People came from all around to pay their respects to 65-year-old Kelly Sanvidge Monday.

The longtime funeral director was planning to retire this St. Patrick’s Day.

“The overwhelming amount of people that came from the community to pay their respects to our dad, that was pretty overwhelming for both Erin and I and the rest of my siblings,” said daughter Meaghan Smith.

The pallbearers honored him by carrying his casket on their shoulders.

Kelly and his brother Jack expanded the family business to other communities.

Kelly grew up in the house that is attached to the funeral home on 115th Street in Troy. St. Augustine’s is right across the street. He went to school there, and then LaSalle Institute.

“Dad was in charge of St. Augustine’s bingo for 30 years, fundraising money for the church,” said Smith. “Troy always had a special place in his heart.”

People knew him as a funny and inventive story-teller.

In recent years, he formed a close bond with the Hindu community, learning about culture and traditions, and proud they trusted him to provide services.

“They even honored him in a special ceremony accepting him as one in their community,” said Meaghan.

The funeral home wasn’t just a job. Some people said they will never forget his kindness.

“He has a great team still here at Sanvidge Funeral Home, but because he made those special connections with each family, it will be a void in their– someone said, actually they wrote on his memorial page, ‘He was supposed to do my funeral,'” said daughter Erin Napoleone.

His children leaned on one another as they planned the services for a father who had guided so many others through the process.

“We’ve learned the hard way now that you need to be protected and cared for when you’re going through that, and I’m sure my dad did that for every family he had, whether he knew them, because he started to know everybody, or he didn’t know them,” said Erin. “And that’s what set him apart and that’s what made him special.”