Mary Claire Kearney

Mary Claire Kearney, age 83, Lincoln Park, NJ, Bluffton, SC, Montville, NJ and a former longtime resident of Wayne, NJ, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 7, 2021 with her daughter by her side.

Mary Claire was born in Orange, NJ and raised in Cedar Grove, Verona, Lake Mohawk and Montclair. She graduated high school from Mount St. Dominick’s Academy in Caldwell. She then entered nursing school at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson and, upon graduating in 1957, took her first position as a nurse in the pediatrics unit of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

St. Joseph’s School of Nursing yielded much more than a degree in nursing for Mary Claire. It was through a fellow student that she met and married the love of her life John L. Kearney, affectionately known as Jay. They married on June 14, 1958 at Our Lady of the Lake R.C. Church in Sparta. Mary Claire’s uncles, Bishop James A. McNulty of Paterson and Monsignor John L. McNulty, president of Seton Hall University, officiated their wedding and, after a wedding reception at Perona Farms, they honeymooned in Niagara Falls and Bermuda. Jay and Mary Claire first resided in an apartment in Jersey City in the same building where Frank Sinatra once lived. From there they moved into their first home in Jersey City where Mary Claire worked at the Lutheran Home. In 1972, with a family that had grown to one daughter and four sons, the Kearney family moved to Wayne, NJ where Mary Claire worked as an ICU-CCU nurse at Wayne General Hospital, while furthering her education in nursing at Seton Hall University.

In 1978, Mary Claire’s husband, Jay, suddenly passed away. While raising her family as a single working mother, Mary Claire earned her Bachelor of Nursing Degree in 1980 and her MA in Public Administration in 1986, both from Seton Hall University.

In 1987, Mary Claire moved to Montville, NJ where she resided in Lake Valhalla. Her career advanced into the administrative side of nursing, where she worked as a Manager at Visiting Health Services of Passaic Valley, as a Division Director at Chr-ill Services, Inc., as a Director of Quality Management at Medical Center Health Care Services, Inc., as an Assistant Director of Nursing at Maple Glen at Fairlawn and as the Director of Nursing at Kessler Care Center at Cedar Grove.

Mary Claire loved bedside nursing so much that throughout her years as an administrator, she continued working part-time as a nurse at Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains until she retired and moved to Bluffton, SC in 2001.

Despite her busy life, Mary Claire found time for some fun. As a young mother, Mary Claire was a den mother for Cub Scout Pack #75 (St. Ann’s Parish, Jersey City), enjoyed sewing and making matching outfits for her and her daughter. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting and needlepoint. Mary Claire’s children have fond memories of her making beer can hats in the 1970’s. (look it up in Google images). The hats were sold as a fundraiser to help build the Wayne Boys Club. During the 1970’s, she got a bit of the disco bug and loved to slide into her Jordache, Sassoon or Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. Mary Claire enjoyed playing tennis at the Lake Valhalla Club in Montville and working in her garden. She loved playing golf and Mahjong. Mary Claire always found time for community service and was a literacy volunteer. She was also dedicated to her Catholic faith and was an Adoration Guardian.

In 2016, Mary Claire moved back to New Jersey, and spent the last few years as a resident at Sunrise Senior Living in Wayne. The love of nursing and need to care for others never left her. She often offered patient care advice to staff and assistance to other residents.

Her family will miss the simple pleasures of spending time with her, hearing her voice, and benefitting from her sage advice. She will always be respected for a heart that was motivated to do “the right thing” and for the loving care that she shared with so many.

Mary Claire was the beloved wife of John L. Kearney, Sr.  She was the most loving mother of: John L. Kearney, Jr. (Anna) of South Plainfield and their children Stephanie and Emily; James A. Kearney (Cathy Ann) of Washington, NJ and their children Eric (Jackie), Sherrie (Matt), and Susan; Anne Marie Kearney of Lafayette; Kevin P. Kearney (Linda) of Wayne and their children Danielle (fiancé Ralph), Megan, Kevin, Jr., Nicholas, and Marissa (Andrew); and William J. Kearney (Margaret) of Wayne and their children Johnny and Willy; cherished great-grandmother of: Grace, Logan, Finn, Ryan, Ariana, Rylin, Briella, Andrew, Jr., and Serafina; dear sister of the late William Joseph McNulty, Frances Rottino, and Jean Nichols; dear sister-in-law of Frank Kearney (deceased), Thomas Kearney, (deceased) and James Kearney (Barbara) and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Mary Claire’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (www.stjude.org).