Obituary of Mary D. Coghlan

Mary D. Coghlan, born Maria Rotar, December 25, 1926 in Hoboken, NJ to Croatian Immigrants Anton and Ursalina (Ribaric) Rotar, Mary passed peacefully at St. Joseph University Medical Center Sunday, July 31, 2022.  The middle child of 5, Mary grew up in Hoboken during the depression. An exceptional student, she was the first of her family to graduate high school and immediately entered the workforce as a Physician Assistant and then a Clerk at Keuffel & Esser.  

She met and married the love of her life James J. Coghlan in Jersey City in February 1952.  Together they raised their family and were partners in several business ventures: The Bamboo Man Nursery, Suburban Real Estate, Coghlan Appraisal Company and Station Plaza Realty.  Among her many life’s accomplishments, she appeared alongside her husband James aka “The Bamboo Man” on the Johnny Carson show in 1962. She was a voracious reader of westerns and historical fiction and an animal lover passing on both passions to her children.  Mary was a gifted storyteller and artist and often engaged her grandchildren in the creation of both forms of art to which they all cherish these memories.  Her favorite painting was The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh.

She is survived by her eight children; Kathleen Jordan, Mary Ellen Coghlan, James (Jane) Coghlan, Brendan (Cheryl) Coghlan, Colin (Ivy) Coghlan, Patrice (Ron) Miller, Liam (Mary Ann) Coghlan and Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh. Her grandchildren; James, Katie, Caitlin, Bill, Colleen, Brett, Tara, Kylie, Shannon, Darby, Aidan, Casey, Gavin, Nadia, Declan, Ally, Celeste, and Emmett.  And by her six great granddaughters; Charlotte, Margaret, Kateri, Riley, Elisabeth, and Adrienne.  She is also survived by her sister-in-law Elizabeth Rotar, many nieces, nephews, their spouses, and children.

She is predeceased by her husband James J. Coghlan, her granddaughter Kristin Marie, her siblings Wanda Zaremba, Anna Paulich, Helen Welker, and John Rotar. 

She is also predeceased by her in-laws Charles Zaremba, John Paulich, Bill Welker, Edmond “Patty” Coghlan, Amelia Coghlan, Mary Coughlin, Frances Ryan, George Coughlan, and Lillian Coughlan. 

Visitation will be on Thursday, August 4 from 2-4pm and 7-9pm at T.S. Purta Funeral Home, 22 Glenmere Ave., Florida, NY and a Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, August 5 at 10am at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, 20 Glenmere Ave., Florida, NY.  Interment to follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Florida, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Daughters of Miriam-Activities Program, Attn: Fred Fienstein, 135 Hazel St, Clifton, NJ 07011.