Plan for the Future
Click here to view the Funeral Mass livestream on Wed, 11/9 at 10:30am
Rita McGarry Duane, 97, of Chatham, NJ, passed away on November 2, 2022. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Patrick Church, 85 Washington Ave. in Chatham on Wednesday, November 9th at 10:30am. Interment will follow at St. Teresa Cemetery in Summit. Relatives and friends are invited to visit at Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main St. in Chatham on Tuesday, November 8th from 5 to 8pm.
Born and raised in Dayton, OH, the daughter of John L. and Eva (Symoens) McGarry, Rita graduated with honors from Julienne Catholic High School in 1944, where she was class president. Always an excellent student, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from University of Dayton and later her Master’s in Reading from Kean University. Rita met her future husband, Eugene Duane, at University of Dayton, and then moved to Jamaica, Queens. A talented writer, Rita worked for Hearst Publishing in NYC. Subsequently, she and her family moved to Chatham in 1962. She was an English teacher at Union High School for many years until her retirement in 1994. Previously she had worked in the Madison and New Providence school systems.
A longtime devoted parishioner at St. Patrick Church in Chatham, Rita was actively involved in the Rosary Society and the Altar Society. She was in charge of Sunday School (CCD) at St. Patrick’s School for many years. She also contributed greatly to researching and preserving the history of St. Patrick’s. Rita volunteered at Morris View Nursing Home and was a court appointed special advocate for children. She enjoyed reading, writing, knitting and gardening.
Rita was the beloved wife of the late Eugene Duane. She was the loving mother of John Duane and his wife Rose and Eileen Murray and her late husband Michael. She is also survived by her cherished grandsons, Matthew and Christopher Duane, her dear sister, Mary Wiedmann, and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Rita is also survived by her devoted caregiver and friend, Larisa Beroshvili. She is predeceased by her brothers, Leo, Jerome, and Michael.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Rita’s memory may be made to St. Patrick Church, 41 Oliver St., Chatham, NJ 07928 or at https://st-pats.org/giving.
