Bridget Theresa Brady

Bridget Brady, 89, passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2017, in Santa Monica, California, where she had moved 4 months ago from New Jersey to spend time with the West Coast branch of her family who were with her when she died.

Born in County Cork in Ireland to a family of 12 brothers and sisters, she loved people and never met a person she could not connect with. Bridget came to New York in 1950, where she took a job as a governess for a family on Park Avenue, which instilled in her a lifelong love of the city and her new country. She met and married Patrick Brady, also from Ireland, and the young couple moved to New Jersey, where they raised 3 children: Kevin Brady, Veronica Brady and Maggie Brady. Bridget and Patrick were married for 55 years when he died in 2009.

As a young mother, Bridget volunteered at church, school and various civic associations, including the Union County Irish Club. She was the first woman in her neighborhood to drive. An avid reader and internet fan, she mastered the i-Pad at the age of 80. She followed current events closely and traveled frequently to Europe and California. But her greatest joy was her extended family and wide circle of friends, and she kept in touch with them all by phone, personal visits and Facebook.

She worked for 21 years for Union County in positions of increasing responsibility and ran the Westfield passport office for 18 years, a job for which she was perfectly suited and one which added to her social circle every day. It was a rare person who came in for a passport and did not leave as part of her network. 

Bridget is survived by her three children, daughter-in-law Maureen Brady, sons-in-law Eamon Harrington and Matt Loughlin, grandchildren Caitlin Brady and her husband John Desrosiers, Meghan Brady, Molly Harrington, Leo Harrington, Maggie Harrington, Seamus Harrington, Matt Loughlin Jr, Connor Loughlin and Liam Loughlin, and one great-grandchild Patrick Desrosiers, many extended family members and friends, all of whom will miss her encouragement and good sense and her deep concern for their well-being.  

Funeral services will be held on Monday September 25 from 4 pm to 8 pm at Higgins and Bonner Funeral Home at 582 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, N.J. A 10:00 am Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Bartholomew’s RC Church at 2032 Westfield Avenue, Scotch Plains, N.J on Tuesday September 26.

Memorial donations may be made to the Marist Brothers of Ulster County, Box 197, Esopus, NY 12429, a beautiful retreat on the Hudson River which she loved.

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