Olive Marie Cleary, loved by many, passed away on December 22, 2022, at the age of 101 in Flemington, NJ.

Born in Perth Amboy, NJ, on May 26, 1921, Olive lived a long and fulfilling life. Wife of a World War II Army Veteran and Fire Chief of the Perth Amboy Volunteer Fire Department, she was known lovingly as Red to her husband of 44 years, William Cleary. She and her “Irish” enjoyed their time together, including spending evenings on Smith Street, getting hot dogs in Coney Island, and traveling to Bill’s Army unit reunions around the country, just to name a few, before his passing in 1986.

A graduate of Perth Amboy High School and Coleman National Business College, Olive owned and operated Cleary’s Corner Store on Madison Avenue with Bill for 9 years. She would later work for Revlon, Reynolds, the Office of Unemployment, Syncro, American Hospital, Avon, and Cole’s Office Supply. Although Perth Amboy was home to Olive most of her life, she also lived briefly in Army barracks in Virginia during Bill’s tour, on Cutter Avenue in Fords, NJ, and in Flemington, NJ, for the last 22 years.

Olive kept herself busy, mainly taking care of her immediate and extended family. She also spent time enjoying activities she loved including bowling, the track, Atlantic City, scrapbooking, shopping, puzzles, games, and preserving family history. But her favorite pastime was spending time with her grandchildren. Gram/Fee kept them busy visiting family and taking car rides to places throughout NJ and PA. They would enjoy sleepovers, art shows, craft fairs, balloon festivals, the Flemington Fair, museums, Tumbletime, karate, and games together. She was also a fixture at their competitions, performances, and functions.

Easily described as feisty and tough, Olive spent her life doing and never complaining. She was a loving wife, mother, aunt, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend who will be missed by many.

She is survived by her children, Barbara Cleary, Geraldine and son-in-law, John Mazurek, Therese Cleary, and Brian and daughter-in-law, Denise Cleary; her grandchildren, Mark, Gary, Melissa, Michael, Robin and husband, Robert, Samantha, and Niki and husband, Christopher; great-grandchildren, Olivia and fiancé, Matthew, Luke, Anjali, Stella, Claire, and Grant; and her extended family of nieces and nephews.

Olive will lie in repose on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., as well as on Thursday, December 29, 2022, from 9:30-10:00 a.m., all in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by Rev. James De Fillipps will take place on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Magdalen Church, 105 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ.

Burial next to her beloved husband at Alpine Cemetery, 703 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy, NJ, will follow mass and to which all are welcome.

You are encouraged to visit Olive’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, via mail to Memorial Giving, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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