JEAN MARIE (BIEGEN) McADAM, 89, of Howell, passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, comforted by her family at her home. Mrs. McAdam was born in Union City, NJ, on Jan. 29, 1928, and lived in Colonia, NJ, Kansas City, MO, East Brunswick, NJ, Flemington, NJ, and Oakton, VA, before settling in Howell 32 years ago. Her beloved husband of 62 years, Edwin, a World War II US Navy Veteran and chemist for Mobil Oil Corporation, passed away in 2012. Jean was an office secretary in New York for the R. T. Vanderbilt Co. and then a legal secretary in Union City before she married Edwin. She was a faithful communicant at St. Veronica's Roman Catholic Church in Howell. Jean was always an active volunteer in each Catholic parish where she lived. She taught Religious Education at St. Andrew's Parish while living in Kansas City.
Jean was predeceased by her parents, Anthony and Madeleine Biegen; her brothers, Francis, Anthony, Vincent and John Biegen; and her sister, Carole Biegen. She is survived by her brother, Quentin Biegen and his wife, Anne of Troy, MI; her sisters-in-law, Bernice Biegen of Manalapan, NJ, and Therese Gorman of Haledon, NJ; and her brother-in-law, Charles McAdam of Secaucus, NJ.
She leaves behind her three children and their spouses; the Hon. Michael R. McAdam and Sheila of Kansas City, MO, Rosemary Piela and Charles of Venice, FL, and Krisanne Alino and Christopher of Brick, NJ.
She also leaves seven grandchildren; Jennifer McAdam and her husband, Matt Johnson of Kansas City, MO, Sarah Jones and her husband, Manolito of Leawood, KS, Joseph McAdam and his wife, Frances of Los Angeles, CA, Katie Piela of Howell, NJ, and Matt Piela of Columbia, MD, and Christian and Hunter Alino of Brick, NJ.
She lived long enough to travel to Kansas City to hold and enjoy her four precious great-grandchildren, Miles Roland, Evelyn Elizabeth and Malcolm Edwin Johnson and Alexandria Quinn Jones. Finally, the family wishes to acknowledge Jean's dearest friend, Alison Bishop and her husband, Tom of Howell.
Jean loved and was devoted to her family. She somehow combined a fondness for poetry with an intense desire to read the sordid details of current events. Over the years she helped keep multiple magazines and numerous newspapers in business. She enjoyed a good laugh, a good meal and the Hallmark channel. She loved Christmas like a 6 year old. The week before she died, she was trying to figure out a way to go to the annual Biegen family reunion in her favorite place in the whole world-the Catskill Mountains. After her husband Edwin passed away, her constant and loyal companion was her little dog, Sunshine, a/k/a Sunny. Despite her leukemia and the passing of her beloved husband, parents and siblings, Jean lived a long and happy life. Jean was the matriarch of the Biegen family, as well as our dear mother. She will be greatly missed. We love you, Mom.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend her visitation from 4-7 PM on Sunday, July 23, 2017, at the GEORGE S. HASSLER FUNERAL HOME, 980 Bennetts Mills, Jackson Twp., NJ 08527. Her Funeral Liturgy will be offered at 10:30 AM on Monday, July 24, 2017, at the Church of St. Veronica, 4215 Rt. 9 North, Howell Twp., NJ 07731. Please meet at 10:15 AM at the church. Interment will follow in Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 350 Province Line Rd., Arneytown, NJ 08562. In lieu of flowers, greatly appreciated contributions may be made in memory of Mrs. McAdam to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942, or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123. For directions, further information, and to send condolence messages to the family, please select a tab on the left.