Patricia Ann (Kelly) McHale

Patricia Ann Kelly McHale, 80, of Piscataway, passed away peacefully with her daughters at her side on Monday, January 17th at Center For Hope in Scotch Plains. She was born on March 31, 1941 in Philadelphia to the late Thomas and Catherine (Donahue) Kelly.

Patricia attended West Catholic Girls High School in Philadelphia. She married Martin J. McHale on December 27, 1969 at Our Mother of Sorrows Church in Philadelphia. After her children were born, she returned to college  and graduated with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University.  Patricia worked in several positions before concluding her career at the NCADD teaching coping skills through puppets within the elementary schools of Middlesex County.  She had volunteered with the local food pantry, FISH, for several decades. As a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima, she taught CCD, Pre-Cana, delivered communion to the home bound and was dedicated to the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. As an avid reader, she shared her passion with her students in the Reading Buddies program at Eisenhower School. She loved the ocean and traveling to destinations to visit her daughters and grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Patricia is preceded in death by her husband Martin J. McHale, her parents Thomas and Catherine Kelly, siblings Thomas Kelly, Mary Alice Brabson, Robert Kelly, and Kathleen Kelly.

Patricia is survived by her daughters Alicia McHale and husband Nelson Schlater of Pacifica, CA, Aimee McHale of Washington D.C, and Rachel and husband David Kaiser from Conshohocken, PA; three grandchildren Vivian, David and Keegan and brother Gerald Kelly.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, January 19th from 6-8pm and Thursday, January 20th from 9-10am at Sheenan Funeral Home, 233 Dunellen Ave., Dunellen, NJ 08812.  The funeral mass will start at 10:30 am on Thursday, January 20th at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 501 New Market Rd, Piscataway, NJ. Cremation is private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to FISH Inc.-Dunellen Area @FISH INC P.O. Box 8565, Piscataway, NJ 08854 or The Plainfield Area Humane Society, 75 Rock Ave. Plainfield, NJ 07063.

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