Teri Carr, cherished and beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, teacher, and fellow parishioner passed peacefully and surrounded by family at home in West Caldwell on Friday, September 15. Her warmth, caring spirit, wise counsel, generosity, and humor will be greatly missed.
Teri was born in Yonkers, New York, and grew up in Montclair, New Jersey with her parents and 8 brothers and sisters. She loved being part of a big, boisterous household, and she relished being the first to welcome people to the family, as in-laws and (especially) babies. She loved her big extended family, summers in Marshfield, Massachusetts (“my favorite view in the world”), and giving her grandchildren presents with a “wow” factor.
Teri graduated from Immaculate Conception High School and earned a degree in accounting from Seton Hall, the alma mater of all her siblings. Later, she got a master’s degree in special education from Montclair State University.
Her whole professional life, Teri said her calling was to be a teacher, regretting only that she didn’t begin teaching sooner. She devoted herself entirely to elementary and high school students in Caldwell/West Caldwell and then to students at West Essex Regional High School. She brought skill and empathy to every student she helped. She was motivated through her whole twenty-five year career by deep care for others, particularly those most in need.
That same caring spirit informed Teri’s lifelong and unwavering Catholic faith. The Church was an important part of her daily life. For more than 20 years, she prepared Catholic couples for marriage through Pre Cana. She served on Cursillo teams for many years and eventually became Lay Director of the Cursillo movement for the Archdiocese of Newark, helping people deepen and express their faith in their everyday lives.
Anyone who experienced Teri’s warmth, love, and generosity regarded it as an extraordinary blessing. Teri was predeceased by her parents, Peter and Marion Kiernan and her sister, Maureen Kiernan.
Teri is survived by Patrick, her husband of 43 years; three children, PJ (Kendra), Mary (Charles) and Thomas; grandchildren Kara Meyn, Nathan Meyn, and Beckett Carr; and her siblings, Peter Kiernan, Christopher Kiernan, Thomas Kiernan, James Kiernan, Joseph Kiernan, Diane Hoye and Marianthony Hough. She is also survived by in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins in the Kiernan, Carr and Munning families.
Visiting will be at the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Monday, September 18 from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Notre Dame Church in North Caldwell on Tuesday, September 19th at 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to MEND Hunger Relief Network at
https://mendnj.org/donate/
