Anne Virginia Dowie (neé Kelly), 96, of Jupiter, Florida, formerly of Kearny, died peacefully at home on June 24, 2022.
Born March 29, 1926 in North Arlington, New Jersey, she spent most of her life in New Jersey before moving to Jupiter, Florida in 2001.
Anne was the youngest daughter of a working-class family hit hard by the Great Depression. In 1939, she began dating the love of her life, John Dowie, who returned from the Pacific Theater of World War II, with a Purple Heart.
They were married for 65 years until his death in 2015.
Together, they embodied the American Dream, both graduating from Kearny High School, raising two children and sharing long careers in public service for the town of Kearny — Anne in the Construction Code Department and secretary to the Planning and Zoning boards.
“Nana,” as her grandchildren called her, would advise them to “always maintain your dignity” and to put any money she gave them right in the bank. She was a devoted supporter of opportunities for young women through her work with the Philanthropic & Educational Organization (PEO) and volunteered at the Jupiter Lighthouse well into her 90s.
She was also crazy for Frank Sinatra, who she most enjoyed listening to with a Dewars on the rocks.
Anne was predeceased by her husband John, her two big sisters Gertrude and Mary and her parents Frank and Catherine Kelly. She leaves behind her son, retired Kearny Police Chief John Dowie and his wife Ann of Kearny; her daughter Suzanne DeLuca and husband Jeffrey of Jupiter, Florida; and her five grandchildren Catherine and Jonathan Dowie and Jeff, Joshua and Jesse DeLuca.
We invite you to share in a celebration of life service Friday, July 29, at 3 p.m. at the Abacoa Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida. In lieu of flowers, please make gifts to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or Autism Speaks.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.