Obituary of Mary E Kelly

Mary Eleanor Kelly, 85, died Friday February 10, at home, in Berkeley Heights, NJ. She was a resident of Berkeley Heights from 1978 and a member of Church of the Little Flower. Prior to living in Berkeley Heights, she lived and raised her family in Irvington, NJ. Mary was born and raised in Harrison, NJ. She graduated from Harrison High School and continued her education at Clara Maas Hospital School of Nursing in Belleville, NJ. After graduation, she was a surgical nurse at Clara Maas, Irvington General, and Overlook Hospital. She finished her career working with Associates in Plastic Surgery in Westfield. She was a member of the Rosary Society at Church of the Little Flower and Senior Citizens of Berkeley Heights. Mary, affectionately known as Grandma Mary, not only to her grandchildren, but to all their friends as well, was a faithful Ridge sports fan. Grandma Mary attended endless sporting events following her grandchildren around the state of NJ. She could not have been more proud or excited to cheer her grandchildren on to victory both on and off the field. She will be remembered not only for her support but her endless supply of Twizzlers. She is predeceased by Joseph Kelly, her husband of 45 years. Mary, one of four children, was a loving sister to her brother Walter and her sister Verna (both deceased) and will be deeply missed by her brother Frank. She is survived by her daughter, Debbie Rutherford and her husband Al of Charlottesville, Va., and her son, Tom and his wife Noreen of Basking Ridge, NJ. She was a proud grandmother of seven grandchildren, Albert and his wife Julia, Patrick and his wife Sarina, Keith, and Sean and his wife Grace Rutherford; and Caitlin, TJ, and Kevin Kelly. Recently she became a loving great-grandmother to Mila Rutherford. A funeral mass to celebrate Mary's life will be held at the Church of the Little Flower in Berkeley Heights at 10:00 am, Tuesday, February 14, 2017. The interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Basking Ridge. The viewing will be held on Monday, February 13 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Gallaway and Crane in Basking Ridge. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Breast Cancer Research.