Longtime St. Joseph's Parishioner Dies

MENDHAM, NJ — Obituary provided by Bailey Funeral Home:

Gerard T. Cleary passed away on December 3, 2019. He was 79 years old.Born in Queens, N Y, to parents John Martin and Olive (nee Maxfield) Cleary, Gerard grew up in Rockaway Beach. He settled in Mendham in 1971 and followed the ocean to LBI and Marco Island, FL. He was a devout Catholic and parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Mendham.

Gerard was a Specialist for the New York Stock Exchange and worked in New York City until his retirement in 1995. He was a proud seat holder on the NYSE since the late 1960’s and member of the Buttonwood Society. He was a humanitarian and philanthropist, supporting his community through donations to the Mendham First Aid Squad, Fire and Police Departments, and Mendham Area Senior Housing, as well as to neighboring Centenary University. His favorite pastimes included travelling, visiting the beach, and spending time with his family. He never missed any grandchild’s sporting event or a chance to be surrounded by his loved ones.

Gerard is predeceased by his first wife Fran Cleary. He is survived by his wife Marianne Ezyske, son Kevin (Trish) Cleary of Naples, FL, daughter Kathleen (Michael) Salerno of Mendham, NJ, grandchildren Dan and Maegan Cleary, Michael and Mariah Salerno, and great granddaughter Mayzie, brother Ed (Gail) Cleary of Lake Norman, NC, step-daughters Casey Ezyske of Morristown, NJ, Kelly (Michael) Roman and their children Theo and Grace of Long Valley, NJ.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 9 to 11 AM with a Funeral Mass immediately following at St. Luke Parish, 265 W Mill Rd, Long Valley, NJ 07853. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gerard’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of America at alz.org or the Diabetes American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 15829 Arlington, VA 22215, two charities whose missions he cared deeply about. Arrangements by the Bailey Funeral Home www.baileyfuneral.com