Mary Ellen James
1944 – 2026
Mary Ellen James, a fiercely independent woman who was devoted to her family and career, passed away peacefully on January 16, 2026, in Brick Township, New Jersey. She was 81.
A mother of three, Mary Ellen loved cooking, sewing, and tending to her garden and orchids at her home in Little Egg Harbor Township. In a life marked by profound loss, she continued to find meaning by sharing memories and creating new ones with those she loved.
Mary Ellen was born in Trenton on November 24, 1944, to Rose and Rosario Cantarella. She graduated from Trenton Central High School in 1962, where she was a member of the Girls’ Science Club and an excellent cheerleader. After attending Trenton State College, Mary Ellen enrolled in the Electronic Computer Programming Institute, learning IBM data processing and programming at the beginning of the computer era.
She began her career at RCA in Moorestown, where she met her husband Jonathan. From 1973-1978, they lived with their children Christopher and Rebecca on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands — a sun-drenched chapter filled with the joy of raising children alongside other young families and creating lasting friendships.
In the mid-1980s, after her youngest son Nathaniel entered school, Mary Ellen rejoined RCA, kicking off a 40-year career as a technical writer in the defense, aerospace, enterprise software, and telecommunications industries.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Mary Ellen enrolled in night classes to complete her degree. She received an A.S. in computer science from Burlington County College in 1998 and graduated from Kennedy-Western University in 2003 with a B.S. in management information sciences.
Mary Ellen enjoyed traveling across the U.S. and internationally with family and friends — to Russia and the Czech Republic to visit Rebecca, to Australia with Christopher, to Italy several times with family, and to Sweden to pick up her prized Volvo C30 at the factory.
Mary Ellen endured the passing of those she held dear: her father Rosario in 1962, her daughter Rebecca James Baker and unborn granddaughter Alexandra Jane Baker in 2004, her mother Rose in 2015, and her son Christopher in 2024. Despite the pain of these losses, she found creative ways to celebrate their memories.
In 2019, she published a memoir about her mother, “The Rose: A Life Between Petals and Thorns.” In the foreword, she wrote:
“I witnessed her strong mind and strong will and how steadfast she was in her decisions. I liked when she stood up for what she believed even when obstacles were in her way. She was an empowered woman at a time when it was not fashionable to assert one’s independence.”
Mary Ellen lived exactly that way — self-reliant, resilient, and endlessly proud of the family she nurtured.
Her legacy will continue through her son Nathaniel James and his wife Meredith Hall; her daughter-in-law Polly Kalavrouziotis; her beloved granddaughters Larkin Hall-James and Anastasia James; her sister Vita Weinstein and husband Jeffrey; and her nieces, nephews, and cousins whom she loved dearly.
Funeral services and burial were held on January 20, 2026 at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hamilton Township, New Jersey.
Arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel. OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Mary-Ellen-James