Obituary of Eleanor McNelis

Eleanor McNelis (nee Kearney) passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 26, 2022, surrounded by her loving family.

Born on December 1, 1935, to Katherine Kivelin Kearney and William T. Kearney of Newark, NJ, she was raised in Cedar Grove, NJ, with three sisters, Maureen, Kathleen, and Patty who recently passed away on January 11, 2022. 

A graduate of Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, Eleanor was voted “Most Accessorized” in her class. She worked for NJ Bell in Newark after graduation where she met her husband Robert T. McNelis. They were married for 44 years, raising their family in West Caldwell, and eventually retiring to Mendham, NJ.

Eleanor is predeceased by her beloved husband, Robert T. McNelis. She leaves behind three children, Patricia of West Orange, NJ, Mary Ellen of Mendham, NJ, and Robert, his wife Martina, and beloved grandchildren Kerri and Ashley, of Chatham, NJ, as well as her half-brother Tim Kearney of Boylston, MA.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 30, from 4-7 PM at the Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Rd, Mendham NJ 07945. A private family service will be held. Eleanor will be laid to rest with her beloved husband Robert in Hilltop Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Eleanor’s memory may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or to Morristown Medical Center.