Obituary of Bernice J Connolly

The family of Bernice J. Connolly of Mendham, NJ, is saddened to announce her passing on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the age of 87 years.

Bernice was born in Plainfield, NJ on February 13, 1937.  She was the daughter of Rosalie and Preston Van Name and sister to older brother Robert.  The family resided in Maplewood, NJ to be closer to Preston’s growing meat market and grocery store.  She was called “Van” by her friends, but was Bernice to her family since her older brother Robert had already claimed the “Van” nickname.  Bernice graduated from Columbia High School in Maplewood and then from Lasell College in Auburndale, MA in 1957.  After finishing college, she returned to New Jersey and married her high school sweetheart, Bernard Petrone.  They lived in upstate New York and Londonderry, NH before settling in Framingham, MA to start a family and had daughters Susan and Nancy.  In 1966 the family moved to Chatham, NJ where Bernice helped Bernie start his own business.  As the business prospered, the family became involved in equestrian sports and they moved to a home in New Vernon, NJ which included a horse stable.  They owned many horses over the years, were members of the Spring Valley Hounds fox hunt club and were involved with the equestrian community for years.  Bernice also enjoyed gardening, skiing, vacationing in Hatteras, NC, raising and training the family’s golden retrievers, playing bridge and being involved with her children’s pursuits.

After the marriage ended, Bernice moved to Mendham, NJ and started a new career at AT&T in Bedminster, NJ.  She subsequently became the office manager for her son-in-law Bradford Curtis’s plumbing business.  She took up the sport of bicycling and became involved with the Morris Area Freewheelers Bicycle Club where she met her husband, George Connolly.  They were married in 1996 and their passion for bicycling (included tandem bicycling) took them on trips all over the United States and Canada for events.  Their favorite destinations included the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Marthas Vineyard, MA, upstate New York, and Vermont.  When it was too cold for bicycling, they went on cross country skiing trips to Vermont and New Hampshire.  Bernice adored her only grandchild, Samantha, and took great joy in being very involved in her life by taking her to horseback riding and dance lessons, on bicycle trips, and attending her many other activities and events.

Bernice is survived by her husband George, daughters Susan Curtis (Bradford), Nancy Petrone (Peter Sicoli), granddaughter Samantha Petrone, and stepdaughter Christine Connolly.  She is predeceased by her brother, Robert Van Name, and her parents, Rosalie and Preston Van Name.  

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 13 from 3-7pm at Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Road, Mendham.  A Celebrant Service will be held on Friday, February 14th in the funeral home followed by interment at Mendham Hilltop Cemetery, 18 Hilltop Road.  The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of a tribute gift in memory of Bernice Connolly to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org.