Jean Marie Carr Munning died peacefully in her Verona home on February 7, 2023. She was 96.
Visitation will be held in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Saturday, February 18 from 9 to 9:45 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass offered in Our Lady of the Lake Church, 28 Lakeside Avenue, Verona at 10 a.m.
Jean was born in Swampscott, Massachusetts. All four of Jean’s grandparents arrived in the U.S. from Ireland in their teens. Her father’s ancestors, the Coughlins, settled in Billerica, Massachusetts. Her mother’s family, the Dohertys, settled in Peabody, Massachusetts. Although Jean moved to New Jersey when she was 11 years old, she held onto her “Boston” accent and love of her New England roots throughout her life.
Jean attended St. Vincent Academy in Newark and graduated from The College of St. Elizabeth. She then worked for Hahne and Company department store in Montclair doing inside sales and marketing.
She married Gene Carr in 1948 shortly after her graduation and they both fell in love with Verona. They first settled on Linwood Road until the seams of the house were bursting with its eight inhabitants, including six children under the age of 10. They then moved to Sunset Avenue. After the sudden, early death of Gene, she studied early childhood education at Caldwell College and opened a nursery school in that huge home with the wrap-around porch. The entire town of Verona rallied in support of Kiddie Carr Corral Nursery School. She was very proud of this – hand sewing all the graduation caps and gowns and having a big “Graduation Day” each year on the front steps of 28 Sunset Avenue with all the pomp and circumstance.
Jean was blessed again when she fell in love with and married Nick Munning, whose three children, Nick, Greg and Mike, made life in that big old house all the more fun. Nick and Jean completed their family with the addition of Tom – the very much-loved “ours” in the “Yours, Mine and Ours” saga. They were married for 48 years. Both of Jean’s husbands were WWII Air Force vets, with Gene stationed in India and Nick a B-17 bombardier with 35 missions over Germany.
She worked in sales and marketing before her retirement and was an active lifelong member and volunteer at Our Lake of the Lake Parish, as well as a proud Cursillista. She also volunteered part-time for 20 years, until she turned 80, at Willing Hearts, a consignment shop in Caldwell.
Jean loved with a passion quilting, collecting paperweights, reminiscing of her New England days. But her family, friends and faith were most dear to her. She will be missed by all who were graced with her warm and loving presence.
She was predeceased by her parents, Col. Leo Coughlin and Rose Etta Doherty Coughlin of Glen Ridge; her husbands, Gene Carr and Nick Munning; her sons, Kevin Carr and Greg Munning; and grandson, Nathan Munning.
Jean leaves behind her children, Nicholas Munning, III, Michael Munning, Thomas Munning, James Carr, Mindy Carr Mathisen, Betsy Carr Mathisen, Patrick Carr, Brian Carr and their spouses, as well as her beloved 20 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, Jean would love a donation made to the Verona Rescue Squad, 12 Church Street, Verona, NJ 07044 or an act of kindness for someone in need performed in her name.
Condolences may be left at www.proutfuneralhome.com.