Obituary of Kimberly Chesla

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Kimberly J. Chesla, who peacefully passed away on October 3rd, 2024, at age 61. Kimberly was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Frank and Lillian Kondas on July 20th, 1963. She graduated from Manalapan High school in 1981, and would go onto work at Monmouth Medical Center as a nurse. Kimberly’s passion was helping others, always lending a hand to those in need. In 1994 she entered the travel industry and received her certification from Travel Agents International. Following that, Kimberly worked at American Express Corporate Travel, which allowed her to see the United States and various islands as a corporate meeting planner for large companies. Her passion and drive led her to be an entrepreneur with the purchase of a local dry-cleaning store. Kimberly owned and operated Wizard Dry Cleaners in Lacey. Her magnetic personality and hard work quickly made the store a success, attracting clients from the power plant, police force, local professionals, and the many residents of the township. Among those residents was one Kevin Chesla whom she met in the fall of 2001. They would fall in love, and were married on October 19th, 2002, alongside wedding rings engraved “Forever & Ever.” Kimberly would continue with her business until January 2005, wherein she gave birth to her only child, Julianna. From there on she started her most rewarding job, that of a stay-at-home mom, where she cherished every moment with her daughter. She was an incredible mother, taking any and all opportunities to raise her daughter up to see her succeed. Together with her family, Kimberly would travel to many of the fifty states, most Caribbean islands, Canada, Mexico, Italy, and France. They were inseparable, doing anything and everything together as a family. Kimberly reentered the workforce at her local Walmart following the start of Julianna’s college career at Monmouth University, which she was immensely proud of. At her new job, she wanted nothing more than to help others, and would assist any coworker or customer. Kimberly never went a day without seeing the good in life, always looking on the bright side. It was rare to see her without a smile, constantly finding a reason to be happy and share that happiness with others, and even in her passing, Kimberly continued to help others as an organ donor. She is survived by her husband, Kevin, daughter, Julianna, siblings, and many friends of whom she touched the lives of. She will be deeply missed, especially by her teddy bear dog, Dobby. Kimberly will be in our hearts “Forever & Ever.” A celebration of life will be held in Kimberly’s honor at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Popcorn Park Zoo at 1 Humane Way, Forked River, New Jersey, 08731.