Obituary of Edward M McKenna

Edward M. McKenna of Bridgewater New Jersey died on April 28, 2015 after a long illness. Ed graduated from St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, received his BS from Rutgers University and an MBA from Pace University. He was an alumnus of Ernst and Young and was a CPA in the State of New York. Ed retired from Shiseido Americas Corporation in October , 2012 as Vice President, Internal Audit. He held similar senior financial and internal audit positions in Orange and Rockland Utilities, Fortune Brands and Bristol Myers-Squibb among others. Ed's passion was travel. He loved history, and diverse cultures as well as good food and great wines. The wines necessitated many trips to France. He and his wife, Christine, we able to travel extensively, even after he became ill. He was very proud that he had been to over 23 countries, including small island nations. Complementing his wanderlust, was his propensity for languages. In addition to speaking German and Japanese, he would make it a goal before traveling to a new country to learn the basics of the language as a sign of respect as well as a personal challenge. Ed is survived by his wife, Christine (nee Szpila), his brothers, David and Stephen McKenna and his sisters June Caporale and Mary Ann McKenna and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 S. Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ from 2:00-4:00pm & 6:00 – 8:00pm. Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, May 1, 2015, 11:00am, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seney Drive, Bernardsville, NJ. Internment will be private. For further information please contact the funeral home at 908-766-0250, or to light an online condolence candle please visit our website at www.gcfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to St. Peter's Prep, Jersey City, New Jersey or The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. If you prefer to send flowers, please send arrangements that can be distributed to a local nursing home. The McKenna and Szpila families would like to thank all of you who prayed for Ed during his long ordeal. We are very grateful and humbled.