Obituary of Benay A Fitzpatrick

On July 27th Benay Fitzpatrick passed from complications with stage IV lung cancer. She was 77. Benay was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ which forged her personality towards mental toughness. She was resilient, family-oriented, and always cared for those who had less. As a young professional she raised funds and bought Christmas presents for families less fortunate in Jersey City. She worked multiple jobs to support her only son, Reese, to go to Catholic school and to get ahead in life. As part of her multiple jobs, she worked at Toys R Us and always brought home a small toy for her son, after every shift. Benay’s lifelong goal was to get herself and her son out of Jersey City to provide a better life. She and her 2nd husband, Wally Post, set sail for Flanders NJ. There they cultivated a life for Reese based on education, ambition, and family values. In October of 2019 Benay was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer. She moved in with Reese, Janet, and her grandkids in Bernardsville, NJ to help facilitate her care. For the next 22 months they managed her care both physically and emotionally as a family, drawing closer as a collective to do the best for her. After 7 weeks of intensive hospital & hospice care, she passed gently on the morning of July 27th. She was surrounded by love for all the weeks prior, letting her know she was safe, and helping make her comfortable. Her life was her grandchildren, Meghan & Ryan, both of whom adored their grandmother and vice versa. She enjoyed spending time with her family, giving unsolicited advice and her faith, which was beyond reproach. As her only child, I write this in tears knowing that she fought cancer with everything she had and lived through it as expected: with courage and relentlessness. I will forever miss her, as will Janet and the kids. It’s clear I would not be in the good life position I’m in without her. You’ll always be with us Mom. I love you endlessly. Visitation will be held on Monday, August 2, 2021 at Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 S. Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ, from 12:30 - 2:30pm. Funeral Mass will follow at St. James Church, 184 S. Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in memory of Benay to The American Cancer Society.