Gloria Monahan

Gloria Margaret Monahan (nee Schroback) 100 years old, from Midland Park, NJ,
formally from Palisades Park, passed peacefully Thursday April 2 nd , 2026, surrounded
by her loving family.
Gloria was born May 13,1925 in Hoboken NJ to Margaret and Hugo Schroback. Gloria
was predeceased by her husband, James (1997), two brothers Edmund and Frederick
(Ruth), and sisters-in law Sr Mary Kathleen OP, Rita and Eileen, and daughter-in-law,
Janice.
Gloria is survived by her eleven children James (Gayle), John, Mary (Terence) Hayes,
Brian, Michael (Lisa), Richard, Neil (Michelle), Peggy (William) Ryan, Jeanne (David),
Gloria (John) Solecitto and Joseph (Colleen). Her real legacy for the next 100+ years
will be her twenty-four grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren to date! Gloria is
also survived by several nieces and nephews. Every one of which she loved and adored
immensely. Stressing the importance of education, Gloria & Jim started a college fund
upon the birth of each grandchild; Karyn, Jamie, Molly, Kristen, Matt, David, Brian,
Ashley, Elizabeth, Danielle, Kathryn, Caitlyn, Billy, Kevin, Jessica, Jackie, Jeff, Juliet,
Jason, Marc, Austin, Shannon, Patrick, and Ryan.
Gloria’s devotion to family was driven by her challenging early years in a broken family
and living with “relatives” during the depression. As a teenager Gloria worked at Hudson
Trust Bank where she met her future husband, James Aloysius Monahan. In 1949, they
were married at St. Aloysius in Jersey City after waiting for Jim to return from service in
WWII and graduate college. They began their family in East Rutherford, then
Philadelphia, before settling in Palisades Park for almost seven decades. Gloria was
lovingly cared for during her last five years by Manana her angel, to whom all the
Monahan family is forever grateful.
Gloria and Jim were devote Catholics and an integral part of the church and community,
dedicating their lives to St. Michael’s Catholic Church and the launch of its School
where all their children attended. Gloria was the first President of the Mother’s Guild
while pregnant with her 10 th child! The Bergen Record indeed declared her “Mother of
the Year” in a 70’s Mother’s Day article.
Gloria was an incredibly loving, caring, strong-willed and selfless person who loved the
beach, sitting on her front porch, reading, crossword puzzles, scrabble, watching
Jeopardy and gatherings with her family. She left an indelible mark on all she touched
and knew. She will be remembered for her sense of humor, love and devotion to those
she held dear and will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Services for Gloria will be held at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue
Wyckoff, NJ on Friday April 10 th from 4pm to 8pm. Her funeral mass will be held at St.
Michael’s Church, 19 E. Central Boulevard, Palisades Park NJ on Saturday April 11 th at

10 A.M. She will be buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, 340 Ridge Road, North Arlington
NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Gloria’s memory can be made to St. Jude’s. stjude.org

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