Obituary of Mary Quirk

Mary Quirk (née Vorbach) was born on July 23, 1925 in Kearny, New Jersey to George and Anna Vorbach (née Reilley). She was their second child, born five years after her sister Georgianna.

Mary graduated from St Bishop Catholic High School in Newark. She was married to Robert Quirk on June 7th 1947. They had four children: the eldest, David was born on March 15, 1948, Teresa, born June 6, 1949, Kathleen born June 7, 1950, and Barbara born June 8, 1951. She even got a mention in the local newspaper for having three kids one day apart three years in a row! Mary moved to Montclair in 1973 where she lived the rest of her life. She was in the same apartment on Seymour Street for over 40 years! After her kids were grown Mary worked for Prudential Insurance Company in Newark for 15 years from 1989 until she retired in 2004 at 79 years old!. Mary never learned to drive and would take up to 3 buses to get to work! But she was never late once!

Mary was a devout Catholic. She attended church every Sunday until she was physically unable to do so. She also donated to many Catholic charities. 

Mary attended business school but always talked about wanting to take classes at Montclair St University because she loved learning so much. She loved doing crossword puzzles. She was an avid reader. Her favorite author was Agatha Christie who's books she would read over and over. She did not care for television. "Who has time for that nonsense." she would say. But she always made sure to keep up on current events and could hold her own in any political conversation of the day. Mary liked to keep busy whether it was cooking, cleaning, or cutting coupons. She didn't like sitting around not doing anything. She was very thrifty and never wasteful. Mary was still doing her own cooking and cleaning and would walk to the store for her groceries well into her 90s!

Mary loved to travel. Her number one travel partner was her sister and best friend Georgianna (Georgie). Whether it was visiting Zion National Park in Utah where Mary said, she could feel the presence of God in the majesty of the cannons or just a spontaneous trip into New York City, or a leisurely hop to the Jersey Shore. Mary and Georgie loved traveling across the US. And really just loved being together. Mary also loved driving with her daughters Kathleen and Teresa to Virginia where her granddaughter Leigh lived for many years.

However, those were just things she enjoyed doing. What truly made Mary so great was how she treated people. Just spending a few minutes with her brightened your day and made you feel better about yourself. She had that presence about her. Everyone who came in contact with her walked away saying what a nice, genuine person she was. Even with dementia, at the end of her life, the employees at the nursing home she spent her final years at, Family of Caring, would say how everyone loved Mary. She loved each person for who they were. She was an amazing woman, there was not a dishonest bone in her body. She'd give the shirt off her back to someone if she could. Words truly can't express how wonderful and beautiful of a human being she was. She was the center of our family and she will be truly and deeply missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents George and Anna, her sister Georgiana Nye (who made it to 101!), her ex-husband Robert, her son David, and her daughter Barabara. She is survived by her daughters Katheen Quirk and Teresa Quirk. Her granddaughter Leigh Locklin, her grandsons Jamil Rashid, Ryan Rashid (Morgan Rashid), and Michael Samson. Her great-grandchildren Kayla Rashid,  Allen Samson, Michael Samson, Ameilia Samson, Isabel Rashid, Abigail Rashid, and Norah Rashid. 

Relatives and Friends are invited to attend the visitation at the Hugh M. Moriarty Funeral Home, 76 Park St, Montclair, NJ 07042 from 10-11AM on June 16th. A mass of Christian Burial will follow at Immaculate Conception Church, 30 North Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042 at 11:30 AM. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery. In memory of Mary her family is asking you to consider sending flowers to her service since she had such a great love and appreciation of their beauty.