Mary Therese Monaghan, 87, of Little Silver, passed away peacefully with her family at her side Dec. 16.
Mary was raised by her mother and grandmother in Jersey City in an apartment above the Rialto Theatre (where she spent many a weekend). She attended St. Aloysius grammar and high school and her school chums became lifelong friends. With them she loved to go ice skating in Lincoln Park and have dances in the school gym every day after lunch.
After graduation, Mary worked briefly at the phone company before she was swept off her feet by the dashing Terry Monaghan, her favorite dance partner. They married and moved to Fairmount Avenue to raise six sons, one daughter and two collies. As a family, they owned and operated Monaghan’s Tavern on West Side Avenue, a friendly establishment “where everybody knew your name” and where the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were unrivaled. Mary loved spending summers in the Highlands group parenting with the Russells at Conners Beach Club. She enjoyed morning coffee in her garden, competing on Bungalow Day and reading best sellers pool-side.
A sociable and witty lady with a knack for storytelling, Mary loved to laugh and tell tales of her hilarious vacations to the Catskills and cruises to Bermuda with her “Holy Roller” crew. Mary was a pillar of her beloved St. Aloysius Church. She volunteered on countless committees, her favorite being the Rosary Society, where she teamed up with her sister-in-law and best friend, Margaret, to perform song-and-dance numbers. Mary was also a surrogate mother to her children’s friends and a devoted aunt to her many nieces and nephews.
An only child, Mary was determined to have a big family and succeeded. Her warmth and hospitality knew no bounds and her already full house had no maximum capacity. She made everyone feel at home and was always ready for a laugh, a song or a dance. Although she hated to leave Jersey City, once Mary moved to Monmouth County, she adapted quickly, chatting with everyone she met on her daily walks and making new friends. She was so proud to attend the sporting events, shows, concerts and ceremonies of all her loved ones.
Mary is now reunited in heaven with her mother Madelyn Horn, grandmother Elizabeth McCloskey, uncle Joseph McCloskey, husband Terence, son-in-law Tommy Suszka, godchild Erin O’Halloran, and in-laws Margaret, Tommy, Jack, Peggy, Jimmy and Tommy. She is survived and adored by her children: Terence, Janet, Hugh (Jill), Scott (Nancy), John (Patty), Patrick (Trish), Mary and Michael (Nora) and by her 21 grandchildren, Terence (Sabina), Shannon (Truman), Brian (Vikki), Megan (Mike), Heather, Matthew J., Michael, Scott, Ryan, Brendan (Nichole), Bridget, Kelly, Christopher, Keith, Thomas, Madelyn, James, Spencer, Patrick, Matthew P. and Elise. Mary also loved to brag about her great-grandchildren: Lucas, Charlotte, Terence, Sam, Logan and a baby girl on the way. She is also survived by her cousin Joanne Jankowski and her in-laws Jeanne, Eileen and Herb.
Our family would like to thank the following amazing health care professionals: Dr. Joseph Mannion and his staff, the Little Silver EMS squad and Barbara Kraus.
Mary was the star of every party and will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. She was a woman of strong faith who sang her favorite hymns at Mass with gusto and prayed for anyone who needed it on her walks. Her compassion and optimism are her greatest legacy and can be summed up in the words of Mother Theresa, “Peace begins with a smile.”
All funeral arrangements are private and under the direction of the John E. Day Funeral Home in Red Bank. A memorial Mass will be planned for a later date. Please visit Mary’s memorial website at johnedayfuneralhome.com.
The article originally appeared in the December 24 – 30, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
