Obituary of Mary Ellen Coblentz

Mary Ellen Coblentz passed away peacefully on June 12, 2024 surrounded by loved ones.  She was 76.

Mary Ellen was born in New York, NY, to parents John and Anastasia “Nancy” (Adamski) Macerata.  Mary Ellen grew up in Brooklyn, NY and Paramus, NJ, and was a longtime resident of the Chester and Mendham area.  Mary Ellen most recently settled in Gladstone with her daughter, Ronni, and was surrounded by the love of her son-in-law and grandchildren.

Mary Ellen was spiritual and found great comfort and grounding in her devout belief in Jesus and God. She was a long time parishioner of St. Lawrence Church in Chester.

Mary Ellen attended and graduated from Mountainside Nursing School, where she became affectionately known as “MAC” to her classmates and colleagues in her early years of nursing. She went on to work in various positions in the healthcare industry for most of her life. She began her career as an Emergency Room Nurse, moved into Psychiatric Nursing, and held the title of Head Nurse for the New Jersey Jail System for 10 years at Northern State Prison. She filled in as a substitute school nurse and was a summer camp nurse when her children were young. Mary Ellen went on to earn her master’s degree in strategic management and communications from Seton Hall University. At the end of her professional career, Mary Ellen held leadership positions in drug safety and communications for pharmaceutical companies such as Roche and Shionogi Inc., where she was a mentor to many.  Mary Ellen cherished the many long lasting friendships she made in all of her professional positions. Her beloved colleagues were more than friends to Mary Ellen, she considered them family and she was often dubbed their “work mom”.

Mary Ellen had a deep love for all animals, especially dogs. She was known to foster any dog the vet asked her to! She loved walking her dogs on Patriot’s Path in Mendham and around Peapack-Gladstone to Liberty Park Pond. Mary Ellen and her beloved husband cherished the peace that their backyard brought to them. They enjoyed tending to the garden, trees and passing time around their pond reading and singing.

Mary Ellen passionately gave to others, be it paying for a meal at the diner or donating to many nonprofit organizations and charities that support Veterans, the homeless and animal welfare.

Mary Ellen found great joy in traveling. Some of her favorite destinations included Alaska, Japan, France, Costa Rica, Iceland, Maine, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Lastly, family was everything to Mary Ellen. She dedicated her life to teaching her two daughters to be strong, hard-working, independent women who love to live life. Christmas was her favorite holiday - the house filled with decorations, gifts, food and most importantly each other.  Becoming a grandmother was a highlight of her later years. Holding babies filled her heart. Mary Ellen knew how to spoil her grandchildren perfectly. She was full of love and pride for each one of them. Their success and happiness was everything to her.

Mary Ellen is predeceased by her husband of 21 years, Adrien Coblentz, and is survived by her daughters Victoria (Alex) Fine and Veronica (James Goodwin) Armellino, and her five cherished grandchildren Ethan, Aidan, Elle, Gillian, and Amelia. She is also survived by her sister Arlene Macerta.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a funeral service immediately following the visitation at 4:30 p.m., located at the Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Road, Mendham NJ 07945.  Friends and loved ones are invited to gather immediately after the visitation service for an evening of food and drink to celebrate Mary Ellen’s life from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00p.m. at the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Peapack and Gladstone NJ 07934. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary Ellen’s memory may be made to her favorite charities: Disabled American Veterans, Market Street Mission, or St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center.