Elizabeth (Meli) Kelly

Elizabeth Kelly, Wife of Former Assemblyman John V. Kelly

Elizabeth Kelly, loving wife of former Assemblyman John V. Kelly, surrounded by family, passed away peacefully at her home on June 9, 2019.  She was 87 years old.  Visitation will be at the Biondi Funeral Home of Nutley, 540 Franklin Avenue on Thursday, June 13 from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  (Please note that access to the Dodd Street entrance of the Biondi Funeral Home should be made from Vreeland Avenue).  The funeral will be conducted on Friday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m.  There will be a Funeral Mass celebrated at St. Mary’s Church, Nutley at 10:45 a.m. The entombment will be at Holy Cross Chapel Mausoleum, North Arlington.  

Elizabeth was born in Jersey City on September 2, 1931, to the parents of John and Irene Meli (nee Saprin).

“Betty” as she was called by her family and friends, grew up in Jersey City where she attended Dickinson High School. In 1949, she met her future husband John at the Holy Name Parade in Jersey City. The two were married in 1954 in Union City.

Betty and John moved to Nutley in 1964 where they raised their four children Regina, Joseph, John, and Renee.  Betty was a homemaker who was a phenomenal cook.  She loved having the kids and grandkids over her house every Sunday for macaroni.  She also served up great stuffed eggplant, stuffed peppers, stuffed artichokes, and homemade meatballs. “Grandma Betty” as the grandkids called her, celebrated the Italian tradition of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve with the entire family. She would then turn around and cook Christmas dinner for the entire family the next day.

The Holidays were also a special time for her to bake countless different Christmas cookies during the Christmas Season and her fantastic Irish Soda bread on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Betty was also a rock in the household, who her husband John use to say “You Light Up My Life.”  Loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she is now reunited in Heaven with her loving husband who she was married to for 55 years.

Betty is survived by her brother John Meli, her children Regina Kelly-Lascola and her husband Donald, Joseph and his wife Cathy, Dr. John and his wife Cindy, and Renee and her husband John T Kelly; her grandchildren John lll, Lauren Kelly-Schiller and her husband Brad, Elyse Kelly-Devault and her husband Zach, Diandra, Alexa, Christa Kelly-Winter and her husband Tommy, Christopher Lascola, Joseph, Matthew, Luke, and Kristen; and also her great-grandchildren Lincoln Schiller, Anastasia Schiller, Calvin Schiller, and Jackson Devault.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the John V. Kelly Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 691, Franklin Avenue, Nutley, NJ 07110.

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