Janet Caroline Kelly, age 84, of Shrewsbury, peacefully passed away Feb. 24, 2024, after a long and courageous battle with kidney disease. She was surrounded by her loving daughters.
Janet was born in Ohio and lived in Kentucky, Minnesota and Michigan before settling down in New Jersey.
Janet’s career as an administrative assistant led her to work with Pillsbury, Elicon, Hess Oil, and the Visiting Nurse Association of NJ.
Janet was passionate about gardening and took great pride in her beautifully landscaped yard. She also enjoyed attracting and watching birds. A lifelong animal lover, Janet always enjoyed the company of dogs, including her beloved longtime partner, a little white terrier named Tess.
Another love of Jan’s was travel and she enjoyed spending as much time as possible on the beach with her family, as well as vacations spent with her children and grandchildren.
Janet was predeceased by her parents, John and Elizabeth Jones, and her husband, Robert Kelly. She is survived by her brother, Norman Jones and his wife Judy; daughters Gwen Samuel, Dawn Contardi and Beth Samuel; grandchildren, Matthew, Daniel and Michael Contardi, Andrew and Jeffrey Scott Samuel, and Sydney (Reu) and Aidan Samuel; great-grandchildren, Tessa Contardi, Emerson and Wesley Contardi and Lillian and Audrey Samuel; niece and nephews, Greg, Jeffrey and Amanda (Kik) Jones, along with their beloved spouses and significant others.
Janet will be remembered as a quiet, dignified, kind-hearted, determined and, yes, stubborn person who made friends easily and had a very deep love for her family. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
A memorial visitation celebrating Janet’s life and a service were held March 11 at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank.
This article originally appeared in the March 14 – 20, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
