Maryann Kelly
KELLY, PFEIFAUF, CALDWELL
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 10/15/2019 at 12:08:12
Maryann Kelly, 80, passed away October 9, 2019 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM, Monday, October 14, 2019 at St. Thomas More in Coralville, with Father Chuck Adam officiating. The family will greet friends from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, prior to the funeral. A reception will follow the service. Burial services will be held in early November at St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Colonia, New Jersey. Maryann and Martin will be laid to rest with Maryann’s beloved parents, Frank and Marie, and her brother, Frank Jr.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Regina Foundation or Iowa City Hospice.
Maryann was born September 26, 1939 in Elizabeth, New Jersey to Frank and Marie Pfeifauf. She was born exactly 8 years to the day after her older brother, Frank Jr. Maryann – known almost exclusively as ‘Cooky’ to her Jersey friends – attended and graduated from Holy Rosary High School in Elizabeth, where she was captain of the Holy Rosary girls’ basketball team. After graduation Maryann worked for Thomas & Betts Corporation in New Jersey. There she was introduced to co-worker Marty Kelly, who pursued her relentlessly until their marriage on June 13, 1964.
Over the next few years in New Jersey, Marty and Maryann welcomed four children. In 1973 Marty had the opportunity to relocate to Iowa City as plant manager for a new Thomas & Betts facility. Maryann, reluctant to leave her friends and family in New Jersey, made Marty promise they would return to the east coast after three years. It took far less time for Maryann to realize that Iowa was where they wanted to raise their family, and they did just that. Marty and Maryann remained in the Iowa City area, becoming heavily involved in the lives of their children through Regina High School, Iowa City Swim Club and Iowa City Little League baseball.
It was during this time that Maryann developed her love of quilting. What started as a one-time project turned into a lifelong passion as Maryann hand-pieced and hand-quilted beautiful works for each of her children. Her very first quilt – The Missouri Puzzle – received national recognition as a finalist in a contest sponsored by Good Housekeeping magazine. Maryann continued to quilt with friends in various groups. She was a member of the Old Capitol Quilters Guild, collaborating on works that still hang in Mercy Hospital of Iowa City. She hand-pieced quilts for each of her 11 grandchildren.
In 2014 Marty and Maryann celebrated 50 years of marriage with friends and family. Less than one month later, Marty passed away on July 12th.
Maryann is survived by her four children and 11 grandchildren, Kristine (Jeff) Caldwell of Tampa, Florida with children Alexandra and James; Martin (Julie) Kelly of Lakeville, Minnesota with children Martin, Caroline, Thomas, Nathan and Claire; James (Anne) Kelly of Iowa City with children Jack and Rachel; and Ryan (Vanessa) Kelly of Phoenix, Arizona with children Cullen and Bennet.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen