Lavin, Bridget (nee Coleman), age 78, of Ridgewood, NJ passed away peacefully on Wednesday July 12, 2017. Loving mother of Jean Lavin (and partner Ian Morgan), James, and Thomas (and wife Amanda), grandmother to Liam and Henry Lavin.  Beloved sister of Michael Coleman of Tuam, Ireland and wife Christina, pre-deceased by sisters Mary Aliscio, Nora Egan, and Joan McHugh, and brother Walter.  Much loved aunt of several nieces and nephews in the U.S., Ireland, Birmingham UK and Edinburgh.  Cherished friend to many wonderful people she shared loads of laughs and lunches with, and who will sorely miss her.
Born in Togher, Tuam, Galway Ireland to Ann Carroll and Walter Coleman, Bridget first left Ireland’s shores for England - first Swindon, then London. One London job was as a ticket collector on double-decker buses. Before long, she followed her sisters to New York, living first on the Upper East Side, conveniently near all the dance halls she loved to frequent, where she met her husband James. After marrying, they moved to the Bronx, before settling in Glen Rock, NJ, where she resided for over 30 years.

Bridget, or Bridie, as many loved ones called her, was a force of nature. Opinionated, feisty, funny, brave, strong, tough, caring and kind. A woman who never owned a driver’s license, but got where she needed to go on her trusty bike and two legs.

Bridie always said she wanted to be a nurse.  And while she never went down the formal path, her caring nature always shone through.  On Thanksgiving, she’d bring leftovers to friends who lived alone. On other occasions, she’d leave homemade soup or Irish Soda Bread for those who needed nourishment.

For a period she worked for a pharmaceutical company, Boron Lepore in Fair Lawn, cooked in the rectory at St. Catharine’s Church in Glen Rock for the priests, and later moved on to her role taking care of Emily, Olivia, Luke, and Elise D’Alessandro, who she loved dearly.

Though she had a myriad of cancers and heart issues, they did not define her.  She battled back from every operation, chemo treatment, heart procedure - positive attitude intact.  Throughout it all, she continued to spend time gardening, tooling around on her bike throughout Ridgewood and having her occasional Manhattan.

Over the years, she took several trips to Ireland, heading back to Galway to visit her beloved brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews and old friends. One trip was just a day after she had finished a six-month chemo round.  Bridie was not going to cancel.  When a flight attendant suggested a Guinness into her routine, she soldiered on, which was her trademark.

Bridie’s stellar sense of humor, kind nature, bluntness and generosity will be missed by many.  Thank you Mom for fighting the good fight, and staying in our lives for as long as you did.  Thank you for your kindness, thank you for giving, and thank you for the joy you brought to everyone.

A wake will be held at Feeney’s Funeral Home at 232 Franklin Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ on Sunday, July 16 from 3-7 p.m.  A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, July 17 at St. Catharine’s R.C. Church, 905 S. Maple Ave, Glen Rock NJ.  
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to Shriners Hospitals for Children or The Trustees of Columbia University, ‘The Pancreas Center'.

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