Obituary of Grace M Donnelly

Donnelly, Grace M. (nee Gaus), age 88 of Mahwah, beloved wife of 62 years of the late John G. Donnelly, formerly of North Bergen, Hasbrouck Heights, Palm Coast, FL and Midland Park, died at home surrounded by her loved ones on November 23, 2016. With the help and support of her devoted husband, Grace earned a Bachelor’s of Education and a Master’s of Library and Information Science while raising their five children. She was the first professional Librarian at Midland School in Rochelle Park, N.J. and subsequently became the Supervisor of the Corporate Records and Research Library for General Foods in Cranberry, N.J. Upon her retirement, Grace and John built a home in the Palm Coast of Florida where then enjoyed living for eleven years until the pull of grandchildren brought them back to N.J. Grace is survived by her five children and their families: Susan Kelly and her husband Robert; John S. Donnelly and his wife Grace; Gavin C. Donnelly and his wife Debbie; Ellen Saranovic, Janice Rudnick and her husband James. She is also survived by her foster children, Mark North and his children of Allendale and Heidi North and her children of PA. Grace is survived by eight grandchildren; John Paul and Christopher Donnelly and his wife, Meaghan, Steven and Justin Saranovic, Elizabeth and Catherine Rudnick, Rebecca and Severin Donnelly and a great granddaughter, Natalie- daughter of grandson John Paul Donnelly. Visitation will be held on Monday, November 28, 2016 from 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 10:30 am at Immaculate Conception RC Church, 900 Darlington Avenue, Mahwah, N.J. with the burial at Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah, N.J. In lieu of flowers, donations in Grace’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 400 Morris Avenue, Suite 251, Denville, N.J. 07834.