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April 5, 2012
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 9, 2012 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday, April 10 from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 11AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
David E. Kells, age 69 of Wayne, died on Thursday, April 5, 2012. His family was all gathered at this bedside as he slipped into the loving arms of his Savior. He was a Wayne resident since 1971 and previously lived in Fairlawn.
Dave was born in Queens, New York and moved to Fairlawn, New Jersey when he was just two years old. He attended St. Anne’s School in Fairlawn where he was a proud member of the St. Anne’s Cadets Drum Corps. He later graduated from Fairlawn High School in 1960. He enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of high school and served active duty for three years, and then in the Army Reserves until 1967. He was assigned to a medical unit at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Dave began working as a chemical technician with Ciba Geigy before joining Marcal Paper in Elmwood Park as a Laboratory Manager in 1965. While working, he had also been attending night school at Fairleigh Dickinson University to get his degree in chemistry. After a lengthy career with Marcal Paper, Dave had full knowledge of the paper making process and the chemistry involved. He ventured out on his own in 1985 and started a company called Kells Security Waste Recycling. He offered a service to businesses that needed to destroy sensitive documents and rather than shred them, which was the norm at the time, Dave would turn the paper documents back into pulp and recycle them into new paper products. The Marcal Paper Company used to purchase the recycled material from him and use it in their products. Dave was always grateful to the Marcalus family for their kindness and support during his tenure and afterward. Dave was a visionary and KSW Recycling started the first ever municipal curbside recycling program in Fairlawn.
Dave met his wife, Anne Marie (nee Fortune) when they were just young kids at St. Anne’s School in Fairlawn. In fact, their first ‘encounter’ was when they were both about seven or eight years old. Dave and some of his friends were chasing Anne Marie and they eventually took her bicycle. Anne Marie returned with her mother to retrieve her bike and quickly pointed out Dave as the thief. Without missing a beat, Dave said “it wasn’t me, it was my twin brother!” Little did Dave know, Anne Marie’s mother was well aware of who he was and that he did not, in fact, have a twin brother. Despite that introduction, they later became friends and have truly been together since they were each about thirteen years old. They were married at St. Anne RC Church in Fairlawn in 1963 and enjoyed a honeymoon in the Poconos. Just getting to the Poconos ended up being more difficult than they imagined, as Dave managed to get in an accident and smashed up his car. The State Trooper who responded to the scene was, coincidentally, a friend of Dave’s from Fairlawn! The trooper helped him tie the door shut with some rope and encouraged them to continue on to enjoy their honeymoon. They have been married for forty nine years and Dave’s family has many wonderful memories to cherish for their lifetimes.
Dave was all about his family. He did everything he could to be involved with his children while they were growing up. He was a Cub Scout leader, a PAL coach for baseball and basketball, and he headed up the Wayne Valley High School football booster club when his son Dave played there. Sunday dinners were always a big deal, with everyone gathering at the house, and they had lots of backyard BBQ’s, holiday celebrations and good times together. Dave loved his grandchildren and particularly enjoyed attending their various sporting events, always cheering them on.
Together with his family, they toured forty eight of the United States, most of it camping. Dave had his trusty pop-up trailer that they would tow every year to a new destination. They took that pop-up everywhere and Dave had the set-up down to a science – he would have that pop-up put together in no time flat. He also brought his yacht on many vacations, which was the name he affectionately gave to their inflatable rubber raft. They would play cards, enjoy campfires and simply have a great time together. One of their most memorable trips was with a Winnebago when Dave drove his whole family across the United States to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Las Vegas, and throughout many of the western states. They were on the road for three and half weeks together and had a wonderful time. Dave took a ‘boys’ vacation in the late 1980’s and went white water rafting with several close friends down the Colorado River.
Dave’s Catholic faith was his cornerstone and he has been an active member of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne since the 1970’s. He was a Eucharistic minister for many years. He also served as the health minister and volunteered at the Preakness Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he would deliver communion.
Dave is survived by his loving wife of forty nine years, Anne Marie of Wayne, his daughter; Jennifer Schneider and her husband Wayne of Wayne, his son David Kells Jr. and his wife Donna of Wayne, four grandchildren; Courtney and Lindsey Kells and Robert and Grace Schneider of Wayne, his devoted sister-in-law Beverly Piparo and her husband Tony of Ramsey and their children; Anthony and Colleen, as well as three brothers; Herb Kells of Washington, D.C., Peter Kells of Jupiter, FL, Franklin Kells of Perry, FL, and one sister; Rita Conneen of Point Pleasant, NJ.
