BY PATRICIA KELLER
WEST MILFORD — Valerie Weisman McGuinness prided herself on being a homemaker, or “domestic engineer at McGuinness” as she referred to her work position on her Facebook page, dedicating her life to caring for her husband, Pete, and their three children. With her bachelor's degree in elementary education, McGuinness was an asset to the school community as a whole, an active parent member and volunteer in several West Milford recreational and sports organizations, local PTAs, and most recently as a trustee on the West Milford board of education. She was appointed to the school board earlier this year and was slated to be on the ballot for the Nov. 4 public election to fill out the remaining two years for the position.
But tragedy struck the McGuinness family sometime on Saturday, Sept. 28, the day after McGuinness reportedly posted having a “great time” at a wedding on her Facebook page at approximately 11 p.m. At 47 years old and seemingly in good health, she had died. Cardiac arrest is suspected.
An outpouring of love and support
Friends and relatives gathered at the McGuinness family’s home Saturday in a tremendous outpouring of love and support, bearing food and condolences, expressing feelings of shock and disbelief over the news of her passing. Friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and even strangers from the community took to social media to express their feelings of heartbreak for the McGuinness family, and word soon spread across the township.
Residents on social media recalled McGuinness as being “kind,” “caring,” ‘involved,” “sweet,” “generous,” “genuine,” “a lovely woman;” one person said “there’s no person with a bigger heart,” “always about the kids,” and having a “great sense of humor.”
The district is saddened
A statement posted on the West Milford School District’s website by board of education President Inga Koeppe, read, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected loss of our friend and colleague, West Milford Township Board of Education Trustee Valerie McGuinness. Valerie was a lifelong educator, volunteer, and public servant to the students of our district and the entire West Milford community. Our prayers and condolences go out to her husband, Peter, their three beautiful children, and their entire family. As a Board, we will seek to continue Valerie's legacy of dedicated and selfless service to the West Milford educational community."
An asset to the township
Parents that attended “Back to School Night” at Upper Greenwood Lake School reported that Principal Daniel Novak referred to McGuinness in tribute, commenting that she was an asset to the school and the kids, even though her own children did not attend that school in particular; she was involved in many school organizations with goals for all children to be successful, he said.
A scholarship to honor her
The McGuinness family has set up a scholarship in her name for donations in lieu of flowers and food. The family established the Valerie A. McGuinness Scholarship Fund for those who would like to express their sympathies and honor her memory in a way most fitting to represent the person she was known to be. Donations for the memorial scholarship fund can be sent directly to:
Valerie A. McGuinness Scholarship Fund
120 Lincoln Ave.
West Milford, NJ 07480
Funeral arrangements
Visitation for McGuinness will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. at Richards Funeral Home, 1440 Union Valley Road. The funeral service will be held on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, at 11 a.m., at the West Milford Presbyterian Church, 1452 Union Valley Road.