Obituaries

Richard Canneto, age 80, passed away on November 2, 2018.

Richard was born in Long Branch, NJ in 1938 to the late Vincenzo and Letizia Canneto.  The youngest of eight children, he was predeceased by his brothers Frank, James, John and Samuel as well as sisters Louise Foggia and Mary Petro.  Surviving is his sister Anna Payne of Texas.

Richard retired in 1995 as Deputy Chief of The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Prior to his career at the Prosecutor's Office, Richard served as a police officer for the Little Silver Police Department and was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, Fort Dix.  Many friends and coworkers considered him "a true friend, a good detective and a great man."

Edward H. Acosta, of Middletown, passed peacefully to Eternal Life on November 6^th, 2018 at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. He was the only child of Meta and Eduardo Acosta. Edward was born in New York City. He attended Stuyvesant High School. He served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. He graduated from Pace University.

After living in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens he moved his family to Middletown, New Jersey. Before retiring he worked in the banking industry at Franklin Savings Bank, American Savings Bank  where he was always a huge hit playing Santa Claus and then finally at First Union Bank (as he called it the “FU” bank).

Elizabeth Miller Ellwood peacefully passed away on November 1, 2018 at the Atrium at Navesink Harbor at the age of 84. She was born in Elizabeth, NJ and was a graduate of The Vail-Deane School, Bradford Jr. College, and Katharine Gibbs, Boston. She married Richard S. Ellwood in 1958 who passed away in 2011  She was predeceased by her parents Alan and Margaret Miller, her two brothers, Alan and Edwin Miller and her two children, Deborah and Alexander Ellwood.  Her brother, David Miller, her daughter Sarah Ellwood Opler and her son-in-law, Eddie Opler all survive her.  In addition she is survived by seven grandchildren Arthur Ellwood, Benjamin and Natalie Ellwood and Sophie, Chloe, Phoebe and Teddy Opler.

Marion DiVestea passed peacefully to Eternal Life on October 31, 2018 at Bayside Manor in Keansburg.  Born Marion Jean on January 9, 1925 at Monmouth Memorial in Long Branch, she was the daughter of the late Lester and Julia (Lynch) Davis.

Marion lived in Red Bank and attended St. James Grammar School until her dad passed away and she and her mom moved to the Bronx where she met the love of her life Daniel DiVestea playing stick-ball in the street outside their apartment building.  After she graduated from Evander Childs High School in the Bronx, Marion was a clerk at American Express in Manhattan and then a secretary at the Singer Sewing Machine Company in their Latin American department for eleven years.  Daniel served in the Navy during WWII and they were married on September 4, 1949.  In 1960 Daniel was stricken with MS and in 1963 they moved back to her beloved hometown of Red Bank with their two daughters where Marion lovingly cared for him until his death in 1979.  Marion went back to secretarial work after Danny died; first for a Red Bank law firm and eventually for the Communication Media Department at Brookdale Community College where she retired in 1997 to care for her mother Julia and stepdad Theodore Tolendino until their passing in 1997 and 1998.  Marion lived for six years at Applewood Estates in Freehold before moving to Bayside Manor in 2013.  Marion was always a kind loving caregiver and we were privileged to have her in our lives for so many years. 

Elizabeth “Betty” Shuster Kiely, age 89, of Little Silver, NJ and most recently of Charlottesville, VA passed away on October 30, 2018.  Betty was born in Morrisville, PA on August 26, 1929 and spent her childhood years there.  She later moved to Plainfield, NJ and attended Plainfield High School. She graduated from Centenary College 2-year program and continued her education at Bucknell University and graduated from the University of Miami.  She forever considered herself a Bucknellian.

