Catherine Margaret Mary Cecilia "Kitty" Horan (nee O'Flaherty) of West Deptford, N.J., formerly of Newark, N.J., passed away on May 2, 2012, after a short illness. She was 84. The funeral is from the S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home, (www.swbrownandson.com), 267 Centre St., Nutley, N.J., on Saturday at 9 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary's Church, Nutley, at 10 a.m., followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington, N.J. Relatives and friends will be received at the funeral home on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. Mrs. Horan was born in Newark, N.J., on May 7, 1927, and lived most of her life there before moving to West Deptford 25 years ago. She was the daughter of William and Anna O'Flaherty. Growing up in St. Columba Parish in Newark with her parents and sisters, Mrs. Horan's early years were shaped by her love of family, her deep faith, and her proud Irish heritage. As a child, she was an accomplished Irish step dancer and she imparted a love of Gaelic history and heritage to her children and grandchildren. At family gatherings, she would often break into song and entertain her family with Irish songs. She was famous for her New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day parties and her incredible generosity. Mrs. Horan worked for New Jersey Bell (now Verizon) for over 20 years, retiring in 1985 as a manager in the data center. She is survived by her daughters, Kathleen Horton, Barbara Vitale and her husband, Joseph, and Sheila Cavallo; and her son, Michael Horan and his wife, Maribel. She is also survived by her sisters, Maureen Groseclose and Theresa Nardone, and by her beloved grandchildren, William Horton, Amy Horton, Bryan Horton, Katherine Vitale Lopez, Jason Horan, Toni-Anne Cavallo, Christine Cavallo and Kelli Horan. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren, Kylie and Abbie Gill, Trent Horton and William Lopez. Mrs. Horan was predeceased by her husband, Robert, a sergeant in the Newark, N.J., police department, and by a brother, William, who died in childhood. She will be greatly missed by her sons-in-law, Tony Cavallo and Robert Horton and his wife, Dionne, as well as Billy and Diane Castner and their family, and finally, Michael Estler and Derek Kotter, all for whom she had a special love and affection. She is also survived by a large extended family that includes George Nardone, Tyler Groseclose, Eunice Horton, Jeremy Lopez and Stacey Horan, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Those who knew her knew she was a woman in love with life. She often said she was the richest woman in the world because her family's love for her was worth gold. But it was we who were enriched by her presence; no one was kinder, funnier or more loving. No one had better stories or sang a lovelier song or cared more about righting injustice, whether it was halfway around the world or down the block. She is gone from this world but happy in the next. We will miss her but know that she will always be with us, especially wherever we gather for a family party.