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Obituary for Grace D. Egan
Grace Dorothy (Olsen) Egan – Obituary
Grace Olsen Egan passed away peacefully on December 11, 2019, at the age of 96 in Morristown, NJ.
Born in Brooklyn, NY on September 18, 1923, Grace was the eldest of five children to Grace (Collins) and Harold Olsen. She attended St. Agnes Academy, Rockville Center, NY and Seton Hill College, Greensburg, PA. where she was elected to the Alpha Lambda Delta honor fraternity. She completed her college studies at St. Joseph’s College for Women, Brooklyn, NY where she was awarded a B.A. in English Literature. Following graduation, she was a copywriter for several advertising agencies in NY, and during WWII she was a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy.
Grace married Roger E. Egan (1921-2008) in 1949 and raised five children in Convent Station, NJ.
Throughout her life, Grace was a dedicated volunteer in her community. She served as a volunteer fund raiser for The United Way of Morris County and was the first woman to serve as the Board Secretary of that group. She served as President of R.E.A.C.H, a women’s referral center at the College of St. Elizabeth, Convent Station, NJ. Grace held a number of leadership roles at the American Red Cross including Chairman of Volunteers for the Morris Area Red Cross and Executive Director of the Morris Area Red Cross (1971 to 1978), the McLean County (IL) Red Cross, and the New Britain (CT) Red Cross. Grace was an active member of The Women’s Club of Morristown and a longtime parishioner of the Church of the Assumption in Morristown.
Grace loved literature, education and travel. After retiring to Osborn Island, NJ, she and her husband formed a freelance editing specialty company and PenRose Publishing Co. Grace was dedicated to her faith and in 1997, she was inducted as a Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
Grace is survived by her children Roger Egan, Gregory Egan, David Egan, Mary Jo (Paul) Woodford, and Laura Egan; by grandchildren Roger, Michael, Alex, Max, Megan, Alanna, Christopher, Farrell, Tess, Darragh, Morgan, Molly, Madeline, and Gregory; by great-grandchildren Micaela Grace, Emma, Annabelle, Sadie, Wyatt, Aiden, and William; and by her siblings Ruth (Olsen) Rogers and James Olsen. She was predeceased by her husband, Roger E. Egan.
She has been admired throughout her life for her remarkable strength and independence, her commitment to her family and community, her kindness and love, and her adventurous spirit and grace.
Her life will be celebrated with a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 10:00am at the Church of the Assumption in Morristown, NJ. Hours of visitation on Friday, December 13, 2019 from 4-8pm at Doyle Funeral Home, 106 Maple Ave, Morristown, NJ.
Donations in her memory may be made to The American Red Cross.
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