Jean Elizabeth Cunniffe

Jean Elizabeth Cunniffe (née Egan), of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, an immigrant from the United Kingdom, beloved wife and mother died on June 18, 2025 after a short illness. She was 90 years old. She is survived by three sons and three grandchildren: John, his wife, Daniella, and their daughter, Sloane; Peter, his wife, Maria, and their sons, Ryan and Declan; and Stephen. She was predeceased by her husband, Peter who died in February of 2024.
Born in Manchester, England, in 1934, Jean lived with her parents, James and Dorothy Egan in Altrincham, England. She attended school as the Second World War was being fought, evacuating to bomb shelters during the Battle of Britain. One of her vivid memories was traveling to London on VE-Day when Germany surrendered. After school, she resided with her parents and found work locally as a secretary. She soon met her future husband, Peter. They celebrated the birth of their first son, John in 1963. In 1965, Jean accompanied Peter when he moved to New Jersey in the United States where she gave birth to her other two sons, Peter, in 1967, and Stephen, in 1973. She was a homemaker in Verona, New Jersey and worked secretarial and cafeteria positions in local schools.
Owing to frequent attendance at her son's Little League games, Jean became an enthusiastic baseball fan, attending both Yankees and Mets games in New York City. Jean didn't participate in sports herself with the exception of the highly competitive bocce ball league at her retirement community in Boynton Beach, Florida. Jean was an avid reader, and was frequently seen reading numerous murder mysteries at the local community pool.
After immigrating to the United States, Jean first lived in Montclair before moving to Verona, New Jersey. Here, Jean befriended several elderly widows in the neighborhood, providing companionship and help with housekeeping and shopping. After his retirement, she and her husband Peter moved to Point Pleasant, New Jersey. They also bought a condominium in Boynton Beach, Florida and lived the snowbird lifestyle, driving to Florida every December and returning to Point Pleasant for the summer. They eventually sold the Boynton Beach residence when the drive between New Jersey and Florida became too difficult and remained full time in Point Pleasant thereafter.
Family and friends are invited to a memorial service on Friday, August 15th, from 6 PM-8 PM at Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral Home, 1284 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ with a reception to follow. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Jean, please visit our Tree Store.