Donations in Dave’s memory would be greatly appreciated. Please consider the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road, S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047. You can also visit them at www.lbda.org.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 9, 2012 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday, April 10 from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 11AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
April 5, 2012
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 9, 2012 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday, April 10 from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 11AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
David E. Kells, age 69 of Wayne, died on Thursday, April 5, 2012. His family was all gathered at this bedside as he slipped into the loving arms of his Savior. He was a Wayne resident since 1971 and previously lived in Fairlawn.
Dave was born in Queens, New York and moved to Fairlawn, New Jersey when he was just two years old. He attended St. Anne’s School in Fairlawn where he was a proud member of the St. Anne’s Cadets Drum Corps. He later graduated from Fairlawn High School in 1960. He enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of high school and served active duty for three years, and then in the Army Reserves until 1967. He was assigned to a medical unit at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Dave began working as a chemical technician with Ciba Geigy before joining Marcal Paper in Elmwood Park as a Laboratory Manager in 1965. While working, he had also been attending night school at Fairleigh Dickinson University to get his degree in chemistry. After a lengthy career with Marcal Paper, Dave had full knowledge of the paper making process and the chemistry involved. He ventured out on his own in 1985 and started a company called Kells Security Waste Recycling. He offered a service to businesses that needed to destroy sensitive documents and rather than shred them, which was the norm at the time, Dave would turn the paper documents back into pulp and recycle them into new paper products. The Marcal Paper Company used to purchase the recycled material from him and use it in their products. Dave was always grateful to the Marcalus family for their kindness and support during his tenure and afterward. Dave was a visionary and KSW Recycling started the first ever municipal curbside recycling program in Fairlawn.
Dave met his wife, Anne Marie (nee Fortune) when they were just young kids at St. Anne’s School in Fairlawn. In fact, their first ‘encounter’ was when they were both about seven or eight years old. Dave and some of his friends were chasing Anne Marie and they eventually took her bicycle. Anne Marie returned with her mother to retrieve her bike and quickly pointed out Dave as the thief. Without missing a beat, Dave said “it wasn’t me, it was my twin brother!” Little did Dave know, Anne Marie’s mother was well aware of who he was and that he did not, in fact, have a twin brother. Despite that introduction, they later became friends and have truly been together since they were each about thirteen years old. They were married at St. Anne RC Church in Fairlawn in 1963 and enjoyed a honeymoon in the Poconos. Just getting to the Poconos ended up being more difficult than they imagined, as Dave managed to get in an accident and smashed up his car. The State Trooper who responded to the scene was, coincidentally, a friend of Dave’s from Fairlawn! The trooper helped him tie the door shut with some rope and encouraged them to continue on to enjoy their honeymoon. They have been married for forty nine years and Dave’s family has many wonderful memories to cherish for their lifetimes.
Dave was all about his family. He did everything he could to be involved with his children while they were growing up. He was a Cub Scout leader, a PAL coach for baseball and basketball, and he headed up the Wayne Valley High School football booster club when his son Dave played there. Sunday dinners were always a big deal, with everyone gathering at the house, and they had lots of backyard BBQ’s, holiday celebrations and good times together. Dave loved his grandchildren and particularly enjoyed attending their various sporting events, always cheering them on.
Together with his family, they toured forty eight of the United States, most of it camping. Dave had his trusty pop-up trailer that they would tow every year to a new destination. They took that pop-up everywhere and Dave had the set-up down to a science – he would have that pop-up put together in no time flat. He also brought his yacht on many vacations, which was the name he affectionately gave to their inflatable rubber raft. They would play cards, enjoy campfires and simply have a great time together. One of their most memorable trips was with a Winnebago when Dave drove his whole family across the United States to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Las Vegas, and throughout many of the western states. They were on the road for three and half weeks together and had a wonderful time. Dave took a ‘boys’ vacation in the late 1980’s and went white water rafting with several close friends down the Colorado River.
Dave’s Catholic faith was his cornerstone and he has been an active member of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne since the 1970’s. He was a Eucharistic minister for many years. He also served as the health minister and volunteered at the Preakness Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he would deliver communion.
Dave is survived by his loving wife of forty nine years, Anne Marie of Wayne, his daughter; Jennifer Schneider and her husband Wayne of Wayne, his son David Kells Jr. and his wife Donna of Wayne, four grandchildren; Courtney and Lindsey Kells and Robert and Grace Schneider of Wayne, his devoted sister-in-law Beverly Piparo and her husband Tony of Ramsey and their children; Anthony and Colleen, as well as three brothers; Herb Kells of Washington, D.C., Peter Kells of Jupiter, FL, Franklin Kells of Perry, FL, and one sister; Rita Conneen of Point Pleasant, NJ.
Donations in Dave’s memory would be greatly appreciated. Please consider the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road, S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047. You can also visit them at www.lbda.org.
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