Obituary of Kristen Ackley Zeleny

Kristen Ackley Zeleny (35) of Maplewood NJ, passed away on November 9th, 2017 after a 4 year battle with cancer. She was born on June 4th, 1982 in Bossier City, LA on Barksdale Airforce Base and was raised in Waterbury CT. It is hard to contain Kristen’s life in words, but the impact she had on everyone she met was incredible, deep and significant. 

The Celebration of Life Service will be held at Norman Dean Home for Services at 16 Righter Ave, Denville NJ on Sunday November 12th, 2017 at 10am-2pm. The Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect Street, South Orange NJ following the Visitation at 3pm. We want to celebrate her life so please wear bright colors to represent her joyful and colorful personality. 

Kristen was valedictorian of Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury CT class of 2000. She was a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with BA in Behavioral Science from Drew University in Madison NJ and a Masters Degree in Social Work from Columbia University in New York City. She had a Private Practice in Maplewood NJ and was a professor at Seton Hall University’s Psychology department. She used her gifts and talents to help countless families and children to enjoy a better life showing her caring and selfless nature.

Kristen loved to learn, loved to teach, she was an avid reader, loved going for walks, hiking, eating out and traveling all over the world. She absolutely loved children in all capacities best exemplified by her focus in children and families for her career as a therapist. She also loved her calico cat Mattie. 

She was a loving and devoted wife to her surviving husband Charles T Zeleny who have been together for 17 years and were married for 7 years. She is also survived by her parents Joan M. Ackley of Maplewood NJ and Michael Ackley of Thomaston CT, her sister Joanna Ackley of Wallingford CT and Grandparents Lawrence and Joan O. Ackley of Portland CT and many other loving relatives and friends. Donations made in lieu of flowers in her memory to Family Intervention Services of NJ and American Cancer Society by way of www.inmemoryof-memorial.org.