Obituary of Louise Catherine Kelly

Louise Catherine Kelly, of Denville, passed away peacefully with family and friends by her side on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Arden Courts in Whippany. She was 69.

Louise was born in Kearny to Louise Alice McManus and the late John Francis Zimmer. She was the oldest of nine children. She attended Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, and graduated from Morris Catholic High School. She was a fiercely independent and strong woman, and worked her way through college. After graduating from County College of Morris with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing, she started her career as a registered nurse at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Orthopedics, and then returned to County College to earn an Associate’s Degree in Biology. She thereafter purchased a home in Indian Lake in Denville. She married her prince, Bob Kelly in November 1979, and they were blessed with two beautiful, talented daughters. Kitt Kelly, a Physical Therapist, and Betsy Hackett, a Materials Engineer. Louise provided day care in her home for over 30 years, until she retired in 2013. She treated every child that was in her care as one of her own. Unconditional love, tenderness and compassion were her hallmarks. She felt that every one of her charges was a child of hers in some way, and was exceedingly proud of their achievements later in life.

She was active in the community with her children with the Girl Scouts, volunteering at St. Mary’s Parish, and with the Morris Knolls Marching Band. A much loved “band mom”, many of the students “adopted” her as a second mother – and she always accepted the charge: always very proud of each one, everything they did, and holding a deep abiding motherly love for them all.

She is survived by immediate family; her loving mother, Louise Alice Zimmer; her beloved husband of 39 years, Robert “Bob” Kelly; her daughters, Catherine “Kitt” Kelly and Elizabeth “Betsy” Hackett (Peter),  her grandchildren, Annabelle Rose and Brendan Patrick Hackett; her siblings, John Zimmer, Charles Zimmer, Michael (Betty) Zimmer, Eileen Zimmer, Peter (Donna) Zimmer, Thomas (Diane) Zimmer, Joseph (Nicole) Zimmer, and Matthew (Cindy) Zimmer; her loving in-laws, Gregory Kelly, Brian (Theresa) Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, and Claudia Kelly; her caring nieces and nephews, Jason Erickson, Jacqueline Zimmer, Samantha Zimmer, Richard (Amy) Watkins, David Zimmer, Andrew Zimmer, Peter (Elizabeth “Lizzy”) Zimmer, Joshua (Jennifer) Zimmer, Daniel Zimmer, Thomas John ‘TJ’ Zimmer, William Zimmer, John “Jack” Zimmer, Ella Zimmer, Joseph Zimmer, Madeline Zimmer, Shannon Kelly, Megan Kelly, Robert ‘RJ’ Figueroa, Elliot Figueroa, Ian Figueroa, Elizabeth Figueroa; her great niece Emily Watkins and great nephew Thomas Watkins.

She is additionally survived by her family of the last 20 months, the staff and residents of Arden Courts, located in Whippany. The list of staff that treated her as family, let her enter their hearts, worried about her, cried for her and loved her, is longer than her immediate family, who are eternally grateful for their skill, kindness and concern.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on February 9^th at 10 AM at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 63 E. Main St, Rockaway, NJ 07866. Burial will follow at Denville Cemetery, Denville. Family and friends are invited to celebrate Louise’s life on Friday, February 8^th from 2 to 4 and  7 to 9 PM at the Norman Dean Home for Services, located at 16 Righter Avenue, Denville, NJ. Memorial Donations are being accepted to The Diocese of Fairbanks, by way of http://dioceseoffairbanks.org/joomla/index.php/donate2/donate-online. Please leave a condolence, light a candle, and share a special memory for her family.