Carl A. Kjellberg

Carl A. Kjellberg, Sr., 91, passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 4, 2023.

Carl was born to Karl Kjellberg and Mary McGlinchey, on April 14, 1932, in New York, New York. Carl was a devout, life-long Catholic, which manifested in his kindness and warm-heartedness. He was also a life-long New York Giants fan, and he witnessed two league championships and all four Super Bowls.

Carl grew up in Harlem playing handball on the streets near 136th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and football at Riverside Park. He was a track star at Manhattan Preparatory School, and he graduated from Manhattan College, majoring in Physics. While he was proud of his Swedish and Irish roots, Carl was first and foremost a patriotic American. He began his career in the United States Army, and he was awarded Outstanding Soldier for A Company, 1st Training Regiment. He worked as a Nuclear Physicist on the Los Alamos Nuclear Project. Subsequently, Carl had a successful, 50-year career in engineering and sales for specialized heating and ventilation equipment; his equipment still services many schools, hospitals, stadiums, and factories across New Jersey and New York.

Carl met the love of his life, Patricia, in New York in 1962. They married in 1963 and moved to northern New Jersey where they raised three children. Carl was a constant, deeply loving presence in the lives of his children and grandchildren. For nearly fifteen years, he was a football, baseball, and softball coach in both Woodcliff Lake and Upper Saddle River. A mentor and role model to so many, Carl volunteered with the Boy Scouts and was on the fundraising committees of Our Lady Mother of the Church and Church of the Presentation in Woodcliff Lake and Upper Saddle River, respectively. He retired in Little Egg Harbor, NJ and served on the finance committee for his community homeowners association.

Carl and Patricia were renowned for their dance moves and for graciously hosting gatherings of friends and family. Whether or not he landed a joke, his laughter and jovial smile lifted any room.  

Carl is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia, their three children, Carl, Jr., Karen-Ann, and Erik along with their spouses Jody, Kurt, and William. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Christopher (and his wife Katherine), Carl, Katherine, Karli, and Kellyn along with his great-grandchild, Theodore. Carl was predeceased by his brother, Henry, and his parents, Karl and Mary.

Carl will be deeply missed.

Visitation will be held on Monday from 5-8 PM at Van Emburgh-Sneider-Pernice Funeral Home, 109 Darlington Ave, Ramsey, NJ 07446.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 10 AM at Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Valhalla, NY. 

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