Obituary of Helen K. Gerity

Gerity, Helen Kennedy ,84, died on Saturday, January 19, 2013. Mrs. Gerity was born on January 17, 1929 in Passaic, NJ, where she was raised. She then lived in Montclair and has been a resident of Wood Ridge for 30 years. Helen attended St. Nicholas School in Passaic, graduated St. Mary's High School in 1946 and attended Caldwell College in 1950 where she earned her Masters degree. She started her career at Sacred Heart School in Lyndhurst by helping her mentor, Sr. Frederick Engel in 1956. She then held several positions first as a 3rd grade teacher, Reading Specialist, acting Principal and then Principal until her retirement in 1994. She remained active by serving as the Asst. Superintendent for the Newark Diocese as well as acting Principal in schools throughout the diocese. Among her many accolades over the years, she was most proud of receiving the Veritas Award in 1989 from her alma mater, Caldwell College for her commitment to children and Catholic Education. She continued to stay active as an associate member of the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell O.P.A. Helen is predeceased by her parents, Marion Healion Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, by her beloved husband, John Peter Gerity in 1984 and by her daughter- in-law, Wendy Gerity in 2009. She is survived by her children, Robert K. Gerity of Branchville, Coleen Swezy & her husband, Rodney of Hamburg. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral from the Nazare Memorial Home, Inc., 403 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 9AM then to Sacred Heart Church, Lyndhurst where at 10AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment Mount Hebron Cemetery, Montclair. Visiting hours Monday 3-7PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Villa Marie Claire, 12 W. Saddle River Road, Saddle River, NJ 07458 or Sacred Heart School, 620 Valley Brook Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071