Obituary of Eugene Thomas McCann

Eugene T. McCann, 76, of Basking Ridge, passed away peacefully on Sunday Dec 4, 2011 in Morristown, NJ, after a courageous battle with cancer. A Liturgy of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday Dec 7 at 10am at St. James Church, 184 Basking Ridge, NJ, followed by an entombment in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Basking Ridge. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family on Tuesday Dec 6 from 3-5pm and 7-9pm at the Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge. Gene has been a Basking Ridge resident for 35 years. He was born in New York, NY and lived in the Bronx and in Teaneck, NJ before settling in Basking Ridge in 1976. Gene was a proud member of the US Army and was stationed in Germany from 1954-1956. He worked for the United States Customs Service for 32 years, retiring as Deputy Chief Inspector covering Newark Airport and surrounding ports in 1997. He is survived by his wife Rita of 45 years, two daughters and sons in law Kathleen and Richard Doran, of Gladstone, NJ and Marie and Jim Hopta, of Flemington, NJ, five grandchildren, Erin, Owen, Luke, Sean and Annie, and one brother Frank McCann, of Bayonne, NJ. Gene enjoyed reading, spending time with friends and going on cruises, but his greatest joy was being with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. He took great pride in the growth and happiness of his family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Eugene's name to the Liberty Corner First Aid Squad P. O. Box 57, Liberty Corner, NJ 07938. For more information please contact the Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home at 908-766-0250 or to light an online condolence candle visit our website ww.gcfuneralhome.com.