Elizabeth “Betty” Shuster Kiely, age 89, of Little Silver and most recently of Charlottesville, Virginia, passed away Oct. 30. Betty was born in Morrisville, Pennsylvania Aug. 26, 1929 and spent her childhood years there. She later moved to Plainfield and attended Plainfield High School. She graduated from Centenary College two-year program and continued her education at Bucknell University and graduated from the University of Miami. She forever considered herself a Bucknellian.
While attending Bucknell she met William Russell “Ed” Kiely, whom she married in 1951. They wed at Crescent Presbyterian Church in Plainfield. Betty was married to Ed for 58 wonderful years. She spent the majority of those years living in Fair Haven while raising their four children. Later she moved to Little Silver and resided there for 15 years. She moved to Charlottesville to live with her daughter Beth and family in 2015.
Betty was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a member of Rumson Presbyterian Church where she served as a deacon. She volunteered for the American Cancer Society, was a member of Navesink Country Club and loved the game of golf. She was proud of her family lineage from William Rittenhouse, America’s First Papermaker, and was a member of the Daughters of The American Revolution.
She was predeceased by her parents, John Wesley Shuster and Edna Bloom Shuster; her husband William R. “Ed” Kiely Jr.; infant son Bradford Rittenhouse Kiely; and son Jeffrey Edwards Kiely. Surviving are her loving daughters, Lynn Kiely Ryan and her husband Walter of Cheshire, Connecticut, Beth Kiely Fraser and her husband Andrew of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Jann Kiely Kelly and her husband Mark of Fair Haven; her daughter-in-law June Healy Kiely of Oceanport; and her brother Jack Shuster of Watchung.
In addition, she is survived by 10 grandchildren: Kimberly Ryan, Christopher Ryan and his wife Becky, Bradford Ryan, Geoffrey Ryan, Jeanette Kiely Moriarty and her husband Timothy, Charlotte Fraser Pottieger and her husband Bradley, Courtney Fraser, Matthew Kelly, Jonathan Kelly and Elizabeth Kelly; and her four great-grandchildren: twins Kalin and Madison Moriarty, Molly Ryan and Christopher Ryan.
A funeral service was held Nov. 5 at Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank. A private interment followed.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, VA 22911 and First Presbyterian Church, 4 East River Road, Rumson, NJ 07760.
