Obituary of Teresa C. Stollery

Teresa Christine Ann Stollery (nee Howley) died peacefully, surrounded by her children, on Friday, June 19, 2015 at Francis E. Parker Home, Piscataway, N.J. Throughout her declining health, she maintained her sense of humor and her feisty personality, and she continued to endear herself to everyone she met every day of her life, smiling always. She was 87. Born and raised in South Amboy, N.J., Terry lived most of her adult life in Piscataway. She was predeceased by her husband, John "Jack" Stollery, who died in 1996. Terry and Jack spent many happy years in Piscataway, raising their four children. Terry was an active member of her church, St. Frances Cabrini, and a longtime employee and volunteer for the JFK Library in Piscataway. Terry died on what would have been her 61st wedding anniversary, being reborn into eternal life with her beloved husband. Before she married Jack in 1954, Terry worked for the Newark office of the FBI. She and Jack met in Newark, where he also was working at that time. She received a letter of congratulations from J. Edgar Hoover on the advent of her marriage, and another letter from Hoover when her first son, John, was born. Terry and her family enjoyed many vacations filled with special memories, including a month-long cross-country camping trip that included stops at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Cody, Wyoming, and San Francisco. The family also spent many happy summer days together at the Jersey Shore. When Terry's husband Jack became wheelchair-bound with multiple sclerosis in the mid 1980s, Terry made it her life's mission to care for Jack and to allow him to live with dignity and comfort. Terry is predeceased by her sister Erna Howley and her brothers Thomas, Nicholas and John "Jack" Howley, and by her much-loved daughter-in-law Cynthia Stollery. She is survived by her son Richard Stollery of Piscataway; by her sons and daughters-in-law John and Debbie Stollery of Falling Waters, W.V, and Tim and Karen Stollery of Hillsborough, N.J.; and by her daughter and son-in-law Robbie and Vinny Lombardi of Flemington, N.J. She also is survived by her nine grandchildren who referred to her as Besta, Chuck, Jennifer, Cara, Amy, Samantha, Brian, Jeff, Alex, and Nicholas; and two great-grandchildren, Michael and Lucia. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at Piscataway Funeral Home, 18 Stelton Rd., Piscataway from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral services will begin 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 24 at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am at St. Frances Cabrini Church, Netherwood Ave., Piscataway. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Hoes Lane and Park Avenue, Piscataway.