Edith A. Cavaluzzo, 97, died at home on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.  Edith, the daughter of the late W. Christopher and Frances (Woods) Collins was born in Charleroi, PA in 1926.  A resident of Bernardsville since 1949, she was the wife of the late John G. Cavaluzzo, former police chief in Bernardsville.

Thanks to an education provided by the Eleanor Roosevelt Cadet Nurses Corps, Edith became a Registered Nurse and worked foe many years at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Lyons.  It was there that she met John, cementing her lifelong connection to the Bernardsville area.

Settling in the Italian enclave on Bernardsville’s south side, Edith (an Irish girl) learned to speak Neapolitan Italian to communicate with her in-laws and neighbors, quickly becoming a trusted member of that vibrant community.

The mother of nine children, Edith is survived by her daughters, Celia Maietta of Bernardsville, Joan McHugh of Hopewell, NJ, Angela Dupouy (Parker) of Saunderstown, RI, Helen Walton (David) of Furlong, PA and Laura Cavaluzzo (Peter Craft) of Angwin, CA, and her son, Matthew Cavaluzzo of Basking Ridge, along with 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.  Sadly, she was preceded in death by her sons, Christopher, Marc and Jon, and her siblings, John Collins, Marie Keele, Frances Hirsch and Elizabeth Hardinger.

Edith was a great proponent of community involvement and service, lending her efforts to many civic organizations – from Borough governing boards to the VFW Auxiliary and the Bonafides to the senior citizens group, Chapter II, and the local chapter of AARP (both of which she helped found).  She also gave her time freely to her neighbors, family and friends, never hesitating to lend a hand in a health emergency or time of need.  A lifelong Catholic, she believed that we all have a responsibility to our fellow humans and lived her life in service to others.

Over the years, Edith’s generous spirit earned her several awards, including the VA Hospital Heart and Hands Award, the Bernardsville Outstanding Volunteer Award, the Somerset County Commission on Women Volunteerism Award, and the Millicent Fenwick Award, to name a few.

A lover of poetry and music – as apt to sing a saucy Irish ditty as to recite a Shakespearean sonnet – Edith instilled in her children a deep appreciation of the arts.  Her keen mind explored science, literature and the wonders of the natural world with equal gusto.  She was sharp-witted, unabashedly silly and quick to laugh.  She traveled the world and thrilled over new places, but was never more content than when she was at home, surrounded by the happy chaos of her large, loving family.  In the Cavaluzzo home, the door was always open and there was always room around the table for one more chair.  Though she will be dearly missed, Edith’s legacy of love and care will  never be forgotten.

A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 10:00am at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 111 Claremont Road, Bernardsville.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Edith’s honor to The Institute for Nursing, the charitable arm of the New Jersey State Nurse Association at http://www.institutefornursing.org/donate-now.  Arrangements are by Layton Funeral Home, 475 Main Street, Bedminster.