Obituary of Mary Ellen Buoye

Mary Ellen “Mell” Buoye  (nee Mahon) of Manchester Township, NJ and Riverbend Country Club in Tequesta, FL passed away peacefully at her home on October 8^th.  She was surrounded by her loving husband of 60 years, Thomas J. Buoye, and her 4 devoted children, Sean (Dawn), Thomas M. (Margot), Cathleen (Buoye) Helmlinger (Neal) and Joseph (Noreen).

Born and raised in County Leitrim in Ireland, Mell immigrated to New Jersey in 1958.  As a homemaker and bank employee, Mell and husband Tom raised their family in their strong Catholic faith in West Orange.  In recent years, Mell and Tom split their time between Manchester Township, NJ and Riverbend in Florida, keeping busy with friends and family in both places.

Mell was active in many organizations over the years, including the Irish-American Societies of the Oranges, the Rosary Society of Our Lady of Lourdes, as well as the Renaissance Irish-American Society in Manchester.   She and Tom were active participants for several years with Project Children, which brought children from Northern Ireland to experience summers of peace in the US.   She has been honored by multiple groups, including the Sons of St. Patrick and the Eagle Rock Civic Association for her tireless work in helping Michael Mullan, a Northern Irish boy whom the Buoyes sponsored in the US as he underwent surgeries to allow him to walk.

Mell loved Irish music, telling jokes, dancing, traveling, and over time even enjoyed golf.     

She is survived by her sisters Teresa O’Reilly and Margaret Fitzpatrick,and her sister in law Marguerite Sharkey, and preceded in death by her devoted parents John Joseph Mahon and Ellen (nee Keaney) Mahon , brothers Patrick (“Sonny’), John, and William (“Leo”) Mahon .  She had 11 adoring grandchildren – Rachel, Ryan (Kathryn), Connor, Leo, Austin, Emma, Shane and Lauren Buoye, Chelsea Beaupre (David) and Gregory and Kyle Helmlinger.