Obituary of Raymond Donnelly

Raymond E. Donnelly, Jr., 58, of Freehold Township passed away on Monday, July 26th, after a courageous and gallant battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Mr. Donnelly was born in Patterson, NJ, and had lived in Ridgefield Park, NJ, before moving to Freehold Township 9 years ago. He was a graduate of Ridgefield Park High School, Class of 1969. He was a U.S. Army veteran serving during Vietnam. Ray was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather. His passion for music was only surpassed by his devotion to his family. He was a singer, songwriter, actor and avid Yankees fan. He will always be remembered for his smile, his love of life and his unfailing faith in God. He was predeceased by his parents, Ida and Raymond Donnelly, Sr. He is survived by his beloved wife, Linda, of Freehold Township; 2 daughters, Allison Hoffmann and her husband, Thomas, of Howell and Jennifer Sanita and her husband, Jason, of Bethlehem, PA; 2 granddaughters, Kailee and Aimee Hoffmann; a brother, Gerard, and a sister, Marie; his nephews, Peter and Gerard and Niece, Angela, and a large extended family of devoted aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Visiting at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Thursday, July 29th from 7-9 PM and Friday, July 30th, from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Friends and relatives are invited to attend the Rite of Committal at 9:00 AM on Saturday at the funeral home followed by his 10:00 AM Funeral Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, 61 George Road, Freehold Township, NJ. Interment will follow in Adelphia Cemetery, Howell, NJ. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ray's memory to The ALS Assoc. of Greater New York Chapter, 42 Broadway, Suite 1724, New York, NY 10004 or Joan Dancy & Pals, P. O. Box 8157, Red Bank, NJ 07701. For directions, information or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfunerahome.com.