Ann "Nancy" Ruane Minton

Ann (“Nancy”) Marie Ruane Minton passed peacefully on December 24, 2020 surrounded by her loving family. Born in Scranton, PA on February 19, 1935, Nancy was the fourth of six siblings in a devout Irish Catholic family. Nancy’s life was grounded in her faith, selflessness, hard work, honesty, integrity, kindness, and philanthropy. She will be remembered for her bright smile, sense of humor, positive outlook on life, and her service to others.  Even when times were tough, Nancy dedicated her time and resources to supporting many local and national faith-based charities focused on women, children and families in need. 

Nancy graduated from West Side High School in Newark, NJ. With a love of mathematics, she embarked on a 14-year career at the Prudential while in high school. In 1965, she married, undertaking her life’s greatest achievement - raising her beautiful five children. In 1972, she joined her sister and brother-in-law, Marie and Jerry Toohey, to form General Valve Corporation, which they worked tirelessly to build until its acquisition in 1995.

Despite being a working single mother, Nancy was always present in her children’s lives. By example, she taught them they could accomplish anything through hard work, perseverance, and unwavering integrity. She was adventurous and independent, teaching her children to ski, swim, camp, bowl, play tennis, fish, and garden, and took the family on annual vacations to the Jersey Shore, Poconos and Catskills. Nancy deeply valued education, returning to college once her children reached high school.

Having not taken one sick day in her 27 years with General Valve, Nancy settled into well deserved “retirement” in 2000.  A devoted Catholic, Nancy attended daily mass and cherished her time saying the Rosary especially with her close “Soul Sister” friends. Well into her mid-eighties before her neurodegenerative disease slowed her down, Nancy continued her volunteer work at St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen in Newark, with Catholic Voices, and as the Managing Director of Birthright Montclair.  Nancy loved to travel and enjoyed visiting her children in California, Virginia, Europe and South America.   

Nancy was predeceased by her beloved second husband Robert Minton (1997), her loving third husband Jack Wickens (2020), her parents, Winifred and Gerald Ruane, and five siblings, John, Marie, Gerald, Elenore, and Donald.  Nancy is survived by her five children: Sean Aylward (and Megan) of Wyckoff, NJ, Christine Aylward of San Francisco, CA, Cynthia Aylward of Rumson, NJ, Kara Aylward of Falls Church, VA, and Andrew (and Katy) Aylward of Oakton, VA, her 13 grandchildren: Liam, Maggie, Brendan and Danny Aylward, Eve Spalding, Alina, Cece and Elise Arko, Alexander and Christopher Louloudakis, and Hayes, Grayson, and Conley Aylward, and her extended family, especially Frances, Gerard, Martin, Judith, and Timothy Toohey, her godchildren, many cousins, nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces. Nancy’s family is eternally grateful to her daughter Cynthia for her care of Nancy in her final year. 

The family will hold a celebration of life and memorial mass at a later date at St. Aloysius Church, Caldwell, NJ.  If you would like to honor Nancy’s memory, please donate your time or resources to a local charity supporting women, children and families in need. 

Arrangements were entrusted to Shore Point Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., 3269 State Highway/Route 35 North, Hazlet, New Jersey 07730.  Nancy will be laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover, New Jersey.  For information or to send condolences to the family, please visit, www.shorepointfh.com.