Jacqueline Marie Flaherty Dunn

Jacqueline Marie Flaherty Dunn, 89, most recently of Wall Township, N.J. passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side on Monday, April 6, 2020. 

She was born July 22, 1930 to the late John and Marion Hall in Jersey City, NJ. Jackie graduated from St. Michael’s High School, Jersey City and went on to work in NYC at Burlington Mills as a secretary. She met her loving husband Tom Flaherty at a CYO dance in Jersey City. She always said “He pursued me”. They married on Valentine’s Day 1953 in Sacred Heart Church, Jersey City. They created many beautiful memories building a love and life together that continued when they moved to Hazlet in 1959 where they raised their family.

She loved her work and friendships at Prudential Insurance Company, Holmdel, as a secretary for 15 years. She also was involved in her local community and her children’s activities: girl scouts, cheerleading, basketball and football all while always having her sewing machine open creating an “outfit” for someone. She always said “this is made for you with love”. She spoke fondly of her summers with her cousins in Binghamton, NY. She enjoyed her summer weekends on the beach with Tom and all the families, Tuesday evening phone calls with sister in law Marie Flaherty Crumley, spending time with sister in law Marian Flaherty, 4th of July parties at Aunt Eileen and Uncle Jack Faherty’s home, creating an outfit with Beverly (God blessed their hands and patience), laughing through 15 years of lunch times with Aunt Pat Teehan, Betty Devira and the Prudential girls, the carefree days on Monterey Drive and Hazlet Pool Club with Beverly, Phoebe, Bernadine Jones, and Grace Hanlon.

Tom and Jackie were married for 30 wonderful years before his passing in 1983. She always said she was blessed once again when love found her as she turned around for the sign of peace during mass in 1986 and met Bill Dunn. Jackie and Bill were married in 1987. They shared 9 beautiful years together combining families, traveling and serving the Lord. She was a long-time communicant of St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church, Holmdel. Here she was active in a variety of ministries; from co-secretary of parish council, to eucharist ministries, to serving alongside her late husband Bill as a Deacon's wife. 

Family was everything to her. She always felt that if you don’t make the time to spend together, you will not know one another. This is why she honored and cherished every family gathering and celebration, always looking forward to creating long lasting fun memories with her family, friends, nieces and nephews around her. She enjoyed the beach, spoiling her grandchildren with goodies, celebrating and cooking large holiday meals, and taking week long family vacations to LBI. She loved to travel the world with family, cousin Marcella Vernon and friends, often going on cruises and visiting historic landmarks.  In her later years, Jackie enjoyed doing everything she could with her children and grandchildren including long rides along the beach, walks in the park and on the boardwalk, going out to eat, taking in a play, and watching her grandchildren in most every activity they participated in including surfing and playing on the beach.

She will be remembered for her conversation, memory of most everything and everyone, ability to make each person she met feel special, the love that she shined on all those who knew her, creativity, sense of style, love of all things Irish and Jersey City (Bidwell Avenue and What Parish?), sparkling comedic wit, always being first to the party, affinity for wine and sweets, love of family, and deep faith. 

In addition to being predeceased by her parents, husbands Thomas Martin Flaherty Sr. and William James Dunn, son in-law Keith Hesse. She is survived by her four children: Eileen Flaherty Hesse of Mapleton, Iowa; Peter (Deborah) Flaherty of Downer’s Grove, Illinois; Thomas (Janice) Flaherty of Aberdeen, NJ; Kerry (Robert) Reilly of Wall Township, NJ. She is also survived by her six grandchildren: Victoria Marie Hesse, Liam Flaherty Reilly, Jordan Thomas Flaherty, Robert Joseph Reilly Jr., Drew Thomas Reilly, and Taylor Marie Reilly. As well as, longtime friends Beverly Kiely, Phoebe Mazzucco, Geri Reilly and many devoted nieces and nephews.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all services are private and under the direction of the John E. Day Funeral Home in Red Bank, N.J. The family will have a mass and celebration of her life on a future date to be determined. Internment will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Chapel Hill Rd. Middletown.  In Jackie’s memory, donations may be made to Birthright of Red Bank, 294 Broad St. Red Bank NJ 07701 or Covenant House, NYC.

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