While attending Bucknell she met William Russell “Ed” Kiely, whom she married in 1951.  They wed at Crescent Presbyterian Church in Plainfield, NJ. Betty was married to Ed for 58 wonderful years.  She spent the majority of those years living in Fair Haven while raising their four children.  Later she moved to Little Silver and resided there for 15 years.  She moved to Charlottesville to live with her daughter, Beth, and family in 2015.  Betty was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She was a member of Rumson Presbyterian Church where she served as a Deacon. She volunteered for the American Cancer Society, was a member of Navesink Country Club, and loved the game of golf.  She was proud of her family lineage from William Rittenhouse, America’s First Papermaker, and was a member of The Daughters of The American Revolution. 

Hamilton (Peter) Shippee, 85, of Rumson, NJ, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2018, at his Rumson home.  Peter was born in New York, NY; son of the late Winsor Shippee and Elizabeth Hamilton Hurd. He was raised in Fair Haven and Rumson, NJ. He attended Rumson Country Day School, Vermont Academy, and graduated in 1951 from Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School.  He briefly studied at Duke University, soon to leave in 1952 to serve as an Army Sergeant in the Korean War as a member of the United States Army Heavy Mortar Company. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1954, he resumed his education graduating from Duke University in 1957 and later graduating from Dartmouth College Graduate School of Finance in 1968.

Diane Feiter Dowds of Highlands, passed peacefully at home surrounded by her family and friends over looking the beach she loved so much. She was 74.  She is now reunited with her beloved husband David, her loving parents Josephine and Joseph “Zeppy” Feiter and her eldest brother Joseph Feiter Jr.

Diane attended Clifton High School, Rutgers-Douglass College receiving her Bachelor’s Degree and Montclair State University receiving her Master’s Degree. She married the love of her life and happily served as a U.S. Army officer’s wife while he was serving his duty abroad in Germany.  It was there that she found her love of teaching while working at the schools on base.  Upon return to the States, Diane began her career with the Long Branch School System. She taught Second grade and was a member of the reading team that helped struggling readers for 33 years at the Gregory School until her retirement in 2006.

In her retirement, her “Greatest Treasures” granddaughters Chesney and Miranda Dowds and her dog Charlie brought her much happiness and joy.

Jeanne Clark, 87, of Jackson, NJ passed away peacefully in her home on Wednesday, October 24.  Born in 1930 in Los Angeles, CA to Raymond and Margaret Guysi, she lived her life in California and Puerto Rico before settling in New Jersey.

Jeanne is predeceased by her beloved husband, Jim, of 66 years. She is survived by her sons Mark (Cindy) and Dana (Bobbi) and 6 grandchildren Heidi (John), Casey, Killian, Devin, Alaina, and Greg (Caymee), nieces Tiffany (Ben) and Shannon (Juan) and 3 great grandchildren, Hannah, Sydney and Hunter.

Joan Elizabeth McGhee nee. Kelly, age 80, formerly of Dublin, Ireland passed away peacefully at home on October 23, 2018.

Born February 25, 1938, Joan was the second eldest of the Kelly clan. Immigrating to America in the 1960s, Joan and her family settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 1975, Joan moved to the Jersey Shore and made her home in Middletown.

Joan’s dedication to helping and serving found her assuming prominent positions in Irish Northern Aid, an American based membership organization that supports the establishment of a democratic 32 county Ireland. In addition, Joan made her mark early as one of the few women to assume ownership as a franchisee in Dunkin’ Donuts. Over the course of 35 years, Joan served as owner and operator of numerous Dunkin’ Donuts franchises, never forgetting her humble beginnings.

Anne Frazier Walradt was born Dorothy Anne Frazier on December 31,1942, to Ivan Gray Frazier and Dorothy Belle Felix Frazier. She went by Anne to prevent confusion with her mother and was grateful the whole world celebrated her birthday each year. Anne passed away at home, surrounded by family on October 23, 2018.

Anne is survived by her husband John Pierce Walradt (the Captain) whom she picked from a Farmhouse Fraternity lineup in 1962; her four children: Daniel (the first mate), Michael (the kind one), James (the practical one), and Elizabeth (the mini-me); and her two grandchildren Olivia (7) and Owen (3), both James’s. Also in the clan are daughters-in-law Laura and Erin, and son-in-law Alexander Scherer.