Obituary of Bridget T. DeCandia

Bridget DeCandia (née Martin) of Hackensack, N.J., passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at the age of 81. The daughter of Marcella Martin (née Harkin) and Hugh Martin Sr., Bridget was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on January 19, 1943. Known as "Bridge" or "Bridie" to her family, Bridget loved unconditionally and was our cherished rock. She helped raise her nephew and niece, Sean Martin and Felicia Sonmez, and was loved by everyone who knew her, from the many friends she made while working as a gift shop clerk at Hackensack University Medical Center for 14 years to the children she cared for as a nanny to several Bergen County families. She loved going on family trips to Cape May and Atlantic City; cooking delicious Irish and Italian dishes; watching classic movies and Broadway shows; and making her family laugh with quick witted jokes, even during the difficult final months of her battle with breast cancer. As a girl, Bridget loved watching Hollywood movies and dreamed of living in the United States. She moved to America in her early 20s to work as a nanny for a family in Northern New Jersey. A few years later, she married Felice DeCandia. As The Troubles in North Ireland intensified, Bridget brought her two younger sisters, Lily and Rita, to live with her in Hackensack. Her older brother, Hugh, later moved from Belfast to join her as well. Bridget was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Felice DeCandia; her brothers Hugh and Raymond; and her sister Maureen. She is survived by her sisters Rita, Lily and Patricia; her nephew Sean (Chantal); her nieces Felicia, Rita (Billy), Christina (Toby) and Donna (Tom); and her six grandnieces and-nephews. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity R.C. Church, 34 Maple Ave., Hackensack, on Friday, November 15, 2024. Entombment will follow at George Washington Memorial Park Cemetery in Paramus. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River, where Bridget received the most loving care we could ask for at the end of her life. Arrangements conducted by G. Thomas Gentile Funeral Home, 397 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ. To send condolences, directions, or for further information visit www. gentilefuneralservice.com