Mary Theresa Kelleher

Mary Theresa Kelleher, 95, of Somerville, died peacefully on March 29, 2022. Born to the late George and Margaret Allgair, she was a lifelong Somerville area resident. Graduating from Somerville High School, she went on to attend Elmira College in New York, Rutgers Law School, and then the New York College of Insurance. After completing her licensure, she started the Mary T. Kelleher Insurance Agency for Continental Insurance where she worked for 24 years. She was also an affiliate of Bridgewater Nissan. In 1950 Mary married a dashing U.S. Naval Academy graduate, William T. Kelleher, Sr. and they have enjoyed 72 wonderful years together. He would often refer to her as “My beautiful bride”. They raised their family in Somerville where she was a parishioner of The Church of The Immaculate Conception and a devout Roman Catholic. Mary had a great appreciation for history and tradition and was a member of the Somerville History Club for twenty years. She was immensely proud of three generations of her family practicing law for The State of New Jersey in the Somerville area: her father as a Somerset County Superior Court Judge, her husband and son as Municipal Court Judges and her youngest son as a family practice lawyer. Mary loved to cook and entertain family and friends. She enjoyed having everyone over for gourmet meals, summer barbecues, and Funfetti cakes for her granddaughters’ birthdays. Some of her favorite pastimes were attending NY/NJ regional theatre performances, shopping with Macy’s coupons and spending quality time with her beloved husband. They enjoyed traveling the world together and the everyday simplicity of taking daily walks to preserve their good health. She was always tall, thin, and elegant, even through the end of her life. Mary is preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law, Dorothy Kelleher. Surviving are her beloved husband of 72 years, William Kelleher, Sr., her dear sons, William T. Kelleher, Jr. and wife Heidi and John A. Kelleher and wife Jane, her cherished granddaughters, Margaret Kelleher and husband Gavin Millard and Ellis Kelleher and husband Eamonn Quinn, greatgrandchildren Declan and Gideon, her brother and sister in law, Drs. George, II and Janet Allgair, niece Suzanne Erdreich and husband Stan, nephew George Allgair, III and wife Luceli, her great nieces and family friends. The Kelleher family would like to express their appreciation to the dedicated staff members of Laurel Circle Assisted Living, Atlantic Home Health Care, and Serenity Hospice for the quality of care they gave Mary at the end of her life. Mary will be sorely missed by her family and friends. Family and friends are welcome to gather for visitation on Friday, April 8, 2022, from 9:00 to 10:00AM at Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue, Somerville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30am at The Church of The Immaculate Conception, 35 Mountain Avenue, Somerville. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Somerville. Guests are asked to follow mask and social distancing guidelines for the funeral. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mary’s memory to The Church of The Immaculate Conception, 35 Mountain Avenue, Somerville, NJ 08876.