Edward Kelley Obituary (1942 – 2022) – East Windsor, NJ – “The Times, Trenton,” – The Star-Ledger Obituaries

EAST WINDSOR Edward Malin Kelley, 79, passed away on Saturday, January 8, 2022 in East Windsor. Ed/Dad/Papa to all who knew him was a devoted family man who also dedicated countless hours to his church and community. Ed was born on May 15, 1942 in Perth Amboy, NJ to Edward and Reueverna Kelley. Ed spent his childhood years growing up in Cliffwood Beach, NJ. He was a devoted member of the Boy Scouts earning the Order of the Arrow and the rank of Eagle Scout in February 1959 through Explorer Post 19 of Bayview Presbyterian Church. Soon after, Ed graduated from Matawan High School in Aberdeen, NJ where he was a member of the National Honor Society. Ed was the first of his family to attend college, graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Newark College of Engineering (now NJIT) in 1963. While at NCE he was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, where he met his wife Dorothy Becker. One date led to another and they had been married for 56 years. Ed was a devoted husband and father. He rarely missed any major events or games for his three children. He could always be found on the sideline cheering as they played sports from grade school, to high school, college and beyond. After graduating from NCE, Ed worked for Permutit Corporation in Paramus, NJ. Ed and Dorothy moved to a newly built neighborhood in East Windsor (Cranbury Manor) in 1968 (yes, they still have a few boxes saved from that move). Ed worked for Essex Chemical Corporation and later worked at BASF in Kearny, NJ after which, he transferred to BASF in South Brunswick, where he was the Assistant Plant Manager and would subsequently retire in 2002. In his early 70s, he continued to keep his mind fresh, first as a math instructor at Middlesex County Community College and later as a contract safety engineer at International Flavors and Fragrances in Dayton & Hazlet, NJ. Volunteering and service to the community was a big part of Ed’s life and this inspiration extended to his children. In the late 70s & early 80s, Ed coached his three children in soccer, basketball and baseball in East Windsor’s Police Athletic League (PAL) system. Ed became more involved in PAL, becoming a board member and eventually Board President. Under the vision and leadership of Ed and board, the PAL fields at Airport Road in Hightstown grew from two scraggly fields with rusting backstops to the complex our community enjoys today. Ed and Dorothy are active members of the First United Methodist Church of Hightstown for nearly 50 years (25% of its existence in Hightstown!). Over the years, they have worked at the church (Dorothy was the administrative assistant for many years) and Ed was a member of the church’s Board of Trustees and President for nearly 30 years. Once again, Ed’s leadership, vision, and drive were seen in the extensive renovation work done throughout the late 80s and 90s, which saved the nearly 100-year-old structure from an uncertain fate. For his community, Ed was a member of the East Windsor Environmental Commission and Planning Board President for several decades. Ed has great friends from his many years of service to the town of East Windsor. Ed was East Windsor. If you look around town, Ed has either been there or assisted with building it. From car repairs at Dom’s Getty, to pizza at Aljohn’s, post-game ice cream at DQ, getting bagels every Sunday for 50 years in Hightstown, to haircuts at Roy and Jerry’s, or celebrating birthdays with fried chicken from Chicken Holiday. Over his 53 years in town and 79 years of his long life, Ed defined community. Ed is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Dorothy (Becker) Kelley, his sons Peter (Brenna) and Matthew (Shannon), and daughter Kristin (Gary). Ed is also survived by seven grandchildren, Stephanie, Mack, Stewart, Grant, Lochlan, Kai, and Sydney. Ed was predeceased by his parents Edward C. Kelley in 1996 and Rueverna Boyce Kelley in 2002. Calling hours will be held from 5pm to 8pm Friday, January 14, at the First United Methodist Church of Hightstown, 187 Stockton St, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Funeral services will be held 10am Saturday from the church with burial following at Brainerd Cemetery in Cranbury. Arrangements are under the direction of the Barlow & Zimmer Funeral Home in Hightstown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First United Methodist Church of Hightstown (NJ) Board of Trustees or East Windsor Greenspace Fund (16 Lanning Blvd. East Windsor, NJ 08520). Barlow & Zimmer Funeral Home 202 Stockton Street Hightstown, NJ 08520 (609) 448-3456

Published by “The Times, Trenton,” from Jan. 11 to Jan. 12, 2022.