Teresa Mary Ganley, age 95 years, of Delaware Township, NJ, died peacefully on Thursday, July 28, 2022, at home, surrounded by her loving sons and under the caring watch of Hunterdon Hospice.

Born on November 21, 1926, in Newark, NJ, daughter of the late Thomas and Mary Ellen Bracken, Teresa was raised in Newark, and had lived for a short period of time in Elizabeth, NJ, prior to moving to Hunterdon County in 1969.

Teresa’s life can be summed up in a simple, but profound phrase: selfless service to God. With a faith that could move mountains, her upbringing in a traditional Irish Catholic family laid a foundation that would drive Teresa as she followed the path God laid out for her to follow and do his will on Earth.

Retired for many years, Teresa had worked for the City of Elizabeth Park System, Edna Mahon Correctional Facility, Lipton Tea, and Tara’s Irish Gift Shop in Liberty Village. It can be said that wherever she was working, Teresa’s wit and sage advice were appreciated by both her colleagues and customers alike.

It was in the 1940’s when Teresa’s friends would introduce her to a young man from Larganboy, Co. Mayo, Ireland, Mr. Edward Ganley, who had emigrated to the United States. The two would fall head over shamrocks for one another and the rest as they say, was history.

The couple would move to Hunterdon County which had a more “village” feel that Ed longed for, and Teresa fell in love with. Being blessed with two sons, Thomas and Edward, was the light of Teresa’s world. She loved being a mother and her nurturing ways continued until she closed her eyes and opened them to her heavenly home.

A longtime communicant of St. Magdalen Church, Flemington, NJ, Teresa was involved in virtually every aspect of parish life; she was a member of the Legion of Mary, a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the choir, a lector, a member of the Altar Rosary Society; and pretty much anything else that she could do to praise God.

She was a Third Order Carmelite, a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of the Hibernians, and a lifelong member of the Pioneer Society, whereby at her confirmation, she took a vow to not drink alcohol for the rest of her life.

Though she chose not to drink, Teresa was the life of the party! She loved gathering with family and friends and was known for her dancing, especially to Irish music. She was the first one out on the dance floor, and they had to turn the lights off to get her to stop. She and Ed greatly enjoyed traveling to Ireland often to see family and friends, and she would always find a good Irish band wherever they were so she could dance.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer is something Teresa enshrined in her children and its words give meaning and understanding to how she lived her life, and the legacy she leaves for all to follow:  Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Christ. May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us. Rest in the eternal salvation that your compassionate actions have earned you, Teresa.

In addition to her parents and husband, Edward, Teresa was preceded in death by her younger sisters, Catherine Sysco, Veronica O’Hara, and Monica Bracken.

Surviving are her children, Rev. Thomas Ganley and Edward Ganley; her sister-in-law Ann and Joe Cosgrove and brother-in-law Christopher and Margaret Ganley; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family; and many dear friends.

Teresa will lie in repose on Monday, August 1, 2022, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., as well as Tuesday, August 2, 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 concelebrated by Rev. John Primich and Rev. Peter Akkanath will take place on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Magdalen Church, 105 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ.

Interment in the family plot will follow at St. Magdalen Cemetery, North Main Street, Flemington, NJ, and to which all are welcome.

Realizing that some may be unable to attend due to the pandemic, the gathering at the funeral home on Tuesday morning, and the Mass of Christian Burial followed by the Graveside service, will be live-streamed, with the stream being active starting at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. To watch, please click HERE and kindly ensure you do not have a pop-up blocker enabled (if you are having issues with clicking above, please follow this link: https://vimeo.com/event/2318697). Please note that the same link will be used for all three events, and you may need to refresh your screen between events depending on the technology you are using. 

You are encouraged to visit Teresa’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 The Carmelite Monastery, via mail to: 26 Harmony School Road, Flemington, NJ 08822, or online by clicking HERE.

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

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