Maureen Elizabeth (Kelly) McLaughlin (63), a resident of Basking Ridge, NJ for 36 years, passed away peacefully at home on the night of September 15, 2025. She was surrounded by her husband, children, and daughter-in-law after a courageous nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Maureen was a woman of extraordinary energy, talent, drive, and integrity who lived every day to the fullest. On her office wall in the early days of her career hung a framed Wall Street Journal piece titled “Aim So High You’ll Never Be Bored.” She followed that motto for all of her 63 years. Part of the piece reads, “The greatest waste of our individual resources is the number of people who never achieve their potential… Aim low: boring. Aim high: soaring.” Maureen aimed high in family life, work, and service to others, lifting those around her to do the same.

Born in Elizabeth, NJ on February 22, 1962 to Jim and Marie Kelly, Maureen graduated from The Pingry School (’80) alongside her future husband, Michael. When the school became co-educational in 1973, Maureen was one of the original 99 women to start at Pingry. During her time in high school, she was an accomplished three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and softball. Her Pingry 1977 softball team won the New Jersey State Prep championship and was inducted as a team into the Pingry Athletics Hall of Fame. Maureen continued her softball career into college for one year at Lafayette. 

Academically, Maureen went on to earn a B.A. in Business & Economics from Lafayette College (’84) and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Villanova University (’85). Her early professional experiences with Kappa Kappa Gamma shaped her trademark blend of clarity, care, and integrity. She served as a chapter consultant to Villanova’s Zeta Iota Chapter and then as a traveling consultant, visiting chapters across the country and reporting back with meticulous notes and thoughtful recommendations. Those formative roles refined the interpersonal skills and the humility that would define her leadership.

Maureen built a distinguished 40-year career in the pharmaceutical services industry, rising from sales representative to senior executive leadership. She began at Marion Labs (now Marion Merrell Dow) with her territory in Allentown, PA and then joined IMS Health (now IQVIA), advancing from Account Manager to Vice President. After roles with Clinmark and Solucient (later Truven Health Analytics), she spent 8 years at GFK, ultimately serving as Chief Marketing Officer & Global Head of Healthcare Innovation. For the past 12 years, she returned to IQVIA to lead Client Service & Delivery and later became Senior Vice President & General Manager of Information Solutions. Colleagues remember Maureen as a remarkable leader, mentor, and friend, pairing high standards with compassion and wisdom. Many credit her guidance and vision with shaping careers and building strong teams. She cherished her work family and was known as a catalyst for innovation, tackling the toughest problems with unwavering focus and steady commitment.

Even as her career grew, Maureen’s center of gravity was always at home. She was present for every important moment, never missing a sports game, movie night, or family dinner. She welcomed friends and colleagues with the same dedication, consistency, and generosity. She believed that the truest measure of success was the strength of the relationships we build along the way, and her family felt that love daily.

Service was Maureen’s natural extension of leadership. She volunteered for years with the Somerset Hills Soccer Club, serving on the board and as president, as well as on the Pingry Alumni Board. For 35 years, she devoted herself to Kappa Kappa Gamma through a variety of roles: Province Director of Chapters, Regional Director of Chapters, and alumna advisor to Lafayette’s Zeta Beta Chapter (many roles including Standards Advisor and Advisory Board Chairman). Whether on campus or on Zoom, she mentored undergraduate women with candor, care, and practical career guidance. Stepping back in early 2025 to focus on her health was difficult precisely because she drew inspiration from helping others shine.

In all aspects of life, Maureen aimed high: for her family and friends, in leadership at work, and in service to her community. Her legacy lives on in the people she encouraged, the teams she led, and the countless lives she brightened along the way.

Maureen is survived by her husband of 36 years, Michael; her children, Connor (Victoria) and Lauren; her mother, Marie Kelly; her brother, James (Rose) Kelly; her brothers-in-law, John (Elizabeth) and Mark (Julie); her sister-in-law, Edie Nussbaumer; and ten nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father, James Robert Kelly, in 2006.

A wake will be held at Higgins Home for Funerals in Watchung, NJ on September 21st from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM and September 22nd from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Basking Ridge, NJ on September 23rd at 11:00 AM followed by the interment at Somerset Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) in memory of Maureen E. McLaughlin. Here is the link to donate and learn more.