Obituary

Gary Charles Conley, born on March 1, 1943, in South Amboy, NJ passed on to his final resting place on August 30,2025 at age 82 in his hometown of Phillipsburg, NJ. He was the son of the late Wilbur and Mary, and the husband of his dear wife of 58 years Paula Ellen Conley.

Gary was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him. He was a unique, and charismatic man. He loved to talk to anyone who would listen about music, his time overseas, the railroad and everything/anything else. His journey on this earth was one marked by love, compassion, and kindness. His passing has left a void in the hearts of his family, friends, and many more whose lives were touched by him. We ask that you remember him not for the way his life ended, but for the way it was lived, and for each moment that was spent with him.

Gary was preceded in death by his sister Kathleen, brother Michael, nephew Joe and most recently his only son Gary Michael.

Gary is survived by his wife Paula, cherished grandsons Gary E, Shane and his wife Kaitlyn, Brandon and Caeden Conley; the great grandchildren that he was in awe of Luis and Abel; nieces and nephews Tom and Renee Hopkins, Michele O'Brien, Calleen and Craig Conley ; many great nieces and nephews; along with a host of friends that were so important to him Randolph, Frank, Rich, Lou and Bobby.

Gary served our US Army from 1963-1969. He retired from NJ Transit, later Conrail. If Gary ever grabbed your ear, you could appreciate the stories he would tell. He loved his indoor and outdoor animals with his whole heart. He lived his life freely and taught his son and grandsons through sharing his own life lessons. He is well known for his special sandwich that he faithfully made every day. He loved everything music from Deep Purple to Tony Bennett and back in the day he could dance like no other. He loved college football, the Raiders, and his weed.

The Celebration of Life service to honor the life of Gary Charles Conley will be held on September 6, 2025, at the park next to his home. The family kindly requests donations to: https://www.gofund.me/c2a6c1ab

The money raised will go toward helping his wife through this difficult time.

‍Although Gary's physical presence may no longer grace our lives, he will always be with us. May his memory be a blessing, and may we carry forth his legacy of love and compassion in all that we do, remembering that life is not measured by time, it's measured by moments.