Obituary of Kathleen Galligan

Kathleen "Ena" Galligan, age 90 of Whitehouse Station, NJ, died Sunday, May 16, 2021 at the Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Kathleen (Gallagher) Rennie.  Kathleen’s mother returned to Ireland with her as an infant to Bundoran, a quiet seaside town in County Donegal. There she grew up alongside her brother Willie and extended family who operated a butcher shop.  One day in her early twenties, she and her friend Kathleen decided they would come to America.  She returned to New York via boat where she would go on to meet her husband Thomas Galligan, a native of County Cavan Ireland and skilled carpenter.  They settled in Newark, NJ where she gave birth to her only daughter Patricia Mary.  They moved to Morris Plains, New Jersey where she was a long-time employee of the Morris County school system. After Patricia graduated from both Bayley-Ellard High School and Boston College with honors, they settled in Whitehouse Station where she has remained a resident of Readington Twp. for the past 40 years. 

Kathleen was a devoted member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Whitehouse Station.  She was a strong, kind, compassionate woman who cared deeply about her friends and family.  She loved all things Irish, sipping on a warm cup of tea with friends, and discussing world events.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Thomas in 1998 and her treasured daughter, Patricia Galligan Converse in 2001.

She is survived by her two grandsons, Brendan Converse and Liam Converse both of Virginia.

A funeral liturgy will be celebrated on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 9:30 AM at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Whitehouse Station. 

Entombment will be in St. Bernard of Clairvaux Cemetery in Bridgewater.