Josephine Grace McGeady

Celebrating 100 Years of Life, Love, and Legacy

January 27, 1925 (Montclair, NJ) - May 8, 2025 (Hillsborough, NJ)



A Century of Style, Grit, and Grace

With hearts full of gratitude and sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Josephine Grace McGeady (née Melia), who took her final bow-unafraid and with an open heart-surrounded by her loving daughters on May 8, 2025, at the age of 100. A woman of extraordinary beauty, strength, and grace, she lived a full century as a force of nature-unyielding, loving, and unforgettable. She leaves behind a legacy as vibrant and complex as she was.

She was a devoted daughter, sister, and wife to the late Robert, her husband of 64 years; a proud and guiding mother of four daughters-Robbin, Sharon, Michele, and Lisa; a doting grandmother to Max Jr, Aigne and Versailles; a mother-in-law to Derrick Bruce & Richard Brooks; and a generous friend to many.

From humble beginnings during the Great Depression, Josephine built a life defined by resilience, independence, and deep devotion to family. Long before it was fashionable to be independent, she was charting her own course. As a young woman, she ventured off alone to a strange new city, working for the U.S. Army, sending money home, and later buying a house for her aging mother and grandmother-building a life through sheer grit and determination, and setting an enduring example of independence, self-reliance, and service to others.

Her talents were many: a seamstress with the patience of a saint and the precision of a surgeon; a gardener who knew her irises from azaleas; and a fierce canner of Bob's garden produce, who somehow managed to shell more peas into her mouth than into the bowl. She was an Avon lady, a Tupperware hustler, and a master networker-keeping tabs on everyone's lives with a steel-trap memory and a Rolodex that could rival the CIA.

A lover of opera and fine words, a sharp wit with a sharper memory, she remained curious about the world and those around her until the end. She worked for over 20 years at Pine Grove Manor School, volunteered with the Middlebush Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, worked the polls during elections, and even brought her daughters to work before "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" existed-making sure they knew how capable women could be.

She moved her family from the bustle of North Jersey to the quiet charm of Middlebush, where her children could roam free. She poured her heart into creating a warm and loving home, taking deep pride in nurturing not only her family but also a garden of flowers, children, dreams, and lifelong friendships-especially within the Buffa Drive community.

She never missed a call for help, always showing up-whether it was for her daughters, a family in labor in the middle of the night, or neighbors in need. Her presence was grounding and constant, her memory of others' lives astonishing in both detail and compassion.

She was a regal beauty with ebony hair that defied time, a bright smile that could light up a room-and sometimes scorch it-depending on who needed putting in their place. Sharp as a samurai sword and just as precise, she lived life exactly on her terms: no shortcuts, no nonsense, and never out of step with her own unapologetic style.

Whether traveling to the Jersey Shore, the Pennsylvania mountains, or visiting far-flung daughters across the U.S., Canada, England, or Aruba, she remained adventurous, playful, and deeply social. She loved her inch of wine, her solitaire games, and the quiet satisfaction of clipping coupons like a financial wizard. Her relationships with shopkeepers, butchers, and firefighters were always full of warmth-and occasional flirtation.

She was complex. She was funny. She was proud. She was tough. She was magnificent. She was absolutely one of a kind.

And though the world feels a little dimmer without her in it, we carry her with us-in our flower gardens, in our fierce independence, and in the way we show up for the people we love.

She is survived by a legacy of strength, compassion, and unforgettable charm and leaves behind not just her children, grandchildren, and extended family-but also a blueprint for living with courage, humor, and grace. She showed us how to find our own voice, how to face challenges with resilience, and how to stand tall in the face of adversity.

Her spirit lives on in those she guided, nurtured, and cheered on. To know her was to be seen, to be remembered, and to be loved. She was, and always will be, a force to be reckoned with.

Josephine Grace McGeady, you were truly a once-in-a-century woman. We promise to keep the legacy going-with love, laughter, and memories of you.