Obituary of Mary Margaret Mintz

Mary Margaret Mintz passed away peacefully at her home in Rockaway, New Jersey, after 91 years of love, laughter, and unforgettable memories shared with family and friends.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, to the late Archibald and May Ruckstuhl, she and her younger sister, Judith, were raised in Montclair. Mary graduated from Montclair High School in 1947 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, in 1951. That same year she married the love of her life, John Ervin Mintz. They made their home first in Montclair and later in Roseland, where they raised a happy and boisterous family of five children. Mary and John retired to the Fox Hills section of Rockaway in 2000.

Mary was an active member of her church and a regular volunteer in her community’s food bank. She enjoyed tennis and bridge, playing both well into her 80s with John as her partner. Above all, Mary loved spending time with her family, which eventually grew to include 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Her family and friends will remember with gratitude her warmth, humor, and contagious sense of joy.

Mary is survived by John, her beloved husband of 70 years; their son John and his children John Patrick (David) Kindred, Kevin (Lindsay), Daniel (Catherine), and Robert (Jeffrey) Higgins; their daughter Mary-Ellen, her husband Jamie Gilson, and their children Ryan (Sara Conley) Schymanski, Kristin Mercado, and Madeleine Gilson; their son Michael, his wife Debbie, and their children Caitlin, Alison, and Michael, Jr.; their daughter Kathleen, her husband Michael Downey, and their children Sean (Stephanie) and Kyle; their son Thomas, his wife Diana, and their children Thomas and Alex; and 10 great-grandchildren. Mary is also survived by her sister Judith (Frank) Sullivan, her sister-in-law Eleanor Malone, her cousin Sally Zwiebach, her dear friend Sam Backlar, and extended family and friends.

She will be laid to rest at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Montclair. A private Mass will be held at a later date at Immaculate Conception Church. Please leave a condolence, light a candle, and share your favorite memory of Mary here to continue to celebrate her 91 years of life, light, and love.