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DaCosta, a Lyndhurst native and first grade teacher in Essex Fells, is survived by her husband, Jason, her parents, Richard and Diane, her sister Tracy, and numerous family members and friends, her obituary reads.
A graduate of Lyndhurst High School, DaCosta earned her bachelor's degree in education from Montclair State University and spent 18 years teaching first grade at the Essex Fells School, according to her obituary.
"Her passion for teaching was a part of her from a young age and was not just a career but a calling for her," her obituary reads. "Kelly had an infectious personality and a smile that lit up every room she entered. She made friends everywhere she went and those around her were lucky to have known her."
The Essex Fells school district rallied around her fight. A fundraiser to help her with her medical expenses raised more than $77,000 from 839 donors.
A funeral will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Lyndhurst.
Click here for Kelly DaCosta's complete obituary.
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