Obituary of Gerard Kells

On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, Gerard Kells, loving husband of Kimberly Kells and father of three sons, passed away at 70.

Gerard, known as Gerry, was born on July 4, 1953, to William “Bill” Kells and C. Patricia “Pat” Kells. Gerry was a proud graduate of St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ in 1971, and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education from Boston College in 1975. His first job out of college was as the head of the Special Education department at Natick High School in Massachusetts. In 1978, he transitioned to a management position with Critikon, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson. Gerry remained with J&J for the next 31 years, demonstrating exceptional leadership within a variety of roles that took him to Brussels, Belgium to implement the Operations Institute in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and back stateside as the Director of Management, Education and Development at Corporate Headquarters, and ultimately as the Vice President of HR Operations & Technology before his retirement in 2010. In retirement, he served as a member of the Board of Directors with Bon Secours Mercy Health from 2010 until his death.

Gerry was married to Kim, his high school sweetheart, and they were in their 50th year of marriage. Together, they traveled the world, and raised three sons, Conor, Ryan, and Brendan. Gerry was renowned for his ability to listen with empathy and patience, and to navigate difficult conversations. He was an avid golfer and particularly treasured memories of his golfing trip to Ireland with his three sons, and his countless rounds with friends at The Classics in Naples, Florida. As a superfan of the Boston College Eagles, Gerry cherished hosting tailgates for BC football games for well over a decade, and his enthusiasm for the team never wavered, regardless of their record. Above all else, Gerry’s greatest joy came from time spent with family and he adored his role as “Pop Pop” for his six grandchildren.

Gerry was preceded in death by his father Bill, his mother Pat, and his brother Bill. He is survived by his wife Kim, sons Conor and daughter-in-law Lauren, Ryan and daughter-in law Kathryn, Brendan and daughter-in-law Meredith, grandchildren Henry, Cordelia, Benjamin, Noah, Mireann, and Caelan, sister Kathy and brother-in-law Chris, brother Jeff, mother-in-law Bea, brothers-in-law Bob and Jim, and by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The visitation for Gerry will be held on June 7th, 2024 from 4 to 7 pm at Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors at 650 Lawrence Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on June 8th at 9:30 am at The Church of St. Ann, 1253 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.  Attendees are asked to arrive no later than 9:15AM for the mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Gerry’s memory to The Alzheimer’s Foundation.  The link to donate is: https://alzfdn.org/donate/