Elizabeth "Betty" Connolly

Betty (Elizabeth) Connolly, of Cresskill, entered into glory May 3, 2020 after 88 years. Mom was the worthy woman of Proverbs chapter 31 whose value was far beyond pearls; she was a treasure-house of blessings who brought good all the days of her life. This was especially true for her large and loving family -- -- her husband John, with whom she shared nearly 66 years of wedded life -- her eight children (and in-laws) Chris, Tom (Susan), Mary (Barney), Joe whom she dearly missed these past ten years (Liz), Billy, Kevin (Sue), Diane (Tim) and Tracy (Pat) -- her fifteen grandchildren (and in-laws) Rory (Heather), Thomas, Alyssa (Angelo), Tim, Liz (Mike), Brianna(Seth), Brigid(Max), Sean, Zach, Tyler, Caileen, Emma, Sammy, Kristina and Chloe -- her four great-grandchildren Talia, Evelyn, Leo and Kieran Mom was a woman of adventure, girt about with strength and sturdy arms. She was one of nine children in the Irish cottage of a tailor and dance hall keeper in Ballindine, County Galway (her and Dad's sense of swing was a main stage attraction at wedding festivities in years to come). Mom would tell her grandchildren enchanting tales of her youth in a land of great beauty and great want, but she learned well the lesson that one needs little to have happiness. In 1950 Mom joined the exodus of emigrants to the States, where she had good times as governess to the Livanos Greek shipping family before marrying Dad and settling down at 91 Madison, which would be her home for 62 years. Later in life, she and Dad travelled out West and saw the wonders of Grand Canyon country, but she also enjoyed the quieter pleasures of beach-walking at Cocoa Beach, where both wintered before she became what she called "an old woman". And Mom miraculously battled the cancer we all thought would claim her twelve years ago, and our family is grateful for every added year she was among us. Mom was a woman of hospitality who rose while it was still night to provide food for her household. She had to be, as her children still wonder how she raised a brood of not-so-angelic youngsters in so small a space (tho she had the aid of her sister and best friend, our beloved Aunt Nancy). Mom graduated from the boiled Irish cooking of early years to become the hostess of the expanding Connolly clan's Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas roast beef feasts, the eagerly awaited high points of the social calendar for a generation. Her grandkids were happy recipients of their favorite home-cooked meals, and Mom was, in turn, treated in her last years to dinner at her favorite Longhorn's. In the pre-internet era, Mom was the social facilitator who knew all the doings and kept all the confidences. A Household of Love was the House of Plenty. Mom was a woman of wisdom who watched the conduct of her household and on whose tongue was good counsel. She loved fiercely and her words could be sharp, for she wanted only the good. Somehow, Mom and all her children survived mostly intact the turmoils of the Sixties and Seventies, and she and Dad were gifted with wonderful times and relationships with the many grandchildren they so loved. And, if Mom coined her own Irish proverb, it had to be "A good cup of tea is a cure for all troubles." Beyond all else, Mom was a woman of faith who feared and reverenced the Lord. Her family knew she said her prayers for their welfare each day of her life, and no doubt argued with God on occasion for them. Her family rises up and praises her, for she has excelled all women. Lord give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at heaven's gates. In lieu of flowers, donations in Betty's memory can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis TN 38101-9929, and Carmelite Missions, 55 W. Demarest Avenue, Englewood NJ 07631. A memorial service will be scheduled for a future date.