Elizabeth “Bette” (Damberg) O’Grady
Of Caldwell, formerly of Nutley, passed away peacefully on November 26, 2015. She was born on December 4, 1925 in Nutley and was the devoted daughter of the late Arthur and Anna (Martin) Damberg. Beloved Mother of Nanci (O'Grady) Connors and her husband, John Connors, of Boston, MA and Patricia (O'Grady) Keller and her husband, Edmond Keller, of Aberdeen. She was the second to the youngest of six sisters and two brothers including Ethel Brennan of Verona, Peggy Zilske of Hawthorne, Jack Damberg of Brentwood, TN, Joan Fastige of Morristown and the late Irene Damberg, Gertrude "Sunny" Cook and Arthur Damberg. Cherished grandmother to Nicole Keller, Stephanie (Keller) Schutz and her husband Erick Schutz, Marisa (Connors) Hoyt and her husband Kyle Hoyt and Alexandra (Connors) Craig and her husband William Craig. She was the loving great-grandmother to five great grand-children including Connor, Eve and Eliza Hoyt and Caroline and Lauren Craig. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews.
Bette always loved being with her family for holidays and events and was often the life of the party. In high school she was voted "most friendly" and "nicest disposition" and both were lifelong traits that also made her everyone's favorite aunt. She spent most of her professional career working in accounting for Waldron Construction and X-Rail Systems in Newark, NJ. She enjoyed playing the piano, singing, traveling to visit her grand and great-grand children and playing practical jokes to get a laugh out of people.
Visitation will be held Friday, December 4, 2015, on what would have been Bette’s 90th Birthday, from 4:00-8:00 pm at the Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral Home, 1284 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 9:00 am at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 60 Byrd Ave., Bloomfield, NJ. Interment to follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 23 Cottage Place, Bloomfield, NJ. Family and friends are invited to attend a luncheon at Fitzgerald’s Restaurant, 13 Herman Street, Glen Ridge, NJ.