Margaret "Rita" (Murray) Gallagher

Margaret “Rita” Gallagher, (nee Murray), 85, passed away on Monday, December 29, 2025 in Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, NJ.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit at the Thiele-Reid Family Funeral home, 585 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, NJ on Friday, January 2 from 2 to 6 p.m. A prayer service will begin at 5:30 p.m. Cremation will be private.

Born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, Rita immigrated to the United States in 1963 and lived in Kearny.

She was a Cafeteria Worker for Servomation Refreshments and worked in the Gateway building in Newark, NJ. for many years.

Mrs. Gallagher was so proud to be from Scotland and loved her homeland. She would travel on the bus with the Scot’s American Club of Kearny every year to Manhattan to attend the Tartan Day Parade.  She was a huge fan of Rod Stewart and attended many of his concerts. She was a member of the Xaverian Guild. She loved bingo and Atlantic City and went often with many of her dear friends. Spending time with her beloved grandchildren and family was what was most important to her.

She is survived by her children, Angela Sylvester (and her husband Anthony), Jacqueline Boyle, John C. Gallagher (and his partner Dominique), and four grandchildren, Alyssa, Amanda and Andrea Sylvester and William J. Boyle.

Rita was predeceased by her husband, John “Jack” Gallagher and two brothers, Val and Alec Murray.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margaret "Rita" (Murray) Gallagher, please visit our floral store.