Louis E. Cella, 85, of Holmdel died Monday, July 9th at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Short Hills.

Mr. Cella was born and raised in West New York, NJ. He graduated from St. Peters Prep School, where he was an excellent athlete. He went on to graduate from St. Peters University in 1954, with a BA in Economics.

Louis served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant and was honorably discharged. He served on the Board of St. Peter’s Prep School. Louis was avid golfer and a member of Woodlake Country Club. He enjoyed playing tennis and was an ardent New York Giants Fan. He enjoyed spending time in his second home in Bonita Springs, Florida.

He was a parishioner of the Church of St. Catharine, Holmdel, where he and his wife Joan both served as Eucharistic Ministers.

Louis Cella joined Prudential in 1957 and held a variety of positions, ultimately becoming the Vice President of National Accounts with a staff of over 200. He remained with the Pru until he retired in 1996.

Louis is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Joan E. Cella; their four sons and daughters-in-law, Louis R. Cella Ocean Twp., Stephen. and Lynn Cella, Holmdel, Christopher and Joann Cella, Flemington and Paul and Gina Cella, Tinton Falls; his brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Kay Cella, Galveston, TX; and his eight grandchildren, Maximillian, Nicholas, Justine, Christopher, Clare, Sophia, Marco and Jorgia.

Visitation, Wednesday, July 11th, and Thursday, July 12th, 4 to 8 pm at the Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel Road, Holmdel. Mass of Christian Burial, Friday, July 13th, 9:15 am, at Church of St. Catharine, 108 Middletown Road, Holmdel. Entombment will follow at Holmdel Mausoleum.

In lieu of traditional remembrances, contributions in honor of Louis may be made to St. Peter’s Prep and mailed to: Saint Peter's Prep, Attn: Alumni Relations, 144 Grand Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. To make a gift online, folks can visit www.spprep.org/donate, select “Make a One Time Gift”, fill out the online information and at the bottom section “Tribute”, select In Memory of and type in Lou Cella, '50.

To share a favorite memory or send a message of condolence to his family, please visit Louis’s page of tributes at www.holmdelfuneralhome.com .