• Education:Kelly is an alumnus of Boston College, while Carroll graduated from Northeastern University.
• Family & Residence:Carroll, a resident of Milton, is a father of 14 children from two marriages, whereas Kelly, living in Needham, has two children. Kelly is also four years younger than Carroll. Joking about the age gap, Carroll quipped to a reporter, “If you find out he was born Feb. 18, 1928, don’t do the story. I’ll have to call my mother.”

Protecting Each Other’s Good Names-October 18, 1979

Fortunately, both men enjoy stellar reputations in public service, completely eliminating any Hollywood-style fears of legal trouble or mistaken identity scandals.

“Not as long as he’s working in terms of public relations for the town,” Carroll noted lightheartedly. Kelly echoed the sentiment, recalling that he called Carroll to reassure him: “John, don’t worry. All the way through town, I’ll uphold your tradition.”

With plans already underway to finally share a sit-down lunch and eyeball each other in person, Kelly added with a broad grin, “We can keep an eye on each other.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger