Our Dad, William Patrick Butler (Bill), passed away peacefully on March 30, 2021, at the age of 87.  After being raised in Manhattan, he graduated from Iona College then proudly joined the United States Marine Corps.  He met and married the love and light of his life, Margie (Ribaudo).  Together, they moved to Oakland, then Mahwah, New Jersey, to begin their family, who they taught to love and respect our God, our country, our flag, and other important things like the NY Giants and the Yankees.  They retired to Cape Cod for 20 years and enjoyed the Cape life, especially when joined by their children and grandchildren.  After Mom died in 2016, he returned to NJ for the remainder of his earthly life.

Dad was born on February 13,1934 in Brooklyn to Mary (Sweeney) and William (Bill) Butler.  He was the jokester husband of our Mom, Margie, for 58 years, and has missed her in so many visible and invisible ways for the past 4 years.  Our comfort now is knowing that they are together again smiling and finishing each other’s sentences.

Dad leaves his adoring children Stacey Deem (Chuck), Pam Dugan (Jerry); Bill Butler (Toni Ann); and Brad Butler (Kim)..  He loved his children-in-law as he loved each of us.  A proud Grandpa to 12 grandchildren, he couldn’t wait for us to visit and call to share his grandkids’ successes and exploits.  Grandpa leaves Zack, Katie, Andrew and Kelsie Butler; Alexis, Nikki, Drew, and Jake Butler; Tyler and James Dugan; Patrick and Caroline Deem.  He is also survived by his little sister (another jokester) Mary Lou Feniello (Peter), and is pre-deceased by his brother Tommy.  Also surviving Dad are his beloved in-laws Joni and Brendan Wittlinger, and Mickey and Gail Ribaudo, and his favorite cousins Jerry and Ellie Sweeney and Sheila Muller.

We will forever miss Dad’s stories….and being told to “raise our hands if we’d heard that one before”.  Stories about growing up during the Depression, and how hard his parents worked to feed their family and support the war effort.  The role of the Church and Catholic school in his life growing up.  We grew up regaled with such colorful detail that we felt like we knew Walter Tice, Donny Cashman, Bobby Heller and all the guys from the neighborhood.  The shenanigans of the Oakland crew and especially our dear neighbors the Fischers in the ‘60s always brought a laugh.  They knew how to have fun!  The stories of the IBM-ers  are part of the fabric of our lives from the Dolans and the Schultzes to so many more.

If you’re reading this, you’re one of the many whose lives he touched, who he laughed with, who he cared about in his own way.  You’re probably someone in one of his encylopedia of stories, like we are.

We are heartbroken today but will laugh with him again one day in the presence of the Lord.

If you would like to make a donation, Dad’s favorite charity was the Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation (T2T.org)

Stacey, Pam, Billy, and Brad and our families

Rosemarie Alesandrelli, age 82 of Wayne and formerly of West Paterson, died on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. She has lived in Wayne for the past twenty-two years.

Rosemarie was born in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and graduated from William H. Maxwell Vocational High School, where she learned hairdressing and cosmetology. She worked as a hairdresser in Brooklyn for a bit upon graduation. As a young woman, Rosemarie loved listening to fifties music as well as artists like Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, and other popular performers of that era. One of her favorite activities was attending live shows, and with her girlfriends she went to see Tom and Engelbert many times, singing and dancing the night away! Her children recall how she would put records on the Victrola and turn the volume up loud while they all helped to clean the house on Saturdays! This is why all of her children can recite the words to any Tom Jones song if asked. She loved her music and she loved to dance!

Rosemarie kept a welcoming home and “family” was always at the center of gatherings there. She often hosted holiday dinners, and her favorite was cooking seven fishes on Christmas Eve. Everyone did their part to prepare dinner, and her daughter recalls soaking squid in the bathtub! Rosemarie was an excellent cook, always traditional Italian dishes, and everything that came out of her kitchen was remarkable. She passed her love of cooking on to all of her children. When they were younger, her kids would tease her by intentionally mispronouncing her first name, or mock her for the odd pronunciation of certain words, the result of her “Brooklynese” accent. Her sons also learned early on that wooden spoons were not just for cooking. When the boys antagonized their mom, which was more than occasionally, she showed them just how good she was with a wooden spoon! There was no question that Rosemarie was the disciplinarian in their household, and she did it well. Later in life, Rosemarie enjoyed “Milne Game Night,” playing cards and board games with her family. She was excellent with trivia games, and you always wanted her on your team! Rosemarie also visited the Bahamas for a “girls vacation,” celebrating that tradition for nearly twenty years running. She would relax by the pool and savor a few Mai Tai or Bahama Mama cocktails, enjoy the good food, and then play roulette in the casino – always betting on 25!

It is important to note that Rosemarie was truly a lover of dogs. She has had many over the years, including Bo, Snoopy, Lady, Pepe, and many more. Most of them were Doberman breeds and mutts, and she spoiled them with love and attention. Pepe was among her favorites, despite running away from the yard on countless occasions, requiring Rosemarie to search the neighborhood to bring him back again. In recent years she also held a special bond with her daughter Tina’s dog Brody. She called him “the gentle giant” because of his size, but never turned down the opportunity to receive his gentle kisses.

Rosemarie met her husband, Paul, in Miami, and this wasn’t the most typical of meetings, either. Rosemarie was on vacation visiting her father, staying at “The Castaways” resort in Miami Beach. Paul, who was in the U.S. Navy at the time, was also at the resort and Rosemarie’s father, “Tony D,” met him there. “Tony D” thought Paul was a nice fella and he introduced him to his daughter!  Their relationship blossomed and they were married on June 8, 1957 in Brooklyn. They honeymooned in Miami Beach, where they first met, and then settled into their home in West Paterson thereafter. Rosemarie was just eighteen on her wedding day. Paul was a jokester, often playful and teasing, and Rosemarie was the prim and proper opposite. They went on to enjoy twenty-seven years of marriage together. Sadly, Paul was diagnosed with cancer rather young, and he passed away in 1984. Rosemarie was heartbroken without him, and the years that followed were difficult for her. Her family and friends were very supportive and she is grateful for all the love and help she received throughout the years since. Rosemarie lived independently until 1998 when she moved to Wayne and began living with her daughter, Tina Milne and her husband Jimmy. The real blessing that came from this move was that Rosemarie was able to help raise her granddaughter, Jessica, while living with them. Rosemarie thereafter became affectionately known as “Mimi” to Jessica. In addition to “Mimi” she was called “Grandma” and “Grandma Rosary” by her other grandchildren. Sadly, her son-in-law, Jimmy Milne, passed away in 2015, but Rosemarie was there to be supportive to her daughter and granddaughter during that very difficult time. Her presence there, at that time, was invaluable and they are both very grateful to her. Rosemarie will be dearly missed.

Rosemarie is survived by her four children; Tina Milne of Wayne, Paul Alesandrelli of S. Carolina, Anthony Alesandrelli of Mississippi, Lori Alesandrelli, her seven grandchildren; Jessica, Stephanie, Nicole, Donella, Anthony, Deona, and Tony, and five great grandchildren: Kayden, Skylar, Adorabella, Jaxton, and Emberlynn Grace, her five siblings; Anna Lafiosca of Saddle River, NJ, Barbara Marinello of South Jersey, Thomas Taormina of Virginia, Cathi DeRosa of Florida, and Tony DeRosa of Florida. She was predeceased by her husband Paul in 1984, by a daughter, Denise, in 1961, and by her son-in-law, Jimmy Milne in 2015.

Hilda Destito (nee Miller), 95 passed away March 30, 2021.

Hilda was born in Butler, NJ and shortly after meeting her husband George Destito she moved to Haskell, NJ. On July 22, 2021 they would have been married 70 years. Hilda passed just 40 days following George’s death. They enjoyed a long and wonderful life together...they were both proud of all they collectively achieved but most of all, their children and grandson.

Grace, a gentle manner and selflessness defined Hilda...but it was her strength and stamina that carried her throughout her life.

Hilda is survived by her loving family; her son, Samuel Destito of Far Hills NJ, her daughter, Regina Diamond, of Wayne NJ, her grandson, Marc Destito of Geneva Switzerland, nieces and nephews and her extended family in the UK.

Dolores Bykowski of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. She was 89 years old.

Born in Rhinebeck, NY, she was the only child of John and Laura Belinda. Dolores spent many happy years growing up on the family dairy and apple farm, surrounded by her extended family and a close-knit community.

She moved to Irvington, NJ where she attended secretarial school and started her career as a white glove legal secretary, retiring at age 78. Dolores met her husband, Edward, at a local dance and they married on May 3, 1958. They moved to Wayne, where she lived for over 60-years.

Her husband was the second youngest of nine children and Dolores enjoyed being part of a big, loving family, often entertaining large groups of people for the holidays. She and her husband socialized regularly with his family, traveling to the Catskills, Poconos, and Las Vegas, as well as dining out together as members of Dinner-for-Two. She was also an integral part of the family business, Pioneer Contracting, helping with the correspondence and invoices for many years.

Dolores was a devout Catholic and long-time parishioner of Our Lady of The Valley Roman Catholic Church, where she was an active member of the Rosary Society. She and her husband were regular attendees at numerous parish dances, often with their group of twelve neighborhood friends, who called themselves “The Dirty Dozen.”

A true highlight of Dolores’ life was the annual family vacation to the Jersey Shore with her children, grandchildren and other family and friends. There was much love and laughter playing cards, going to church as a family, dancing at the Crab’s Claw, trips to Atlantic City, sipping cocktails on the deck and just being together.

Dolores enjoyed traveling with her daughters on their various business trips, attending many conferences and tradeshows all over the country, and loved being considered an honorary member of “the team.”

She was a big sports fan and enjoyed playing tennis with the girls during the week and her Saturday night couples tennis parties. She spent countless hours at ballfields and basketball courts watching her children and grandchildren play. She coached her daughters’ softball teams and led them to numerous championships. Over time, she learned to share her husband’s passion for the NY Giants and looked forward to the football season every year and Sunday afternoons watching the games with her family.

Dolores was predeceased by her beloved husband Edward in 1982. She is survived by her four children: daughter Laura Fitzgerald and her husband Jack Thompson, son Edward Bykowski, daughter Cynthia Quinn and her husband Michael, and daughter Michelle Toscano and her husband James, as well as her eight grandchildren who affectionately call themselves “Dolores’ Angels” – Alexander Bykowski, Andina Toscano, Kendall Toscano, Michael Quinn, Christopher Quinn, Caroline Quinn, Elizabeth Quinn, and Julia Quinn, and her dear home healthcare aide, Emmanuella Ansah-sem.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474  - if donating online immediately below where you input your donation amount please type "In Memory of Dolores Bykowski" in the box titled "Special Instructions to seller" so the family can properly acknowledge your donation.  If you mail a check please write "In Memory of Dolores Bykowski" in the memo.  We will also have Memorial Donation Cards for the Wayne First Aid Squad available at the visitation hours.

Tyler Anthony DiRussa, age 25, of Pinebrook, formerly of Pequannock, passed suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday, March 29, 2021.

Tyler was born and raised in Pequannock having graduated from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne in 2013.  As a child Tyler played baseball, lacrosse and football. He loved vacationing at the Jersey Shore, boating, crabbing and getting ice cream at Kaboodles.  He was a natural prankster and jokester with both his family and his friends. In High School Tyler played lacrosse and was Captain of the football team. He was voted 1st Team All-County Offensive Lineman and 2nd Team Big North Offensive Lineman. He received a football scholarship to play at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA where he played guard for three years.  After many injuries he left SRU and finished his senior year at Ramapo College in Mahwah where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, Minor in Criminology, with the Class of 2020. Tyler obtained his CDL and put himself through Ramapo College while working various trucking jobs.  Tyler was recently hired by ADP as a member of their Internal Sales Team, scheduled to start 4/5.  

Tyler will be remembered for his funny, generous personality - he was larger than life.   He loved being with friends and always spoke of memorable trips to Cancun, where he earned the nickname “Bear,” Ocean City, Maryland, and Las Vegas.  He enjoyed weekend fishing trips to Island Beach State Park, country music concerts, cooking, firing up the BBQ, quoting podcasts  and making people laugh. He also loved his mom’s chili, tailgating, football, fitness, health, going to the gym, and his RAM truck.  He was whip-smart, a confidant who had wise advice, and was a true-blue American patriot.  

Tyler was the cherished son of Kevin and Sharon DiRussa of Wayne; dearly loved brother of Cortney DiRussa of Montclair; and was loved by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He will also be missed by his beloved dog Arya.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the NJ Sharing Network https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/2020-contribute or the NJHopeline would be greatly appreciated.

Patricia Scott (nee Gilson), age 71, of Pequannock, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 29, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Patricia was born in Jersey City and was the only child to Patrick and Marie Gilson.  When Patricia was about ten years old, she and her family moved from Jersey City to Pequannock where she would spend her formative years.  As a young girl, Patricia took an early interest in Dance.  Patricia’s specialty over time turned out to be the art of Ballroom Dancing.  Patricia, in the late 1960’s took first place in the Ballroom Dance Category in the nationally renowned Harvest Moon Dance Competition in New York.  Her success as a dancer also awarded her with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late sixties.

Growing up in Pequannock, Pat attended Pequannock High School and graduated with the class of 1967.  Following her graduation, Patricia found work quickly as an operator with the Bell Telephone Company in New York.  Patricia worked as an operator for about five years when she decided to switch careers and attend the Wilfred Beauty Academy in Totowa, NJ.  After earning her licensure, Pat opened up her own Beauty Hair Salon in Pequannock in 1979 which she owned and operated until about 1985.  Subsequent to closing up her beauty salon, Patricia took a position as a customer service representative within the car upholstery industry working for companies in Paterson and Lincoln Park.   She held these positions for approximately ten years.

Bowling was one of Patricia’s favorite past times, participating in various leagues in an outside her area.  One night in 1986, while playing in a mixed league in Clifton, she met a handsome young fellow bowler by the name of Christopher Scott.  Pat and Chris hit it off great and started dating.  As fate would have it, they fell in love and on September 23, 1989 Patricia and Christopher became husband and wife.  Immediately after getting married, Pat and Chris settled in Paterson on Glover Avenue.  In 1991, the couple moved to Pequannock and have been there ever since.  Patricia left her position as a customer representative and went to work with her husband as a secretary in his company, Caps Mechanical, located in Pequannock.  Patricia worked with Chris until her retirement in 2014.  Over the years, Patricia enjoyed and continued participating in bowling leagues in the areas of Clifton and Wayne.  She and Chris together also enjoyed boating.  Mostly, Patricia cherished spending time at home with her husband Christopher and their two dogs, Sugar and Spice.

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Patricia was a strong willed lady who was caring and giving.  She was compassionate, and nurturing.  For many years, she assisted her husband in taking care of her mother-in-law.  Pat was wonderfully family oriented and treasured getting together with family and friends.  She had a delightful sense of humor and was often times the life of the party.    Pat was the kind of person that you couldn’t help but like and want to be around.  She and Chris cherished thirty-one years of absolutely blissful marriage together.  Patricia was a truly special person who will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Patricia is survived by her husband Christopher Scott of Pequannock, her sister-in-law Linda Ruocco and her husband Bill of Deerfield Beach, FL, her nephew Chad Oliver and son Kyle Oliver of Deerfield Beach, FL, her brother-in-law Gregory Scott and his wife Chong of Peoria, AZ, her nephew Donald Scott and his wife Kathy and daughter Dakota Scott of Peoria, AZ, and her niece Sandra Scott of Arizona, and many extended family and close friends.

Elaine Rosa Stelzenmueller, age 86, an over sixty year resident of Wayne, passed Monday, March 29, 2021.

Elaine was born in Paterson to Charles and Rosa Possien.  She attended Pequannock Grammar School and graduated from Butler High School with the Class of 1952 and continued her education at Drew University and William Paterson State Teachers College in Wayne.

Elaine was employed by the Paterson Evening News and rose quickly from a “Copy Girl” to “Society Editor.” She was a Charter Member of the New Jersey Association of Daily Newspaper Women.  For a brief time, before starting their family, she was the Assistant Editor of the Suburban Trends. Writing and editing came naturally to Elaine and she wrote and edited newspapers and newsletters all her life at camps, schools and churches.

She was dedicated to her Christian faith and through the years she was a member of the Pequannock Reformed Church in Wayne where she served several terms on the Consistories and was later a member of the First Reformed Church in Pompton Plains.  Elaine loved to sing and was a member of choirs everywhere she went.  At one time she went on vacation with her church choir and family, including three grandchildren, to Scotland where she sang at several venues.

Elaine met Walter Stelzenmueller while working at the Paterson Evening News.  For their first date Walter wanted to impress Elaine and attempted to bring her to a movie in New York City. When the day came it was snowing like crazy.  He drove from his home in Fairlawn to hers in Pequannock and they decided to see the movie in Suffern New York as that would be an easier drive in the snow.  After battling through the snow, doing a 360degree spinout on the way home from the movie, Walter got Elaine home safely. While in her driveway she looked at him and said “I saw that movie last week with another guy.”  While at work one day Elaine came over to Walter and asked if she could tell another guy, who was asking her on a date, that she was going steady with him.  He said yes and they soon fell deeply in love and married on April 21, 1956 at the Pequannock Reformed Church in Wayne.  They honeymooned in Virginia Beach, Virginia where Walter remembers drawing a heart in the sand and wrote both their names backwards so when he took the picture they would come out correctly.  When he developed the film weeks later he realized that the camera didn’t turn the letters around and the photo was of the heart and two names backwards. Those early memories, and many more, weaved into a sixty-five year marriage that was blessed with three children. Many fond memories were made while the family camped for a few weeks each summer.  This was a tradition for some twenty-five years.  Trips to Assateague State Park in Maryland, vacations in Delaware, and even trips as far as Estes Park in Colorado, with forty member of the Pequannock Reformed Church, were where many family memories were made without the distraction of the day – television. Through the years they progressed from an eighteen foot trailer to a twenty-one foot trailer, then to a stationary trailer in a resort park in Delaware. For a few years they even had a boat they would put into the water there.  The children also remember Car Picnics in the winter where they would take a day trip to go sleigh riding or just an adventure somewhere other than home. Those family memories and the associated bonding will always be treasured.

Elaine was the beloved wife of Walter, blessed in marriage for sixty-five years. She was the loving mother of: Lisa and husband Darren Mackey of Wayne, Lori Rose Stelzenmueller Osborne of Wayne, and Kurt Walter Stelzenmueller and his life partner Lori Gabriele of Kinnelon; cherished grandmother of: Ryan Daniel Mackey, Trevor Jordan Mackey and his fiancé Nicole Smith, David Darren Mackey, Devon Joshua Mackey, Emilee Rose Osborne, Korina Ruth Stelzenmueller, and Kylee Elaine Stelzenmueller; dear sister of the late Donald Possien the late Kenneth Possien and his surviving wife Lorraine. She is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers donations, in Elaine's memory, can be made to:  Elaine Stelzenmueller Fund for First Reformed Church, 529 Newark Pompton Tpke, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

Miles “Tom” Burklow, age 92 of Pompton Plains, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, March 28, 2021. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by his loving family. Tom was a faithful and trusting servant of Jesus Christ, always placing the needs of others above his own, benevolently sharing the Gospel.

Colossians 3:23

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Tom was the owner of Air Treatment, Inc. of Pompton Plains, which he founded in 1961, providing commercial HVAC systems. He was a pioneer of sorts, as air conditioning and ice making were relatively new technologies at the time. He had learned about refrigeration and air conditioning at his first job after high school, working at York Engineering. With a little encouragement from a mentor at York, he decided to venture out on his own, and that’s how he started his company. Of course, like any entrepreneur, it required a great deal of sweat, hard work, and long hours to make it happen.

Tom grew up in Nutley, NJ, where he was an All-State football player in high school. After graduating high school in 1947, he began taking engineering classes at Newark College of Engineering, but was soon drafted into the military. Unsure of which branch he would be assigned to, he said a little prayer, asking the Lord “just don’t send me to the Marines.” Well, as fate would have it, that’s exactly where he ended up; the U.S. Marine Corps. After basic training, he served in Okinawa during the Korean War and, of course, he became a very proud Marine.

The most difficult aspect of his service in the Marine Corps was having to spend so much time away from his beloved wife, Kathleen. They were high school sweethearts, having met in the 10th grade. She was a drum majorette and Tom was star of the football team. They both attended the Brookdale Baptist Church in Bloomfield and were married there on October 7, 1950. They enjoyed a ‘road trip’ style honeymoon, traveling through New England and all the way up to Canada before returning home to live in Clifton. In 1959, they settled in Pompton Plains to raise their family. Throughout the years, they’ve enjoyed family vacations to Long Beach Island, the Caribbean, and untold visits to various historic sites (Tom’s favorite!). Tom and Kathleen’s marriage and family life was rooted in Christ’s love, and they recently celebrated seventy years together. They have been active members of The Chapel in Lincoln Park since 1971, and Tom lived his faith each and every day.

When Tom and Kathleen moved to Pompton Plains in 1959, they embraced their new community and Tom became well known for his involvement. Tom had a love of sports and raising three boys provided many coaching opportunities. Tom created the "Burklow's Gym" - building an addition on to their house, creating an over-sized garage to accommodate a Universal, two Olympic free-weight sets, a wrestling mat, and other exercise equipment.  The "gym" was open to anyone who was willing to keep the rules (no cursing; no drugs, cigarettes or alcohol brought on the property; leave the gym as clean, or cleaner, than you found it).  The "gym" was self-policed by those who trained out of their respect for Mr. and Mrs. Burklow.  It drew young athletes and weight trainers from multiple municipalities.  Plus, you could walk into the "gym" on a summer day and find an Olympic athlete, an NFL player, and a young student getting ready for his freshman year in high school sharing gym space. Tom also coached football, baseball, wrestling, and he’s one of the founders of the Pequannock Little League organization. He and Kathleen were loyal fans of Pequannock Township High School football, where they practically wore out their seats in the bleachers at Panther Stadium. He’s been enthusiastically cheering on generations of aspiring athletes in town, and his presence in the stands will be dearly missed.

Tom is survived by his beloved wife Kathleen (Smith) of Pompton Plains, three sons; Tom (Miles, Jr.) Burklow and his wife Debbie, Todd Burklow, and Tim Burklow and his wife Linda, all of Pompton Plains, seven grandchildren; Benjamin and his wife Diana of Boonton Township, Morgan and his wife Jacqueline of Butler and Timmy, Lauren and Jason of Pompton Plains, Merrissa and her husband John Pires of Pompton Plains, and Kaila and Donnie Roberson of New Castle, DE, nine great-grandchildren, and one sister; Ruth Roberts and her husband Al of Illinois.  Tom was predeceased by his brother Troy Burklow, and by his sister Ann Pormann.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom’s memory would be greatly appreciate to The Chapel, 264 Jacksonville Rd., Lincoln Park, NJ 07035. You can also donate online at www.thechapel.org.

June P. Berkenbush (nee Collins), age 92 of Pequannock died on March 25, 2021. She had lived in Pequannock since 1968.

June grew up in Clifton and graduated from Clifton High School with the class of 1941. Her early family life revolved around church and she reminisced about those times throughout all her years. In the mid-1940’s, she met Lambert Berkenbush, a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, at one of those church functions she was so fond of, and they began dating. Love blossomed and they married in September of 1949. After a lovely honeymoon to Niagara Falls that included a visit with family in Toronto, they settled in East Paterson. They began raising their family there, which grew to include four sons, before moving to Pequannock in 1968. Sadly, Lambert passed away from cancer in 1984, after thirty five years of marriage. June was a strong woman and she persevered through that loss. She poured her love into her sons and growing family in the years since.

June’s professional life was rather storied. She was smart as a whip, and a successful executive with Lincoln Park Savings & Loan during the 1970’s. When the bank president retired, it was widely anticipated that June would be promoted to bank President. But the Board of Directors had different ideas and rather than promote from within, they hired a man for the role. June entered into a lawsuit with the bank, claiming gender discrimination. Hoping to avoid the bad publicity, the bank chose to settle out of court. June considered this a personal victory, as well as a feminist one, especially for the 1970’s. Thereafter, she was employed in the Wayne Township Clerk’s office through the 1980’s, and desired to become the Township Clerk, but because she resided in Pequannock, she was ineligible. She later became a legal secretary for the firm of Scangarella & Feeney in Pompton Plains, before retiring in 2001. She was a dedicated, hardworking woman.

June’s love was always focused on her family, and that included her dogs. She was a true animal lover and adopted all of her pets through local rescues. Her last dog, Lucy, was her favorite and June loved her so much. She grew to miss all of her pets as time passed. June also loved reading, especially Mary Higgins Clark novels. She was always reading and her son’s recall how she would tote along a bag of books to their annual Long Beach Island vacation. More than anything, she enjoyed relaxing on the deck with cool beverage and a book. Sadly, she lost her eyesight to Glaucoma more than twenty years ago, and she truly missed reading. Her son introduced her to books on tape one day, and although she was reluctant to try listening at first, she soon became enthralled! Her love of reading was not lost, as she had thought, and listening to her favorite books became a newfound joy for her. June’s grandsons, Eric and Ryan, were her world. When they were little, she enjoyed picking them up every Friday and taking them to McDonalds for lunch! They have many fond memories of their grandmother and will miss her dearly.

June is survived by her four devoted sons; Richard Berkenbush and his wife Diane, Robert Berkenbush and his husband Frederick Aldorasi, David Berkenbush, and Glenn Berkenbush and his husband Timothy Acevedo, two grandsons; Eric Berkenbush and Ryan Berkenbush and his wife Brittany, a brother-in-law; Frank Scangarella, Sr., nieces and nephews: Martha Dougherty; Cynthia nee Scangarella Butler; Christine nee Scangarella Magnone; Frank Scangarella, Jr.; and James Scangarella. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Lambert in 1984, and by her sister; Edith Scangarella in 2012.

In lieu of flowers, donations in June’s memory would be appreciated to the Pequannock Animal Shelter, care of “A.D.O.P.T,” P.O. Box 331 Pompton Plains, NJ  07444.

Ilse Plein (nee Schaaf), age 92, formerly of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Ilse was born and raised in Pirmasens, Germany and was the younger of two children to Albert and Ida Schaaf.  As a young adolescent, Ilse and her family lived through the Second World War.  Their family home in Pirmasens was bombed in an air raid and for some time Ilse was separated from her mom and dad.  When Ilse was a young adult, as many young people her age did, she learned a trade.  Ilse selected the trade of a seamstress. Ilse worked for several years as an apprentice and then as an accomplished seamstress..   Later in life, Ilse would spend countless hours sewing beautiful creations, including halloween costumes for her grandchildren and hand making her daughter’s wedding dress.

Ilse met her future husband, Helmut Plein, by chance at a home in Germany. An Army buddy of Helmut heard he was assigned duty in Germany and asked Helmut to hand deliver a letter to his aunt. When Helmut went to her home, Ilse was there mending some clothes as she was a seamstress.  As fate would have it, Ilse and Helmut started dating, fell in love, and were married on November 25, 1956.  

In 1956 Ilse immigrated to the United States to join Helmut  and begin their life together.  Ilse and Helmut settled in the Ridgewood section of Queens, NY which at the time was a predominantly German section of town.  While living in New York, Helmut and Ilse opened up their own delicatessen which they owned and operated for several years. In 1966 the family moved to Saddle Brook, NJ.  After moving to New Jersey, Ilse put her seamstress skills to good use and found work quickly.  She accepted a position as a seamstress at Schulman’s Inc. in Teaneck, NJ where she worked for approximately ten years. In 1979 the family moved to Wayne Township where Ilse worked alongside her husband once again at his company Tri County Irrigation.  Ilse worked there with Helmut until their retirement many years ago. In their retirement Helmut and Ilse loved to travel, especially cruising taking about a dozen.

Ilse was very active in the German club in Carlstadt name the Carlstadt Mixed Chorus where she sang in the choir and even marched in several  German-American Steuben Parades in New York.  She cherished gardening, growing house plants and her favorite flowers, Orchids.  For many years she enjoyed landscaping the front and back yards of her home.  Ilse was also a wonderful cook.  She treasured hosting family events, parties and holidays in her home making all of the food from scratch.  She was an outstanding baker and was well known by her family and friends for her famous eight layer cake.  Aside from all of Ilse’s interests, talents, and hobbies, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Ilse than spending time with and providing for her family.  She was a devoted mother and grandmother and cherished sixty-four years of  marriage to her husband Helmut until his passing in August of 2020.  Ilse was an extremely strong woman who was quiet but also loved to laugh.  She was loved by everyone that knew her and was adored by her nieces and nephews.  Ilse was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by her family and friends alike.

Ilse is survived by her daughter Evelyn Growney and her husband Michael of Rockaway, her son Peter Plein and his wife Beverly of Waretown and Glen Rock, three grandchildren; Christopher Plein and his wife Sarah of Parsippany, Kevin Growney and his fiancé Caitlin of Rockaway, and Hailey Tubb and her husband Michael of Lewisburg, PA, and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband Helmut Plein in 2020 and by her sister Irene Hinkle,

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ilse's name may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105-9959. http://www.stjude.org

Fred C. Baruth, age 84 of Toms River, died peacefully with his children by his side on March 24, 2021.

Fred worked as a Management Consultant with Coopers & Lybrand and Becton, Dickinson, and Company for many years and was among the team of accountants that broke up AT&T. He later worked in the accounting department of Valley Hospital in Ridgewood before retiring.

Fred was raised in West New York and graduated from Memorial High School with the class of 1954. He joined the U.S. Navy shortly after high school and served as a Radioman aboard the USS Sigourney. His tour took him to numerous European ports and the Mediterranean Sea. After being discharged from the Navy, Fred took advantage of the G.I. Bill and graduated with a B.S. in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

After graduating from college, he married Astrid Madsen Baruth, and together they raised their children David, Erik, and Heather. He enjoyed doing all of his own home improvements, landscaping, and he had a Saturday morning ritual of cleaning the pool while sipping his coffee. More recently, he enjoyed meeting his friends for dinner or drinks.  His most favorite activity involved spending time with his family and granddaughters, Payton and Casey. When they were newborns, he could not get enough of them, and as he watched them grow up he became so proud of them. They called him “Poohpa,” and he adored them.

Fred was a selfless and caring person and an especially good son to his parents. He was always willing to help them with whatever they needed, including their home improvements, and his sister remembers him doing much the same for her. He will surely be missed by all who loved him.

Fred was predeceased by his son Erik Baruth and is survived by his loving children, Heather McCarthy and David Baruth; two grandchildren, Payton and Casey McCarthy; a sister, Joan Baruth; and nieces, Colette Baruth and Marilena Flynn.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to The ARC of Bergen-Passaic Counties, 223 Moore St., Hackensack, NJ 07601, Attn: The Bergen-Passaic ARC Foundation.

Ela Rink, (nee Barolin), age 88, formerly of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Ela was born and raised in LaPaz, Argentina and was one of three children to Emilio and Raquel Barolin.  After graduating from high school, Ela attended college earning her Bachelor’s Degree and became a Registered Nurse graduating with high honors.  Ela worked as a Registered Nurse in hospitals in Argentina for a couple of years when in 1959 she immigrated to the United States in search of a better life and the American Dream.”

Upon entering the United States, she joined her brother and sister settling in Queens, NY.  Ela found work quickly in the United States at a factory plant that manufactured television sets.  After getting settled in the United States for a few years, Ela accepted another position in social services in Paterson, NJ.  Subsequent to her time working in social services, Ela took on a position in childcare, work that she truly and sincerely enjoyed.  Ela worked in childcare until her health had forced her to stop and retire some years ago.

In 1961 while an active member of the Christian Assembly Church in Paterson, Ela met a fellow member, a handsome young man by the name of Herbert Rink.  Ela and Herbert hit it off well to say the least.  They fell in love and were married five months later on September 1, 1961 in their church.  Shortly after getting married the couple settled in Prospect Park, NJ where they welcomed the births of their two children Kenneth and Heidi.  In 1970, as the family grew, they moved to Wayne Township where they raised their children.  Ela was sincerely devoted to her Christian Faith, she and her family were members of the Wayne Christian Assembly Church for many years.  While active at the church, Ela treasured working with young people, providing them with assistance, nurturing, and guidance.  Ela always had her home open to those in need, especially young people.

Ela enjoyed knitting and was a truly fond of animals.  People in her neighborhood would often drop off sick animals such as birds that had fallen out of trees.  Ela would take them in and nurture them back to health.  She also enjoyed traveling to North Carolina to visit her son and spend time with her grandchildren.  In addition, Ela revisiting her homeland of Argentina on two very memorable occasions.  

Ela was a quiet woman and did not crave being the center of attention by any means.  She had an enormous heart that was always open to those who needed it.  She was well known by her family and friends as “The Best Hugger.”  Aside from all of Ela’s talents, hobbies, and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Ela was a truly devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.  She and her husband Herbert treasured more than thirty-five years of loving and loyal marriage until Herbert’s passing in 1996.  Ela was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Ela is survived by her son Kenneth and his wife Lynn of Millers Creek, NC, her daughter Heidi Philippi an her husband Frans of Lincoln Park, NJ, one brother Nestor Barolin and his wife Yvonne of Argentina, and five grandchildren; Jacob Philippi of Lincoln Park, Caleb Philippi of Lincoln Park, Shannon Philippi of Lincoln Park, Adriana Rink of Sugar Grove, NC, and Joanna Rink of Sugar Grove, NC, an many loved nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband Herbert Rink in 1996, and her sister Elma Beccaria in 2009.

Robert “Bob” E. Hennig, age 89 of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed peacefully on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.

Bob was born in Englewood, NJ and raised in Yonkers, NY. His family eventually moved to Rochelle Park, NJ where he attended high school and starred on the school’s football team as a running back.

After graduation, Bob studied to be a draftsman and worked for various firms until starting his own company – R.H. Associates in 1996. He retired in 2006.

Bob met an attractive young lady by the name of Adelheid “Heidi” Lutter through his mother Emmy. They soon fell in love and got married on December 6, 1958. After a honeymoon in Florida, they lived in Little Falls where they welcomed their son Robert Paul Hennig in 1961.

In 1966 Bob, Heidi, and their son Bob moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne. It didn’t take long for the whole family to make good friends and embrace all that their new community had to offer. In their early days, Bob and Heidi played in the lake association’s volleyball and tennis leagues and Bob became enthusiastically involved in the youth sports leagues where he coached kids, including his own son, in football and baseball. For years he also loved to get together with his buddies to play in the Packanack Lake Golf Club and Paddle Tennis Club, and he could always be counted on to help with any community fundraisers.

Bob was an avid skier who regularly skied at Vernon Valley (known today as Mountain Creek), Gore Mountain in New York State, and in Aspen, Colorado. While Heidi was not a skier she would often accompany Bob on his trips along with their friends and while Bob skied, Heidi shopped. In more recent years, Bob was a member of the ‘ROMEOs' (Retired Old Men Eating Out). He always looked forward to getting together with his old-man-buddies who met at Miranda’s restaurant in Wayne every Wednesday and Saturday morning. This went on for years and even when he couldn’t drive himself anymore, Bob’s sister Liesel would give him rides.

Without a doubt, the most important blessing in Bob’s life was his grandchildren (Kevin, Austin and Jaime). Bob and Heidi’s grandchildren were always so excited to have their “Opa” and “Omi” come out to cheer them on at all their sporting events, plays, and other life milestones. His three Weimaraner dogs that he and Heidi enjoyed – first Susie, then Christie, then Pebbles – were such loyal friends and a very close second to those grandchildren.

Bob will always be remembered for his warm, outgoing, happy-go-lucky outlook on life. He truly loved life and lived it to the fullest.  His big smile will surely be missed.

Bob was the beloved husband of Adelheid “Heidi” Louise Hennig (nee Lutter), blessed in marriage for 56 years until her passing in 2014. He was the loving father of Robert P. Hennig and his wife Sharon of Randolph; cherished grandfather of Kevin, Austin, and Jaime Hennig, all of Randolph; loved brother of Liesel Lekich of Wayne; and dear uncle of: Robert Lekich and Bari of Raleigh, NC, Michele Portelli and her husband John of Selden, NY, and David Lekich of Mill Valley, CA.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. You can also donate online at stjude.org.

Martine Magher, age 61, passed suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.

She was born in Paterson to Roger and Marie Guillemot.  The family lived at 133 East 25th Street in Paterson before moving to Wayne where they lived at 48 Clifford Drive.  Martine graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1978. She worked as a beautician and continued her education at the Berdan Institute in Totowa where she received her certification as a Dental Assistant.  For a short while she worked as a Dental Assistant and soon found work at Delta Dental of New Jersey in Parsippany where she worked as a customer service representative for eighteen years.

Martine will be lovingly remembered for her huge heart and impassioned toasts at family gatherings. She was also known to be the first one to leave every party.  Her bedtime was 7 PM and she was up by 4 AM in the morning.  She would get up early, iron her clothes, appoint her outfit with the perfect jewelry-loved her turquois- and head off to work. She was always decorating the house for each holiday, enjoyed being creative with ceramics, and was an awesome cook.  Her special touch on meatloaf, Swedish meatballs, and crab cakes will be greatly missed. No story about Martine would be complete without mentioning the television.  She had it on day and night as she especially loved watching her soap opera The Young and Restless, Judge Judy, and the program “Cops.” Martine enjoyed gardening and grew great tomatoes, basil, and planted 150 tulip bulbs that are just starting to grow. Another one of her most favorite pastimes was Shopping... both in person and on “QVC”...and of course her absolute favorite store was the Christmas Tree Shop in Paramus.  She loved her Shih Tzu Nino and had all kinds of outfits for him.  Most of all, Martine loved her twin grandsons, Liam and Colin.  She was holding her daughter Brittany’s hand while they were being born and truly loved them with all her heart.

Martine and Michael Magher knew each other from Wayne and their first date was to a restaurant in Hoboken. They fell in love and Michael proposed marriage while sitting in the car.  Actually he pulled up in front of a house in Wayne with a For Sale sign on the lawn and said “let’s get your kids and move into this house together.”  Martine replied “I can’t live with you until we’re married” while Michael was opening the box with their engagement ring. All recall Martine saying that this was the best day of her life. They married on January 18, 2003 at the Westmount Country Club in West Paterson and honeymooned in Anguilla and Aruba.

Martine was the loving wife of eighteen years to Michael Magher; devoted mother of Adam Mignone and his fiancé Stephanie of Sussex, and Brittany Mignone of Wayne; she was the cherished daughter of Marie Guillemot of Rockaway and the late Roger Guillemot (4/2011); she was the dearly loved grandmother of Liam and Collin LaForge; much loved sister of Huguette McGill of Haskell and Michele Bonadies and her husband Perry of Boonton Twp. and dear sister-in-law of Robin Magher.

Martine enjoyed flowers and they would be sincerely appreciated.  Those interested in making a memorial donation in her memory are asked to consider the Lupus Foundation of America, 65 E. Northfield Rd D, 1L, Livingston, NJ 07039

Alec Mancini, age 24, of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 20, 2021.

Alec lived his entire life in the Packanack Lake community. Already as a young boy, he was always full of energy and enthusiasm for all that life had to offer – sailing on Packanack Lake, skate boarding, playing all kinds of local sports like football – both flag and tackle, and soccer. As a middle schooler he joined the school’s ski club and snow-boarded with his buddies at Mountain Creek in Vernon every winter. A more fearless snowboarder you’d be hard pressed to find. That fearlessness that embodied essence of Alec, resulted in broken bones literally every winter, but by stretching the boundaries, he learned to do impressive maneuvers coming down that mountain.

Alec attended Wayne Valley High School where he was on the wrestling team and excelled in his studies. After graduating with the Class of 2015, he worked for a couple of years at Seela’s Paint in Wayne – a job he started during his senior year. While the summer of 2015 brought the excitement of celebrating graduation and looking forward to the adventures that adulthood afforded, it was also a tough time emotionally for Alec as his precious mother Celine succumbed to a battle with cancer later that fall. Around that same time, Alec lost two of his closest friends and then he lost his paternal grandfather Marc Mancini whom he loved, enjoyed spending quality time with and respected incredibly. The loss of all these people that were so important in his life left Alec overwhelmed and searching. Sadly, he succumbed to drugs to help him cope.

Honestly, the last five years for Alec were a series of ups and downs. He was so determined to get clean and, while time spent in rehab was always helpful, the reality is that, part of recovery is relapse, and the powerful, evil grip that these drugs had proved too much to overcome. Alec was fighting to get his life on track. Most recently, using an app to promote his services as a general handyman and painter, Alec was working hard to develop his own business. When he relapsed, he went to rehab for a scheduled thirty days but, when the thirty days were over, Alec felt like he was making such good progress that he asked to stay for an additional ten days. Trying to get some accountability in his life, he got a sponsor and regularly attended weekly support meetings. He even gave rides to friends who would otherwise not have been able to attend these meetings that they all needed so much.

Alec had a natural God-given talent for connecting with people in all walks of life. Everyone from his counselors to his customers felt drawn to him. Already from the time he was a little kid he was able to articulate what he was thinking and feeling in such an intelligent fashion. It came as no surprise to anyone that he was recently asked to be a keynote speaker at several of his support meetings. When Alec spoke about his experiences, he pulled no punches. He would be brutally honest. But by wasting no words, he was so effective at teaching others about the hard lessons he had learned in a way that was helpful to so many of his fellow strugglers. Over these beginning months of 2021, Alec was doing great!  He was looking healthier, sounding better and he even recently told his father that for the first time in a long time, he was looking forward to life. There was a peace in his home that was not always there. Alec felt like he had a new passion for the future and was looking into college courses to prepare himself for a career as a drug counselor. Knowing that he could speak to the subject with great authority and empathy, he wanted to inspire others to challenge and overcome their own struggles in life.    

Alec loved to read – especially biographies. He loved music and he had pages of lyrics that he wrote himself. He even wrote his own music, laid down the tracks, put the beats together, and recorded his own raps.

Jesus said in His holy word in the gospel of John, “Let the person who is without fault, throw the first stone.” It would be easy to just write Alec off as just another person who got into drugs and ruined his life and the lives of those around him, and that he got what he deserved. But we all have struggles and temptations in our life. Alec knew that and so many times he would take the blame to cover for his friends transgressions. Despite not being perfect (welcome to life on this side of heaven), Alec still managed to do his best, despite his addictions, to bless others. He was broken, but he was also intelligent, hilarious, generous to a fault, and he did his best to use his magnetic personality to also be a good influence and to encourage his fellow traveler through this life.

Alec was the incredibly loved son of his father Christopher Mancini of Wayne and his mother Celine (Felsetta) Mancini who passed away in 2015. He was the big brother of Serena Mancini and Setira Mancini, both of Wayne; dear nephew of Father Marc Mancini of Totowa, Nick and wife Alejandra Mancini of Bloomfield, and dear Aunt Mellie Rohr of New York City. He is also survived by his loving maternal grandfather Gabe Felsetta and wife Tina of Queens, NY, and was also predeceased by his maternal grandmother Harriet Felsetta, and his paternal grandparents Marc and Mary Mancini.

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Those planning an expression of sympathy in Alec’s name are asked to consider a donation to BlueCrest Recovery Center of Woodland Park, NJ. To donate, click on this link which will take you to a GoFundMe page that has been set up to donate to this cause.

Elizabeth W. Kinnen, of Wayne and formerly of Williamsville and Buffalo, NY, passed away on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. She was 100 years old!

Elizabeth was the firstborn of Foyn Arthur and Harriet Elizabeth Wilson (Ellis). She was born in Cleveland, Ohio on Monday, June 14, 1920 and became affectionately known as “Betty”.

Betty grew up in Cleveland and, upon high school graduation, attended Case Western Reserve in Cleveland where she earned her certification in vocal music education.  Her teaching career began soon after in 1942, in Cleveland, OH. While teaching music to children was a great love, Betty also loved to sing herself, and was blessed with a beautiful soprano voice. While a member of her church’s choir, Betty was fortunate to meet F. Eugene Drullard, a gentleman from Buffalo, NY (a baritone) who was stationed at the time in Cleveland as a member of the U.S. Coastguard. Betty and “Gene” soon fell in love and married in 1945. The day after their wedding, Gene, a Chief Petty Officer, was deployed on a troop transport ship serving in the North Atlantic for the next two years. To say that this was not much of a honeymoon would have been an understatement, but alas, the two-year wait was apparently worth it. Upon his return to civilian life, Betty and Gene moved to Gene’s hometown of Buffalo, NY. Soon after they were blessed with the birth of their son David and then a daughter whom they named Martha (Marty). They eventually moved from Buffalo into the suburbs to the Township of Tonawanda.

For the first years of their young lives, Betty focused all of her attention on the care of her two children. When Martha entered first grade, Betty returned to the classroom, initially teaching vocal music at West Seneca Junior High School. She later taught in New York’s Williamsville Central School District at Forest Elementary and Maple West Elementary Schools. At age 55, Betty returned to college, this time to the State University of New York at Fredonia, where she did graduate work in Music Education. She continued in the classroom for another seven years until retiring fully in 1982 at the age of 62. During her teaching career which spanned forty years, Betty was a source of inspiration for many of her students, instilling a love of music that would last a lifetime.

For many years, Betty and Gene were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Buffalo where they both were active participants in the church’s choir. Betty was also active in the church as a member of the session, the pastoral search committee, the bell choir, and the women’s association. After retiring, she also directed the bell choir at Amherst Community Church and directed the summer choir at the Chapel at Point Abino, in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.

Betty loved vacationing along the Canadian shore of Lake Erie where she was a member of the Buffalo Canoe Club. She looked forward to summers and the chance to get out on the lake to take in the warm sunshine and gentle breezes. She also was a twenty-five-year bowler with the Buffalo Canoe Club’s women’s bowling league in which she participated well into her nineties. Betty enjoyed lively discussions at her church’s book club, frequent walks, Sunday afternoon season tickets to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and travels to destinations such as Italy and Greece as well as an Elderhostel trip to the national parks.

After Betty’s husband Gene passed away in 1982, she found love and companionship once more when she met Robert E. Kinnen at Holloway Bay in Ontario, and then married him in 1985. They especially enjoyed their time and friendships at the Kennels at Holloway Bay. After Robert’s passing in 2012, she remained in Williamsville, NY, where they had lived at Wedgewood and then Asbury Pointe.  In 2016, at age 96, she moved to Wayne, NJ to be closer to her daughter Martha. She became a member of a new church family when she joined the Preakness Reformed Church in Wayne, where she enjoyed a weekly lunch and bible study.  Her last years were spent being lovingly cared for at Sunrise Senior Living in Wayne.

The picture of positivity, Betty was full of beauty, grace and charm. Extremely outgoing, she loved a great party and was always up for a good Manhattan.  Many devoted and beloved friends remained in contact until the end from the places and groups she was a part of throughout her life.

Betty was the beloved wife of her first husband F. Eugene “Gene” Drullard who passed away in 1982, and her second husband Robert E. Kinnen who passed away in 2012. She was the most loving mother of David Wilson Drullard and his fiancee Robin Mills of Richmond, VA, and Martha Drullard Mariniello and her husband William of Wayne, adoring grandmother of Ian and wife Maureen Drullard of Grand Island, NY, Kyle and wife Sarah Drullard of Durham, CT, and Trevor Drullard of Wilburham, MA; cherished great-grandmother of Emma, Lucie, Violet, Nathaniel, and Leo; dear sister of the late Patricia and sister-in-law of the late James McGeechan; dear sister-in-law of the late Edgar T. and the late Mary Drullard; and dear aunt of the late Linda Drullard Watts, the late John Drullard, Leslie McGeechan Garner of Dallas, TX, and Tracy McGeechan Robinson of Vezey, IN.  Also beloved were Betty’s great niece Mary and her husband Rick Wellington of Hamburg, NY; her stepchildren the late Christine Kinnen, Michael and his wife Diane Kinnen of Boulder, CO; and Shannon and Deborah Mariniello, and their daughters Grace and Mary of Hillsdale.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Elizabeth’s name are asked to consider her two home churches:

Preakness Reformed Church

131 Church Lane

Wayne, NJ 07470

First Presbyterian Church

1 Symphony Circle

Buffalo, NY 14201

Elizabeth (Betty) Lyons, age 84 of Clifton, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.

She was born March 24, 1936 in Paterson to John Emmet and Elizabeth (Burns) McGill.

She attended Georgian Court University where she grew her love of teaching and making life-long friends. She was a long time ESL teacher at Passaic County Community College where she helped numerous students learn English.

She enjoyed traveling and seeing new places with both family and friends. There was never a trip she would not want to take. She spent countless hours at ballfields, ice rinks, and basketball courts watching her brother, husband, daughter, son, and granddaughters. She loved cross country skiing and ice skating herself.

She was an active member of Saint Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Clifton, as one of the original “Welcomers” when the program started.

She is survived by her sister Margaret, brother; John, daughter and son-in-law; Maryann and Scott Goodwin, son and daughter-in-law; Robert and Kristine, and her granddaughters; Gabrielle, Carla, Carissa, and Lauryn.

She was preceded in death by her father; John Emmet, her mother; Elizabeth, sister; Frances, and husband; Frank.

John Mills Easdale, Sr., age 89, passed on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

He was born in Passaic to George and Elizabeth Easdale and was raised in Clifton. He graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1948. After high school, John found work at the US Rubber Factory in Passaic. He was drafted into the service, served two years with the US Army during the Korean War, and was Honorably Discharged from his Reserve Duty as a Corporal in 1960.

After his time with the US Army he returned to work at US Rubber, but following an injury at the rubber plant, he found work with the US Postal Service, being appointed to his position as a Letter Carrier in 1961 and being assigned to work in the Township of Wayne, where he and his wife Patricia had moved to raise their family. Through the years he worked at the Packanack Lake Post Office and later the Mountain View Station through his over forty years of service. An interesting fact is that John never took a sick day during his years with the Post Office, and when he retired he received almost three years’ worth of compensation for those unused days. He also worked part-time nights and weekends at Circle Building Supply in Wayne, and would sometimes bring his young children, John and Carol, to work with him, and they have fond memories of playing all around the store, and even recall wandering about in the attic.

You would think John would have had enough with work, but after his retirement he became even more active in his community, and continued to deliver his community's newsletter up until about a year and a half ago.

John will be remembered for his lovable, quiet, and shy way. He was never a complainer and really seemed to come out of his shell during his retirement years. He bowled on three teams and served as president of his bowling, shuffleboard and bocce league through the years. He also loved going to the Atlantic City casinos.

John met the love of his life, Patricia Tierney, while roller skating in Paterson. They married on May 6, 1956 and honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York. They had a loving and devoted marriage of forty-seven years before Patricia’s passing in 2003.

John was the loving husband of the late Patricia Easdale (d.2003); devoted father of Carol DiPasqule of Riverdale and John Mills Easdale, Jr. of Whittier, CA; cherished grandfather of Danielle DiPasquale, Melody Easdale, Heather Easdale, Eliza Easdale, and Evelyn Easdale; he was the dearly loved great-grandfather of Kayleigh Ann; beloved twin brother of the late George Easdale, and dear brother of the late Adelaide Hutler and the late Margaret Frankenfield.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Judes Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

John A. Rienstra, age 76, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday March 16, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

John was born and raised in Paterson, NJ and was the oldest of three children to Tice and Angelina Rienstra.  Growing up in Paterson, John attended Eastside High School where he graduated with the class of 1962.  Following his high school graduation, John enrolled at St Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ.  John was only in college for a couple of years when he felt the call to serve his country.  In 1964, John enlisted with the United States Army and served honorably from 1964 until 1965.  During his service, John was stationed in Alaska for about six months and was an expert Rifleman.  John was honorably discharged early from the service due to the fact that his father had become seriously ill.

After returning home from his service with the US Army, John worked as a Banker for a short time then started his own business in the Painting and Paperhanging industry.  Subsequent to owning his own business, John went to work for his father-in-law at the Corral restaurant on Hazel Street in Clifton, NJ.  In 1980 John and his two brother-in-laws teamed up and bought a banquet hall named the Mountainside Inn.  This establishment was also located in Clifton, just a few doors down from the Corral.  John and his brother-in-laws owned and operated the Mountainside for over fifteen years.  In 1995, John branched out on his own and bought the Branchbrook Manor, another banquet hall located in Bellville.  John owned and operated the Branchbrook Manor for approximately eleven years, selling it in 2004.  Following John’s retirement, he worked as a banquet manager for the Crestmont Country Club and Rock Spring Country Club, both located in West Orange, NJ.

In 1960 while a student at Eastside High School in Paterson, John was introduced to an attractive young lady by the name of Judy Barbato.  The two of them being juniors in high school hit it off great and started dating.  In 1962, their graduating year, John and Judy were awarded the title of “High School Sweethearts.”  John and Judy continued dating after high school and as fate would have it they fell I love and were married on January 15, 1966 at St Joseph’s RC Church in Paterson shortly after John’s discharge from the military.  The couple settled in Paterson for a while then moved to West Paterson, and eventually in 1978, moved to Wayne.  John and Judy have called Wayne their home ever since.  While living in Wayne, they raised their three children, Alan, Eric, and Alyson.  In 1997 tragedy struck John and his family’s lives when John’s son Alan passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

John was a truly dedicated New York Giants and New York Yankees fan.  His family owned season tickets to the New York Giants’ games for many years.  They were also fortunate enough to have attended two Super Bowls.  Super Bowl XXV held a special place in their hearts because of the NY Giants’ victory over the Buffalo Bills.   Another of John’s favorite past times was travel.  He, his wife, and his family have visited various destinations including Cancun, Italy, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Disney.

John and his family owned a vacation home in Ortley Beach at the Jersey Shore where they have fond memories of spending their summers every year.  John was a wonderfully social person who loved to talk to people.  He was quite often the life of the party and a guy you couldn’t help but like.  He was loved by everyone that knew him.  Aside from all of John’s interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to John than spending quality time with this wife, children and grandchildren.  John was a devoted father and grandfather.  He and his wife Judy cherished more than fifty-five years of loving and loyal marriage together.  John was not only devoted to his family but also to his Catholic Faith.  He and his family were parishioners of St Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes for many years.  John was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew him.

John is survived by his wife Judy (Barbato) of Wayne, one son Eric Rienstra and his wife Nicole of Pompton Lakes, one daughter Alyson and her husband Dave of Hawthorne, two sisters; Mae Gorga and her husband Barry of Longs, SC, and Gloria Quinn and her husband Joseph of Old Forge PA, five grandchildren; Tyce, Nicholas, Gavin, Alexandria, and Christopher, two brother-in-laws; Louis Barbato and his wife Gina of Boonton, and James Barbato and his wife Diane of North Haledon.  John was predeceased by his son Alan Rienstra in 1997.

In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s name may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105-9959.   http://www.stjude.org

Joan Ross, 66 of Wayne, passed away peacefully surrounded with love by her family, on Wednesday, March 16, 2021.

Joan was born in Brooklyn, NY and spent the first four years of life there until her family moved to Wood-Ridge, NJ. She was a graduate of Wood-Ridge High School with the class of 1972. She attended Ramapo College and graduated four years later with a Bachelor’s degree, in pursuit of a career in social work.

During her teenage years, Joan was active in the color guard of the C-W Townsmen Drum and Bugle Corps of Wood-Ridge. In the spring of 1972 Joan and group of friends decided to leave the Townsmen and join the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights of Union, where she met one of their buglers named Anthony Ross. It was a classic case of mutual love at first sight and soon after, they enjoyed their first official date to the Jersey shore. In time, it became more and more apparent that this love struck couple was destined for a life together. On Saturday, January 22, 1977, one of the coldest days ever on record, Joan and Anthony invited family and friends to witness their wedding vows at the Presbyterian Church in Wood-Ridge. Following a fun-filled reception at The Fiesta in Wood-Ridge, Joan and Anthony headed to Acapulco for their honeymoon. Upon their return, their first home together was in a two family house in Carlstadt. From there they moved to an apartment on Terrace Ave in Lodi and, in 1979, they purchased their first home together in the Pines Lake section of Wayne. The blessings of children followed – first their son Daniel in 1982 followed by their daughter Erin in 1985. In 1986, they moved one more time, across town to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne where Joan remained to the present.

During her younger days Joan’s first job out of college was with the Bergen County Welfare Board where she worked in her chosen field as a social worker. Every day, she set off to work in the pursuit of making life a little better for others. Joan continued to work fulltime until her son Dan was born. While taking time off to care for him and her daughter Erin, Joan took a part-time job as a supervisor for boys and girls who had newspaper delivery routes. Her job was to make sure that the paper-boys and paper-girls had their newspapers to deliver and to also pick up the money that they collected from their customers. When times changed and kids no longer delivered newspapers, Joan started delivering them herself from her car. She eventually shifted gears and took a job as fleet lease coordinator for the Skyline Auto Exchange – an auction where dealers purchased cars at wholesale to sell at their auto dealerships. She loved the work and, over the years developed lasting friendships with many of her colleagues.

Joan was never bored. She had lots of interests to keep her entertained. Aside from being a voracious reader who couldn’t resist a good biography or mystery, many of Joan’s activities involved participation with family and friends. High on her list of experiences were family vacations to Cancun, the Bahamas, Disney World, Niagara Falls, and that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kenya, where they went on safari and stood on the equator. Joan loved the beach: occasionally enjoying a day at Sandy Hook with her lifelong friend Carol, or the more extensive beach trips to Lido Key in Sarasota Bay, where she also got a jump-start on the Yankee season during Spring Training.

Joan loved nights out to the city either dining in Chinatown or Little Italy, seeing a Broadway show, or seeing her favorite artists, like David Byrne of the Talking Heads, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, and many others. Joan’s always loved watching and ordering from QVC and surfing for deals on the web. At Christmas time she and her daughter Erin made it a tradition to go shopping to the Union Square Market followed by lunch. She also loved playing games – the ones that could be played on her phone and iPad, like Candy Crush and Farmville, but especially a night of board games with friends and family, like Trivial Pursuit – that game which everyone knew Joan was the undisputed champion.

Joan was simply a pure pleasure to be around. She was truly one of the most positive, friendly, resilient, and kind-hearted persons you could ever imagine knowing. She was a true blessing to her friends, her church family at Grace United Presbyterian Church in Wayne, and her family. Selfless and caring, she was always so happy to have her family together. She had a great knack for getting the most thoughtful gifts and was always thinking about others. Even when she was sick and in the hospital she would ask Erin and Reena “What do you want for your birthday?”  She was known for little things that just made life special, like scratch-off lottery tickets in your Christmas stocking. And Joan’s caring spirit extended beyond family and friends to also include her furry friends. She had a soft spot for the pooches and kitties of this world, so much so that, early in their marriage, she and Anthony regularly fostered dogs from the animal refuge, and all their pets throughout the years were rescued from local shelters. Her two cats, Ninja and Ozzie will also miss her dearly.

Joan was the beloved wife of Anthony, blessed in marriage for 44 years. She was the most loving mother of Daniel and wife Reena Ross of Brooklyn, NY and Erin Ross of Brooklyn, NY; adoring grandmother of Ian Strider Ross; cherished daughter of Mollie Schneider of Pompton Plains; dear sister of Diane and husband Peter Bates of Morristown and John Schneider of Lodi; loving aunt of Alexis and Nicholas Bates; beloved sister-in-law and aunt to her in-laws. She was predeceased by her father James Campbell in 1968 and by her step-father Edward Schneider in 2015.

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Joan’s name are asked to consider making a donation in her name to the Alan Purcell Wayne Animal Shelter of Wayne, NJ, where Joan often made donations and even helped her mother adopt there. Please donate online or mail directly to the Wayne Animal Shelter at 201 Pompton Plains Crossroads (Jackson Ave Extension), Wayne, NJ 07470.

Joanne C. Densel, age 89, of Pequannock, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Her loving and supportive family were present with her at the time of her passing.

Joanne was the daughter of Joseph and Henrietta (Sweetman) Vander Veer. Born at home in Prospect Park, NJ, she grew up there and attended Hawthorne High School, graduating with the Class of 1949. Upon her marriage to Richard Densel, Jr. she moved to Passaic Park. There, she and Rich were blessed with their first two children, Richard, III and Joanne. Soon after, they purchased their first home in Clifton where they welcomed their third child, Margaret Elizabeth.  Joanne embraced her role as mother and provided a loving home for her husband and for her children. After Richard passed away in 1983, Joanne remained in Clifton until 1994 when she moved to Pequannock to live closer with family.

Joanne was a member of the Free Reformed Church in Clifton before joining the Trinity Baptist Church of Montville.

Joanne enjoyed baking, knitting, and serving the Lord by serving her church family in any way she possibly could. Joanne lived her life quietly with a deep Christian faith that had been instilled in her by her parents. She passed on her faith to her family and others through the loving way in which she lived her life.

Joanne was predeceased by her beloved husband of 31 years, Richard Densel, Jr., who passed away on the eve of their 31st wedding anniversary. She was the most loving mother of Richard Densel, III and his wife Ruth of Pequannock, Joanne Holcomb and her husband Jeff of Branchville, and Margaret Elizabeth Garza and her husband Frank of Butler; cherished grandmother of: Richard Densel IV and his wife Priscilla, Joanne Van Wingerden and her husband Dave, Brian Densel and his wife Cheryl, David Densel, Jesse Holcomb and his wife Hillary Scholten, Corinne Monaghan and her husband Mark, Ashley Greendyk and her husband Eric, Marisa Davis and her husband Adam, and Micah Garza and his wife Robin; adored great-grandmother of: Keziah, Edward and Ethan Densel, Kaitlyn, Shane, Benjamin and Nicole Van Wingerden, Allie and Nathan Densel, James and Wesley Scholten-Holcomb, Cecelia and Dylan Monaghan, Lorraine and Jonah Greendyk, Eden and Laela Davis, and Caleb Garza; and dear sister of the late Joseph Vander Veer, Jr. and Grace Bushoven of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Joanne’s name are asked to consider Trinity Baptist Church, 160 Changebridge Road, Montville, NJ 07045.

Edward J. Streuli, age 83 of Wayne, and a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, died peacefully at home on Saturday, March 13, 2021. He has lived in Wayne since 1966.

Ed was a skilled cabinet maker who retired about ten years ago from the architectural woodworking shop at Reyes Enterprises in Lodi, NJ. He had previously worked for Suburban Kitchens, and other area cabinet shops. Many homes throughout the area are filled with fine examples of his unique talent and craftsmanship.

After graduating from Don Bosco High School with the class of 1957, Ed joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served from 1957 to 1963. He remained a long-standing member of the Marine Corps League Lakeland Detachment 744 in Pompton Lakes and wore his red Marine Corps jacket everywhere! He would always extend his hand and exclaim “Semper Fi” to any Marine he happened upon. Just a few years ago, he joined a League trip to Parris Island, with several other Marines, and spent a few days there, reminiscing and visiting with new recruits. He had a great time and really loved the time they spent there.

Ed was a true family man and a dedicated father. His sons recall how their father seemingly made it to every one of their games, even while working two jobs. He even managed to be assistant coach for his son, Dave, for a few years. They don’t know how he found the time to do it, but he was always there. He also made sure that his wife and kids enjoyed their annual summer vacation to the Jersey Shore, even if he couldn’t make it himself. Ed shared with them his love for the outdoors, visiting their home in Sterling, PA where they had lots of fun riding ATV’s and hunting. He always put their wellbeing ahead of his own, and they know just how lucky they are to have had him as their dad.

Ed met his wife, Lorraine (nee Taschler) at a basketball game held at Don Bosco Trade School in Paterson and courted for seven years. They married on July 17, 1963 and enjoyed a perfect and devoted marriage together for forty-six years. Ed was truly heartbroken when she passed away in 2009, but somehow he found the strength to continue on. He managed to keep himself active and busy, missing her every day during the twelve years since.

Ed is survived by his two sons; David Streuli of Wayne, and Daniel Streuli (Trena Getchell) of California, two grandchildren; Kimberly and Ryan Streuli of Great Britain, two brothers; James Streuli of Pennsylvania, and Joseph Streuli of Virginia, a sister; Dorothy Rieder of Arizona, and his nieces and nephews. Ed was predeceased by his wife, Lorraine, in 2009.

Josie Farinella (nee Di Gangi) age 74, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday, March 12, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Josie was born and raised in Nociazzi, a small town outside the city of Palermo on the Island of Sicily, Italy. Josie was the oldest of three children to Salvatore and Michelina Di Gangi. As a young girl, Josie apprenticed in a local salon and began her career as a professional hairdresser by her early teens. On September 24, 1967, at just twenty years old, Josie left Sicily to build a better life in the United States. Upon arriving in the USA, she settled in Paterson, NJ.

Two years later, Josie returned to her homeland to marry the love of her life, Nino Farinella, on August 14, 1969. The newlyweds both returned to the United States on October 26, 1969 where they purchased a home on Glover Avenue in Paterson and welcomed the births of their two children. Josie soon began to work as hair dresser alongside her sister, Tita, at her salon in Paterson, Tita’s Beauty Nest. Josie and her sister were in business together for 35 years until her retirement, in 2015. In 1986, Josie and Nino purchased a home in Wayne where they’ve lived ever since.

Josie had an innate and intuitive sense of creativity which she channeled into everything she did— from her cooking to her prodigious knitting, crocheting, and flower arranging, Josie excelled at creating artful and heartfelt interpretations using traditional techniques handed down from generations of her elders.

Some of her happiest moments came from her full time immersion into creativity with the establishment of her craft business, Hand and Heart, which she independently ran for 30 years. She thrived in the creative flow of her basement studio where she prepared flower arrangements and one of a kind knitted clothing for her open house events during the Easter and Christmas seasons. Twice a year, Josie would transform her beloved home into a gallery where dozens of clients, friends, and family members would gather to view and purchase her work, enjoy her amazing cooking and baked goods, and celebrate her creativity.

Josie was a vibrant loving person who built her life around empathy and compassion. She was a selfless caregiver and always ready to be of service to anyone in need. She was a devoted mother, always present and whole-heartedly interested in watching her children grow. She loved  small joyful details of life like afternoon coffee at her kitchen table, Sunday dinners with her family, and sappy love songs. She loved laughing but also cried when she felt joy. She loved being alive and well. She had a special place in everyone’s heart and will truly be missed by everyone who knew her.

Josie is survived by her husband Nino Farinella of Wayne, one daughter Michelle Farinella of Wayne, one son Adriano Farinella of Easton, PA, two sisters; Tita Lionti of Wayne, and Silvana Abate and her husband Tito of Wayne, two nieces; Jennifer Lionti Carr, and Sabrina Lionti Rosendahl, and one nephew, Anthony Abate.  She was predeceased by her parents Salvatore and Michelina Di Gangi.

Joseph Riggio, age 57 of Wayne, died unexpectedly on March 11, 2021.

Born in Brooklyn, Joey moved to Wayne with his parents in 1967. He graduated from Wayne Valley with the class of 1981 and began working as a locksmith in New York City. Joe loved fishing and won his first fishing trophy at Don Bosco Camp in Newton, NJ when he was just a little kid. He knew all the local fishing spots. He also learned deer hunting from his dad, and Joe was successful almost every deer season that they hunted together. His father recalls many good memories from their time enjoying the outdoors.

Like so many others, Joe struggle with his personal demons. He will remain eternally grateful to all of those who helped him throughout the years. He maintained a large group of good friends who were always there for him.

Sadness visited Joe in 2017 when his girlfriend, Sue Gavlak, died tragically. Her loss weighed heavy on his heart, and he has missed her dearly every day since.

Joe is survived by his parents; Jack and Pauline Riggio, and his sister; Joann D’Ura (Glenn), all of Wayne.

Theresa Donnelly (nee Whalen), age 90 of Wayne, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. She was holding her son’s hand as she quietly slipped into the hands of the Lord.

Theresa was born in Lombard, Illinois and her family moved to Rutherford, NJ when she was just four years old. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Rutherford, and then went on to nursing school at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic.  She graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1951 and continued to work at St. Mary’s Hospital. After moving to Wayne in 1952, she worked at Alps Manor Nursing Home and then finished the final twenty years of her career at the Pediatric office of Dr. Cole, Dr. Topchik, and Edelstein at their practice in Wayne. Pediatrics

In 1951, Theresa was invited to a party on Long Island. It was here that she met Gerard Donnelly and they hit it off. Jerry was interested in meeting her again, so he sent a telegram to her home, which read “Meet me under the clock at the Biltmore Hotel.” Theresa was intrigued and boarded a bus for New York City. The rest is history and they were married on June 21, 1952, moving to Wayne thereafter. Their first home in the Preakness section of Wayne had no telephone service.  In fact, none of the homes in their neighborhood had phone service, so her husband had to compel the phone company to install a payphone in their front yard when Theresa was expecting their first child! Jerry would often come home from work to find the neighbors lined up to use the payphone! As their family grew, they moved to Packanack Lake to raise their four sons. Jerry and Theresa went on to enjoy fifty-three years of marriage before Jerry passed away in 2005. During those years, they were devoted to their Catholic faith and were proud to be founding members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Packanack Lake. Theresa attended mass daily, served as a Lector, and tended to the altar cloth and vestments, which she ironed to perfection. She was a personable, outgoing woman with many friends in their community and she will be missed dearly by her large, loving family.

Theresa is survived by her four sons; Tom Donnelly and his wife Gerry of Yorba Linda, CA, Rod Donnelly and his wife Alice of Wayne, Brian Donnelly and his wife Stacie of Dacula, GA, and Mark Donnelly of Perth Amboy, NJ, ten grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren, two sisters; Mary Sullivan and Leila Rieman, and a brother; Thomas Whalen. She was predeceased by her husband Gerard in 2005.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Eva’s Village, 393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07501.

Jacob Garrett Van Dalen, age 88, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Monday, March 8, 2021.

Jacob (Jake) was born in Passaic and raised in Clifton. At the age of twelve, his green thumb emerged when he started to work for Ploch’s Farm in Clifton.

In 1953, at the age of 20, Jake was inducted into the U.S. Army where he served stateside as a cook from 1953 to 1955. He attained the rank of Corporal and spent an additional six years as a member of the Army Reserve. For his service, Jake was the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

On one of the occasions when Jake was able to come home on temporary leave from the military, his sister Elizabeth invited her good friend Ida Van Der Stad to go for a ride with her and Jake. They drove into New York City and one of Ida’s distinct memories was that Jake, who was doing the driving, ran through every red traffic light that they encountered. In today’s day and age, such driving behavior might land you in jail but this was the 1950’s when there weren’t nearly the number of cars on the road that we see today. That night was the beginning of a loving and devoted relationship that ultimately led to Jake and Ida’s marriage with a ceremony taking place on Friday, June 1, 1956 at the Netherland Reformed Church in Passaic. After the wedding ceremony and reception, Jake and Ida set off on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls on the Canadian Side where they visited the famous Lover’s Lane.

Jake and Ida initially lived in Prospect Park before moving to Wayne in 1964 in the house that Jake built with the help of family and friends. His yard included a large garden where he grew delicious vegetables for his family as well as cultivated flowers for his wife. His favorite was gladiolus which he lovingly picked for her. While Ida primarily raised their daughter and three sons, Jake worked as a chemical operator for Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley. His career there spanned almost forty years until retirement came at age 62 in 1995. Not one to sit around idly, Jake enjoyed helping his son Jacob who owned greenhouses in Walkill, NY. This was the perfect pastime for Jake who loved gardening so much. His garden meant so much that when scheduled for bypass surgery he told the doctors he had to go home to pick the beans in his backyard garden first.

One of Jake’s other favorite activities was traveling and camping. He and Ida traveled all over the United States and Canada. They especially enjoyed visiting Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Canada which they visited well over twenty times. There were several trips to see the western part of the United States and Canada to see the beauty of God’s creation. The first time in 1959 as a couple and then in 1976, 1978, 1981 (for their 25th anniversary) with their children and finally in 1989 with their new son-in-law. Each year for the last twenty-one years, in August, they held a family reunion at a campground in Lancaster, PA amongst the corn fields. They also enjoyed numerous day trips there as well. Throughout their lives the Van Dalen’s enjoyed camping in tents, a StarCraft pop-up, and various size travel trailers.  Of course, these trailers needed to be pulled by something big and for Jake, there was nothing better than a Suburban to do the job. In all his travels, there was always one thing that accompanied Jake besides his wife, and that was a cup of coffee. In fact, he drank so much coffee, one could easily conclude that it ran through his veins.

Above all, Jake was a man who was truly devoted to his wife, Ida and cherished the times he could spend with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was affectionately called “Opa” by his grandchildren who will sorely miss him.

Jake is survived by his beloved wife Ida (nee Van Der Stad), blessed in marriage for sixty-four years; one daughter: Ruth Ann and her husband John Bosch of Wayne, their children: Rebecca, Chris-John and his wife Jana; three sons: Jacob Jr. and his wife Laura Van Dalen of Walkill, NY, their children: Kaitlyn, Jacob III, Kristina; Jan Van Dalen and Lori Smith of Easton, MD, his children: Michael and his wife Lacey and their children (Joseph, Caroline, and Samuel), Daniel, Rachel, and Jonathan and his wife Shirley Van Dalen of Grand Rapids, MI, their children: Nathaniel, Colleen, Melanie, and Meghan; his sister Wilhelmina Van Dalen of Riverdale, and brother-in-law Jacob Remus of Pompton Plains; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased in death by his sister Elizabeth Remus in 2019.

Jake was a life time member of the Netherlands Reformed Church in Clifton.

His son-in-law John, who is a chaplain in the Holland Christian Home, will be officiating at the service.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jacob’s name are asked to consider either the Holland Christian Home (attn: pastoral care) 151 Graham Ave., North Haledon, NJ 07508 or the  Netherland Reformed Christian School Library Fund, 164 Jacksonville Road, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

Carl Arthur Fischer, a beloved son, brother, and friend, died March 7, 2021 at the age of 49. Carl was born August 3, 1971 on Misawa Airbase in Japan. He grew up in Dallas, Texas and graduated from Cistercian Preparatory School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, followed by a master’s and PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington/UT Southwestern Medical Center.

For several years, Carl was a well-regarded employee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rising through the ranks of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. He then joined Becton Dickinson (a medical technology company) and was a valued advisor to senior leadership on quality and regulatory strategy. He also provided critical support in complex regulatory compliance areas to their offices throughout the US and internationally.

Carl had a love of music which began at an early age. He started piano lessons at the age of four and went on to study the organ under Noël Goemanne. Carl worked as an organist at a number of churches, impressing many with his playing style and unmatched improvisational skill. He recently assembled a residential pipe organ in his house and was already looking forward to performing any necessary repairs.

Those who knew Carl remember his brilliant mind, unique perspective, kind spirit, and smart sense of humor. He was a generous, cherished friend, always willing to provide help, advice, and insight, both personally and professionally. Carl had a knack for finding quirky, useful items in thrift stores and appreciated the unusual nuances of life. He enjoyed traveling with friends and finding the best dining experiences.

Carl was preceded in death by his mother, Lucia. He is survived by his dog Ellie, his father Roger, sisters Heidi and Joan (Anthony), niece Lucy, and nephew Carter.

Memories, happy thoughts, sad thoughts, and lingering complaints can be sent to condolences.for.carl@gmail.com

Henry “Mickey” Harold Arthur McFadden, III, age 60, of Pompton Lakes, formerly of Wayne, passed suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Saturday, March 6, 2021.

Mickey was born to Harold A., Jr.(d.2016) and Joan (Crowley) McFadden in Passaic and raised in Wayne, NJ.  He graduated from Wayne Hills High School with the Class of 1978. He worked for the Parks and Recreation Division of Wayne Township starting as a skilled tree climber and trimmer and over his more than thirty years with the department retired as a Foreman in 2015.

Mickey loved the outdoors and enjoyed skiing, ice hockey, cars, motorcycles, and was a loyal NJ Jets fan and even gave his second daughter the middle name Jett! He was also a lifelong fan of the NY Mets and NY Rangers.  He especially loved fishing, and at the age of twelve was badgering his mom to let him go fishing by himself in Pines Lake. His mom took him to the lake, borrowed a rowboat, and set out for the middle of the lake. She told Mickey to jump out and if he could swim to shore from the middle of the lake he could go fishing by himself whenever he wanted. He jumped out and thankfully passed the sink or swim test. Mickey loved freshwater and saltwater fishing and was happiest when he had a fishing pole in his hand. In his youth, he spent summers in Ocean City and Pines Lake where he was always boating, fishing, and crabbing. He also loved exploring The Glen in Wayne as well. He loved sports and played baseball for the Wayne PAL and later became an umpire for them. During his high school years, he enjoyed being on the wrestling team, all forms of industrial arts, and was a skilled artist himself when it came to painting, drawing, and graphic arts. His love of painting transcended his youth to adulthood and he created beautiful artwork and murals. He loved his motorcycles and lived by the motto “the faster the better.” Mickey will be lovingly remembered for being exuberant, outgoing, making friends easily, and having had many long-term friendships. He had a life-long love of dogs, having grown up with many Dobermans over the years. Mickey and his current dog “Friend” were inseparable and she was always by his side.

Mickey is survived by his mother Joan (Crowley) McFadden of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains; loving father of Natalie and McKenzie McFadden of Wayne and their mother Linda McFadden also of Wayne; beloved brother of David McFadden and wife Cynthia of Wayne and Jody Lyons and husband Stephen of Wayne; dear uncle of Chase Lyons, Mallory McFadden, and Shannon Lyons; devoted nephew of Claire Crowley of Wirtz, VA; much-loved cousin of Kevin and Scott Crowley of Smith Mountain Lake, VA. He was predeceased by his father Harold “Mickey” A. McFadden, Jr. (d.2016) and uncle Charles Crowley (d.2018).

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to: FOWA (Friends of Wayne Animal Rescue) would be appreciated. https://fowarescue.org/

Richard Marotta, age 74 of Ringwood, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, March 5, 2021.

Rich was the second oldest of James and Mary (nee Manzi) Marotta’s five children. He was born in Paterson and raised in the beautiful Riverside section of the city. A graduate of Eastside High School’s Class of 1964, he went on for further study in drafting school and got his first job as a draftsman with Liberty Machine Company in Paterson. During his 26 years with the company he worked his way up to vice president. On March 11, 1991, Rich took on a new challenge by opening his own company which he called Converting Concepts. His hard work and great reputation in the industry earned him the respect needed to secure machine design contracts with companies such as Boeing, Ford Motor Company and Bostick, Inc. to name a few. He loved his work and would have proudly celebrated 30 years in his own company this coming March 11.

When Rich was a mere fifteen years young, he set out one evening to attend a Blessed Sacrament Church of Paterson’s sponsored Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dance. Little did he know what a turning point that night would be! It was there that he met a sweet girl by the name of Lorraine Cascone. She was his age and a relationship started that evening that would ultimately develop into a match made in heaven. They became high school sweethearts and ultimately husband and wife. Rich’s proposal was interesting. One day while driving together in his car, they got within a block or two of Lorraine’s home and Rich stopped his car at an intersection and just handed Lorraine an engagement ring. As he sat at the stop sign waiting for Lorraine’s answer, maybe he thought that if another car approached from behind, it might hasten her response before he’d have to move on so as not to block the intersection. Whatever may be the case, Lorraine’s answer was a resounding “Yes”! On Saturday, November 5, 1966, family and friends were invited to St. Brendan’s Church in Clifton to witness Rich and Lorraine’s exchange of their wedding vows before God. Though it was a rainy day, no one cared. Love was in the air and, after a joyous reception at the Casino De Charlz located at the time at 120 Union Boulevard in Totowa, the newlyweds enjoyed a romantic honeymoon to Puerto Rico.

Rich and Lorraine’s first newlywed home was an apartment on Cybill Court in West Paterson (known today as Woodland Park). Nine months later, their honeymoon baby made her grand entry into the world. Rich and Lorraine named her Lisa and she was followed in July, 1970 by a little sister named Lori. With the family growing, Rich and Lorraine moved to 29 Ryerson Ave. in Haledon. That house served them well until one more move came in 1983. This time it was to a brand new home in Ringwood. It was designed by Rich himself and built over the course of ten straight weekends – each one of them featuring perfect weather – with a lot of help from Rich’s Uncle Effie who was a builder, Rich’s brothers-in-law Bob and Dennis, and his good buddy Ed Vannelli. While that house was one of Rich’s proudest achievement, his perfectionistic nature drove him to make various tweaks and upgrades over the years.  

Rich was a man blessed with many talents and interests. As a young man growing up in Paterson, you could often find him at the Peerless Bowling Alley where he developed into one of the best players. At one time he even considered going pro and had bowled his share of perfect 300’s – all strikes - in his day. He also loved the game of golf and enjoyed getting in nine or eighteen holes at North Jersey Country Club where he often drew inspiration in his mind from golf great Arnold Palmer. As a long-time member of North Jersey Country Club, he and Lorraine were blessed with many good friendships. Rich had a real fascination for learning about the history of Paterson – especially the Riverside section where he spent a big part of his life. With all his knowledge of that beloved city, one could say that he could have made a legitimate claim to the title of official Paterson historian. He was a proud American who, while not a veteran himself, enjoyed being actively engaged in the life of the Riverside Veterans whom he came to love because his father James was a veteran.

When Rich set out to unwind, he found peace and joy with the ones he loved going on cruises, especially to his favorite destination of Bermuda, hanging out at his and Lorraine’s condo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where he could also get in a few holes of golf, and taking vacations to Wildwood Crest. Those trips down the Jersey shore were some of the most special as they were annual occasions for many years with his girls when they were growing up and later with his granddaughters. Like so many men, Rich had a bit of a fascination with cars. He loved to drive around in his 1983 Mercedes SL and, while he never actually got one, he often dreamed of owning a 62 Corvette in a color which Chevrolet fittingly called “Riverside Red”.

Rich went through some serious health trials in recent years. It wasn’t always easy but he derived a lot of strength, courage and perspective from his faith in God who he always believed had everything under control. He enjoyed going to church at St. Mary’s in Pompton Lakes where he and Lorraine could always be found in the same seats at either Saturday or Sunday mass.  

The loss Rich’s family feels at this time is palpable to say the least. He was deeply loved and a great example of love himself. His family described Rich as one of the last true examples of a family man. He found no greater joy than giving of his time, talents, and treasures to family and friends. His perfectionistic tendencies sometimes caused you to scratch your head wondering “why?”, like the time he moved a window in the dining room ¼” because it just wasn’t right where it was. But you always knew his motivation was coming from a good place. Rich was a classy, generous, compassionate, loyal and affectionate man. If you have any doubts, just ask his little Grand-dog “NOODLES”.

Rich was the beloved husband of Lorraine (nee Cascone), blessed in marriage for 54 years. He was the devoted father of Lisa and husband Scott Gobolos of Ringwood, and Lori and husband Joseph LaBarck of Hamburg; adored grandfather of Lyndsay Marie, Rebecca Lynn, and Abigail Rose Gobolos; dear brother of: Vincent Marotta of West Milford and his late wife Geraldine (2009), Marianne and husband Dennis Micks of West Milford, Susan and husband Robert Zelitsky of Wanaque, and his late sister Michelle Marotta (1989); sadly missed by his sister-in-law Sally and husband Darryl Laxon; and lifelong friends Joe and Pat, and Donny and Marlene; dear uncle of Vincent and wife Barrie Marotta, Janine and husband David McFadden, Taylor Zelitsky, and Paige Zelitsky; and great-uncle of four great-nieces and two great-nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to: Bayada Hospice, 299 Grand Street, Jersey City, NJ 07032 would be greatly appreciated.

George B. Taylor, age 62 of Wayne, died suddenly on Friday, March 5, 2021. He has lived in Wayne since 1983.

George was raised in Hoboken and really loved living there. He excelled in high school and went on to graduate from Villanova University. He later earned his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has worked in the food industry for companies such as Bridgeford Foods, Freihofer’s, and Nature’s Path Foods.

George was truly a ‘happy-go-lucky’ kind of a guy with a great sense of humor. He was a big sports fan, always loyal to the NY METS, RANGERS, and GIANTS. He remained faithful to his alma mater, Villanova, and enjoyed following college basketball. He had really been looking forward to the upcoming “March Madness.” Chicken Parm was, without question, his favorite food and he ordered it anytime it was on the menu! Of course, he also enjoyed his French Onion Soup and Pasta Carbonara.

George met his wife, Debra Nafash, shortly after high school and their first date was to “The Spot” in Weehawken. They dated for a few years before tying the knot on June 7, 1981. They honeymooned in Bermuda and then lived in Fairview before settling into their Wayne home in 1983. Debbie will tell you that they had a great marriage with lots of good years.  They traveled extensively together, visiting much of the United States as well as Cancun, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and many other memorable destinations. George particularly enjoyed visiting colleges and on their family road trips, he would detour into any college or university campus along the way, just to check it out. Debbie will miss him dearly and will surely reflect on the many great memories they made together.

George is survived by his beloved wife of thirty-nine years; Debbie of Wayne, two sons; Michael and his wife Ann Marie of Scotch Plains, and Matthew and his girlfriend Gabrielle Hornacek of Union, his mother-in-law; Doris Nafash of Wayne, two sisters-in-law; Carol Martins and her husband Nelson of Wayne, Janice Maskal and her husband Larry of Wayne, two brothers-in-law; Brian Nafash and his wife Christine of Wayne, and Steven Nafash and his girlfriend Adrienne Quinn, many loving nieces and nephews, and his four beloved grand-dogs; Misie, Lola, Kona, and Capone.

Linda Diane Benoski VanNorde, age 67, of Highland Lakes, NJ  passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 4, 2021 after a courageous battle with cancer and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Linda was born in Paterson, raised in Wayne, and was the daughter of Peter and Cornelia VanNorde.  Linda then attended York Highschool in Maine and graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the class of 1971.  Following her graduation from high school, Linda attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland  for an Education degree.  However, she attended nursing school following that and made nursing her lifetime career. She worked in hospitals and for in-home infusion companies. She worked at St. Josephs in Wayne, NJ at the time of her retirement due to her illness in 2020.

Linda was married to Fred Benoski of York, Maine and had three beautiful children together. She was widowed when Fred passed in 2008.

As Linda got older, and her children had grown, she rekindled old friendships from her high school years.  She also was very active and participated in organizing her high school reunions, including her upcoming 50th in 2021.  The gathering together of family and friends was something that Linda truly cherished, she had a strong sense of community and loved bringing people together.  So it comes as no surprise that hosting parties and holidays were some of Linda’s special talents.  Linda had a wonderful sense of compassion, and was often times selfless, putting others’ needs and problems before her own. Linda had a tenacious work ethic and would not let anything stand in her way of getting what needed to be done, done. Linda also enjoyed traveling later in her life frequenting destinations such as California, Hawaii, Florida and summers in Maine.  One of her favorite destinations was the country of Cuba. Linda was always fascinated with the Spanish Culture. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. She was not only there for her children, but also to help raise and support her grandchildren.  Aside from all of Linda’s hobbies, talents, and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Linda than providing for and spending time with her children and grandchildren.  Linda was an exceptionally special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Linda is survived by her two daughters; Corinne A. Benoski of Highland Lakes, NJ, and Alyssia R.  Benoski of Cape Neddick, ME, one son Peter J. Benoski of Key West, FL, two grandchildren; Brielle C Benoski of Vernon, NJ, and Jayden A Benoski of Vernon, NJ, one nephew, Tyler R Burack of Burlington, NJ, one brother-in-law, Troy Gerry of Elliot, ME, one sister, Shelly Coyne of Duluth, GA, two nieces Stephanie Woegans and her husband Travis of Granville, OH, and Heather Coyne of Duluth, GA, and nine cousins; Craig Wagner and his wife Sharon of San Diego, CA, Peter Wagner of Wytheville, VA, Larry Wagner and his wife Connie of Jacksonville, FL, Kathy McKinnon-Capo of Tarpon Springs, FL, Lynne McKinnon of New Port Richey, FL, Joy McKinnon-Domke of Springhill, FL, Susan McKinnon of St Pete, FL, Margie McKinnon of St Pete, FL, and Jimmy McKinnon and his wife Lee of New Port Richey, FL.        

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering- MSK Cancer Research would be greatly appreciated.

Nicholas Verrone, age 80 of Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.  He has lived in Wayne since 1973.

Nick had been a mechanic with Leschell Buick in Paterson for many years before joining ETD Tire, retiring many years ago.

Nick grew up in Casa del Conte, Italy and came to America when he was just fifteen years old, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with his mother. His father and brothers had arrived to America about a year earlier to secure work and prepare a home. Nick went on to graduate from Paterson Tech High School where he learned to be an auto mechanic. He began working at a gas station in Clifton, where he had the good fortune to meet Joan Saurmilch and their romance blossomed. Before long though, the U.S. Army decided they had other plans for him, and he was drafted into the Army. He ended up being sent to serve in Alaska, which was a far cry from anything he had experienced in Italy or New Jersey. Joan kept herself busy at home knitting warm garments for him and she would send regular care packages to Alaska, along with an exchange of love notes to each other. Upon his return from the Army, Nick wasted no time proposing to Joan and then were married on September 18, 1966. A memorable honeymoon to Bermuda followed, and they settled down in Paterson.  In 1973, they bought a home in Wayne and began to raise their family. They enjoyed nearly fifty years together before Joan passed away in 2015. Nick has missed her terribly ever since.

Nick especially enjoyed gardening and always had a bumper-crop of tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini, just to name a few. He was very proud of the produce he pulled from his garden, and he often shared his excess. He also enjoyed playing poker, playing the lottery, and watching soccer. He was also a loyal fan to the NY METS. Nick was a family man at heart and took his family on regular summer vacations to the Jersey Shore, skiing at Hunter Mountain in Upstate New York, and his idea of ‘educational vacations’ to places like Colonial Williamsburg. They all made wonderful memories together on those trips. Later in life, Nick was happiest when spending time with his grandchildren. They are his pride and joy and he loves them all dearly. They will all miss him very much.

Nick is survived by his two children; Linda Bonilla and her husbnd Adam of Wayne, Mark Verrone and his wife Christine of Kennesaw, Georgia, four grandchildren; Cayla Verrone and her husband Paul DeMerritt, Jenna Verrone, Nicholas Bonilla and A.J. Bonilla, one brother; Anthony Verrone of Randolph, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his wife Joan in 2015, by his brother Emilio in 2018.

Donations in Nick’s memory would be appreciated to the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474.

Maud Thomas, age 83, of Wayne and formerly, a longtime resident of Elmont, NY, Uniondale, NY and Queens Village, NY, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

Maud was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She came to the United States in 1962 and initially lived near 104th Street and Broadway in New York City. She later moved to Woodside, Queens and then to Queens Village which she called home for twenty five years. She also lived in Uniondale and Elmont, NY before moving to Wayne this past November so that she could be closer to her son James.

One day while on a cab ride in Haiti, Maud’s life path crossed with that of a young man named Jacques Thomas. As was the cultural custom in Haiti, he later came to Maud’s house to visit so that her family could really get to know him. On subsequent visits Jacques brought his father and eventually the marriage plans were arranged. Maud and Jacques were married in 1959 and shortly thereafter, they were blessed with a son named James followed by their daughter Elizabeth. When they came to America in 1962, they were soon blessed again in 1972 with a third child – a son which they named Phillippe.

Maud was one of the most resourceful, determined persons you would ever meet. After going to school to get licensed as a beautician, she managed a hair salon near the former World Trade Center. She eventually moved on from there to return to the classroom to get certified as a lab technician. Her pursuit for certification hit a big bump in the road when, right before the final exam, she experienced temporary blindness due to a medical condition. Fortunately, because she was such a fine student, her professor allowed her to take the test orally and she passed with flying colors. When her vision eventually returned, Maud first worked at Long Island Jewish Hospital before landing her dream job at Smith Kline Laboratories where she was so proud to have been involved in research during the HIV crisis. In later years Maud worked in several doctor’s offices as a medical assistant before retiring in the 1980’s.

Outside of work, Maud had many other interests. She was a literal pro in the kitchen and her family were the fortunate recipients of her delicious cooking. A romantic at heart, she loved a great love song and would also be frequently found playing music from her Haitian heritage. In her heyday, Maud loved to dance and, being one who was always willing to try something new, she also explored her artistic inclinations by learning to paint. Maud loved to read and was fascinated with science and the wonders of medicine. She also loved current events and currently spent lots of time watching the news. In more recent years Maud found companionship with a long-time close friend named Fritz. She loved engaging in deep conversations with Fritz about what was going on in the world, often taking the counter position just for the sake of lively debate.

Above all else, Maud was truly devoted to her family. She would do anything for her children and she adored her grandchildren. To them she was “Mémère” and as their precious grandmother, they loved spending time with “Mémère” because she would teach them to speak French and comb their hair and just kid around with them.

Maud touched the lives of many souls during the course of her walk through life. She faced her challenges with a strong will, a lot of grit, and an always positive attitude which she attributed to her very strong faith in God. She would pray fervently and always believed that God was good and went everywhere with her.  

Maud was the most loving mother of James and wife Mary Ann Thomas of Wayne, Elizabeth Bony of Mount Prospect, IL, and Phillippe Thomas of Wayne, NJ. She was the adored grandmother of Isabelle, Deanna and Abigail Thomas, Peter Bony, and Javier Fontanez: cherished sister of Marie Therese and husband Réne Mondesir of Ellicott City, MD and the late William Mitchell; and dear aunt of Alix Mondesir, Réne Mondesir, Carine Mondesir, William Mitchell, Jr., Lloyd Mitchell, and the late Margaret Armand.

Helen “Honey” Cuddeback, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 2, surrounded by her loving family and just days before her 86th birthday.

The beloved wife of the late Thomas M. Cuddeback, Jr. (d. July 1982), she was the loving mother of Debbie Marchese and her husband Jay, of Wayne, Gail Grozalis and her husband Rich of Skaneateles, NY, and Susan Mosser and her husband Steven of Long Valley.  Known as “Gram”, she was the cherished grandmother of Alysse (Ricky), Shaina, Callista, Danielle, Kayla, Zach and Carleigh, and the adored great-grandmother of Lucas and Mason.  She is also survived by her loving sister Doris Worts (Howard) of Wantage and many nieces and nephews.

Born in Elizabeth, NJ to George and Helen Bock, she graduated from Battin High School in Elizabeth (Class of 1953) before going to Beaver College in Glenside, PA where she earned a B.A. in Elementary Education.  It was at her family’s summer home in Culver Lake, NJ that Honey met her future husband, Tommy Cuddeback, whom she wed in 1958 while he was in the Army.  

After living in several states, Tommy and Honey settled in Packanack Lake where they raised their three beautiful daughters.  Honey loved being part of the Packanack community where she proudly lived for 55 years.  She was an active member of the Packanack Community Church as well as the Leisure Club and Yacht Club.  She was also a Girl Scout leader, softball mom and West Side beach lover.  In later years, Honey discovered the joy of the Wayne Township Pool, sharing many fun times with her friends, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Honey started her career as a First Grade teacher before dedicating herself to raising her family.  Her special love for children led her back to teaching preschool at the Packanack Cooperative Nursery School.  She enjoyed working there for 29 years where she made a positive impact on countless children and made lifelong friends.

Her three daughters and grandchildren felt that Honey had a better social life than any of them.  Along with frequent visits to the Wayne Public Library for music, movies and senior programs, she also looked forward to her many breakfast and lunch clubs. Honey also cherished her relationships at Culver Lake where she visited often, shared laughs, and caught up with and reminisced with her lifelong friends.  

Honey will be affectionately remembered for being thoughtful, considerate, caring and generous.  Her goodwill extended beyond her family to friends and neighbors near and far as she often provided kind support, conversation and humor.  She was well known for delivering meticulously prepared homemade baked goods to lift spirits.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Packanack Community Church or the Packanack Cooperative Nursery School, 120 Lake Drive East, Wayne, NJ 07470.

John A. De Stefano, age 72 of Wayne, died on Monday, March 1, 2021.  He had lived in Wayne since 1990.

John grew up in Paterson and graduated from Central High School with the class of 1965. Right after high school, he began working as a carpet and tile installer for Master Floors in Fair Lawn, where he worked for more than twenty years. He later worked at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Fairfield, leading their maintenance department. He retired from there about ten years ago.

John was proud to serve for several years on the Board of Directors at Turning Point in Paterson. It was in his nature to help others and he enjoyed every minute of his time there. He also enjoyed gardening, fishing, eating, and the Jersey Shore. Vacationing at LBI with his grandchildren ranked high among his favorite things to do, and a trip to the beach was not complete without eating his way down the boardwalk! He was a kid at heart, with a witty and dry sense of humor. Spending time with his family was always important and he used to host summer BBQ’s at his home that everyone remembered well. Nothing made him happier than having his large family around him, including his son, grandkids, sisters, nieces, nephews, and great nephews. They will all miss him dearly.

John is survived by his son, Arturo De Stefano and his wife Theresa of New Milford, NJ, three grandchildren; Isabella, Adriana, and Giovanni of New Milford, NJ, two sisters; Jeanne Cironi of Wayne, and Dianne Blauvelt and her husband Richard of Glen Rock, NJ, five nieces and nephews; Michael Cironi and his wife Deandra of Lake Charles, LA, Kristin Delgado and her husband Jose of Wayne, Gretchen Blauvelt-Marquez and her husband Manuel of Montclair, Heidi Blauvelt of Glen Rock, and Jonathan Blauvelt of Phoenix, AZ, and five great nephews; Christopher and Nicholas Cironi, Joseph Delgado, Julian Barry, and Felix Marquez.

Friends wishing to make a donation in John’s memory are asked to consider Turning Point, 680 Broadway, Suite 104, Paterson, NJ 07514 or visit www.turningpointnj.org to donate online.

Claire Alice Kennedy Chapek died peacefully at age 99 on March 1, 2021.  She was born at home to Alice and George Kennedy on August 26, 1921 in Jersey City, New Jersey.  She had an older brother George and was followed by two younger sisters Anne and Jeanne.  In death she now joins the rest of her Kennedy family.

Growing up in the city her favorite pastimes were stick ball, hand ball and in winter skating with her father on the flooded and frozen baseball fields.  A neighborhood of aunts, uncles and cousins all lived within a short walk which made family gatherings often and easy.  Claire and her favorite friend and cousin Virginia could see each other from their bedroom windows and communicated by way of two cans attached to a line of string.  Favorite family vacations were by train to a farm on Indian Lake New York or to a bungalow on the New Jersey shore.

Claire attended Fairleigh Dickenson High School graduating in 1939.  It was there she casually knew of a basketball and baseball player named Victor Chapek.  She went on to attend Wester Business College and begin work for Western Electric in 1941 along with many other women who at the time filled the positions of men off to war.  In 1944 Claire married the gentleman from high school and absolute love of her long life, Victor.  She and Vic and newborn daughter Victoria moved to their first house in 1946, a small log cabin in the woods of Pines Lake.  A few years later, before the birth of son Matt, a move was made to a house on Beech Terrace and later to a third house on Indian Road.  Summers of swimming and winters of skating made the lake a fun place to raise a family.  Although admittedly not an avid gardener, Claire loved being outside working in the natural wooded garden surrounding her home.  Many longtime neighbors and friends she had in the 60 years of life at Pines Lake retired to Cedar Crest where Claire moved in 2008.  Her apartment there faced the woodlands reminding her of home.

Claire and Vic traveled at every opportunity they could plan time away from work.  Many trips were made throughout Europe and to any island that had a sandy beach and warm water.  After Vic’s death, she retired from her accounting job and continued another 20 years of travel adventures with good friends and in particular loved returning to her favorite destination Ireland.  They are the memories she most often recounted along with the highlights of the lives of her children, grand and great-grandchildren.  She will be remembered for her light-hearted and easy going way with people, her optimism and her determination to live independently and fully all her 99 and a half years.  One of her favorite expressions often used when a stressful situation arose was “life is too short!”.

Most sadly for Claire her husband Victor died in 1985 and daughter Victoria Edge in 2012.  She is survived by her son Matt (Betsy) Chapek, 3 grandsons Ryan (Jeanice) Edge, Graham (Becky) Chapek, Tyler (Dayna) Chapek and 4 great-grand children Connor, Riley, and Brady Edge and Eliza Chapek.

In Claire’s memory gifts may be made to Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum, PO Box 2433, Wayne NJ 07470 or Franciscan Bread for the Poor, Inc., St. Francis Breadline, 144 West 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001.

Patricia Cocca, age 96, of Wayne, passed peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, February 24, 2021.

She was born in Islip, Long Island, New York to Santiago and Helen DeMoncada.  She was raised in Jersey City where she lived until she and her husband Louis moved to Greenbrier II Retirement Community in Brick; she has lived in Wayne for the past seventeen years.

As a young woman out of high school Patricia worked for the Western Electric Company in Kearny for about ten years.  Her supervisor at work was Louis G. Cocca.  Their working relationship turned into a loving marriage that lasted for fifty years before Louis’ passing in 1993.

Patricia was the loving mother of Anita Huggins of Wayne and Richard Cocca (Ronna) of Del Ray Beach, Florida; much loved grandmother of Nicole Marquez (Ed), Jeff Bongiovanni, and Greg Bongiovanni (Julia); cherished great-grandmother of Gigi Marquez and Colin Thomas Bongiovanni; she was the loving sister of Anita DeGeorge of Florida and was predeceased by her siblings Paul DeMoncada, Richard DeMoncada, Juan DeMoncada, Helen Menely, Santiago DeMoncada and Rosemary McCluskey.

Memorial donations to St Marys Church’s Food Pantry would be greatly appreciated. Please make checks payable to St Marys Church and in the memo section of the check write In “Memory of Patricia Cocca - Food Pantry” - Mail to:  17 Pompton Avenue, Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442.

Barie Skuka (nee Xhafa), age 80, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Barie was born in Peshkopi Albania and was one of four children.  Barie and her siblings grew up in Albania and spent their formative years during a time following the Second World War.  This was also a critical time in their country’s history as Albania suffered a communist takeover.  Despite her country’s suffering and the tragedy of her mother passing when she was only three years old, Barie graduated high school and went on to college.  Barie found employment quickly after graduating from college at the main Hospital in her home town of Peshkopi where she experienced a career that spanned nearly forty years.

As a young woman in 1962, Barie married a young and handsome man by the name of Sami Skuka.  Barie and Sami had a  caring relationship that was based on mutual support and a deep love for each other. They had five beautiful children.  Living and raising their children in an environment such as communism, Barie's indomitable spirit encouraged her family to persist in the face of many struggles and to always stay humble. Barie and Sami stressed to their children how important it was to choose a destination to immigrate where they could be “Free”, free to challenge themselves, to have goals, and to put forth the sweat in order to achieve them. Their children chose to immigrate to the United States and in the year 2000, after Barie had retired, she and Sami immigrated to America as well to be near their children.

When Barie and Sami arrived in the USA in 2000, they settled in Connecticut where they lived with their daughter.  They remained there until about 2008 when they moved to Wayne.  Barie and Sami remained in Wayne ever since.  Barie loved gardening and grew a variety of vegetables and flowers in her front and back yard over the years.  One of her favorite past-times was watching movies, typically American movies. She loved watching the news and discussing current events with her daughters.There was nothing that Barie liked better than an interesting conversation. She could have an engaging conversation with anyone.  She was a wonderful cook and cherished hosting holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, at her home with her family.  Aside from all of Barie’s interests and talents, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Barie than providing and spending time with her children and grandchildren.  Barie and her husband Sami cherished more than fifty years of loving and loyal marriage together until Sami’s passing in 2014.

Growing up in communist Albania, Barie was never and could never be a parishioner or member of a particular church, however she was extremely spiritual and believed deeply in God.  Barie was a smart strong woman with a huge heart.  She always handled her situations, no matter how difficult or trying, with grace.  She was a devoted mother who challenged and pushed her children to always do better and be better.   Barie was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew her.

Barie is survived by her son Arian Skuka and his wife Sonja of Wayne, NJ, four daughters; Eva Skuka of Wayne, NJ, Violetta Kraja of Queens, NY, Natasha Mustafai and her husband Lou of Pompton Plains, NJ, and Mira Piccione and her husband Scott of Farmington, CT, and six grandchildren; Iv, Lula, Bina, Jessica, Lana, Amanda, and Ray.  She was predeceased by her husband Sami Skuka in 2014, as well as her two brothers, one sister, and three step brothers.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Barie’s name may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105-9959.   http://www.stjude.org

Douglas Gray MacLean, age 78 of Wayne and formerly of Nutley, passed away on Saturday, February 20, 2021. His devoted wife Hilda stood by bravely in loving and comforting support at the time of his passing.

Doug was born in the Panama Canal Zone where his father James worked as an electrician on dredging boats that dredged the Chagres River for the U.S. government. He grew up in the small town of Gamboa in a home that was situated right alongside the Chagres River. With the exception of leaving Panama every other year for a government mandated three-month summer sabbatical, where Doug and his parents stayed with relatives in Point Pleasant, Garrison, NY, or with his childhood friend in Georgia, Doug spent the first nineteen years of his life in the Panama Canal Zone. He attended Balboa High School in Panama City – a daily train ride, where he excelled in competitive swimming and was also a pitcher for the school’s baseball team and point guard for the basketball team. After graduating in 1960, Doug attended community college for a year. Soon after, his mother Jane (nee Gray) passed away and, when his father retired, he and Doug moved to Nutley, NJ.

Doug worked for the IRS for a couple of years and then enlisted in the United States Army where he bravely served from 1964 to 1967, part of that time overseas in the Vietnam War. For his military service, Doug was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Upon his return to civilian life, he attended Rutgers University on the G.I. bill and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

After graduating from college, Doug embarked upon a long, rewarding career in the insurance industry. It was during that time that he also had the pleasure of meeting a young woman named Margaret “Meg” Fitzgerald. They met through Margaret’s sister Dora who was one of Doug’s coworkers. Doug and Meg eventually married and enjoyed each other’s love until her untimely passing in 1986.

Doug’s favorite job of all was with SeaLand Container Shipping Company where he was a maritime insurance claims adjuster. After the breakup of Sea Land, he worked for various other companies until fully retiring in 2006.

Dancing was an activity that was always sure to put a smile on Doug’s handsome face. On the evening of New Year’s Day in 1994, he ventured out to the Grand Chalet on Route 23 in Wayne for a night of fun. Dancing was much more enjoyable with someone else and since, as the saying goes, “love dances in the freshness of the unknown”, Doug took a chance and asked a sweet and sophisticated young lady named Hilda Paitz if she would like to join him on the floor as the live band played inspiring music. Much to his delight, she obliged and, as they got to know each other more and more, they connected in many ways – so much so that they ultimately married on Friday, August 28, 1998 in a civil ceremony by the mayor of Wayne. Doug moved from his home in Nutley to join Hilda and he remained a Wayne resident for the rest of his life.

As much as Doug loved to dance, it would probably be safe to say that he loved playing golf even more. After all, who else owns four golf bags? He loved to get together with his buddies Leo Murray, Lou Leone, Jesse Hinton and his brother-in-law Tom Lynch, to take in nine or eighteen holes at any of the three golf courses in Essex County, and later, when he moved to Wayne, at the Passaic County Golf Course. Doug couldn’t get enough golf as evidenced also by how much he enjoyed watching the game on television and reading any periodical he could find on the subject. Doug also was proud of the fact that he was among the few who can say they got a hole in one. He achieved this honor one year while on vacation in North Carolina with Meg and his brother-in-law Tom Lynch and his wife Dora.  

Doug was an avid reader and student of history. He especially enjoyed learning about World War II and watching disaster-themed shows including explorations of sunken ships and air disasters. He was a dedicated member of the VFW Hall in Pompton Lakes where he regularly attended meetings. He and Hilda loved to travel on cruises to Aruba, Cozumel, Bahamas, his favorite destination of Bermuda, and one time together to Panama through the locks of the Panama Canal so that he could show her where he spent his childhood.

Love of dancing goes hand-in-hand with an appreciation of music and Doug especially loved the bands of the 1960’s like The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Neil Diamond and Johnny Mathis. His radio in his car was always tuned to 1250 on the AM dial because that station played all music from that era. Doug also recorded concerts on PBS so he could watch them over and over again and, when vacationing in Wildwood, NJ, he and Hilda would frequently take the ride to the Grand Hotel in Cape May for a night of dinner and dancing. A real movie buff, if you named an actor, he could tell you when they were born and any other information you’d want to know about them. He and Hilda also loved to get together with their friends Ed and MaryLou Smith to play bridge at the Wayne Adult Activity Center.

Unfortunately, the events of 9/11 had a profound effect upon Doug’s health. His office was in very close proximity to the World Trade Center and, while he was able to get home that night, he breathed in a lot of the toxic air flume caused by the terrorist attack. In 2019, he developed cancer. Since then, his beloved Hilda stood right by Doug’s side as he fought the battle.

Doug had so many great qualities that will be dearly missed. He was easy going, well read, and his friends always spoke about what a great story teller he was. He was very witty and liked to use puns, feeling that they were “Pun-Believably” hilarious. He always said that his favorite movie of all time was Tunes of Glory but, from a pun point of view his favorite movie was probably “It’s a Punderful Life”. Rest in peace Douglas.

Douglas was the beloved husband of Hilda (nee Paitz), blessed in marriage for just over 22 years. He was the loving step-father of Alysia Vesley of Elmwood Park, Keith and wife Jungyun Vesley of Fair Lawn, and Amy Vesley of Morristown; adoring grandfather of Julia Vesley; dear brother-in-law of Dora Lynch of Spring Lake Heights; dear uncle of Thomas Lynch, Jr and wife Jillian, Ashley Lynch, and Elissa Tierney and husband Jason; great uncle of  Avery, Logan, Finley, and Pierce; and dear cousin of Sylvia Meehan and husband Kerri of Garrison, NY. Doug was predeceased by his first wife Margaret “Meg” (nee Fitzgerald) in 1986 and his brother-in-law Thomas Lynch in 2021.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Douglas’ name are asked to consider one of the following two charities:

American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter

2310 Route 34, Suite 1D

Manasquan, NJ 08736

To donate online to the national chapter click here

Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW)

Click here to access a form to send with your check to:

VFW Processing Center

P.O. Box 8958

Topeka, KS  66608-8958

To donate online click here

Or call 1-833-VFW-GIVE to donate by phone

Rachel Zisa, (nee Longo) age 90 of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Thursday, February 18, 2021.

She was born and raised at the family home on Canal Street in Paterson.  When Rachel was a young girl her parents moved to Tennessee where they lived on a three hundred acre farm. The move was an attempt to avoid all the difficulties of the Great Depression.  They enjoyed horses, planting, and hunting at the farm but returned to Paterson as they just couldn’t make a go of it.

Bill frequented the diner where Rachel worked as a teen. After leaving the diner one evening, Rachel started talking to Bill and his friend by Bill’s car. The friend suggested Rachel have a seat in the car.  Once seated, Bill’s friend closed her door and Bill sped off with Rachel aboard. This thinly veiled attraction in more innocent times, some would call kidnapping today, became their first date. They fell in love, married at Saint Agnes RC Church in Paterson on November 25, 1951 and honeymooned for two days at the Hotel Century in New York City. During their honeymoon Bill got two tickets to see Judy Garland perform at the Palace Theatre. The only problem was the seats were very far apart. They enjoyed a marriage of 63 years that was characterized by love, devotion, and family before Bill’s passing in November of 2015.

Rachel’s working life included waitressing at the Colonial Tea Room in Paterson and working at Okonite Cable Factory. After she married Bill and moved to Wayne in 1967,  she found work with the Wayne Board of Education.  She worked for over twenty-five years in the cafeterias of several of the Wayne Schools including AP Terhune, Pines Lake, Wayne Hills and for most of her career, worked at Schuyler Colfax.

Most of all Rachel will be remembered for being a loving wife, devoted mother, and awesome grand and great-grandmother.  She was kind, loving, and generous to a fault. Sunday Italian dinners at her home were a weekly tradition for many years.  Rachel would make the gravy, meatballs, sausage, braciole, and all other kinds of Italian specialties. She would cook enough to feed an army.  She loved playing cards, going to Atlantic City to play the slots, and was very lucky at scratch-off lottery tickets. When their children lived at home, they would take an annual trip to Florida to visit family.  Those Florida trips, by car, bus, train, plane or any combination of those modes of transportation were always an adventure.  When driving to Florida, Rachel would pack a tremendous lunch, including her famous fried chicken and macaroni & meatballs. The children remember an infamous luncheon at the same Virginia picnic table they had always stopped at on their road trips. This particular afternoon, their dad approached a motorcycle gang laying around in the grass.  He asked them to join his family for lunch.  The bikers couldn’t believe it but joined them!!  Rachel still had food to spare! After her husband’s passing Rachel found great comfort in her Christian faith and was a member of the Calvary Gospel Church in Wayne.

Rachel was the loving wife of 63 years to the late William Zisa (d.2015); devoted mother of Carmen Zisa and his wife Beth of St. Cloud, FL, William Zisa and his wife Joanne of Wayne, Anthony Zisa and his wife Nancy of New Castle, CA, and Joseph Zisa and his wife Lisa of Wayne; she was the cherished grandmother of Shannon, Sarah, Greg, Jessica, Alyssa, Billy, Anthony, Nicole, and Joseph; much loved great-grandmother of Colvin, Barrett, Levi, Kaley, Austin, Bianca, Blake, Juliana, Adriana, and AJ; she was the sister of Sally Porter of Clifton, Jimmy King and his wife Joan of Florida, and the late Edna Felix and her late husband Connie.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Childrens Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

Jennie Cavill (nee Grambone), age 81, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 18, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Jennie was born and raised in Paterson, NJ.  She was born in the Grambone family home and was the youngest of three children to Pasquale and Nicolina Grambone.  Growing up in Paterson, Jennie attended Central High School graduating with the class of 1957.  Jennie was known for her sense of humor and in her senior year, was voted Class Clown.

Jennie started working for NJ Bell (Bell Atlantic) in her senior year of high school as a Service Order Typist in Paterson. She moved into an Accounting position in the Business office in Pompton Lakes.  In 1977, Jennie was transferred into Directory Assistance in the Ridgewood office, then moved to the Rochelle Park office. Jennie's career spanned more than forty years before retiring in 2002.  Subsequent to Jennie’s retirement, she became a crossing guard for the town of Pompton Lakes for approximately 10 years. This was a job she truly cherished, enjoying the children she protected and spoiling the dogs on their daily walks with doggie treats.

Jennie lived in the Lions Head lake section of Wayne, NJ for fifty-three years.  There she raised her two children, her daughter Theresa (Terry), and her son Robert (Bobby).  Jennie was not only devoted to her family but she was also devoted to her Catholic Faith.  While her children were growing up in Wayne, she and her family became founding parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Church.  While at Our Lady of Consolation, Jennie was very active as a crossing guard for the church’s school and volunteered her time working Bingo held in the OLC's school gymnasium to help raise funds for the church.  Later, Jennie became a parishioner of St Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes and was active in the Senior program there.

Jennie loved to listen to music, particularly music of the 1950’s.  Her favorite artist of all was Elvis Presley.  She also loved to travel, taking cruises to various destinations including Bermuda.  Over the years, Jennie and her children took bus trips to Florida and Lake Placid as well as vacationing in Wildwood Crest.  Throughout her life, Jennie was never without her pets.  Her dog Rex, a German Shephard mix, and her cats Elvis and Bella will always be remembered by her friends and family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Jennie than spending time with her children and grandchildren. Jennie was a wonderfully funny person with a delightful sense of humor.  People who spent any time with Jennie could not get very far without laughing out loud.  She had a smile that lit up the room and was the kind of person you couldn’t help but like.  She was caring and compassionate and wanted simply to love and be loved.  Jennie was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people.  She will be sincerely missed by her family and friends alike.

Jennie is survived by her daughter Theresa Gabriele and her husband Gregory of Wayne, NJ, her son Robert Cavill of Lincoln Park, NJ, three grandchildren; Casie Gabriele of Towson, MD, Kristy Gabriele of Wayne, NJ, and Kyle Cavill of Wayne, NJ.  She was predeceased by her two sisters Marie Clemente in 2004 and Carmela Antonucci in 1988.

By clicking the link below, you can see the  live stream service of the funeral mass on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 10 am.  https://www.facebook.com/OLCWayne

George S. Destito, 97 passed away Thursday, February 18, 2021 after a short illness, at home.

George, a.k.a. Goodie, was born and lived his life in Haskell, NJ.  George was drafted into the US Army at the age of 18 and fought in WWII.  He received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star from the Battle of Monte Cassino.  Post the Army he worked as a teletype operator for the NJ State Police and shortly thereafter, met his wife Hilda (nee Miller).   Following the State Police, he joined the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission retiring as the Chief of Police.     As a devoted citizen to the Town of Wanaque, George served on the Board of Education for almost 20 years.

He was an avid sports fan having played baseball (pitcher) much of his life.

This year, George and his wife Hilda would have celebrated 70 years of marriage.   Of all accomplishments in his life, he was most proud of his family; his Son Samuel, his daughter Regina and his grandson Marc.

George is survived by his loving family; Hilda, his son  Sam Destito of Far Hills, NJ, his daughter, Regina Diamond of Wayne NJ,  his grandson Marc Destito of Geneva, Switzerland and nieces, and nephew.

In lieu of flowers a donation to Leukemia Foundation would be appreciated.

Robert E. Johnson, age 57, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 while receiving care at Lincoln Park LTC and Hospice of NJ.

Robert was born in Ridgewood and was a lifelong resident of Wayne.  He was the middle child of three children to Walter and Barbara Johnson.  At an early age, Robert took an interest in cars and mechanics.  Growing up in Wayne, he was an active participating member of the Wayne Boys Club where he played basketball and a variety of other sports.  Robert attended Wayne Valley High School and graduated with the class of 1982.  During his last couple of years of high school and a few years after graduating, Robert was employed as an auto mechanic at Fran Shultz’ Automotive in Wayne.  In 1986 Robert accepted a position at the Wayne Department of Public works as a mechanic.  Through the years, Robert worked his way up to the position of Senior Repairman and held this position until 2006.  Robert was a truly dedicated son,  living with his mother to help care for her.

Robert loved hockey and throughout his life, he was a truly devoted New York Rangers fan.  He also loved Gardening and grew a wide variety of vegetables and flowers over the years.  Animals were another of Robert’s cherished interests.  He trained dogs, particularly Dobermanns and Pitbulls, some of which made debuts in movies and various commercials on television.  However, Roberts’s greatest passion was fishing.  If Robert could be anywhere in the world, he would be on a fishing boat out at sea.  Rob owned his own fishing boat for many years and treasured the countless fishing trips he made with his friends.  Rob and his friends would take multiday fishing trips out to sea for tuna and other sport fish.  His family has fond memories of their summer vacations spent in Wildwood, NJ and a most memorable family vacation in 1995 when they travelled to Alaska.

Robert enjoyed spending time with people and talking to them. He was opinionated but was also knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects.  Anyone could have a conversation with Robert about anything.  Rob was also sincerely loved in his neighborhood.  He always went out of his way to help his friends and neighbors, never putting himself first.  Many of the people in the neighborhood would come to him, asking his advice and consulting with him about how to repair something or complete a job or project.  Robert was a very special person who touched the lives of many people.  He will be genuinely missed by everyone that knew him.

Robert is survived by his mother Barbara Johnson of Wayne, NJ one sister, Lynda Johnson of Lincoln Park, NJ one brother, Walter T. Johnson, Jr. of Woodland Park, NJ, his fishing cousin Dennis Johnson of Grandy, NC, and his three best friends; Brian Hurtt, William Taylor, and Michael Nelson.  He was predeceased by his father Walter T. Johnson, Sr. in 1995. He also leaves behind a number of cousins and close  familfriends.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Robert’s name may be made to CHA Foundation, c/o Hospice of New Jersey, 400 Broadacres Dr, 1st Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003.  http://www.hospiceofnewjersey.com

Juana Caridad “Carrie” Seda, age 90, passed Monday, February 15, 2021 at home with the comfort of family by her side.

Carrie, as everyone calls her today, was born in Havana, Cuba and was orphaned by the age of nine.  She came to the United States when she was twenty-five years old and settled in Florida where she earned a living babysitting and as a seamstress.  She eventually moved to New York City where she attended school to become an X-Ray Technician. She started out at the French Hospital in Midtown Manhattan where she forged lifelong friendships with Annie, Teresa and others.  Later on, she worked for private medical practices in New York City. Her skills & experience calibrating X-ray equipment preventing waste of films and preventing undue exposure to patients was highly sought after, even after she retired.  Today’s digital equipment cannot approximate this process.  She always remembered where she came from and participated in the Feast of Our Lady of Charity “Virgen De La Caridad Del Cobre” (Patron Saint of Cuba) and would send money, medicine, and anything else she found out was needed by family in Cuba.

Carrie married Henry Seda in 1964 and they built a home in North Bergen, New Jersey. She was welcoming to the neighbors and their children in North Bergen and the neighborhood kids were welcome to run and play in her yard. She embraced the American traditions of Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.  During her Fourth of July celebrations she would roast an entire pig in the yard. She had no family here in the United States so she made and treated everyone as her family as she was a true mother in her heart. She cared for her Godchildren as well as other children she came in contact with as if they were her own.  She loved fresh strawberries, cheesecake, papaya, chicken wings, Arroz Moro, and fish soup.  She enjoyed cooking, flower gardening, and she enjoyed going to the annual New York Flower Show, the Ballet, and shopping in midtown Manhattan at Macys and B. Altman’s.  She kept up her sewing skills and re-upholstered her own couch and dining room chairs.  Carrie’s husband Henry worked for the MTA and for many years they would go to the dances sponsored by the Hispanic Society of the New York City Transit Authority.

Carrie was the loving wife of fifty-four years to the late Henry Seda (d.2018); cherished aunt of Rene Torres Peralta who is a Chief Engineer with the Cuban Merchant Marine; dearly loved sister-in-law to Stephen and Zoe M. Seda of Wayne; much loved God-Mother of Zoe N. Seda, Jr. and Roderick Scott Seda as well as, niece and nephews April, Marcus, & Stephen, Jr.

Jo-Ellen M. Dolengo (Willekes), age 55, of Bloomingdale, passed Monday, February 15, 2021.

She was born to John and Johanna Willekes in Pequannock New Jersey. Jo-Ellen graduated from the Netherlands Reformed Christian School in Pompton Plains with the Class of 1983.  She furthered her education at Berkley College in West Paterson and County College of Morris.  For several years Jo-Ellen worked in Bakery Department of the A&P Grocery Store in Boonton and later in Pompton Lakes. Her special Apple Cake gained her recognition in the local newspaper.  Jo-Ellen was always community minded and volunteered at the Pequannock 1st Aid Squad for several years.

Jo-Ellen will be lovingly remembered for her kind, caring, and outgoing personality. She was devoted to her Christian faith and a longstanding member of the Ebenezer Netherland Reformed Church in Franklin Lakes.

She met Brian Dolengo while on the Pequannock First Aid Squad.  Their first date was to a company dinner Brian invited her to.  They fell in love and Brian proposed to Jo-Ellen at the home of her parents.  They married on May 18, 1996 at the Ebenezer Netherland Reformed Church in Franklin Lakes and they honeymooned in Niagara Falls, NY.  They have had a loving, caring, and devoted marriage of twenty-four years.

Jo-Ellen was the loving daughter of John Willekes and his late wife Johanna (d.2015); she was the loved sister of the late Carl Willekes (d.2012); devoted daughter-in-law to Paul Dolengo of Pompton Plains and the late Ann Dolengo (d.2017); she was also the sister-in-law to David Dolengo of Butler.

After 78 full and wonderful years of life, William J. Kondla of Wayne, NJ passed away on February 14, 2021.  Bill was a graduate of Fair Lawn High School and RCA Technical Institute, and attended Fairleigh Dickinson University.  His talents as an electrical contractor, coupled with his entrepreneurial spirit inspired him to start Oak Electric Company, where he established many meaningful relationships with colleagues, suppliers, and clients.  Bill was also proud to serve as Chief of the Oakland Fire Department.  After a successful business career, he enjoyed an early retirement, and continued to be involved in his community by serving on several boards.  As an avid golfer, Bill was an active member of North Jersey Country Club.  He loved spending time with family, and keeping in touch with friends old and new.  He was passionate about politics, investing, and staying current with technology.  Organized and detail-oriented, he took pleasure in engaging in projects and could fix anything.

Bill was a loyal and loving husband to Fran Kondla, his high school sweetheart.  When they first started dating, he rode his bicycle to her home.  They attended the Fair Lawn High School Prom together and soon fell in love.  After asking Fran’s parents for permission to marry her, they wed on May 2, 1964 at Saint Ann’s Church in Fair Lawn.  They honeymooned in Miami, FL, and took a cruise to Nassau, Bahamas.  

Bill was a devoted and supportive father to daughter Kim Kondla and her partner Tony Celia of West Chester PA, and daughter Dawn Bianchini and her husband Val Bianchini of Wayne NJ, an adoring and involved grandfather to grandchildren Jennifer Calabrese and Kevin Calabrese, and a mentor to many.

Out of respect for the well-being of the many people with whom Bill made treasured connections, funeral services will be private.  The family will have an intimate gathering to celebrate his happy and well-lived life.  Thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Rose M. Bjornsen, age 96 of Wayne, died peacefully on Sunday, February 14, 2021.  Rose had lived in Wayne since 1959.

Rose was born in Brooklyn, the only child to Joseph and Mary Vitale. The Vitales had lived in Hoboken prior to moving to Brooklyn, and Rose’s mom, Mary, had occasion to babysit little baby Frank Sinatra, who lived next door. Shortly after high school, Rose met Henry Bjornsen at a local dance, and the two of them hit it off. As fate would have it, they were married on June 27, 1947 in Brooklyn, followed by a memorable honeymoon to Niagara Falls. They enjoyed a very happy and loving marriage, which included travel from California to Florida, and all points in between. They did everything together. When Henry fell ill, she cared for him at home for nearly six years, giving him the best care she could. After he passed in 2015, she showed just how strong she was and continued living independently until she was 95 years old. It is an understatement to say that she was strong-willed. Her family will all miss her dearly.

Rose is survived by two daughters; Linda Martin and her husband Branden of Monroe, NJ, and Debra Monroe and her husband Jerry of Vernon, NJ, three grandchildren; Matthew Monroe and his wife Amy of Sparta, Stacy Burke and her husband Mike of Andover, NJ, Melany Monroe of Hardyston, NJ, ten great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. Rose was predeceased by her beloved Henry in 2015, and by her grandson Adam Monroe in 2018.

Truly loved husband, father, brother, and uncle, Michael A. Jamros, age 70, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, February 14, 2021. While the pain of his unexpected passing stings deeply, the blessing of what he meant, the great memories that he left, and the knowledge that he is in his eternal home, bring a measure of comfort.

The son of Michael and Myrtle (nee Bauer) Jamros, Mike was born in Passaic and raised in Saddle Brook. After graduation from Saddle Brook High School with the Class of 1968, Mike attended Montclair State College where he majored in Education. Earning his Bachelor’s degree in 1972, he began his teaching career with the Wanaque Board of Education as the Industrial Arts teacher at the Haskell Elementary School. Equipping and challenging his students proved to be a rewarding experience for Mike - one which he enjoyed from 1973 to 1980. Mike decided to make a job pivot at that time and began his career as a Sales Representative with Pella Corporation, where he continued for the next forty years and was still presently working at the time of his passing.

It was while teaching at Haskell Elementary School that Michael met the love of his life. Her name was Caroline and her office at the school was directly across from Mike’s classroom. His students seemed to recognize that Mike and Carol would make a nice couple and they would offer small hints. Both Mike and Carol caught glimpses of each other, each noticing the other's winning smile, but it wasn’t until the end of his first year at the school that Mike asked Carol to join him in going to the end-of-year faculty luncheon at a local restaurant.  With the summer in full bloom and everyone going their separate ways, it took Mike another four weeks to ask Carol out on a formal date. It was the day before his birthday and they headed to one of Mike’s favorite places – the Jersey shore. After spending the day on the beach, they returned home and ended up talking with Carol’s mom until after midnight. This, of course, gave Carol and her mother the opportunity to officially wish Mike a happy birthday. Within a week, Mike headed to France for five weeks.  Carol wondered if she would ever hear from him again, but shortly thereafter she started receiving post cards saying "wish you were here".  When Mike returned he immediately made plans to see her again. Their love for each other grew and on Sunday, June 19, 1977, they exchanged vows in an outdoor wedding ceremony at Skylands Manor in Ringwood officiated by Father Carnevale from St. Mary’s R.C. Church of Pompton Lakes. After a honeymoon to St. Martin Island in the Caribbean, they initially lived in Bloomingdale.

Mike always looked forward to leisure time near the ocean. So great was this love that he and Carol eventually purchased a home in Point Pleasant. It started out as a place to go on weekends and holidays and slowly became their fulltime home base. The commute was rough but to Mike and Carol, it was worth it. Eventually they were blessed with the birth of their beautiful daughter, Caitlin, and Point Pleasant became her first home. As a side note, Mike always had a fascination and awe of houses. Even when he was a boy, he was always thinking of how the floor plan of his parent’s house could be laid out differently and he would tell of stories where he would try to talk his father into remodeling projects and breaking down interior walls in the house. That fascination never left him and when Caitlin was approaching an age where picking a town with a good school district became of paramount importance, Mike and Carol chose Wayne. They had purchased land and Mike’s life-long dream came to fruition as he was able to design and oversee the complete construction of their new dream home in Wayne. Retaining the home in Point Pleasant as a vacation home, we fast forward, and Caitlin now lives there full time; but every weekend, she could count on a visit from Dad and Mom with time spent on the beach, going to a favorite restaurant at night, and church on Sunday. Throughout their marriage and even while dating, Mike attended church and was a faithful parishioner at St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes.

Throughout his life Mike was always involved in athletics and being active. In both high school and college he played on his school’s football teams and after college, he served for a time as assistant head coach of the track team at William Paterson University. Life in Point Pleasant and summer vacations to Lake George through the years, afforded lots of opportunities for camping, kayaking, swimming, parasailing, hang gliding, power boating, and water skiing. In the winters, he and his family loved to hit the ski slopes.

They say that a love between a father and a daughter is forever. Well, that saying would aptly describe the relationship that Mike enjoyed with his daughter Caitlin. She was everything to Mike and times spent with her were paramount and definitely the best times of his life. They got to do so much together – going for long walks around Packanack and Pine’s lake, hiking, kayaking, camping together at Lake George, and snow skiing at Campgaw and Mountain Creek. There was never a track meet or a dance recital that Mike would miss for the world. In fact, tickets for Caitlin’s dance recitals were first-come-first-serve and always in short supply. Mike and Caitlin would literally camp out overnight, even if it was raining, to be first in line the next morning to ensure tickets to see her recitals.

Mike was a gentle giant and easy going to a fault. His greatest investment in life was to that which goes on forever – God, family and friends. Mike was a very special person with a genuine caring attitude and quiet humility who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew him.  

Michael was the beloved husband of Caroline, blessed in marriage for 43 years. He was the devoted, loving father of Caitlin Jamros of Point Pleasant, dear brother of Linda McCrone and husband Patrick of Cape May, and dear uncle of Ian, Robert, and Ryan McCrone.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Mike’s name, may make a donation to one of the following two charitable organizations.

Alzheimer’s New Jersey

425 Eagle Rock Ave, Suite 203

Roseland, NJ 07068

www.alznj.org

American Heart Association

P.O. Box 417005              

Boston, MA  02241-7005

www.heart.org

George “Spanky” Samborsky, age 92 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 13, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

George was born in his family home in Clifton, NJ.  He was raised in Clifton and was one of three children to Andrew and Anna Samborksy.  While growing up in Clifton, George attended Clifton High School graduating with the class of 1945.  Shortly after his high school graduation, George decided to take advantage of the GI Bill and enlisted in the United States Army.  George served honorably in the US Army between 1946 and 1947.  During his time in the armed forces, he served with the 34th Infantry Regiment in the 24th Infantry Division at Sasebo Japan.  There he was Chief Clerk of regiment S-1 section.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Army in 1947, George enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute in Troy, NY.  It was there he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering.  George was the first of his family to graduate from college.  Subsequent to his college graduation, George found work quickly and accepted a position as an Electrical and Mechanical Engineer at General Electric in Pittsburg, PA.  George was only there for about two or three years when he was offered another position as a Draftsman/Engineer at the Elliott Corporation in Springfield, NJ where they manufactured a variety of part for power plants.  George worked his way up the corporate ladder and eventually earned the title of Sales Manager.  George held this position until his was forced into an early retirement when the company started to downsize.  George’s career at Elliott Corporation spanned nearly forty years.

Following his retirement from Elliott, George continued to work part time for a number of retail supermarkets and pharmacies.  George’s work for the various stores was based around quality control and making certain specific products were displayed correctly.  George had an outstanding work ethic and remained employed until he was almost eighty five years old.

In 1958 while George was employed at the Elliott Corporation, he worked alongside a young attractive woman by the name of Lucy Cirigliano.  George and Lucy hit it off great and started dating.  The couple dated for about two years and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on September 17, 1960.  Immediately after getting married, George and Lucy moved to Wayne and remained there for the rest of their lives.  George and Lucy called Wayne their home for more than sixty years and raised their two daughters.    

One of George’s favorite past times was football.  It really didn’t matter who was playing.  Some say that if Goofy and Mickey Mouse were playing football, George could watch and enjoy the game.  George held NY Giants season tickets since 1957 until only a few years ago.  George’s other passion in life was golf.  The game of Golf was something that George cherished over the years.  George introduced the game of Golf to his younger brother Gene who later attended college on a Golf Scholarship.  Gene later became a professional golfer and accredits his brother to introducing him to the sport.  George could often be found a Passaic County Golf Club and Bowling Green Golf course in Oak Ridge working on his game.

Aside from all of George’s talents, hobbies, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to George than providing for and spending time with his wife, daughters, and grandchildren.  Sadly, in 2014 tragedy struck George’s family’s life when their daughter Lynne Cartwright passed away from a courageous battle with cancer.  George was a quiet and conservative man with a personality to match.  He and his wife Lucy treasured more than sixty years of loving and loyal marriage together.  George was not only devoted to his family but he was also dedicated to his Baptist Faith.  He and his family were members of Preakness Baptist Church in Wayne for many years.  There, George was extremely active singing in the choir and was a Deacon as well.

George was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew him.  

George is survived by his wife Lucy (nee Cirigliano) of Wayne, one daughter Robyn Abrams and her husband Larry of Mahwah, Son-in-law Christopher Cartwright, one brother Gene Samborsky and his wife Rebecca of Cincinnati, OH, three grandchildren; Samantha Franco and her husband Pat of Dover, NJ, Jack Abrams of Mahwah, NJ and Evan Cartwright of Stanhope, NJ,; his nephew James Van Broekhoven and his wife Mary Jo.  He was pre deceased by his daughter Lynne Cartwright in 2014, and by his sister Helen Van Broekhoven in 2019.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in George’s name to Colon Cancer Foundation, 10 Midland Ave, Suite MO6, Port Chester, NY 10573.  

 www.coloncancerfoundation.org

Barbara Mary Eberly (nee Flesey), age 87, of Lincoln Park died peacefully on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Barbara was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey and was one of three children to Joseph and Mary Flesey. Barbara attended Saint Dominic’s Academy in Jersey City and graduated with the class of 1951.

Barbara was married to Arthur for 23 years. After getting married in 1956 and starting a family, Barbara was devoted to being a full time homemaker. In 1978, Barbara accepted a position in Civil Service as a Clerk Typist at William Paterson University in Wayne. Barbara was happily employed there for the next twenty-three years until her retirement in 2001.

Barbara enjoyed day trips to Atlantic City with her friends and family. She also enjoyed visiting New York City, especially during the Christmas season.  One of Barbara’s favorite places to be was the beach.  She and her family treasured their yearly vacations to Cape May where Barbara’s sister owned a home.  She was also fortunate enough to make two trips to Italy and one to Israel that were the highlights of her travels.  Barbara was also a member of the Seniors of Lincoln Park for many years. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Barbara’s trademark and what she was known for was her sense of humor; anyone who talked with Barbara could not end the conversation without experiencing some laughter.  

Barbara was not only devoted to her family, she was also devoted to her Catholic Faith.  She was a parishioner of St Joseph’s Church in Lincoln Park for more than fifty years where she also sang in the choir.  Barbara attended Mass every Sunday until she was physically unable due to her health.  Barbara was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew her.

Barbara was the beloved mother of two sons, Arthur Eberly of Randolph, NJ, and Douglas Eberly of Lincoln Park, and one daughter Suzanne Franey and her husband Matthew of Pompton Plains, NJ. She was the cherished sister to The Most Reverend John Flesey of Franklin Lakes, and Connie Coyle Flesey of Eldersburg, MD. She was a treasured grandmother to Joseph Eberly and his wife Amy of Bridgewater, NJ, Paul Eberly and his wife Kelly of Freehold, NJ, Stephen Eberly and his wife Becky of Sparta, NJ, Kevin Franey of Budd Lake, NJ, Tom Franey of Hoboken, NJ, and Laura Franey of Pompton Plains, NJ, and she was also the beloved great grandmother of Noah Eberly, Jackie Eberly, and Johnny Eberly, she was also the cherished aunt to Eileen Sien and her husband Richard of Eldersburg, MD, and Kate Stewart and her husband Mark of Kensington, MD.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Barbara’s name may be made to St Joseph’s Church, 216 Comly Rd, Lincoln Park, 07035. http://www.stjosephparishnj.org

Allen E. Hansen, age 88 of Pompton Plains and Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.  He had lived in Wayne since 1964 and recently moved to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains.

Allen was born in New York City and grew up in Oak Ridge, NJ. As a teenager, Allen found work at several of the area chicken farms, and he quickly learned the ins and outs of chicken farming.  Soon after high school, Allen joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed on Guam for more than a year. He was trained in electronics, working on radios and all sorts of communications gear. Upon his discharge from the Navy, he returned home and took advantage of the GI Bill at Rutgers.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree in electronics and went on to join the IBEW in New York where he worked as an electrician throughout his career.  He also began teaching electrical classes on behalf of the IBEW at Rutgers, and he enjoyed that aspect of his career very much. Working in New York City, Allen was involved with IBM Corp installing early data cables in the World Trade Center towers. It was during this time, working in the World Trade Center, that he arrived home one evening with three, full-sized artificial Christmas trees. He explained to his family that the trees were displayed throughout the Towers, and were being thrown away, now that the season had passed.  He ‘rescued’ three from the dumpster and his family has enjoyed them for many years. Those trees have even greater sentimental value now, considering the history of the World Trade towers.

Allen met his wife, Elsie, when they were in high school. Upon his return from the Navy, the two decided to get married, tying the knot on April 7, 1956. Soon thereafter, they bought a home in Packanack Lake and settled down to raise their family. They enjoyed fifty-six years of marriage before Elsie passed away in 2013. Their home was Allen’s “work in progress” and he never stopped upgrading and improving that house.  He was a ‘homesteader’ at heart and built large gardens in his yard. He loved his vegetable garden and apple trees, and did his own canning. His homemade applesauce was delicious, and one year his pumpkin patch stretched across his entire backyard! He was very proud of his gardening skills, much of which he shared with his grandson, Ken.

Allen is survived by his two children; Karen Frankland and her husband Ken of Wayne, and Erik Hansen of Colorado, seven grandchildren; Kenneth Frankland of Wayne, Remmie Frankland of Wayne, Joshua, Adrianna, and Aneka Van Hansen of Colorado, Erika Hansen of Washington, and Britta Hansen of Colorado, and one great-grandchild; Christian.  He was predeceased by his beloved wife Elsie in 2013.

Louis J. Barresi, age 87 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. He was home, surrounded by his loving family when he passed. He had been a Wayne resident for fifty-eight years.

Lou had been a USDA inspector throughout his career.  After retiring from the USDA, he enjoyed a second career as a Quality Control inspector with Al & John, Inc. of West Caldwell, and retired from there about twelve years ago.

Lou grew up in Brooklyn, NY, on the border of Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst.  He graduated from New Utrecht High School and was a devoted fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, that is until the team left New York. He then turned his devotion to the New York Mets. He’s also an avid New York Giants fan.

In 1957, Lou was drafted into the US Army and was stationed in France for much of his first tour in the service. In 1961, the Army recalled him during the Berlin Crisis. Upon being discharged, Lou began his career with the USDA.

In 1956, Lou was introduced to Louisa Minetti.  They met at the Hollywood Terrace dance hall in Brooklyn, and they danced the night away. They hit it off and began dating regularly. Lou earned the nick-name ‘swivel hips’ and he soon proposed to Louisa.  They were married on May 3, 1958 and, since Lou was still in the U.S. Army at that time, they flew to France where they lived for the next nine months. Their honeymoon consisted of a lovely drive along the Riviera coast from France to Monaco and Italy! Over the years, they traveled throughout much of the United States, as well as to Italy, Hawaii, Bermuda, Aruba, and often enjoyed cruising. They have enjoyed a happy and fulfilling marriage, dedicated to each other. Lou often reminded Louisa of his devotion, telling her; “you got me.”

Lou was a great family man. Summer vacations were traditionally to the Jersey Shore and many great memories were made at LBI, Avalon, and Wildwood, where many rounds of mini-golf were played. Ironically, Lou didn’t like the beach or the sand, but he knew everyone else enjoyed it, and he was a good sport.  However, he was often the first one to leave the beach and head back to the house to relax by the much-preferred pool.  Time with his family was precious, and Lou was happiest being with all of them, wherever that may be.  His children recall how he seemed to be at every one of their dance recitals, sporting events, graduations, and every other occasion.  He was very supportive of them all, and especially of his grandchildren. He adored every one of them.

Lou was also a very humble and compassionate man, a true gentle soul. He loved golfing and often relaxed with the “Dunkin Crew,” his pals at Dunkin Donuts on Valley Rd., in Wayne. He was very proud to be a forty-year member of the Wayne Lions Club, having earned the prestigious Melvin Jones Award for service. He had a dry sense of humor and was know as “king of the one liners”.  He could deliver silly jokes that would often cause you to burst out loud with laughter. He was one of those people that you couldn’t help but love, and he will be dearly missed by all who loved him.

Lou is survived by his beloved wife of nearly sixty-three years; Louisa of Wayne, three daughters; Lisa Lorenzo and her husband Joe of Clifton, Diane Galbo and her husband Vincent of Park Ridge, and Andrea Piccirillo and her husband Andrew of Wayne, eight grandchildren; Danielle and her husband Michael, Stephanie and her husband Sam, Marissa and her husband Matthew, Vincent and his wife Jordan, Alyssa, Julianne and her fiancé Thomas, Andrew and Nicholas, and three great-grandchildren; Giulianna, Sofia, and Tyler, one brother-in-law; John Guccione, and a sister-in-law; Jeanette Minetti as well as many nieces and nephews.  Lou was predeceased by his sister; Tina Guccione, and by his brother-in-law; Paul Minetti.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be greatly appreciated to the Greenwich Autism Alliance Foundation, PO Box 155, Stewartsville, NJ 08886, www.greenwichautismalliance.org, and the Wayne Lions Club, 782 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ  07470.

Jay Franklin Leonard, age 87, of Kinnelon passed away peacefully on Tuesday February 9, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his wife, Amy (nee Pifer).

Jay was born and raised in Marysville, PA, the only child to Jesse and Ruth Leonard.  While growing up in Marysville, Jay became fascinated with automobiles.  As a young boy, he worked at a gas station owned by his uncle.  His small hands proved to be an asset, enabling him to get into parts of cars that adult hands could not reach.  Jay attended Harrisburg Academy and was a member of the graduation class of 1951.  While at Harrisburg Academy, Jay acquired a 1929 Reo Flying Cloud automobile, beginning a passion that continued throughout his life.

Jay began his college education studying engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Unfortunately, Jay’s father had a sudden heart attack.  Because Jay’s mother had died previously, when Jay was only twelve years old, Jay transferred from MIT to Lehigh University so that he could be closer to his dad and come home on weekends.  Jay received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Lehigh University in 1955.

While at Lehigh University, Jay began working for Philco Corporation, a pioneer in radio and television production. Philco was later acquired by Ford Motor Company.  After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Jay remained at Philco-Ford as an electrical engineer, dealing primarily with military projects, such as air-to-air and ground-to-air missiles, including the Sidewinder - - one of the first heat seeking missiles.  Along the way, Jay earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His master’s thesis could not be published because it dealt with classified military secrets.  After twenty-two years at Philco, Jay worked for Kearfott for twenty years, then, GTE, and eventually BAE systems.  Jay retired from BAE in 1998, but returned as a consultant for almost ten more years.

Jay’s greatest passion was REO Motor Company cars.  He owned and restored a 1929 REO Flying Cloud as well as a REO Royale.  Jay was an active, long- time member of the REO Club of America, as well as the American Automotive Car Association (AACA) in Hershey, PA, and its New Jersey chapter.  Jay served as an AACA judge in restoration competitions for many years.   As Jay grew older, he donated his REO vehicles to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, MI, the last one only a week before his passing.

Jay enjoyed frequent, regular, and informal gatherings of a group of fellow engineers.  This group would get together to share and compare their latest and greatest audio recording equipment.  Members of the group and their spouses often attended operas and Philadelphia Orchestral performances.  

Jay literally grew up with Amy.  Jay’s and Amy’s fathers were fraternity brothers and close friends.  Friends and family would  joke that Jay and Amy had their first date as infants - - in their strollers.  Jay and Amy officially began dating early in high school.  They were married at Washington Chapel in Valley Forge Park and settled in Philadelphia for a short time, later moving to Ambler, PA.  On Christmas in 1975, Jay and Amy moved to the Smoke Rise Community in Kinnelon.  Jay and Amy cherished sixty-three years of loving and loyal marriage together.  Jay was a brilliant, extraordinary person who touched the lives of many people.

Mary Claire Kearney, age 83, Lincoln Park, NJ, Bluffton, SC, Montville, NJ and a former longtime resident of Wayne, NJ, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 7, 2021 with her daughter by her side.

Mary Claire was born in Orange, NJ and raised in Cedar Grove, Verona, Lake Mohawk and Montclair. She graduated high school from Mount St. Dominick’s Academy in Caldwell. She then entered nursing school at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson and, upon graduating in 1957, took her first position as a nurse in the pediatrics unit of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

St. Joseph’s School of Nursing yielded much more than a degree in nursing for Mary Claire. It was through a fellow student that she met and married the love of her life John L. Kearney, affectionately known as Jay. They married on June 14, 1958 at Our Lady of the Lake R.C. Church in Sparta. Mary Claire’s uncles, Bishop James A. McNulty of Paterson and Monsignor John L. McNulty, president of Seton Hall University, officiated their wedding and, after a wedding reception at Perona Farms, they honeymooned in Niagara Falls and Bermuda. Jay and Mary Claire first resided in an apartment in Jersey City in the same building where Frank Sinatra once lived. From there they moved into their first home in Jersey City where Mary Claire worked at the Lutheran Home. In 1972, with a family that had grown to one daughter and four sons, the Kearney family moved to Wayne, NJ where Mary Claire worked as an ICU-CCU nurse at Wayne General Hospital, while furthering her education in nursing at Seton Hall University.

In 1978, Mary Claire’s husband, Jay, suddenly passed away. While raising her family as a single working mother, Mary Claire earned her Bachelor of Nursing Degree in 1980 and her MA in Public Administration in 1986, both from Seton Hall University.

In 1987, Mary Claire moved to Montville, NJ where she resided in Lake Valhalla. Her career advanced into the administrative side of nursing, where she worked as a Manager at Visiting Health Services of Passaic Valley, as a Division Director at Chr-ill Services, Inc., as a Director of Quality Management at Medical Center Health Care Services, Inc., as an Assistant Director of Nursing at Maple Glen at Fairlawn and as the Director of Nursing at Kessler Care Center at Cedar Grove.

Mary Claire loved bedside nursing so much that throughout her years as an administrator, she continued working part-time as a nurse at Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains until she retired and moved to Bluffton, SC in 2001.

Despite her busy life, Mary Claire found time for some fun. As a young mother, Mary Claire was a den mother for Cub Scout Pack #75 (St. Ann’s Parish, Jersey City), enjoyed sewing and making matching outfits for her and her daughter. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting and needlepoint. Mary Claire’s children have fond memories of her making beer can hats in the 1970’s. (look it up in Google images). The hats were sold as a fundraiser to help build the Wayne Boys Club. During the 1970’s, she got a bit of the disco bug and loved to slide into her Jordache, Sassoon or Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. Mary Claire enjoyed playing tennis at the Lake Valhalla Club in Montville and working in her garden. She loved playing golf and Mahjong. Mary Claire always found time for community service and was a literacy volunteer. She was also dedicated to her Catholic faith and was an Adoration Guardian.

In 2016, Mary Claire moved back to New Jersey, and spent the last few years as a resident at Sunrise Senior Living in Wayne. The love of nursing and need to care for others never left her. She often offered patient care advice to staff and assistance to other residents.

Her family will miss the simple pleasures of spending time with her, hearing her voice, and benefitting from her sage advice. She will always be respected for a heart that was motivated to do “the right thing” and for the loving care that she shared with so many.

Mary Claire was the beloved wife of John L. Kearney, Sr.  She was the most loving mother of: John L. Kearney, Jr. (Anna) of South Plainfield and their children Stephanie and Emily; James A. Kearney (Cathy Ann) of Washington, NJ and their children Eric (Jackie), Sherrie (Matt), and Susan; Anne Marie Kearney of Lafayette; Kevin P. Kearney (Linda) of Wayne and their children Danielle (fiancé Ralph), Megan, Kevin, Jr., Nicholas, and Marissa (Andrew); and William J. Kearney (Margaret) of Wayne and their children Johnny and Willy; cherished great-grandmother of: Grace, Logan, Finn, Ryan, Ariana, Rylin, Briella, Andrew, Jr., and Serafina; dear sister of the late William Joseph McNulty, Frances Rottino, and Jean Nichols; dear sister-in-law of Frank Kearney (deceased), Thomas Kearney, (deceased) and James Kearney (Barbara) and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Mary Claire’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (www.stjude.org).

Theresa Sabeh, age 87, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Saturday, February 06, 2021.

She was born in Paterson to Daniel and Edith Miller and lived in East Paterson and Paterson before moving to Wayne in 1963. She graduated from Pope Pious XII High School in Passaic with the Class of 1951.

She met the love of her life Anthony Sabeh while at a dance at St Anne’s in Fair Lawn. They married at Saint Leos Church in East Paterson on July 3, 1955 and honeymooned in Bermuda.  They had a loving marriage of sixty three years that was blessed with four children.

Through the years Theresa has been a partner with her husband Tony in several ventures including: Terry’s Deli on East 2nd Street in Clifton, Viecalek’s Perogi on Passaic Avenue in Passaic, and later Hy-Grade Liquors on East 16th Street and 7th Avenue in Paterson. Later she worked at Anchor Savings Bank in Wayne and the BP Corporation in Wayne before retiring.

For about seventeen years Theresa volunteered at Saint Josephs Hospital in Wayne. She also went to LA Fitness in Wayne three times a week and took great pride in keeping fit. Through the years she made many friends and in retirement she enjoyed making a day of going out to lunch with many of them. She also enjoyed bus trips to the casinos in Atlantic City.  In her youth she was a model in New York City and would hush you if you told anyone she was voted Miss Paterson. She was truly a fashionista and the poise and confidence she learned when modeling was something she carried with her through the years. She was the life-of-the-party, beautiful inside and out, and always left the house dressed to perfection. Make no mistake Theresa was strong willed and determined when she had to be. She had a strong faith in God and was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne for over fifty years.

Theresa was the devoted wife of the late Anthony “Tony” Sabeh (2018); devoted mother of Mark A. Sabeh and his wife Denise of Denville, Steven P. Sabeh and his wife Dawn of Butler, Linda Fragomeni and her husband Anthony of Branchville, and the late David A. Sabeh (1993); she was the cherished grandmother of Mark Sabeh, Jr., Grace Fragomeni, Gianna Sabeh, Clare Fragomeni, Stevie Sabeh, Christian Fragomeni, and Emily Sabeh; much loved great-grandmother of Aliyah Sabeh. She will be dearly missed by many loving nieces and nephews.  Theresa was the last surviving sibling of five daughters having been predeceased by her sisters Florence Silvio, Jeannette Gilchrist, Grace Anderson, and Alice Sudol.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne First Aid Squad would be deeply appreciated.

Kazimierz S. Werder, age 79, of Butler, passed peacefully at home on Saturday, February 6, 2021.

He was born and raised on the family farm in Chorzele, Poland. He attended vocational school and learned the craft of watch/clock and jewelry repair. As part of his certification and graduation project he was tasked with making a working clock by hand. After vocational school he served a compulsory two years in the Polish Military at the height of the “Cold War,” he was an Air Defense Radar Specialist.

After his service in the military Kazimierz worked at the fishing docks in Gdynia for a short time and later pursued his career in the jewelry and watch repair business. He worked at a jewelry firm called Jubiler for over twenty years serving his last three years managing the watch and jewelry repair company in Gdansk, Poland. Kazimierz would often reminisce about his travels to Moscow for an annual conference related to his craft. His children recall that those conferences resulted in dad bringing home gifts and chocolates.  He enjoyed his pastime Saturday tradition of him and his brother-in-law Stasiu tinkering in the garage on his car. Kazimierz would spend his evenings repairing jewelry and watches for friends and family, while his kids helped with finding the miniscule parts and pieces when dropped.

While commuting to work at the fishing docks Kazimierz took notice of a lovely girl named Waltraud, eventually working up the nerve to ask her out. Their first date was Sept. 19th, 1960, they went to see a movie. The relationship bloomed into love and the young couple married on December 26th, 1963 in their hometown of Gdynia. They were blessed with three beautiful children as Waltraud gave birth to Beata, Joanna, and Robert. Kazimierz and Waltraud were the most loving of parents and, while they did the best they could to give their children happy and fulfilling lives, they felt constrained by the lack of opportunity that their Polish homeland offered. In 1987, while Waltraud remained in Poland with Beata and Joanna, Kazimierz and Robert, who was ten years old at the time, came to the United States to join Kazimierz’ family in pursuit of the American dream. In 1991, after Kazimierz found work in the US and got settled, Waltraud and Joanna, who was 17 at the time, joined them in the United States.  Beata chose to remain in Poland. The family originally settled in Harrison where Kazimierz worked at Pechter’s Bakery as an oven operator in Harrison from 1988 through about 2007 and in the last year of his employment they moved to Pennsylvania, they loved their weekend scenic road trips. Eventually, moving back to New Jersey to be closer to their kids they moved into Robert and Edith’s home in Wallington. After Waltraud’s passing Kazimierz moved to live in Butler.

Many will remember Kazimierz’s love of humor.  He was great at telling jokes and never missed a punch line. His humor was unique and non-stop. He was the kind of guy who lived by his routines, had a great memory, and was a captivating story teller. He loved pork chops and potatoes!  Waltraud would recount how she had to make him potatoes on the day of their son Robert and Edith’s wedding. He loved reading about history and politics and was an avid newspaper reader. He loved fishing in area lakes and at the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.  Another of both his and his wife Waltraud’s favorite pastimes was going to Atlantic City. They enjoyed playing the slot machines and long walks along the boardwalk.  During their retirement they also enjoyed taking long scenic drives. After Waltraud’s passing in 2014 Kazimierz would often go to Sandy Hook in memory of his wife who loved the ocean and sea shells. He regularly tended to her grave and placed sea shells on the headstone for her.

Kazimierz was the devoted husband of fifty-one years to the late Waltraud Werder (2014); loving father of Joanna and husband Anthony Tortora of Wayne, Robert and his wife Edith Werder of Butler, and the late Beata Jackowski (2014); cherished grandfather of Arianna, Marek, and Maciej and great-grandfather to Ignacy.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Kazimierz’s name are asked to consider DAV Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301 or at  www.dav.org.

Edward LaBarre, III, age 54, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 5, 2021.

Ed was born in Paterson on March 16, 1966. He was raised in Wayne and graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1984.

Ed enjoyed a career of 34 years with Schenck Process, LLC. Early in his career, he did a lot of international travel which afforded him the opportunity to see various parts of the world. But nothing compared to the many, many... many trips to Disneyworld and vacations in OBX with his family. Any time spent with his family was what he treasured most; from game nights to family gatherings, and everything in between. To say that Ed loved to be involved in his children’s lives does not do justice to how extraordinary of a father he was. His warmth and affability was not reserved for only those close to him; he was always willing to lend a helping hand or an encouraging word to family, friends, or strangers.

Ed proposed to his dear wife Mary on Valentine’s Day and after a two year engagement, they were married on August 4th, 1990. They met in high school when she asked him to hold her seat at a party and she came back to him holding her seat up in the air. The jokes and laughter continued throughout their life together and the love that they shared was immeasurable.

Ed could make anyone smile and make whole rooms break out into laughter. He never passed up an opportunity for a good (or not so good) joke or prank. His strength and resilience, even through his 8 year battle with cancer, inspired all of those around him. Refusing to let his diagnosis define him, Ed continued to make amazing memories and live his life to the fullest.

Ed is survived by his beloved wife Mary LaBarre (nee Iapoce) of Wayne; three much-loved children: Alyssa, Casey and Gregory, all of Wayne; man's best friend: Shadow; cherished parents Elvie and Edward LaBarre of Wayne; dear sisters: Laura McKay of Wayne, and Deneen Mathews and husband Scott of Vernon; dear mother-in-law Kathleen Iapoce of Wayne; dear brother-in-law’s: Rick Iapoce and wife Sue, and Michael Iapoce and wife Sue; treasured nieces and nephews: Heather Lee and husband Robert; Stephen McKay; Anthony Daskus and his wife Nicole; Nicholas Mathews; Ricky Iapoce; Kevin, Connor, and Kieran Iapoce; 5 great-nieces and great-nephews; and many cherished aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father-in-law Richard Iapoce and nephew Kyle Iapoce.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Ed’s name are asked to consider:

Cancer Research Institute

29 Broadway, Floor 4,

New York, NY 10006-3111

or online at CancerResearch.org.

Barbara Ann Denequolo, age 75, of Wanaque passed on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.

She was born in Paterson to William and Margaret Adshead and was raised in North Haledon. She attended The Benedictine Academy in Paterson and graduated with the Class of 1963. In 1967, Barbara received her Bachelors in English at Seton Hall University, where she met the love of her life, Robert Denequolo. They married at Saint Paul’s Church in Prospect Park on June 24, 1973.

Both Barbara and Robert dedicated themselves to their careers with the Wayne Board of Education. Barbara was an English teacher for a few years at Wayne Hills High School, and then she took a position as a guidance counselor at Schuyler Colfax Middle School. During this time, she received her master’s degree at William Paterson University. Barbara was a guidance counselor for about 40 years before retiring in 2012.

Barbara will be remembered as a caring, sweet, classy, warm, and friendly woman. She loved the many children she oversaw when she worked in the Wayne school district. But most importantly, she loved her family, especially her 4 beautiful granddaughters, very much. She was an integral part in their upbringing. She always spent as much time as she could with them, giving them wise advice and hugs. She never missed a birthday, graduation, or a special holiday with her family, because to Barbara family was where her heart was.  

Barbara was a fantastic cook. She loved having people over to entertain. She enjoyed Broadway plays and attending concerts with her daughter and friends. She liked to get her hair and nails done. Barbara loved reading all types of books. She enjoyed to travel and loved going on family vacations.

Barbara was the loving wife of 29 years to the late Robert Denequolo (2002); she was the devoted mother of Valerie Easterhoff and her husband Stephen; cherished grandmother of Krysta Denequolo, Kathryn Easterhoff, Leah Easterhoff, and Addison Easterhoff; and she was the sister of Patricia Van Haste.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children's Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

Catherine L. Biasucci, age 76, of Maplewood and formerly a long-time resident of Wayne, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, February 1, 2021. Her family stood by in loving and comforting support at the time of her passing.

Catherine was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She spent part of her childhood living just outside of Montreal, Canada before moving to Lyndhurst, New Jersey. After graduating from Lyndhurst High School with the Class of 1962 where she excelled in academics, sports and enjoyed performing in musical theater, Catherine attended the French Institute in New York City. Upon her graduation she worked as an administrator and translator for a French company in New York City during her twenties.

Catherine’s high school sweetheart was Anthony Biasucci. Their love for each other was truly special, so marriage vows were exchanged on Sunday, August 23, 1964 at Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey.  The newlyweds’ first home was an apartment in Lyndhurst. Soon after they purchased their own home in Clifton and in 1972 they moved to 7 Oakley Way in Wayne. There, they raised their two beautiful daughters, Michele and Amy.

When the girls were grown, Catherine returned to work as an administrator in the Township of Wayne, New Jersey’s tax division. Her career there spanned ten years until retirement in 2009. Soon after, she moved in with her daughter, Amy in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Catherine’s participation in sports was a life-long love. She was an avid competitor in the Wayne Tennis Club, various bowling leagues, and she even played a little golf with her girlfriends. Catherine enjoyed watching sports as much as playing. She dropped everything when Wimbledon, The French Open, The US Open, or the Australian Open were on!  With her husband Tony being a graduate of Seton Hall, they frequently attended Seton Hall basketball games and Catherine followed all the local sports teams including the Yankees, Giants, Nets, and Knicks. By day she was a passionate recycler and protector of the environment and by night she enjoyed curling up on the couch to enjoy a good British murder mystery on TV. She loved all kinds of music from 50’s doo-wop to music from the 1970’s including Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, and other bands. Catherine never saw a dog or cat she didn’t fall in love with. She truly believed that dogs and cats are not our whole life but they sure do make our lives whole. As a result, she avidly participated and supported many animal rescue organizations and had lots of furry companions of her own.

Catherine was truly proud of her Scottish heritage. She ardently encouraged the importance of family and greatly enjoyed attending her children’s and grandchildren’s sports, musicals and other activities. She loved keeping in touch with extended family and friends all over the world via Facebook. Her Catholic faith was the foundation on which she lived her life – always with a smile on her face and a kind, encouraging word for everyone. Her generosity was beyond compare and her ever-present sense of humor was always welcome.

Catherine was the beloved wife of Anthony Biasucci, blessed in marriage for 25 years until his passing in 1989. She was the loving mother of Michele Biasucci of South Orange and Amy Biasucci of Maplewood; adoring grandmother of Meskerem Hyman, Yahalashet Hyman, Ayla Novemsky, and Anthony Novemsky; caring mother-in-law of Mark Hyman of South Orange and Michael Novemsky of Maplewood; and dear sister of John Henderson and his wife, Diane, of Wayne.  Catherine dearly loved her brother and sister-in-law, Joseph and Liliane Biasucci.  She adored her nieces and nephews:  Scott Henderson, Dawn Henderson, and Emily Henderson; Robin and Mike Suplicki; Paul, Domenica, and Guilia Biasucci; and Lisa Biasucci and her sons, Giovanni and Jack.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Catherine’s name are asked to consider one of the following three charities that were near and dear to Catherine’s heart for animal welfare, environmental causes, and children:

ASPCA

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Attn: Linda Tiramani

520 8th Ave, 7th Floor

New York, NY 10018

To donate online click here

National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)

P.O. Box 1830 Merrifield, VA 22116-8030

To donate online click here

Boys and Girls Club of America

P.O Box 117431

Atlanta, GA 30368-7431

To donate online click here

Raymond John Bosma Sr, age 77, of Pompton Lakes passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 31, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Raymond was born in Paterson and was raised in Fair Lawn. He was the only child to Raymond and Elizabeth Bosma.  While growing up in Fair Lawn, Ray attended Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon.  He graduated with the class of 1962 then enrolled at Rutgers University.  While Ray was at Rutgers for a couple of years he concurrently was employed at the First National Bank of NJ in Passaic County.  He was working in the mailroom, when he was offered an opportunity to learn computer programming.  Ray seized the opportunity and became a Computer Programmer for First National Bank.  Ray climbed his way up the corporate ladder eventually earning the position of Assistant Vice President.  Throughout the years Ray continued to remain in the banking industry through several mergers.  Ray’s career in banking spanned a period of over forty-six years and was work that he truly loved until his retirement in 2008.

During his early employment at First National Bank of NJ in 1963, he worked alongside a young attractive lady named Diane Guldemann.  Diane was employed at First National as a Keypuncher. The two hit it off great and started dating.  Their first date was to the 1963 World’s Fair.  While on line to view one of the main exhibits, Ray offered to get Diane a soft-drink.  As Ray bent over to get under the rope keeping folks in line he split his pants wide open.  Luckily Ray was wearing a long sports jacket and was able to conceal the tear.  The two laughed hysterically and had a wonderful time.  Diane and Ray dated for about four years and as fate would have it they fell in love.

During the time they were dating, Ray was a part of the Army National Guard.  Ray trained and served honorably from 1964 to 1966 and spent several years in the Reserves.  After his honorable discharge from the Guard, Ray and Diane got engaged on Thanksgiving and became husband and wife on April 15, 1967.  They were married at Cedar Cliff Methodist Church in Haledon.

After getting married, Ray and Diane moved to Pompton Lakes and remained there for about seven years.  While living in Pompton Lakes, the couple welcomed the birth of their first son, Raymond, Jr.  The family moved to Wayne in 1976 where they welcomed their second son Douglas a few years later.  Ray and Diane raised their children in Wayne until moving back to Pompton Lakes in 2016. 

Ray was a devoted father and was always there for his children.  Both of his sons participated in the Wayne Hills High School Marching Band and during that time, Ray acted as their Treasurer. Ray chaperoned many of the band trips as well as help organize and participate in many fundraisers.  Ray and his family were members of the First Christian Reformed Church in Haledon for many years.  There, Ray was a very active member and served as a Deacon. 

Ray enjoyed coin and stamp collecting throughout his life, but his true passion was banking and figuring out the numbers. Any form of puzzle, crossword, word search or board game he was up to the challenge.  If Ray had to pick one place in the world to be, it would be the beach.  Ray cherished frequenting any and all of the Jersey Shore points as he loved being on the beach and in the water.  One of his favorite past times while there was body surfing.  Throughout the years, Ray and his family took countless day trips to the shore points and annual vacations to Cape Cod.  Ray was always a believer that you didn't need a lot of money to have a good time. Many times he and his family just would pack a few sandwiches and head out to the beach or to a lake where they would picnic, and spend quality time together.  Ray was also a fan of the amusement parks.  He enjoyed riding the roller coasters and other rides with his children and grandchildren.  Even as late at age 70 he could be found on rides like Kingda Ka at Great Adventure!

Ray was a music fan and loved to listen to artists such as Jim Neighbors, Peter Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, and later he took a liking to Elvis Presley’s gospel music.  But aside from all of Ray’s hobbies, talents, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Ray than providing for and spending time with his wife, children, and his grandchildren.  Ray and Diane cherished fifty-four years of loving and loyal marriage together.  Ray was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew him. 

Ray is survived by his wife Diane (nee Guldemann) of Pompton Lakes, two sons; Raymond Bosma, Jr. and his fiancé Jennifer Eckhardt of Oakland, Douglas Bosma and his wife Bettina of CO, five grandchildren; Connor, Patrick, Kendall, Nicholas, and William.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ray’s name may be made to Alzheimer’s New Jersey,425 Eagle Rock Ave, Suite 203, Roseland, NJ 07068  . https://www.alz.org

Giulio Rossi, age 87 of Wayne, died on January 31, 2021.  He had lived in Wayne since 1980.

Giulio had been an inspector with Singer-Kearfott in Little Falls, retiring in 1994.  He was very skilled and the kind of person that could fix anything.  His family and friends knew that if something was broken, just bring it to Giulio and he'll fix it.  He was an active member of the Golden Age Circle of Wayne and a member of the Amateur Radio League.  He enjoyed operating his Ham radio, allowing him to communicate with people all over the globe.

Giulio was born in Italy and grew up in Frosinone, not far from Rome, and came to America when he was twenty-five years old. He lived in Clifton before meeting Theresa Coronato in 1978, and after a loving courtship, they married on March 9, 1980. A honeymoon to Miami followed and they settled in Wayne thereafter.  They have enjoyed forty-one years of an adoring marriage, which included a few memorable trips to Italy, visiting his family. She will miss him dearly.

Giulio is survived by his loving wife, Theresa of Wayne, a brother; Fr. Mario Rossi of Frosinone, Italy, his sister-in-law; Loretta Costabile of Wayne, and many nieces and nephews.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Giulio’s memory are asked to consider the Xaverian Missionaries, 12 Helene Court, Wayne, NJ 07470-2813.

Dianne Carol (Morris) Greff, 83, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 29, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

She was predeceased by her husband of 47 years, Paul Greff. She is survived by her sons, Michael, & Glenn and daughter, Michelle (nee Greff) Forget; her son-in-law, Edward Forget, and daughter-in-law, Sauhad Laudo-Greff; and by her seven grandsons: Michael, Ryan, Christopher, Evan, Matthew, Tristan and Eric.

Dianne was born on January 20, 1938 in Newark, NJ to Stacy and Helen Morris. Wanting Dianne to be raised in the suburbs, the family moved to Roseland, NJ when she was young.  Dianne grew up in Roseland, attending Saint Aloysius grade school, Mount St. Dominic HS and William Paterson College where she majored in Education.

It was at college where she met her husband, Paul Greff. They were married on July 9, 1960 at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Roseland. After their marriage, the couple moved to the Pines Lake section of Wayne.

It was in Wayne where she lived for 61 years -- 47 years with Paul -- raising their children and building their life together. Dianne pursued her love for children and education teaching for nearly 40 years in the Wayne School District  at Pines Lake, James Fallon and  Randall Carter Elementary Schools.

In addition to her love for teaching she also contributed to education through her service as the first Vice President of the Wayne Education Association as well as the first Vice President of the Passaic County Education Association.  

In retirement, Dianne remained very active. She was President of the Navy League Council, an auxiliary member of the Elks Club of Oakland.  She was a trustee on the board for the Golden Age Circle of Wayne. Dianne  was elected President of the Saint Mary’s Active Senior Ministry in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey as well as a member of  the Original St. Mary’s Seniors of Pompton Lakes.

A dedicated family woman, Dianne loved living by the lake and visiting with her grandsons - especially in the summertime as they stopped by between fishing and swimming at the lake.

Additionally, Dianne could be seen doing one of her favorite activities bird watching as well as tinkering with gardening.

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A write about Dianne's life as a school teacher and accomplishments can be found on the Wayne News following the link below. The information was organized and written up by her grandson Ryan Greff

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/wayne/sections/education/articles/beloved-wayne-resident-and-educator-passes-away

Jacqueline Payne (nee Thompson), age 88 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 after a long, hard-fought battle, and she is now at peace.  She has been a resident of Wayne for nearly sixty years.

Jackie was born and raised in Passaic, graduating from Passaic High School with the class of 1950.  Jackie will be remembered at Passaic High School as the cheerleader who was shot in the leg by the team’s cannon, which was fired on the sidelines to celebrate each touchdown. It was also at Passaic High School that she met the love of her life Ted Payne. They married on August 22, 1953 at St. Nicholas Church, followed by a reception at Gene Boyles Restaurant. They honeymooned in Florida. They eventually settled in Wayne, where they raised their family of seven children.

Throughout the years, Jackie volunteered much of her time at the Wayne PAL, starting the peewee cheerleading program and eventually becoming the cheerleading commissioner. She also served as the secretary for the Wayne Valley W Club. She enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren participating in any sport, and she especially loved watching the NY GIANTS and the NY YANKEES. She has long been a fan of Rickie Fowler as well, watching him play golf on TV at every opportunity. Jackie’s second love, next to her family of course, was Atlantic City!  She absolutely loved A.C., and looked forward to her monthly trips.  Harrah’s was her favorite casino, and she would spend hours at Joker Poker. Summer vacations were always down the Shore, from Ocean Beach to Ocean City. Jackie’s 89th birthday would have been on January 31, and her family has planned a celebratory trip to Atlantic City to honor her, and hopefully lady-luck will be on their side!

Jackie was predeceased by her beloved husband Ted in 2011 and Jim's wife JoAnn in 2001. She is survived by her seven children; Cathy Payne, Jim Payne, Barbara Hageman and her husband Gary, Teddy Payne, all of Wayne, Nancy Agel and her husband Charlie of Clifton, Jackie Greer and her husband Rob of Oak Ridge, and Debbie Wierciszewski and her husband Ron of Lyndhurst, grandmother to six; Jimmy, Pat, Kellyn, Taylor, Bobby, and Allie, and GG to five great-grandchildren; Madison, Jordyn, Samantha, Jacob, and Raeann.

Susie Helgi Van Ness, age 71, of Towaco, passed Monday, January 25, 2021.

She was born in a displaced persons camp in Anspach Germany to Eno and Lea Hallik. Her father emigrated from Estonia to Germany just before WWII started. Her mother was Estonian and attending a Boarding School in Switzerland.  While on a boat heading to Estonia from Switzerland the vessel was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat. Lea swam to shore and for a while stayed with her German Governess in Germany.  Lea was eventually housed in the Displaced Person’s Camp where she met Eno and gave birth to Helgi who would eventually be known as Susie.

Susie and her family came to the United States in 1951 and were sponsored into the country by a Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois.  Susie’s parents heard there were two Estonian communities in this country.  One in California and one in Paterson, New Jersey.  They moved their family to Paterson where they lived before moving to Lincoln Park.  Susie attended Boonton High School with the Class of 1967.

Through the years Susie was married to Ralph Dean and later to John Abram Van Ness who just passed away in December of 2020.  She worked as a bartender at Gunners in Pequannock and was previously a waitress at the Alpine House Restaurant in Towaco.  Susie had an eclectic love of music, loved dancing, gardening, plants and flowers.  She was a bit of a pool shark and won several tournaments. She was also excellent at crocheting. Susie was adventurous and not one to follow the crowd.  This is exemplified by her owning and riding her Harley 883 Sportster.  She loved horror movies, the Sci-Fi Channel, Mystery Science Theatre, Twilight Zone, Dr. Who, and any associated television shows, movies or books. Those who called her Susie would be happy to know that a babysitter many years ago gave her the name Susie.  Her real name is Helgi but the babysitter one day said “you don’t look like a Helgi…you look like a Susie.”  The nickname stuck with her for the rest of her life.

Susie was the loving wife of the late John Abram Van Ness (December 2020); devoted mother of Regina McCulloch and her husband Jim of Lincoln Park, Jennifer DeStefano and her husband Nick of Pequannock, and John Van Ness and his wife Michelle of Wayne; she was the cherished grandmother of James and Kevin McCulloch, Allison and Sydney DeStefano, John Scott and Silas Van Ness; she was the dearly loved great-grandmother of Jackson McCulloch; and dear sister of Jack Hallik and his wife Linda of Pennsylvania, Lisa Sullivan of Butler, and was predeceased by her siblings: Ulo “Willy” Hallik, Nancy Capps, Allen Crompton and Elu Hallik

Florence Van Vlaanderen, age 91 of the Holland Christian Home in North Haledon, formerly of Kinnelon, passed Saturday, January 23, 2021.

She was born in Preakness and lived her early years on the family farm along Church Lane in Wayne. She attended the Preakness School in Wayne before the family moved to Pompton Lakes.  Florence graduated from Pompton Lakes High School with the Class of 1947.  

Out of high school she worked at her father's business Van Orden Sand and Gravel in Wayne. She later worked for the Watson Flagg Company where she met her husband to be Robert Van Vlaanderen. They married on May 3, 1952 at the Preakness Reformed Church in Wayne and had a loving, caring marriage of fifty-nine years. Florence and her husband had been devoted members of the First Christian Reformed Church, now Bridgeway Community Church in Haledon.  She had a solid and committed Christian faith.  She loved reading the Bible and devotional every day.

Florence will be lovingly remembered for being kindhearted and caring. She was a great cook and Saturday night was always spaghetti night at the Van Vlaanderen home. She loved being outdoors and enjoyed working in her flower garden. Florence was a member of the community Garden Club. She kept her house immaculate.  She kept her home just so and was just as fastidious about her appearance. When her boys were young they remember her cooking and cleaning most of the day and in the afternoons she would sit down and play the piano for relaxation.

Florence was the devoted wife of the late Robert Van Vlaanderen in 2011; she was the devoted mother of Robert Van Vlaanderen, Jr., and his wife Denise of North Haledon, NJ; Bryant Van Vlaanderen and his wife Renee of Fayetteville NC; Wayne Van Vlaanderen and his wife Denise of Kinnelon, NJ; and Mark Van Vlaanderen and his wife Marissa of Kinnelon NJ; she was the cherished grandmother of 9 grandchildren: Jade (Ken), Codi (Michael), Christopher, David, Todd, Wayne Jr., Lauren (Justin), Katelyn (Patrick) and Mark Jr.; she was the dearly loved great-grandmother of Michael, Milo, and Carter; and loved sister of Elbert Van Orden of Shushan, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to The Gideons International, Processing Center, PO Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251 would be greatly appreciated

Richard J. Berger (“Dick”), age 83, of Kinnelon, passed away surrounded by his loving family at home on Friday, January 22, 2021 after fighting a brave, strong battle against ALS, bladder cancer and heart disease.

Dick was born on July 3, 1937 in Passaic to the parents of Joseph and Magdalena Berger. He grew up in Fair Lawn alongside his older brother, Bob, raised by mechanic father and a tough as nails, four-foot ten mother, who spoke to him in German and ruled the boys with an iron fist.

Dick was a graduate of Bergen County Vocational and Technical High School in Hackensack where he explored his love of doing things with his hands. He expanded upon that innate talent in his first career in sheet metal by joining Tornquist for two years and then Kearfott Corporation in Clifton in March 1960 for the next 13 years, before taking the fork in the road and following his true path toward becoming a police officer. Dick joined the Wayne Police force in 1972 and graduated from William Paterson College in January 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Administration. His devotion to public service and putting himself on the line every day for the benefit of others as a street cop continued throughout his 25-year career with the force.

Dick was a patriotic member of society and enlisted in the military in September 1956, a radio operator in Company E of the division’s 502d Infantry, and received basic training at Fort Knox, Ky. While starting out in the regular army, he soon signed with the 101st Airborne division, “The Screaming Eagles” as a paratrooper through 1958.

When Dick was just 18, he met his love and life partner, Ann “Sherry” Berger and the couple married on February 20, 1960. After marriage, the new couple lived in both Haskell and then East Rutherford for a period of time, before moving to Wayne and being blessed with three daughters then in 1998 relocated to Kinnelon to be closer to their daughters.

Dick was a consummate family man and the proud head of his family. He will be forever remembered for staunch commitment to the family vacation. From the early years with his own nuclear family with winter trips to Lake Placid and summer camping adventures fishing in the Catskills, to the eventual, extended family annual trips with the grandkids skiing in Vermont, the annual family summer shore week in Long Beach Island, and endless deep sea fishing trips in Long Island. Dick was the model grandfather in his ATV rides, instructional bow and arrow lessons, whiffle ball at the beach, competitive snowball fights, singing Silent Night in German while playing the organ, and infinite number of games of California Rummy. Dick was known to sit at the head of his family dinners and marvel at “all he and Mom had created”.

Dick’s passions in life revolved around his beloved activities, skiing, fishing, boating and especially hunting, a record holder in both Boone and Crockett and 3 times over in Pope and Young for his kills. Dick’s annual pilgrimages to Illinois for big buck and elk hunting are the fodder of a myriad of family stories, he skied in Italy and Wyoming with friends, summer after summer spent on his boat “Bad Boy” in Lake Hopatcong, and to Alaska for wild salmon fishing.

Dick was known as a no-nonsense, says it like he sees it guy, and who led his life with the motto “I did it my way.”  Yet, his tough exterior covered a compassionate soul who would do anything for family. Dick was a lover of a good party, Southern Comfort on the rocks, and ripping up the dance floor.

Dick was the beloved husband of Sherry, blessed in marriage for 60 years. He was the loving, devoted father of: Lisa Locarno and husband Michael of Kinnelon, Lori Micciche and husband Peter of Kinnelon, and Linda Salmon and husband Ron of Lower Saucon, PA; cherished grandfather of: Marissa Mongelli and husband Tom of Pompton Plains, Nick Locarno of Avon, Colorado, Jennifer Locarno of Beaver Creek, Colorado, Maranda Micciche of Kinnelon, Aquinnah Silverman of Lower Saucon, PA and Bela Silverman of Lower Saucon, PA.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dick’s name are asked to consider one of two charitable organizations:

ALS Association – Greater New York Chapter

42 Broadway, Suite 1724

New York, NY 10004

If sending a check, please click here for printable donation form and make your check payable to “ALS Association Greater New York Chapter”

If donating online, click here als-ny.org

The American Heart Association

P.O. Box 417005

Boston, MA 02241-7005

If donating online, click here donatenow.heart.org

Joseph Graziano passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

Joseph was born in Garfield where he lived with his mother Mary, his father Joseph Sr and younger brother John. As a boy, his mother gave him the nickname Sonny. In childhood he enjoyed passing time at his uncle’s grocery store.  One of his favorite companions as a boy was a dog named Rex. Each school day, Mary would open the door at 3 and Rex would run toward the school. Joe would find the dog waiting for him and the two would walk the remainder of the way home together side by side. As a teenager, Joe enjoyed hanging out at Barcelona's with a lifelong friend Johnny. He also developed a love of cars. Later in life he would enjoy driving Lincolns and Cadillacs, but the first car he drove was a 1949 Kaiser Frazer. It belonged to a friend who taught him to drive. When it was time for Joe to take his driver’s test, he decided to borrow the Kaiser Frazer instead of taking his father’s car because he had the most experience driving that car. His planning paid off and he passed the driving test on his first try.

After school he served in the Army and was sent to Korea. During the war he worked as a radio operator and earned the nickname Rocky. While in the Army, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean Service Medal. After the war, he attended college on the GI bill and graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a B.S. degree in engineering. He was proud to be the first in his family to graduate from college. While attending a friend’s wedding, he met Anne Giarrusso, and the two began dating. Before long, they were engaged. Struggling to make it to the church on time on a rainy wedding day, Joe slipped on the church steps, ending up with a small gash on his forehead for the wedding service.

Anne supported the couple early in their marriage by working at Woolworth’s while Joe finished school. Their first home was in Paterson near Anne’s parents, where the first two of their three daughters were born. The couple saved so they could move from Paterson to Wayne in time for their eldest daughter to start kindergarten in the Wayne school system. They managed to scrape together to buy a house that would remain their forever home. They proudly pulled into the driveway in Wayne in a 1957 aqua and white Chevrolet. After one snowstorm while the girls were young, Joe shoveled not only the driveway and sidewalks of their own property but continued to shovel the entire route to school so his daughters wouldn’t have to walk to school in the snow.

He spent his entire career with ITT Avionics as an engineer, developing electronic countermeasures for army aircraft, including Apache, Blackhawk and Cobra helicopters. He started as an apprentice engineer and after several promotions retired as Director of Electronic Warfare. During his career, he traveled frequently to Nevada for flight testing, and especially enjoying stopping in Las Vegas. He made many trips to Fort Monmouth, NJ, military bases in California and Fort Rucker, Alabama. He also had the opportunity to travel internationally, to England, Israel and Japan. During his time at IT&T, he was awarded the 1990 IT&T Corporate Harold S. Geneen Award for his work on leading the ALQ-136 program, a next-generation Advanced Threat Radar Jammer designed to protect future combat helicopters and aircraft against sophisticated radar-guided weapons systems. He was awarded the Gold Certificate of Merit from the Association of Old Crows, for achievement in contributing to the defense and security of the free world. He also received the Aircraft Survivability Equipment Award by the U.S. Army. This award is on permanent display at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed family vacations in Florida, Barnegat Bay, the Poconos, golf, league bowling, and playing cards with bowling buddies and summer get-togethers and BBQ’s at the family backyard pool with many of his relatives including his in-laws, nieces and nephews. Throughout the years of his life, he was best known for his love of mentoring and teaching. He had a natural talent for bringing out the best talent in others. He was always helping his daughters figure out tough math problems so they could get straight A’s in mathematics. His favorite things were spending time at home with his wife Anne and daughters Joanne, Sharon and Dawn, Anne’s warm smile, her love and admiration and her incredible cooking. As the years went on and his daughters married, he developed genuine love and respect for his sons-in-law Earl, Dave and Ed. Like every Italian, he relished in having his favorite foods that included seeded Italian bread with “gabagool” and lots of green olives, Sunday afternoon macaroni and meatballs, chicken parmigiana and veal cutlets, and going to Vitamia & Son’s for provolone, sausage bread and ravioli for Anne. He truly enjoyed trips to Atlantic City with Anne and sisters and brothers-in-law Tom, Pat, Dom and Lee.  

In retirement, he continued to devote time to family, including his four grandchildren, Kyle, Katie, Jordan and Nicole. He especially enjoyed painting and was quite a natural artist. He took great pride in working on getting the colors and dimensions exactly right. His grandchildren had their bedroom walls adorned with his beautiful paintings of Disney characters, heroes and princesses as they were growing up. His daughters each have scenic, abstract and other selected paintings in their homes that he painted especially for them. They will treasure them always.

As his health declined, he used his engineering background to carefully track his weight, sodium intake and other vital statistics. Even at 89 years old, married to Anne for almost 64 years, he would sit in the kitchen or the family room gently holding her hand. Their love for each other grew deeper and more tender each year.  In the end, he expressed that his greatest desire was to be at home. Among his last statements were love for Anne and his family, appreciation for his wife’s caregiver Val and he wished God’s blessings upon his family. Joseph was a faithful and devoted soldier, husband, son, and father. His love for God and family has no end.

Those considering a memorial donation are asked to direct them to:American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20852  or   Paralyzed Veterans of America, 801 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006.

Fred Seelig never met a math problem he didn’t admire. He left us notebooks full of formulas to prove it.

In his 65 short years, he dabbled wholeheartedly in many hobbies, from running to soccer, from art history to the Great Books. He left us sports gear and literary volumes to prove it.

He was stubborn as a mule but with unfailing Midwestern kindness. He kept those around him laughing until the very end.

He approached life with an inexplicable optimism. Over Christmas he called to thank us for a sweater we bought him, saying it was his favorite color and what joy the color brought him. He was 100% blind at the end of his life.  

He had a flair for the dramatic so it’s no surprise that his passing coincided with a historic presidential inauguration. He was hardly the picture of health but we didn’t expect him to leave us so soon.

Our relationship with our dad was complex, but we take comfort knowing he loved us and our families – especially his four young grandchildren. He left us sappy voicemails to prove it.

We’d love to hear your memories with our dad – please share them below.

Julie & Rachel

Donald D. Holwerda, age 90, of Hawthorne, N.J. went home to be with his Lord and Savior, on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. His family was lovingly with him at home, at the time of his passing.

Don was born in McBain, Michigan, the son of the Reverend John J. Holwerda and Jennie (Roetman) Holwerda. Just after graduating from high school, Don’s father took a call to pastor a new church in Newton, NJ. So while his family, then residing in Randolph, Wisconsin, headed to New Jersey, Don went to Grand Rapids, Michigan to begin his freshman year at Calvin College.

In the church that Don’s father began pastoring, there was family with a lovely and sweet young daughter named Evelyn LaFleur. Don’s parents took a real liking to Evelyn and thought she’d be a great match for their son Don. Consequently, Don’s parents did their best to endear themselves to Evelyn, even picking her up from her part-time summer job at Sears and having her over for lunch. Between Don’s freshman and sophomore year at Calvin, he came home to work part-time at the local A&P grocery store and, while home, he had his first opportunity to meet Evelyn. The following fall, Don began his sophomore year and Evelyn began her freshman year at Calvin and it appeared that Don’s parent’s efforts paid off as they began dating steadily. Even when Don interrupted his education and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after his sophomore year, he and Evelyn kept the love light burning through cards and letters. Don served stateside, primarily in Anchorage, Alaska, from 1951 to 1955 as a Remington Raider - a self-appointed title that he and his fellow typewriting clerks came up with because they used Remington typewriters. With the ending of the Korean War, he returned to civilian life and resumed his studies at Calvin College, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in education. Soon after he graduated, on Friday, June 15, 1956,  Don and Evelyn exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends at the Newton Christian Reformed Church with the service officiated by his father, Reverend John J. Holwerda. After the ceremony, everyone celebrated with a reception at the Newton Methodist Church because it had a dining hall adequate for the celebration. The newlyweds headed off in their Nash for a honeymoon to the beautiful state of Maine.

Don and Evelyn began married life in New Brunswick, NJ so that Don could attend Rutgers University in pursuit of his Master’s degree. After earning his Masters, they relocated to North Haledon, NJ and Don promptly began his first teaching job with Eastern Christian Schools, a private, K-12 Christian school association located in North Jersey. He initially taught in the elementary grades at the campus on North 4th Street in Paterson. In the late 1960’s his duties shifted from the classroom to the role of school principal. In this new position, he was first charged with the responsibility of closing the North 4th Street and Passaic campuses as part of the association’s focused efforts on development of emerging campuses in Midland Park and Wyckoff. After serving as principal in Midland Park throughout the 1970’s, he returned to the classroom and taught 6th grade at the Wyckoff Campus during the 1980’s until retirement in the early 1990’s.

In retirement Don kept active by chaperoning trips for Eastern Christian School to Greece, substituting at the Dawn Treader Christian School in Paterson, working part-time as a student teaching evaluator for William Paterson University’s education program, and volunteering for the worthy work of Habitat for Humanity.

Retirement also afforded more time to visit family and friends in different parts of the U.S., to yield larger crops from his huge backyard vegetable garden, and to engage in one of his other favorite pastime activities – birdwatching. Don and Evelyn found this to be a very relaxing, rewarding and exciting endeavor. One of their favorite bird watching destinations was the Celery Farm – a 107 acre freshwater wetland in Allendale. With over 240 species of birds, there were plenty of sightings to discover and record. Don’s enthusiasm for bird watching was so great that he was known to eagerly share stories of his experiences with his sons, his nephews and nieces. For some of them, it made such a lasting impression that they went on to establish ornithological careers. Unfortunately, in 2003, Don experienced an accident while swimming in the ocean at Ocean Grove which left him with paralysis from the waist down. Despite this life-altering event, he remained upbeat, always trusting God to supply his needs each and every day.

From his years as an educator doing his best to provide children with a Christ-centered education, to serving as an elder and deacon at the Midland Park Christian Reformed Church, Don dedicated his entire life to the service of God his Father in heaven. His favorite Psalm was Psalm 123 and favorite songs were Day by Day and Jesus Loves Me. In fact, a couple of nights before he passed away, Don was singing the words of Jesus Loves me with Angela, his dear caregiver. They would be the last words Don would utter here on earth before seeing his Father in heaven.

Don & Angela, his caregiver

Don was the beloved husband of Evelyn H. (LaFleur), blessed in marriage for 64 years. He was the dear father of Gregory and wife Cheryl Holwerda of Grand Rapids, MI, Douglas Holwerda of Hawthorne, John Albert Holwerda of Grand Rapids, MI, and Daniel Holwerda of Hawthorne; cherished grandfather of Aidan Michael Holwerda and Brandon Thomas Holwerda; dear brother of the late Harriet Dekker and husband, Eugene, John and wife Trudy Holwerda of Zeeland, MI, and the late Jay Holwerda of Artesia, CA.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Don’s name are asked to consider his much-loved Eastern Christian Schools.

Personal checks can be mailed to:

The Foundation for Eastern Christian School

50 Oakwood Ave.

North Haledon, NJ 07508-2449

If you prefer to donate online with a credit card, please click here:

Debra Catherine Skula, age 61, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Debra was one of three children to Emil and Stasia Skula.  The family lived in Rutherford for many years and shortly after Debra was born they moved to Wayne where they have been ever since.

Debra attended Wayne Hills High School and graduated with the class of 1977.  Following Debra’s graduation from high school, she became her mom’s personal assistant.  Her mom being a homemaker, Debra never left her side helping and assisting with everything that needed to get done for her family.

Debra loved to read, she was particularly fond of reading newspapers such as the New York Post and Daily News, as well as the tabloids including The National Enquirer and The Globe.  She was a true sports fan, always loyal to her New York Mets and New York Giants.  And as a young girl she loved playing Wiffle Ball with her family and friends.  One of Debra’s favorite past-times was travel.  Debra cherished many vacations by plane and by cruise ship with her mom and family to destinations such as Poland, Aruba, Las Vegas, California and Florida.  One of her most frequented destinations was Atlantic City where she loved playing the slots.  Not only was she a fan of the slot machines, but she also enjoyed playing the lottery and scratch-off tickets.  Watching television was another of Debra’s favored recreations.  She treasured watching her daily soap operas as well as Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune every night.

Debra was a quiet, kind girl with a lovely personality.  She was the kind of person that you couldn’t help but like and be around.  Her true passion was her family whom she dearly loved and cherished.  Nothing in the world meant more to Debra than spending time with her family and playing with her nephews.  Debra was also sincerely dedicated to her Catholic Faith.  She and her family were parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne for many years.  Debra was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Debra is survived by her mother Stasia Skula of Wayne, two brothers; Emil Richard Skula and his wife Eileen of Wayne, and Robert Skula and his wife Jeanne of Fort Mill, SC, four nephews; Robert Skula of Houston, TX, Thomas Skula of Fort Mill, SC, Joseph Skula of Wayne, and Steven Skula currently at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, and  fourteen cousins; JoEllen, Lori, Kathie, Jolene, Joseph, Gregory, Dean,  Brenda, Danny, Lauren, Eddie, Joey, David and Bernadine.  She was predeceased by her father Emil Skula in 1981.

David F. Reed, age 68 of Jefferson, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 with his family by his side.

Dave grew up in Wayne and graduated from Wayne Valley High School class of 1970. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Army National Guard and served at several missile bases in New Jersey. After being discharged, Dave began working with H. Meyer & Sons Landscaping of Wayne, where he learned the trade from top to bottom. Dave worked in the landscape and hard-scape trade throughout his life, most recently as a partner with Christiano/Reed Landscaping in Livingston.

Dave loved golfing and took a part-time job during his retirement at the Berkshire Valley Golf Course just so he could golf for free! Dave was also a devoted family man who loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed spending time with his family no matter the occasion, whether it was watching his grandchildren’s sporting events or their annual trip to Oak Island, NC.   Turner Classic Movies was the only channel he needed on his TV, allowing him to watch all the John Wayne cowboy movies he wanted to!

Dave met his wife, Donna Meyer, at Wayne Valley High School and they became high school sweethearts. They were married on October 11, 1974 at the Preakness Valley Reformed Church in Wayne, followed by a honeymoon to New England and Bermuda.  They first settled in Wayne before moving to the Glenwood section of Vernon, where they raised their sons. They also lived in Hardyston and Whiting before moving to their current home in Jefferson. Dave and Donna recently celebrated forty-six years of marriage.

Dave is survived by his beloved wife Donna; his sons Jeremy and his wife Paula, Kevin and his wife Victoria, Thomas and Samuel; six grandchildren Justin, Brianna, Alexa, Jack, Dylan, and Carly all of Jefferson, NJ.  Dave also is survived by his sister Susan Schulte and her husband John of Annapolis, MD, his brothers William Reed and his wife Christine of Wayne, NJ and Steven Reed and his wife Janie of High Point, NC, and his sister- in-law Constance Reed of Stockholm, NJ. Dave was predeceased by his brother John in 2016 and his parents John and Ruth Reed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to Amedisys Hospice at www.amedisys.com/about/foundation or to a charity of your choice.

Agata Battaglia, age 93, of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 while in the loving presence of her family.

Agata was born in 1928 in Victoria Italy on the island of Sicily. When she was five years old, her parents, Epifanio and Filomena (Impoco) Fontana moved their family to the town of Scoglitti, also in Sicily. Growing up in a large family, Agata enjoyed being home in community with her parents and seven brothers and sisters.

Agata’s parents owned a farm right next to the Battaglia family who had a son named Salvatore who was about Agata’s age. As Agata and Sal grew older, their friendship evolved into love for each other. The eventually desired to marry and so they exchanged their wedding vows on Wednesday, April 25, 1945 at the Maria SS Di Porto Salvo Church in Scoglitti. After marriage, they established their home and were blessed with three daughters and two sons. While Salvatore went out to work each day, Agata provided a welcoming home and loving nurture to the children. The family remained in Italy for the first twenty-six years of Sal and Agata’s marriage, then, in 1971, they made a big move when all seven of them immigrated to the United States to join Sal’s family who had gone before them. Their first home in this new land was on 489 Summer Street in Paterson. There, they were able to slowly transition to life in this new country through the support and community they found with many other Italian immigrants.

For Agata, the most important goal of her life was to provide love for her entire family. She provided a home that all wanted to come home to, to feel safe and loved. No doubt, her delicious cooking was enjoyed and appreciated by all and you could always count on being greeted by the smell of a delicious home-cooked meal after returning from work or school. When asked what some of their favorite recipes were, all of Agata’s children agreed that absolutely everything their mom made was awesome! She was the consummate old-school homemaker who was so devoted to her husband Salvatore until his passing in April, 2019. They enjoyed a marriage that any couple would long for. Even in later years when health made it difficult to share a bed, Sal insisted that their beds be right next to each other so that he could still hold his beloved Agata’s hand. In younger days, Agata and Sal enjoyed annual trips back to their homeland in Italy where they would typically stay for three to six months and visit their son Epifanio, his wife Lucia, and their children.

Agata delighted in her twelve grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren and they mutually adored her. When their parents needed a babysitter, Agata was always glad to be of help. Of course, they fell in love with her fine cooking too, especially “Nonna’s” homemade bread with olive oil or sun-dried tomatoes. Even in her advanced years, she had no reservations about using technology like Facetime to see her grandchild stationed in Afghanistan or wherever else they might be, and she knew every one of her great-grandchildren by name, even baby Aviana who was born just a week before her passing.

After Sal’s passed away, Agata moved from her home in Paterson to come live with her daughter Phyllis and son-in-law Joseph in Wayne. Sometimes Joe would kid around with Agata and tell her he may want to give her daughter Phyllis back. Agata would just calmly smile and say, “I don’t accept returns unless you have the original receipt.” That was Agata – quiet, sweet and always gracious. She leaves her fingerprints on each family member and friend that she had the blessing of sharing this life with and they will carry her legacy until they see her again.    

Agata was the beloved wife of Salvatore, blessed in marriage for 74 years until his passing in April, 2019. She was the most loving mother of: Lucia and husband Gatano DiPietro of Kinnelon, Giuseppe and wife Yolanda Battaglia of North Haledon, Phyllis and husband Joseph Penna of Wayne, Maria and husband Louis Vuoncino of Oldsmar, FL, and Epifanio and wife Lucia of Gela, Italy; cherished grandmother of: Nellie and husband Gerry, Guiseppe, William, Salvatore and wife Joanna, Jennifer and husband David, Nancy and husband Dennis, Vinnie and wife Alyssa, Salvatore and fiancé Alessandra, Chiara, Matthew and fiancé Leslie, Michael, and Katherine and husband Matthew; adoring great-grandmother of: Gerry, Marco, Cristiano, Joseph, Ava, Alex, Andrew, Dennis, Nolan, Chase, Victoria, Aviana, Addison, and Wesley; dear sister of: Francesco, Giovanna, Giuseppina, Rosario, Salvatore, Maria, and Sebastiano; and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Agata’s name are asked to consider:

St Jude Children’s Research Hospital,

Memorial Processing

501 St. Jude Place

Memphis, TN 38105-9959.

or online at stjude.org

The American Heart Association

P.O. Box 417005

Boston, MA 02241-7005

or online at donatenow.heart.org

Jung Soon Kim, age 71, of Wayne, NJ passed away at home in the loving care of her husband, Young, on January 19, 2021.

Born and raised in Korea by her parents, Chel Yoo and Keun Hong, Jung had 3 siblings: older sister Jung Hee, older brother Dong Geun and younger sister Jung Keum. She graduated from Seoul Girls High School and then later, Korea University, widely regarded as one of Korea's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education. Upon graduation, Jung became a registered nurse at a local hospital, a profession that she would continue even after immigrating to the United States. She loved helping others and her courage, hard work and patience made her perfect for the job.

Jung met her husband, Young, through a mutual friend in Korea and after a 2-year courtship, they were lovingly married in September 1972. Jung and Young later immigrated to the United States, where they lived the “American Dream”. Jung first worked at a nursing home in Bronx, NY but then took the entrepreneurial leap, joining her husband in opening a women’s retail store called K&J Fashion in 1976. Together, with their sheer determination, hard work and good luck, they achieved great success, providing all the opportunities that they had dreamed of for their family, until they finally decided to retire in 2016.

Jung was a loving wife to her husband, Young, and devoted mother to Eugene and his wife Jin Sun of Los Angeles, CA, Denny and his wife Jung Soo of Summit, NJ and Teresa of Wayne, NJ. She was also grandmother to five children: Colin, Matthew, Ryan, Madison and Julian. Jung loved her children/grandchildren and her eyes would light up whenever she saw them. She also loved the game of golf which she frequently played with both close friends and family. She is sorely missed but her strength, humor and love will never be forgotten.

After many months of treatment, Thomas R. McAteer, age 63, of Totowa passed away peacefully on Monday, January 18, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Tom was born and raised in Paterson, NJ and was one of seven children to Donald and Rita McAteer.   He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson and graduated with the class of 1975.  Tom was a jack of all trades and master of them all. He was always a hustler and worked an eclectic assortment of jobs such as Christmas tree salesman, pinball machine repairman, and for a short time as a wedding photographer. For the years following his high school graduation, he worked as a master carpenter by trade and utilized his skills in various capacities in the construction industry.

One random evening in 1975 while still a senior in high school, Tom was hanging out at a friend’s house who lived near Don Bosco High School.  That same night a young, attractive girl by the name of Donna Neglia was also lingering outside of the high school. She was hanging with some friends whose mother was inside playing Bingo when she caught the eye of Tom. And she has kept his eye ever since.  The two hit it off instantly and quickly became high school sweethearts.  Their “Endless Love” officially began on November 8, 1981, when they became husband and wife.

Donna and Tom continued to live in Paterson after first getting married, the city in which they both were raised.  During their time living in Paterson, the couple started a family and welcomed the births of all three of their children.  After the birth of their third child in 1991, the family moved to Totowa and have called it home ever since. This is the home that Tom constantly improved over the years for his family. Tom finished basements and attics, built backyard decks, replaced the exterior with stucco and more. Tom turned their Totowa house into a home.

Shortly after getting married, Tom started his own company known as TMAC Construction Services LLC which he owned and operated for over thirty years.  Together with owning his own construction company, Tom was also Project Manager for ACP Contracting for the last three years.  He also concurrently held a position as a Property Manager for private residences in Short Hills, NJ, the owners of whom over the years became very close family friends.

One of Tom’s many hobbies was Radio Control Helicopters.  For years he was a member of Hirobo Helicopter, where in the United States he flew RC Helicopters competitively.   He also traveled to Japan and Poland where he was a judge for RC Helicopter competitions. Tom was also a huge New York Yankees fan, his favorite players being Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and the great Greg Nettles. He had a love for music and Boston was his favorite band.

Tom was a man of many talents and interests, and some would say his true passion was always his long-term interest in photography.  This was something that Tom took a liking to when he was just a teenage boy.  In the 1970’s, Tom built his own darkroom in his parents’ house.  Throughout his entire life, Tom refined his skills as a photographer, taking photo classes and workshops that were offered at “Unique Photo.”  Tom’s favorite subject for photography was nature, particularly birds.  He also participated in a memorable trip to North Carolina with other photographer colleagues to photograph the Solar Eclipse a few years ago.  Tom was a genuine technology buff, always making it a point to get up to speed on the latest and greatest cameras, computers, and any kind of cool gadgets.      

However, aside from all of Tom’s interests, talents, and hobbies, Tom’s greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Tom than providing for and spending time with his family.  He and his wife Donna cherished thirty-nine years of loving and loyal marriage together.  Tom had a quiet presence, but when you got to know him, you quickly found that he was a gentle, kind, compassionate, and humble individual.  He lit up a room with his sense of humor and held the attention of any crowd with his words of wisdom. Tom was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Tom is survived by his wife Donna “Squirrel” (nee Neglia) of Totowa, one daughter Melissa “Miss” DeLucca and her husband Jason of Wayne, two sons; Thomas “Tommy” McAteer of West Milford, and Shawn “Monk” McAteer of Pompton Lakes, three brothers; Donald McAteer and his wife Judith of Toms River, NJ, James McAteer and his wife Sue of Toms River, and William McAteer and his wife Maria of Bradenton, FL, three sisters; Linda Iulo and her husband Kenneth of Bradenton, FL, Patricia McAteer of Clifton, and Rita Rubestello and her husband Paul of Longs, SC, two grandchildren; Jason and Joseph DeLucca, and many nieces and nephews.

                                                      "Don't view the horizon as a line that separates

                                                                     the Earth from the Heavens,

                                                             but as a defining line where they unite."

                                                                              ~ Tom McAteer

In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom's name may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. https://www.stjude.org/

Thomas Lowe, age 56, a twenty year resident of Toms River, formerly of Wayne, passed suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Sunday, January 17, 2021.

Tom was born in Paterson, NJ to Eugene and Evelyn “Betty” Lowe.  He was raised in the Herfort Heights section of Wayne and graduated from Wayne Hills High School with the Class of 1982. He continued his education and graduated from William Paterson University in Wayne.

He became a true entrepreneur and a man loved by all from his formative years running Chicken Galore in the T-Bowl Shopping Center to running his branch of Preakness Realty in Toms River for twenty years.

You will never find anyone who didn’t admire his free spirit. He will always be remembered for his happy-go-lucky spirit and his unique and memorable personality.  You would be hard pressed to find anyone to say a bad word about Tom.  He was so easy going he even made friends with the Cable Guy. Tom’s true passion was music.  He was happiest when he played with his band “The Crabby Bums” and truly loved to entertain and write music.  He also enjoyed playing golf and was often at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne.

Tom met the love of his life, Kathy Quinn on a beautiful day at Point Pleasant Beach at the Jersey Shore.  They actually corresponded for a while online and set a date to meet at the boardwalk.  Tom was late and Kathy was just standing up to leave when she met the gaze of Tom’s blue eyes.  She was smitten and so was he.  They spent the next six hours walking up and down the boardwalk and they meshed seamlessly with very little effort.  On that day Kathy knew Tom was the guy for her and Tom felt the same – they were soulmates. For the next two years they would be together four or five days a week.  On one occasion they went to Allaire State Park in Wall Township where Kathy fell into the mud.  Tom tried to help her up and fell into the mud too. They were covered in mud and decided it was a good idea to go to Walmart for a change of clothes.  People were staring and at Walmart that’s an accomplishment in itself.  Kathy was reprimanded as she went into the changing room but they left with new clothes and a great story.  Again being together was just easy for the two of them.  Tom and Kathy married at Saint Maximilian Kolbe Church in Toms River on November 27, 2007 after knowing each other for two years. They honeymooned in California traveling Route 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  Tom and Kathy had a wonderful marriage and she truly treasures not only their time together but the heartfelt, meaningful gifts Tom gave her through the years.  Those treasured gifts were not materialistic but rather gifts from his heart including two songs he wrote just for her. They have had fourteen years of loving, devoted, caring marriage that was just effortless.

Tom was the beloved husband of Kathy (Quinn) Lowe; devoted father of Jen (Ricky) MacLean; cherished grandfather of Jacy and Rick, Jr. MacLean; and much loved brother of Pat and Gene (Nancy) Lowe; loved step-son of Helen Lowe, dear brother in law to Judi and Rich Fisher and much loved by many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and many dear friends. He will also be dearly missed by his three dogs Memphis, Duffy, and Owen.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to FOWA would be greatly appreciated.

Shirley Moyer (nee Van Houten), age 79 of Wayne, died on Friday, January 15, 2021. She had been a resident of Wayne since 1964.

Shirley grew up in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School.  She was a champion roller-skater, winning awards at many local skating competitions, and she just loved to roller skate! She also enjoyed visiting the Jersey Shore with her friends, hanging out in Seaside Heights. After becoming a mother, many of their family vacations were to the Jersey Shore as well, and the beach always ranked highly among Shirley’s favorite places to visit.

Shirley was able to travel over the years, visiting Bermuda, Mexico, and friends in Panama City, Florida. She also enjoyed a group of close friends who she would play Canasta with; collectively known as the “Canasta bitches,” and they know who they are! Shirley also enjoyed shopping, particularly for clothes and jewelry.  At one point, she took a job working at a jewelry kiosk in the Wayne Hills Mall. It probably wasn’t the best way to earn some extra money, because she often spent much of her paycheck on merchandise at her own kiosk! She was also a great cook, talented seamstress, and she enjoyed crocheting. She taught her daughter to sew as well, and also passed the skills on to her granddaughter. Shirley was also a fan of classic movies. When her grandson, Michael, was just a little kid, she would call ‘movie night’ and they would watch classic films, like Casablanca, together. Those special times made for some great memories. Shirley was also an animal lover, primarily of her dogs.  She had about six dogs throughout the years, with her Shih Tzu named Suki, and her Golden Retriever named Dusty being her two favorites.

Shirley was a member of Parents without Partners (PWP) and loved to dance.

Sadly, tragedy visited Shirley on more than a few occasions. In 1994, she suffered a debilitating stroke at just fifty-two years old, taking her ability to walk and speak. She defied their predictions and eventually regained her mobility and speech. Her brother, Phil, would often visit her and take her out to dinner most Friday nights.  She loved this time with Phil, and she was devastated when he passed away in 2002. Then, in 2014, her son Jeff passed away and this broke her heart. She’s been carrying that heavy grief ever since. There is comfort in knowing that she is peacefully reunited with them all once again, holding a Benson & Hedges in one hand, and a scotch & soda in the other.

Shirley is survived by two children; Deborah Craffen and her husband Stephen of Ringwood, and Joseph Moyer ​and his wife Maureen of Frisco, Texas, four grandchildren; Michael Ward, Carly Craffen, Sean Moyer, and Erin Moyer. She was predeceased by her son, Jeff in 2014, and by her dear brother Philip Van Houten in 2002.

Nicholas Romania, age 92, a sixty-one year resident of Wayne, passed peacefully in his sleep on Monday, January 11, 2021.

He was born in Brooklyn, NY to Anthony and Catherine Romania and the family later moved to Paterson, NJ. Nicholas graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson with the Class of 1946.

Nicholas was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War and served in Panama for much of his service and he was honorably discharged.

During his high school years and after his military service Nicholas worked in the auto upholstery business in Clifton making custom seat coverings and convertible roofs for automobiles. Nicholas was the proprietor of Central Auto Top, 1059 Main Street in Clifton from 1965 through 2000 when he officially retired.

He will be remembered for being a gentleman that was easy-going and devoted to his family. He enjoyed playing guitar, practical jokes, playing checkers, horseshoes, cards, and old cars of the 1920’s and 1930’s. He was also a devoted NY Mets fan and loved to watch baseball games on television. Nicholas also enjoyed trips to Las Vegas but his conservative nature always kept him at the penny slots.

In 1952, Nick married his long time high school sweetheart, Eleanor Dorso. They first started dating when they were about sixteen, fell in love and were married at St Anthony's RC Church in Paterson and honeymooned in Miami, Florida. Nick and Eleanor settled in Paterson where two of their four children were born and in 1959 they moved to Wayne, where their next two children were born. Eleanor and Nick would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives and would raise all of their children there.  Nick and Eleanor cherished sixty-six years of loving and loyal marriage together before her passing on February 20, 2018.

Nicholas was the loving father of Dr. Anthony Romania and his wife, Linda Talerico of Stonington, CT, two daughters Catherine Romania, Esq. of Wayne and Candy Romania of West Milford; 8 grandchildren; Nicholas Mattera, Jessica Mattera, Joseph Mattera, Thomas Mattera, Rachel Lyons, Christin Morales and her husband, Humberto, Jr., and Lindsey Brennan and her husband, Christopher; 4 Great-grandchildren; Antonio, Sergio, Bruce, and Isabella. He was the loved brother of the late Carmela Fragomeni and the late Rose Peretto; he was also loved by many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his much loved son, Nicky Romania in 1994 and his adored granddaughter Sandra Mattera in 2011.

In lieu of flowers those wishing to make a donation in Nicholas’ name are asked to consider the memorial foundation that provides musical scholarships to Wayne Hills High School students to honor Nicholas’ late granddaughter Sandra Mattera.  Donation can be directed to the: Sandra Mattera Memorial Foundation Inc., Scholarship Fund, 26 Columbia Tpk Suite 100, Florham Park, NJ 07932. For more information about the scholarship fund please visit  https://sites.google.com/view/sandramattera

Robert J. Pacca, Sr., age 83, of Oak Ridge, NJ and Jupiter, FL, and a former long-time resident of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home in the loving presence of his beloved wife Barbara, on Sunday, January 10, 2021.

Born and raised in Paterson, Bob was a graduate of St. John’s Catholic High School with the Class of 1955. A few weeks later, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from June, 1955 until April, 1959. After that he remained in the Navy Reserves until 1963. Bob’s primary role in the Navy was that of a machinist on board the U.S.S. Waccamaw (AO-109) – a Navy replenishment oiler. His years in the Navy included a tour to Antarctica where he was involved in setting up a scientific base. Bob was proud to serve and truly enjoyed his time of service.

Upon return to civilian life, Bob attended Seton Hall University where in 1963 he earned and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. While working for various public accounting firms, Bob persevered with his studies and earned certification as a CPA in 1971. He transitioned to the private corporate sector and eventually worked his way up the corporate ladder to treasurer and vice president.

Between full-time work and caring for his family, Bob always found time to serve his community. He was Past President of the Wayne Board of Education where he volunteered his accounting expertise from 1971 to 1976. Enjoying that so much, he decided to run for the office of councilman in Wayne and served in that role from 1976 to 1984. After that, he became township administrator for the Borough of North Haledon from 1985 to 1996 when he retired from full-time work at the age of 60. In between all these roles Bob served on the Passaic County Community College Board of Directors from 1986 to 1988 and co-owned his own business called Anodizing Corporation.

As a young man, Bob was out with friends one night when he met a pretty, sweet and kind young lady by the name of Barbara Spataro. Soon after, they went on their first official date to New York City to see the premier of a 1963 movie called It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. They soon fell in love and married on Saturday, July 10, 1965 at St. Philip’s Roman Catholic Church in Clifton. After the reception in Lodi, the newlyweds took a road trip throughout New York State and Canada.

Bob and Barbara’s first home as husband and wife was an apartment in Clifton. From there they purchased their first home in the Allwood section of Clifton before moving to Squire Lane in Wayne in 1970. For the next 34 years, Bob and Barbara raised their family in Wayne and Bob served the town. In between, Bob spent much of his leisure time on the golf course with friends. This love of golf ultimately inspired a move in 2004 to a new home in Oak Ridge, close to the Bowling Green Golf Course where Bob served as a ranger and got lots of games in in-between.

Bob and Barbara felt blessed to have been able to enjoy travel. In all, they traveled to six different continents spending time in a vast amount of countries, including many that Bob had visited during his Navy days. They also blessed their four grandchildren by taking each one of them, individually, for their twelfth birthday to a destination of their choice. Kaitlyn chose Canada, Jocelyn chose Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore, Michael chose the Grand Canyon, and Abigail chose Costa Rica. In between, Bob and Barbara enjoyed over 30 years at their second home in Jupiter, FL. Bob loved Florida where he could play golf. He also enjoyed attending mass in Florida at St. Christopher Church in Hobe Sound.

Bob was a dearly-loved husband and a wonderful role model to his son and daughter and grandchildren. He was always happy and ever ready to help anyone in their time of need. His family is grateful for his life and, while they will miss him so very much, they are glad that his suffering is over and he’s at peace.

Bob was the beloved husband of Barbara (Spataro), blessed in marriage for 55 years. He was the loving father of Robert J. Pacca, Jr. and wife Kirsten of Paoli, PA, and Debra Barmure and husband David of Roxbury, NJ; cherished grandfather of: Kaitlyn and Jocelyn Barmure, and Michael and Abigail Pacca; and dear brother of the late Lester Palla (2012).

Though you presence is deeply appreciated, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bob’s family’s concern is for your utmost safety first and they will respect and understand if you choose not to attend services.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider the Milton First Aid Squad, 45 Milton Road, Oak Ridge, NJ 07438. Please indicate that your gift is in memory and honor of Robert J. Pacca, Sr.

*Please note:  a more complete obituary will be posted here soon.  Check back later for updates.

On January 9, 2021, our beloved sister Eleanor King passed away. She leaves behind her loving sisters Noreen and Augusta, her 5 nieces Tiffany, Britta, Rachele, Samantha and Alexa. She also leaves behind her loving mother Norma. She is now resting with her baby daughter Layla and her father Frank.

Kathleen Strall (nee Kempton), age 90 of Pompton Plains, died peacefully on Saturday, January 9, 2021. She had been a resident of Cedar Crest Village since 2016, living in Florida and Texas prior.

Kathy grew up in Lyndhurst, NJ and graduated from Lyndhurst High School with the class of 1948. After high school she worked as a legal secretary in Manhattan. She was a wonderful dancer and often attended the local CYO dances.  It was at one of these CYO dances that she met Bob Strall. They had their first official date on New Year’s Eve. At the stroke of midnight, Bob and Kathy exchanged their first kiss, and never looked back. Within two months, Kathy knew she would marry him, and on October 8, 1955 they exchanged vows. After a honeymoon to Miami, Florida, they embarked on a marriage that most people only dream of. They loved each other dearly, did everything together, and always put the other first. During their fifty-six years of marriage, they went on many cruises, visiting much of the United States, and vacations in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Bermuda and St. Thomas. Their children hosted a fiftieth wedding anniversary party for both of them on Hilton Head Island in 2005, where the whole family gathered to celebrate their milestone. They made wonderful memories throughout all their years together. Sadly, Bob passed away in 2011 and Kathy has missed him terribly ever since.

Kathy had lived in many places, as a result of Bob’s employment with IBM.  After marrying, they raised their family in West Milford, NJ before relocating to Roswell, Georgia, and then later to Hudson, Florida. Kathy didn’t mind all the moving around, and with her extroverted personality and expert Bridge playing skills, she made new friends at each new place.  She and Bob were very social and fit in everywhere, joining local clubs and making friends quickly. They also enjoyed entertaining in their home, and hosting holiday dinners. They ended up with a huge circle of friends, and maintained many of those relationships throughout the years.

Kathy was devoted to her family. Her children recall that she was a very involved mom, teaching CCD, volunteering as ‘class mom’ at their schools, and she always made sure that each of them felt special and loved. Kathy would often surprise them on holidays with a little treat, or special gift, and she was simply a great mom to each of them. That love and devotion naturally extended to her grandchildren as they came along, and she didn’t allow the long distances between them to keep them apart. She would travel to visit and spend a few weeks at a time with her grandchildren in Georgia, Texas, and New Jersey. They will all miss her dearly.

Kathleen is survived by her three children; Patricia Ludwig and her husband Bill of Wayne, NJ, Robert Strall and his wife Donna of Texas, and Douglas Strall and his wife Tracy of Georgia, eight grandchildren; Alexis Moakley and her husband Bill of Wayne, Samantha Strall of Texas, Billy Ludwig and his girlfriend Jessica Quazza of Totowa, Kathleen Hixon and her husband Jake of Texas, Collin Strall of Georgia, Miranda Campbell and her husband Chase of Georgia, Chandler Strall of Georgia, Knox Kenerly of Georgia, four great-grandchildren; Ava and Aria Moakley of Wayne, Addison Beatty of Texas, and Emerson Campbell of Georgia, and a brother; Allan Kempton and his wife Kitty of Paramus. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Bob in 2011, and by her brother Irwin in 2014.  

Leo A. Breda, age 91, of Mahwah and a former long-time resident of Wayne, passed away on Friday, January 8, 2021.

The second-born of Louis and Mary (Mancin) Breda’s four children, Leo was born in Clifton and raised in the family home on 29 East Clifton Ave. Growing up, Leo loved to participate in all kinds of sports, but, when he entered high school, his mother preferred that he didn’t go out for any teams, so Leo chose the next best thing – writing the sports column for the Clifton High School newspaper. When he graduated, he also enjoyed the distinction of being named best dancer in his class.

Following graduation, Leo joined the U.S. Air Force National Guard where he proudly served stateside in the 101st Aircraft Control Squadron during the Korean War. Upon his honorable discharge from service in 1952, he returned to his hometown of Clifton. Not long after, Leo attended a church dance where his smooth dancing skills caught the attention of a young lady named Tillie LoBiondo.  A loving relationship blossomed. They married September 26, 1955 followed by a road trip honeymoon to Florida. They were blessed with 61 years of marriage until Tillie’s passing on December 21, 2014. When asked to use words to describe their parent’s relationship with one another, Linda and Jeffrey said, “It was a true romance!” Leo and Tillie were a great team.

For Leo and Tillie, nothing was more important than being together with family and friends. Their family home in Wayne was the gathering place for all celebrations. They hosted summer outings with good clean fun like playing a game of tetherball, basketball, bocce ball, badminton, billiards, ping-pong, or having a race in the pool.

He and Tillie were avid travelers who had the privilege of visiting numerous countries on almost every continent in the world. When blessed with grandchildren, Leo was so proud to see them compete in their sports and dance recitals. The family enjoyed a mutual love of gathering almost every Sunday afternoon over a home cooked dinner.

Leo and Tillie shared a passion for music and live entertainment that was woven into the many aspects of their lives.  As a very young man, he became one of the founding members of the Clifton Songsters, a barbershop singing chorus. He later sang with and was President of the Dapper Dans of Harmony where they were formidable competitors in the world of Barbershop.  Leo and his buddies started a few barbershop quartets, his most recent, the Gondoliers – the name being inspired by a trip with friends and fellow singers to Venice. No matter the venue, the quartet often broke into a spontaneous song that was musical treat for all around them.

Leo and Tillie loved to play tennis, paddle tennis and golf.  They enjoyed these sports and developed lifelong friendships on and off the court and course.

Leo was an entrepreneur. He was the VP of Sales at Charles Swatek, Ridgefield, NJ.  Later he founded LAB Papers, a packaging design company. He worked until remarkable age of 89 years old; quite the inspiration.

Sadly, in 2003, Tillie became ill with dementia. For the next twelve years, Leo was devoted to her care and comfort. December 21, 2014, Tillie peacefully passed away. Soon after, Leo sold their home in Wayne and moved to Brandywine Senior Living in Mahwah where he remained to the present. Now he is reunited with Tillie, the love of his life.

Those who knew Leo, will miss his love, laughter, and friendship. Rest in peace Leo.

Leo was the beloved husband of Tillie (LoBiondo) until Tillie’s passing in 2014. He was the loving father of Linda Neely and her husband Dean of Greenwich, CT, and Jeffrey Breda and his wife Melissa of Boonton Twp.; cherished grandfather of: Michael and Jennifer Breda and Catherine Neely; dear brother of: Albert Breda of Orlando, FL, Emma Breda Costantin of Cincinnati, OH, and the late Viola Breda Conserva (1983); dear brother-in-law of Dr. Martin Conserva of Clifton; and dear cousin of Jane Belli McHugh of Pompton Plains, NJ, who was as close as a sister.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Leo’s name are asked to consider Alzheimer’s New Jersey, 425 Eagle Rock Avenue, Suite 203, Roseland, NJ 07068 (www.alznj.org) or Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS  66675 (www.WoundedWarriorProject.org).

Joseph A. Ruggiero, age 86 of Oakland, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. He had lived in N. Haledon for forty-two years before moving to Oakland in 2015.

Joe was a Traveling Operator for PSE&G, working out of their Clifton garage for more than forty years. It was a particularly dangerous job, working with extremely high voltages, and he was especially proud to have made it through his entire career without a mistake!

Joe grew up in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School in 1952.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at just seventeen years old, and served aboard the USS Rockwall, an attack transport. He was fortunate to spend some time aboard ship on the Mediterranean Sea, visiting Italy during his tour, and he was honorably discharged in 1955. Upon his return home, he played semi-pro baseball with the Sheber’s baseball team in the North Jersey and Bergen County baseball league. Some of his most memorable and fun games were played at the Sing Sing State Prison in Upstate New York, providing some excitement and entertainment for the inmates. He remained an avid baseball fan throughout his lifetime, rooting for the YANKEES year after year.

Joe was a great dancer and during the 1950’s it was common for the local churches to host social dances. It was at the Holy Trinity Church dance in Passaic that he met Erika Gloss. They hit it off and began dancing together regularly at some of the local ballrooms and dance halls around Passaic and Garfield, such as the Belmont Ballroom. Joe eventually proposed to Erika and they were married on October 12, 1968 in N. Haledon.  After a honeymoon to the Amish Country of Pennsylvania, they settled in Passaic. In 1973, they moved to N. Haledon where they remained until 2015. Joe loved making homemade pizza and his family recalls how delicious his pizzas were.  He earned the title of “pizza man” with high honors. He also made excellent homemade wine using his family’s century-old grape press, and his father’s unique combination of grapes. Each bottle was consistently smooth and delicious!  During his retirement, Joe enjoyed meeting his buddies for coffee at the coffee shop on High Mountain Rd. in N. Haledon.

If you knew Joe, then you understood that he had a lifelong addiction…to golf! He played nearly every day, without exaggeration, and he would have played more often if he could have found a way.  He spent countless days at the Passaic County Golf Course in Wayne, earning tournament trophies along the way, and his coveted “hole-in-one.” He enjoyed the game so much that he even went golfing with a friend during his honeymoon! He could drive the heck out of the ball, and simply loved the game. He was devastated when doctors diagnosed him with Parkinson’s Disease, and he eventually had to stop playing.  He really missed the game. Throughout the years, Joe had also enjoyed rabbit hunting with his faithful beagle “Bonnie,” who he nicknamed “Shrimpy” because she was so small. Bonnie was a natural hunter and they never failed to come home a rabbit!  Joe was also passionate about his grandchildren; Tori and Joseph. He was particularly happy to share a birthday with his granddaughter, Tori, and this meant a lot to him.  Joe loved his family dearly and they will all miss him dearly.

Joe is survived by his beloved wife, Erika of Oakland, by his two daughters; Brenda Lyons and her husband Brian of Richmond, Texas, and Sally DaPassano and her husband Joe of Oakland, two grandchildren; Victoria “Tori” Lyons and Joseph E. Lyons, both of Richmond, Texas, a sister; Joanne Sabol and her husband Dominic of Pequannock and their family, and Dr. James Ruggiero and his wife Judy of Sussex, NJ.

Joe suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and donations in his memory would be appreciated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation where they are dedicated to finding a cure.  You may donate online at michaeljfox.org, or mail a donation to: “Donation Processing, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014”

John Patrick Tooman, “Patrick” “Pat” age 68 of Pompton Lakes, passed away on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

Pat was born in 1952 on Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada where his father, Dr. John Tooman was stationed as a physician in the Navy and U.S. Air Force. Upon his father’s honorable discharge in 1955, his family moved back to New Jersey where Pat spent his formative years growing up in Leonia.

After graduation from Leonia High School with the Class of 1970, Pat earned his Bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. From there he began a career that would span 40 years as a sales representative and store manager for Jennifer Convertible Furniture. For the first ten years with the company, Pat managed the Denville, NJ store. From there, he was transferred to South Hampton, Long Island and worked at that location for the next thirty years. During that time, he lived in Sag Harbor and later in Greenport, Long Island. He loved his work and his laid back, easy-going approach and affable personality made for many satisfied customers over the course of his career. Health challenges eventually necessitated retirement in 2017, and Pat moved to Pompton Lakes in 2020. Among Pat's favorite pastimes were listening to music and getting together with friends. He had a significant collection of jazz recordings as well as Irish folk music which served as a great connection to his Irish ancestry.

Pat is survived by his dear long-time companion Elly Robins, his brother Christopher Tooman and his wife Lisa of Wayne, three nephews: Conor Patrick Tooman, John Kyle Tooman, and Scott Christopher Tooman; his Aunt Patricia Boardingham; his cousin Brian Boardingham. He was predeceased by his father John in 1989, his sister Mary Ellen in 2012, his mother Kathleen in 2014.

Even in his passing, Pat’s generous spirit shined as he chose to give the gift of life by being an organ donor through the NJ Sharing Network (NJSharingNetwork.org).

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in John Patrick’s name are therefore asked to consider the worthy work of the:

NJ Sharing Network,

Attn: Foundation

691 Central Ave.

New Providence, NJ 07974

(click here to download a Financial Contribution Form to send with your gift)

If you prefer to donate online, you can do so by visiting http://njsharingnetwork.org/contribute

Andrew Elzinga, age 84, of Pompton Lakes passed away unexpectedly on Monday, January 4, 2021.

Andy was born and raised in Koudum, Friesland, the Netherlands and was one of four children born to Johannes and Trijntje Elzinga.  Andy grew up during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II.  Throughout the war, during the frequent air raids, young Jewish children and their families would seek shelter and safety at the Elzinga house.  After completing the eighth grade, Andy left school and went to work on a dairy farm.  His early employment at the dairy farm set the foundation for the outstanding work ethic that Andy would hold the rest of his life.

In the spring of 1955, Andy, his parents, his sister Jane, and brother, Simon, immigrated to the United States, in search of a better life and the “American Dream”.  Upon arriving in the US, the family settled in Sussex where Andy started working on a local farm.  Andy’s family  stayed in Sussex for seven months and then moved to Prospect Park.  After four months in Prospect Park, Andy moved back to Sussex where he continued his employment, eventually moving back to Prospect Park and finding work at Vandereems Manufacturing in Hawthorne.

In 1957, while at the annual school Labor Day picnic at Terrace Lake, located in Butler, NJ,  Andy met an attractive, young lady by the name of Charlotte Sinke.  Andy and Charlotte started dating and they fell in love.  While dating, Andy enlisted in the United States Army to serve his new homeland and secure his new country’s citizenship.  The United States Army is where Andy primarily learned the English Language (and picked up his slight southern drawl).  During his service in the US Army, Andy was one of the only men in his outfit that knew how to drive a truck.  He was assigned as a transport/heavy vehicle driver in the Army, transporting officers to their destinations as well as truckloads of troops and equipment.

On November 28, 1959 while still in the service, Andy and Charlotte were married.  Andy was honorably discharged in 1960 from the US Army and settled with his wife, in Haledon, NJ.  The couple welcomed their first child while living in Haledon but did not stay there long.  Andy and Charlotte moved to Pompton Lakes and over the years had three more children.

He then utilized his truck driving skills and accepted a position as a truck driver for Frasse Steel in Lyndhurst, where he worked until his retirement.  After retiring, Andy worked for Red Star Express Lines based out of Newark.  In retirement, Andy was busier than he had ever been before, including owning and operating a landscaping business for a few years. He enjoyed landscaping his yard, as well as driving his tractor, and cutting the fields at his son’s farm.

Andy was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.  He was not only devoted to his family but also to his Christian faith. He started each morning by reading his Bible.   Andy was very active in the church. Andy was a Sunday school teacher, deacon and youth group leader at the former Third Christian Reformed Church, later known as Trinity Christian Reformed Church and then Covenant Christian Reformed Church. Andy and Charlotte were also members of the Mr. & Mrs. Club and helped organize many activities, including the many camping trips for the families of the Mr. & Mrs. Club.   He was also a member of the Booster Club at Trinity and Covenant Christian Reformed Church where he volunteered at the “fish ‘n’ chips” dinners they held.  He also served in various capacities at the Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church where he was a member at the time of his death.  Andy volunteered alongside his wife, Charlotte, at the Corner Closet and then Ditto, thrift stores, which both supported the Eastern Christian School Association. They purchased a fifth-wheel camper and traveled with it as members of The Good Sam Club.  Andy enjoyed his work for the Army Corps of Engineers in his retirement, meeting and making more friends along the way.  He was a soccer referee for the Pompton Lakes Youth Soccer League and a high school soccer referee, as well as a Pompton Lakes youth soccer coach.  Being outdoors was something that Andy truly treasured.  One of his family’s most memorable trips was a vacation out west with their pop-up trailer. This trip included the culmination of earning his Degree in Wildlife Conservation in Yellowstone National Park.  This held a special place in Andy’s heart because he always desired to be an “American Cowboy”.  Andy was also a proud member of the NRA.  Andy enjoyed woodworking as a hobby and also researching his family’s genealogy.  

Andy was called “Pake” (pronounced PAH-kuh) by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a word from a Dutch dialect meaning grandpa and he became known by this name, even to his children’s and grandchildren’s friends and many people throughout his community. Andy also had a great love for animals.  As his neighbors would walk by his house with their dogs, he would often come outside and give the dogs treats.  After a time, the neighbors’ dogs would automatically stop and sit in front of Andy’s house during their walk, even when Andy wasn’t outside, waiting for their treat.

Aside from all of Andy’s talents, hobbies, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Andy than providing for his family with his incredible work ethic and supporting his grandchildren in whatever they did.  Andy was an outgoing, compassionate, and selfless man, always putting others’ needs and wants ahead of his own.  He and Charlotte cherished sixty-one years of loving and loyal marriage together.  Andy was truly a special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Andy is survived by his wife Charlotte (nee Sinke) of Pompton Lakes; three daughters, Janice Kuiken and her husband Dennis of Wyckoff, NJ, Carolyn Salvesen and her husband John of Keller, TX, and Patricia Moschella and her husband Robert of Byram Township, NJ, one son John Elzinga and his wife Sara of Lafayette, NJ, one sister Jane Lindemulder of Wayne, NJ, one brother Simon Elzinga and his wife Judith of Marietta, PA, his sister-in-law Rena Martens and her husband George of Wayne, NJ; thirteen grandchildren, Ryan Kuiken and his wife Laura Rocio, Laura Royle and her husband Simon, Michael Moschella and his fiancée Hayley Vicedomini, Brittany Chandler and her husband Dallas, Alyssa Morin and her husband Jake, Joseph Moschella, Brian Salvesen and his fiancée Emma Pourzan, Jessica Elzinga, Andrew Elzinga, Jenna Salvesen, Kaitlyn Elzinga, Andrew Salvesen,and Elizabeth Elzinga; five great-grandchildren, Brooklyn Chandler, Luke Royle, Aurora Chandler, Trevor Morin, Oliver Royle, and two great-grandchildren “on the way”; twelve nieces and nephews and their children, Cor Moens and his wife Janet, Tineke Groen-Moens, Jeannette Hoogendoorn and her husband Nico, Arien Moens, George Lindemulder and his wife Susan, John Lindemulder and his wife Susan, Paul Lindemulder and his wife Heidi, Peter Elzinga and his wife Stephanie, Kristen Ridge and her husband Michael, George Martens, Laura Martens, and David Martens and his wife Andrea.  Andy is also survived by Mary Jane Borger Elzinga, and many devoted friends and neighbors.  He was predeceased by his sister Pierkje (Piery) Moens and her husband Dierk, his brother-in-law Nicholas Lindemulder, and two nephews, Johan Moens and James Lindemulder.            

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in Andy’s name are asked to consider their local Parkinson’s Foundation, which can be located through ADPA http://www.apdaparkinson.org  (Please reference Andy Elzinga/Charlotte Elzinga) or the NJ Chapter for the American Parkinson Disease Association at; APDANJ, PO Box 910, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, or The Little Light House, 5120 E 36th Street, Tulsa, OK 74135 http://www.littlelighthouse.org/give-help/ (Please reference Andrew Elzinga/Brooklyn Chandler)

William “Bill” R. Kievit, age 95, of Wayne passed peacefully in the comfort of his home on Sunday, January 3, 2021.

He was born in Clifton to Crine and Goldie Kievit on the kitchen table where mom delivered all three of her children by Midwife. William attended Clifton High School and soon transferred to Montclair Academy in Montclair where he graduated with the Class of 1943.

About two months after graduating High School Bill enlisted in the US Coast Guard on July 23, 1943.  He served during World War II as an Apprentice Seaman and Aerographer’s Mate Third Class and held certifications as an Aerographer and Radiosonde. He was honorably discharged on December 1, 1945.

After his discharge from the service he enrolled in Lafayette College in Easton, PA under the GI Bill and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Engineering with the Class of 1949. During his years of working he was employed at Okonite Cable in Paterson as a Sales Engineer and worked in a similar capacity for NLS (Non-Linear Systems) in Nutley.  With a partner Bill founded KLS (Kievit Landy Systems) originally located in Fairfield and later moving to the Singac section of Little Falls. Their company sold all kinds of high end testing and recording equipment.  Some of their equipment recorded 911 calls for police departments and an example of one of their testing machines is one that determined the consistency of crunch in crackers for Nabisco. William officially retired in 1995.

Bill met the love of his life on a blind date that was set up by his brother Roy at the Upper Montclair Country Club. Bill called Joan “Doris” all night until she emphatically said “the name is Joan.”  Just two weeks later and after dates to Rutts Hut in Clifton and the Meadowbrook Dance Club, Cedar Grove, Bill proposed marriage.  Joan was an only child and when Bill asked her father for permission to marry his daughter he was met with “don’t you think it’s a little early?”  The other bad news Bill had for Joan’s parents was just after they married they were moving away to Richmond, Virginia.  As you can imagine her parents were not thrilled and many predicted the marriage would fail.  Well Bill and Joan proved everyone wrong and had a loving and devoted marriage of sixty-eight years.  They married on the lawn at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne on September 6, 1952 and honeymooned in New Haven, Connecticut and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Through all those years together they may have had disagreements but really never had a fight and never raised their voices to each other.  Their marriage has been an amazing role model for their children and grandchildren.

Bill will be remembered for his kind, patient, and wise ways.  He was a wonderful person who was an excellent communicator, story teller, and always thought through his words.  Most of all he took great pleasure in having his family together and took great pride in all their accomplishments. Bill was an avid golfer playing mostly at the Passaic County Golf Club now known as Preakness Valley Golf Club in Wayne. He played the game up through his ninety-fourth year and had two holes-in-one. Bill taught his granddaughter the game and she now plays at the collegiate level on the Quinnipiac University Golf Team in Hamden, Connecticut.

Bill was the loving husband of sixty-eight years to Joan Kievit; devoted father of Dave (Liz) Kievit of Glen Mills, PA, Bruce (Paulette) Kievit of Coatesville, PA, and Bob (Laura) Kievit of Cedar Grove; he was the cherished grandfather of Will (Alyssa) Kievit, Michael Kievit, Tim Kievit, Brian Kievit, Jeanette (Ryan) Cacesse, Christine Kievit, and Jennifer Kievit; he was the loved brother of the late Roy Kievit and Robert Kievit.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Humane Society would be greatly appreciated.

Thomas Joseph Naiman, age 84, of Riverdale passed away peacefully on January 1, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Tom was born in Staten Island and was one of five children to Chester and Mary Anne Naiman.  The family moved to Linden where Tom attended Linden High School and graduated with the class of 1954. While in high school, Tom was a member of the Track and Field team.  Following high school graduation, Tom attended Seton Hall University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 1958.  Tom found work quickly after graduating college, accepting a position at Time Share Consulting Company in Newark where he worked in Finance.  Tom later worked for various other companies including Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Chilton Memorial Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital in Passaic, Jersey City Medical Center, and St Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson.  During this time, Tom went back to Seton Hall University and eventually earned his Master’s Degree in Business in 1972.  Tom’s career in Finance Management spanned over forty-two years until his retirement in 2000.

In 1961, Tom was introduced to a young attractive woman name Lois Palmer by some mutual friends.  Tom invited Lois to accompany him to a day down the shore at Point Pleasant.  The couple hit it off great and started dating.  As fate would have it they fell in love and two years later on May 4, 1963 Tom and Lois became husband and wife.  They were married at Mt Carmel RC Church in Bayonne.  The couple settled in Bayonne after they were married until 1968 when they moved to Roselle.  After spending about twelve years in Roselle, and as their family began to grow, they moved to Wayne in 1980 where they raised their children and remained until 2005.  In 2006, Tom and Lois moved to Riverdale and have been there ever since.

One of Tom’s favorite past times was reading the newspaper and was always ready to lend a helping hand.  He was a member of the American Guild of Patient Account Managers, based out of Washington DC.  Tom was also a member of the Roselle Board of Education from 1973-1976, as well as the Wayne Hills Band Boosters where he was president for eight years during the 1990’s.  Tom was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.  His greatest passion was clearly his family.  Nothing made Tom happier than spending time with his children and grandchildren.  For Tom and Lois’ twenty-fifth anniversary, they took a memorable trip to Niagara Falls.  Another cherished family memory was their trip to Disney with their grandchildren in 2008.

Tom was not only devoted to his family but also to his Catholic Faith.  He and his family were parishioners of Holy Cross RC Church in Wayne for  forty  years.  During that time Tom was very active in the church and was a Eucharistic Minister.  Tom and Lois cherished over fifty-seven years of loving and loyal marriage.  Tom was a quiet and private person, yet he was easy-going, caring and deeply loved his family.  He touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by his family and friends alike.

Tom is survived by his wife Lois (nee Palmer) of Riverdale, his daughter Dawn Lopez and her husband Diego of Buford, GA, one son Thomas Naiman and his wife Angela of Lake Hopatcong, two additional daughters; Renee Potter and her husband Carl of Fontana, CA, and Andrea Figueroa and her husband Domingo of Boonton, NJ, one brother Edward Naiman of Emerald Isle, NC, and nine grandchildren; Kaitlyn Lopez, Stephanie Lopez, Christopher Naiman, Nicholas Naiman, Hannah Naiman, Bryan Figueroa, Sidney Figueroa, Shawn Potter, and Ashley Potter.  He was predeceased by his three brothers; Douglas Naiman, James Naiman, and Chester Naiman.  He was also predeceased by his grandson Andrew Potter.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Thomas’s name may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.  http://www.stjude.org

Madeline Brenner (nee Canestri), age 91, of Wayne passed away peacefully on January 1, 2021 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Madeline was born and raised in Newark and was the youngest of seven children to Carlo and Grace Canestri.  Madeline and her family lived in Newark and then Hillside, NJ. She then went to work at a young age to help support her family.  Madeline found employment quickly doing assembly line work and packaging for the Ronson Company in Newark.   She worked there for some time and also helped work for her family in Long Branch where they owned a boarding home and rented rooms to the general public.  One day, while at the beach in Long Branch, Madeline and her sister Connie were approached by some boys in a car offering the two girls a ride home.  Madeline declined the offer, however, Connie was glad to accept.  One of the boys was a handsome young man named Gus “Augie” Brenner.  After Gus asked Madeline out on a date, Gus was invited over to the house to meet Madeline and her large Italian family.  The couple started dating and as fate would have it they fell in love.  While they were dating, Gus enlisted in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict.  After being honorably discharged from the Navy, five years after they first met, Madeline and Gus were married in May of 1955 and honeymooned in Florida.

The couple settled in Hillside, NJ where they welcomed the first of their three children.  Madeline then decided that she would become a full time homemaker, devoting her life to nurturing and caring for her children.  As Madeline’s family grew larger, they moved to Pines Lake in Wayne in 1965, where she lived for the rest of her life.  Later in life, Madeline accepted a position as a Teacher’s Aid for children with special needs.  She had a particular passion for caring for children with Down Syndrome. Thereafter, she was employed as a bookkeeper at UA Columbia Cable Company in Oakland.  

While living in the Pines Lake section of Wayne, Madeline and Gus were members of the Pines Lake Sailing Club where Gus was also the “Commodore.”  Madeline treasured spending time at the beach, especially at the Jersey Shore and particularly at Long Branch.  She loved packing up her little red suitcase and taking the train to Long Branch and spending the weekend with her family.

Madeline’s greatest passion was for her family, nothing in the world meant more to her than providing for and spending time with her children and grandchildren.  She was not only dedicated to her family but also to her Catholic Faith.  She and her family were parishioners of St. Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes for many years.  Madeline and Gus cherished thirty-four years of loving and loyal marriage until Gus’ passing in 1989.  Madeline was a soft spoken and kind woman who loved her family and people in general.  She was compassionate, selfless, and brave.  Madeline was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Madeline is survived by her three children. Linda Bracaglia and her husband David of Herndon, VA; Gary Brenner of Wayne, NJ; and Donna Klein and her husband Dr. James Klein of Englewood, NJ. In addition, she is survived by three grandchildren; Laurie Bracaglia Manning and her husband Daniel of Hamden, CT; Katie Bracaglia and her fiancé Chris Baxter of Reston, VA; and Jill Bracaglia of Charlottesville, VA, as well as many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband August “Gus” Brenner in 1989.  She was also predeceased by her siblings; Jenny Palmucci, Luke Canestri, Beatrice Palma, Mary Leonardis, Connie DiLeo, and Casey Canestri.

Those wishing to make a donation in Madeline’s name are asked to consider Englewood Health Foundation, 350 Engle Street, Englewood, NJ 07631 http://www.support.englewoodhospitalfoundation.org/

Florence “Aunt Flo” A. Kattak, age 82 of Wayne passed peacefully on Thursday, December 31, 2020.

She was born in Paterson to the late Najeeb and Souad Kattak and when she was twelve the family moved to Clifton.  She was the youngest of thirteen children and lost her father at a very young age. As a little girl, Florence would accompany her mother to English Language classes and would help her mother with English translations.   Florence graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1956. Florence has lived in Wayne for the past twenty-five years.

After high school Florence went to Cosmetology and Hair Dressing School.  She worked as a hair dresser in Paterson alongside her sister Violet at Violets Beauty Salon before relocating the salon to 648 Lafayette Avenue in Hawthorne.  Violet passed away in 1993 and Florence continued to run the salon for over twenty-five more years.

Florence was a parishioner of St Ann’s Melkite Catholic Church, Woodland Park  and a member of the John Raad American Legion Post 438 Ladies Auxilary in Paterson.  Florence was an accomplished piano player and focused mostly on playing classical music. She loved her family and the many client-friends she made at the salon over the years.  She will be remembered as Aunt Flo to just about everyone, being honest and truthful - saying it like it was.  She will also be remembered for loving her trips to the casinos in Atlantic City; playing the slot machines and blackjack were her favorites.

Florence was predeceased by her nine siblings:  Joseph Kattak, Agnes Barbary, John Kattak, Violet Kattak, George Kattak, Lillian Khoury, Edmund Kattak, William Kattak, and Victor Kattak; and dearly loved aunt to numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews; she is also survived by her loving sister-in-law Adrianne Kattak of Wayne and brother-in-law Joseph Khoury of Somerset.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Ann’s Melkite Catholic Church or St Judes Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated

David G. Jones, age 89, of Pequannock, NJ has passed away on December 31st, 2020.

Born in Scranton, PA, David was the son of William and Catherine Jones.

David was predeceased by his wife Ruth Van Buskirk Jones, his brother Robert Jones, and his daughter Karen Jones Acker. He is the loving father of six children, the grandfather of twelve grandchildren and the great grandfather of five great grandchildren.

David was employed for 41 years with DeCamp Bus Lines in Montclair, NJ where he gained seniority status. He attended Jacksonville Chapel for 62 years where he was a “Young Life” leader and a member of a weekly men’s prayer group. Dave and Ruth both built a multitude of significant friendships over the years at the chapel.

Dave enjoyed hunting, golfing, swimming, boxing, personal fitness, and he participated as a captain in the Pequannock Senior Olympics for many years. He especially LOVED large family celebrations. Dave was known for being faithful and compassionate.  He had a tireless work ethic even in his childhood years. He was always ready to lend an ear or assist his family with any small or large project they needed help on. He delighted in reminiscing and laughing while performing the task at hand.

Dave’s huge heart and dedication to his wife of 69 years, and his entire family is MATCHLESS.

The Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home in Wayne, NJ will be in charge of the arrangements.

Rosemary Oliver (nee Sulli), age 73, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Rosemary was born in New York City and lived on East 13th Street.  When she was around nine years old, Rosemary and her family moved to West Paterson, NJ.  Rosemary attended St Bonaventure Grammar and High School in Paterson and graduated with the class of 1965.  She was an excellent student and loved school, including homework. During her high school years, she enjoyed  spending time with her friends and hanging out at Pappy’s Diner in Totowa.  One night while getting together with some friends in Bloomfield, she met a handsome young man by the name of Dennis Oliver.  Dennis was quite taken with Rosemary and was very persistent in trying to get a date with her.  She finally agreed to go out with him, and as fate would have it, they fell in love. Rosemary and Dennis were married in 1969 at St Bonaventure Church in Paterson, followed by a honeymoon in Bermuda.  They resided in an apartment in Paterson for a few years after their wedding, and then shortly after the birth of their first child, the couple bought a house in West Paterson.  During their time living there, Rosemary and Dennis welcomed two more children.  In 1979, the Olivers moved to Wayne where they would spend their life together and raise their three kids.

Rosemary was dedicated to nurturing and caring for her family.  This was Rosemary’s true calling and where she flourished.  Rosemary loved to bake and was a great cook. She especially enjoyed preparing (and eating) Italian food and loved all the traditions of her heritage. She cherished hosting family events such as birthdays and graduations.  She also loved planning and hosting all the family holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and New Year’s.  Rosemary was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.  She was always there for her children, and would fiercely defend them if need be. She was sure to always be class mom, Girl Scout troop leader, CCD teacher, den mother, dance class and sports spectator, car pool driver, and so on.

After Rosemary’s children grew up, she followed through on a promise she had made to herself and went back to college.  She enrolled in William Paterson University at age 48, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Education and Child Development.  While attending classes and after earning her degree, Rosemary held a position as a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher in Paterson for children with special needs; work that she genuinely loved. Despite her dream and adoration of teaching, she ultimately decided to open two Curves gyms for women with one of her sons. There, she found a new outlet doing what she excelled at - helping people and chit-chatting. She made many friends throughout her years working at Curves. However, once she became a grandmother, Rosemary left Curves in order to focus on babysitting and helping to care for her beloved grandchildren.  Nothing meant more to her than spending time with and providing for her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Rosemary always loved to express her thoughts in writing.  She kept in depth and extensive memoirs and diaries of her family’s events and history. She has a collection of her own creative writings, many of them being poems, and most are about her family. Reading was also a favorite past time of Rosemary’s.  Earlier in her life she enjoyed reading novels (especially the classics) however, her most treasured reading became the Holy Bible, daily devotionals,  and books about Christianity.  She  loved listening to Christian music.  Rosemary was extremely dedicated to her faith. For almost the last twenty years, Rosemary was a member of Abundant Life Worship Center in Lincoln Park, where she enjoyed being active with her family and many friends. She had a special knack for getting people to join her at church. Rosemary was a kind, thoughtful, and generous person who touched the lives of many, and will be greatly missed by all that knew her.

Rosemary is survived by her husband Dennis Oliver of Wayne, one daughter; Taryn Buglione and her husband Albert of Wayne, two sons; Marc Oliver and his wife Hillary of Lake Hiawatha, and Michael Oliver and his wife Alexandra of Maplewood, one brother, Michael Sulli and his wife Mary of Lakewood, Colorado, and eight grandchildren; Amelia, AJ, Sierra, Elaina, Isla, Addison, Makenzie, and Everett.  She was predeceased by her sister Elaine Sulli.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in Rosemary’s name are asked to consider Abundant Life Worship Center, 103 Jacksonville Rd, Lincoln Park, NJ 07035.http://www.alwclp.org/

Michael Theodore Dieffenbach (55) passed away on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 after bravely battling a six-year rare neurological disorder.  He was surrounded by family and friends in Jupiter, Florida.

Born in New York City and raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Michael graduated from Tenafly High School. He lived an admirable life working in real estate development, account management in the gourmet food and media industries and house renovation and restoration. Michael contributed to each of the communities in which he resided, including serving on the Board of the Green Pond Yacht Club. He made great memories from time spent in Hyde Park, Vermont; Woodland Valley, New York; Tenafly and Green Pond, New Jersey; and Jupiter, Florida.

Michael was kind, funny, helpful, generous, fun, never dull and keenly interested in other people’s experiences.  He loved music, concerts, travel, fly fishing, skiing, water skiing, snorkeling, horseback riding and gourmet cooking.  All of these activities were intertwined with lifelong friends he deeply loved. Michael will always be lovingly remembered for rising to life’s challenges without reservation, full of compassion with an infectious laugh.

A loving husband and devoted father who never missed an opportunity to create cherished memories with his family, Michael has left a great legacy. Michael’s enthusiastic involvement with his children and unwavering support of their individual aspirations have left an indelible mark for which they will be forever grateful.

Michael was predeceased by his beloved mother Kathleen Howe Fagan Dieffenbach (Dusan) and father William Theodore Dieffenbach (Teddy). He is survived by his wife Suzanne (Susan) and children Ekaterina (Katya) and Vladimir.

Memorial donations may be made to Trustbridge Hospice of Palm Beach (trustbridgefoundation.org) and he would be pleased to have friends listen to a Grateful Dead song in his honor.

Marleen J Fauerbach, age 79, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Wednesday, December 30, 2021.

She was born in Paterson to the late Frederick and Margaret Moore. The family lived in North Haledon and Marleen graduated from Hawthorne High School with the Class of 1959 where she was voted Class Flirt.  She continued her education at William Paterson University where she met the love of her life, William Henry Fauerbach.

Marleen was a member of the Wayne Presbyterian Church for over forty years.  Most recently she was involved with the Seniors Group but will always be remembered for the purses loaded with all kinds of essentials she made for women in crisis.

Marleen spied William (Bill) when he was crossing a street with some friends.  She promptly told her friends that the man over there was the guy she was going to marry.  They married on August 24, 1963 and Marleen, at 5’2”and 80 lbs. and Bill at 6’2” and 180 lbs., let there be no doubt she was the one in-charge for the next 50 years. They married at the Cedar Cliff Methodist Church in Haledon and honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York. Marleen used to share a story about how Bill woke her up in the middle of the night and insisted she go sign their names to the fence outside. She complied and went outside to find the fence was actually a rope.  When she went back to the room and confronted Bill about this she realized that he had been talking in his sleep. That was just the start of their fifty wonderful years together which included many trips to New York City, polka dancing in Germantown on the East-side of Manhattan and always lots of fun.  They celebrated their Golden Anniversary in August of 2013 and Bill passed just seven months later on March 3, 2014.

She will be remembered for her loving and caring way, as well as her strong will and determination. She was devoted to her family and generous to a fault.  When one of her sons gave her the nickname “Stubby” she embraced it and even got vanity plates making her car the Stubby Mobile. She was a fantastic cook and her loving touch on Goulash, Pot Roast, and Holland Potato Salad will be greatly missed. For many years the family had a home in Ocean Beach III at the Jersey Shore where the family would spend entire summers together. She was a four time cancer survivor who beat breast cancer twice.  She transformed her knowledge and experience with cancer and would help others going through the difficulties of the disease.  She would spend hours on the phone speaking to people going through cancer treatment, some of whom she didn’t even know.  Her empathetic ear was a true comfort to many.

Marleen was predeceased by her loving husband of fifty years William Henry Fauerbach (2014); she was the devoted mother of Kurt Fauerbach and his wife Donna of Verona, Eric Fauerbach and his wife Alison of Roseland, Marc Fauerbach and his wife Darlene of Wayne, and Lauri Fauerbach-Adams and her husband Chris of Philadelphia, PA; she was the cherished grandmother of Billy, Cole, Faith, Angel, Zach, Connor, Emilie, and Zoe; she was also the loved sister of Frederick Moore, Jr. and his wife Sandy of Flemington.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Positive For Life Foundation positiveforlife.org or the Lustgarten Foundation lustgarten.org/donate/ would be greatly appreciated.

Lillian G. Fanslau, age 93, of Allendale and a former long-time resident of Wayne, passed away on Saturday, December 26, 2020.

Lillian was born in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1945.  After graduation, she took a job at NJ Bell Telephone Company and worked in the billing department preparing customer’s monthly invoices.

How Lillian met her husband Roy is quite a story. When Roy was eighteen and Lillian just twelve they each accompanied their Mom on a church bus ride to High Point. Lillian must have made an impression on Roy as a few years later he asked if they could correspond through letters while Roy was serving with the Army in the Philippines. They fell in love through those letters, and when Roy returned, they began dating. They dated for two years and were married May 10, 1947 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Smith St. in Paterson and enjoyed a honeymoon traveling throughout New England.

Lillian and Roy lived in Paterson and welcomed their first son Richard in October 1948. They moved to their first home on Preakness Ave in Paterson in 1949 and welcomed another son, Wayne and a daughter April. In 1962 the family moved to Wayne and made that home for the next 52 years from 1962 to 2014.  

No matter where they lived, Lillian was the consummate awesome mom and excellent homemaker. She was the one who hosted most of the holidays, primarily because she enjoyed it, but quite possibly because she was an excellent cook and baker. Family favorites included Lillian’s Sauerkraut with pork which for many years was traditionally served on New Year’s Day, and her German stollen bread and various cookies, cakes and pies.

Throughout their marriage Lillian and Roy traveled on many road trips which were among their favorites. They visited National Parks such as Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. They also toured Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Denmark, and the Scandinavian countries, just to name a few. Their favorite destination was, without a doubt, wherever they could be together. They were blessed with 67 years in a loving marriage. Lillian and Roy moved to the Allendale Assisted Community where Roy passed away in 2014. Surely during the past six years, Lillian had a trove of fine memories to help keep Roy close to her heart. Now they are reunited once again.

Lillian took great pride and joy in her beautiful rock garden and planting flowers throughout the yard. She also enjoyed curling up with a good mystery book from Mary Higgins Clark and doing her word search puzzle books. She was a skilled seamstress who made many of her own clothes and curtains. She also adored spending time with her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They all have fond memories of Grandma’s homemade applesauce and how she’d make them pizza.  

Lillian was  a longtime member of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Wayne where she was active in  the church’s Angel Circle – a group that made quilts which were lovingly donated to those in need. She also volunteered time to the church’s garden club with the goal of making the church’s grounds look as lovely as her own yard.

Over the years Lillian had some pet sayings. One of her favorites was “Whatever!” She’d often say “You have to do up with it” which meant, you have to put up with certain things. More recently, she would frequently refer to herself as “This old tomato” which became the inspiration for her 93rd birthday cake that resembled a giant red tomato. In the end, Lillian’s words were sometimes funny but her actions were truly what made her such a special person. She was a truly kind and selfless woman who often put the needs of others before her own. She was the consummate caregiver for her Mom, her brother Al, cousin Rene and for Roy as he experienced health issues.  Lillian was there for him every step of the way.

Lillian was predeceased by her beloved husband Roy Fanslau, blessed in marriage for 67 years until his passing 2014. She was the loving mother of Richard Fanslau (Nancy) of Saddle Brook, NJ, Wayne Fanslau (Joan) of Pine Beach, NJ, and April Spann (Jeff) of Rockaway, NJ; adoring grandmother of Michael Fanslau (Danielle), Sara Jefferson (John), Megan Rendon (Richard), David Fanslau (Carly), Justin Fanslau (Jonny Sta Ana), Kelly Spann, and Ryan Spann (Tonia Benoy); cherished great-grandmother of: Layla, Bennett, Aria, and Erika. Lillian was also predeceased by her two dear older brothers: Albert and Otto Schifferdecker.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Lillian’s name are asked to consider St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 395 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07470, or a charity of your choice.

James R Patten, age 78 of Wayne NJ died peacefully at home with his family by his side.

Jim was born and raised in New York City to Vincent and Mary Patten. He attended Rice High School and graduated from St Francis College in Brooklyn and was a broker in the maritime industry for Poten Partners for many years.

He met his wife Claire while working for Sinclair Oil in NYC. He and Claire moved to Wayne in 1970 and raised 3 boys in Packanack Lake. Jim was a member of Packanack Golf Club and also played for the Klorpz softball team for many years. He also enjoyed playing horseshoes with his friends. Jim was an avid sports fan who rooted for the Mets, Giants and The Fighting Irish. Nothing made him happier than watching his grandkids play sports and was at every game he could attend.

Jim was loving husband to Claire Patten and devoted father to James Patten Jr and wife Heather of Wayne, Brian Patten of Hoboken and Robert Patten and wife Stacy of Wayne and grandfather to Alex, Shane and Riley Patten all of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers our family would appreciate donations to Hospice of NJ or the Wayne First Aid Squad

Donna Farnese, age 58, of Hamilton, formerly of Paterson, Hamburg, and Forked River, passed Thursday, December 24, 2020.

Donna was born in Paterson to Alfred Patrick and Mary Ellen Farnese and was the baby of their “three D’s” Diane, Debra, and Donna. Donna was raised in the family home at 1001 East 28th Street and graduated from the Passaic County Technical and Vocational High School with an emphasis on Health Occupations.

Through the years Donna worked, just out of high school, for the Little Sisters of the Poor in Totowa as a Housekeeping Aide, later as a Maitre D’ for The Bethwood in Totowa,  and as a Home Health Aide for many years. She will be lovingly remembered as a person who had a kind heart and always put others needs before her own.  She brought these loving traits to her work and the family remembers when she was working at the Little Sisters of the Poor and would run errands and buy things for the residents with her own money.

Donna was extremely devoted to her five nieces, nephews, and great-nephew. When each was celebrating their second birthday she would arrange to have Mickey Mouse or a cartoon character of their choice show up at their birthday party.  On several occasions Donna would dress like a clown and entertain the kids as well. For several years she held Christmas parties for her nieces, nephews, and the children of her friends. She would dress up as Santa, give all presents and serve pizza. It could be said she was generous to a fault and a child at heart who loved to see joy on children’s faces. No story about Donna would be complete without recalling her living with her mom for several years and the inseparable bond they developed and her love of cars - especially her 80’s era black Mercury Cougar.  

Donna was the loving sister of Diane Jaouen of Toms River, Debra Migliorino and her husband Robert of Wayne; cherished aunt of Tracy Jaouen and her fiancé John, Robert Jaouen and his girlfriend AJ, Dana Guglielmo and her husband Joseph, Amy DiCarlo and her husband Marshall, and Frank Migliorino and his fiancé Kristen. She was also the dearly loved great-aunt of Joey Guglielmo.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the CURE PSP (click on the blue text to be brought to their donation page) would be greatly appreciated.

Philip Joseph Avella, Sr., age 78, of Wayne, New Jersey, formally of Brooklyn, New York, passed away on December 23, 2020.

Philip was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 29, 1942. He was the son of Katherine Mainella Avella and Samuel Michael Avella.  He was educated in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Franklin K. Lane High School and Pace University.

Philip spent most of his life working on Wall Street for several different firms in his career as a bond trader. He continued to enjoy the stock market in his retirement and followed the market as a hobby. He and his cousin Warren Mainella owned a Gun Shop, Gunslingers, in Long Island for many years. He relocated to Utica, New York where he spent several years in the retail industry and worked with his sister in their event planning company, By Invitation Only.  His later years were spent in Hampton Bays with family and he worked with them at Ricky’s Plumbing before retiring to New Jersey to be closer to his sons and grandchildren.

He was an accomplished pianist and had an incredible musical ear and could play anything without reading the sheet music. He was an accomplished songwriter having written several songs on his own, and some in collaboration with his mother. As a young man he was part of a musical group called the Jo-Vals along with his cousin Ronny DaBruzzo, Joe Mancuso, and John Ferrara. They recorded several songs on the Laurie Record Label.   Phil was an avid fisherman and he loved to go clamming and crabbing having spent most of his summers in Bayville, Long Island on the water. He enjoyed spending time on his uncle’s boat, “The Rebel” chumming for blue fish at Buoy 19 and at Mattituck point looking for striped bass with his father, uncles, and cousins.  He was an avid skeet shooter along with his partner-in-crime, his cousin Nick “Banging Birds” Sanito.

He loved to garden and plant his tomatoes and was an excellent cook. His dry sense of humor and his wit were legend. But among all his accomplishments, his greatest accomplishment was being both a father and mother to his two young sons raising them with the help of his parents when they were young and then by himself into adolescence and adulthood. He was a tremendous role model for his sons on what a father should be. He was most proud of the young men that they grew up to become. His life was his sons, and then his grandchildren. He treasured the times he spent cooking and baking with his grandchildren and passing along all the traditions of his Italian heritage, our family heritage and recipes such as making breadsticks and eggnog with his grandchildren. He savored every one of those moments and was so proud, often sending pictures to share those moment with the rest of the family.

Philip served his country as a member of The National Guard of New York and was right there during the country’s postal strike, out delivering the mail. He was a true patriot and loved his country.

Philip was predeceased by his parents, Samuel and Katherine Avella and his loving Aunt Josephine (Fifi) Mainella, his Uncle Frank and Aunt Edith Mainella, Uncle Pat and Jean Mainella, Aunts Julia Silvestri, Frances Moreira, Mary Caccavale, Jennie and Uncle Ralph Tarantino, and Mae and Flo Avella, and his loving sister-in-law Thirza Castro Avella.

He is survived by his sons Michael J. Avella and his wife Sherry Posey Avella, and Philip J. Avella, Jr. and his wife Sharon Vega Avella, and four grandchildren, Daniella, Adrian, Kaden and Joseph Avella. He is survived by his brother Joseph Avella, and his sister and brother-in-law, Dr. Marc and Elise Avella Feiner, his nieces and nephews, Dr. Jeffrey M. Feiner, Steven and JoAnna Corso Feiner, Dr. David (his loving godson) and Courtney Mulvey Feiner, Lauren Feiner Asensio and Alfredo Asensio, Melissa Avella, Douglas Avella (his godson), and several great-nephews, Julian, Maxwell, and Jacob Feiner, Oliver Asensio Feiner, and Kahlil and Camilo Avella.

He is survived by his loving Goddaughter Julie Ann (DiPierdomenico) and Jerry Sapio, Joey and Jonathan Sapio, and the DiPierdomenico family, and many loving cousins, and three cousins to whom he was more like a brother than a cousin, Mary Ann and Michele Maida, and Toni Mollico, and several close friends including the Mercurio Clan, Fran and Norm Zierler, and Rae and Steve Rosenfeld. He really enjoyed Facebook because it allowed him to talk (and opine in many cases,) with many of his cousins and reconnect with them on a daily basis, The Silvestri, Saracino, Youngs, Calabreses, Franks, Caccavales, Arcaras, Grimaldis, Sanitos, Vennans, Mainellas, Barones, D’Amicos, Anselmos, and all the other extended cousins. He loved his time in Florida and spending time with Joseph Silvestri, Joanne and Carl Fsadni, and Sophia and Danny Duran, it was like being back in Huntington again, for him, a place he held near and dear.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Philip’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, or online at www.stjude.org.

Elba Iris Weitzman, “Iris”, age 66 of Gurabo, Puerto Rico and formerly of the Bronx, Wayne, and Paterson, passed away on Wednesday, December 23, 2020.

Iris was born and raised in Arecibo, a town on the northern coast of Puerto Rico on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. After high school graduation, she left her beloved island, coming to the mainland of the U.S. to attend Lehman College in the Bronx in pursuit of a career as a social worker. She earned her bachelor’s degree and eventually attended Fordham University and in 1990, she graduated with a master’s degree in social work.

As a child growing up, Iris had many siblings and, in many ways, being one of the older children in the family, she was like a mother to the younger ones. In 1977, she attended one of her little sister’s parent-teacher conferences to assist her Mom who didn’t have complete mastery of the English language. There Iris met Jay Weitzman, her sister’s teacher. They hit it off, fell in love, and in July 1980, they eloped to Nevada to get married at the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Already equipped with mothering skills, Iris became a mother herself in 1981 with the arrival of her dear daughter Taryn. A year later, Taryn was joined by a baby brother named Brian.

It was after the birth of her children that Iris went to Fordham University for her master’s degree. Needless to say with two children and going to school, she had her hands full. But, with hard work, grit, and determination, she achieved her goal. Soon after, while living in Wayne, NJ, Iris’ ultimate dream was fulfilled when she took a job as a social worker with Paterson Public Schools. She simply loved her career, working with caseworkers as part of child study teams to advocate for the safety, protection, and well-being of the children under her care. Iris’s days were busy but highly fulfilling. After championing for the best possible life of countless children for a career that spanned 25 years, Iris retired in 2017 having enjoyed the love and respect of her colleagues and the kids that she served.

Soon after retirement, Iris decided to spend more time in her native Puerto Rico to be reunited with her beloved homeland. She bought a house in Gurabo and took great pride in ownership. Never afraid of physical labor, Iris kept that house spotlessly clean (she never saw a bottle of Clorox she didn’t like) and beautifully decorated. Her yard and gardens were equally meticulously maintained and nourished with love and care. Inside her home, one of Iris’ favorite places to channel her creative nature was in the kitchen where she cooked delicious foods. Family favorites included her Arroz Con Grandules (rice and pigeon peas), Arroz Con Habichuela (rice and pork chops), and Pasteles (pork and root vegetable mix wrapped in banana leaves). Of course, her faithful Chihuahua, affectionately named Rosie Bean was always by her side and willing to sample anything Iris cooked.

Blessed with the gift of handiness and creativity mixed with an insatiable desire to “make it happen”, whether it was morphing a broken piece of furniture into something new and beautiful and useful, or sewing custom designer pillowcases for her children or a sling to carry Rosie Bean in, Iris was always on the move and up to something. She loved dressing in vividly colorful outfits, dancing to salsa or merengue (likely where Taryn got her love of dance), playing Candy Crush for hours, and sharing life with family and friends.

Iris loved to travel - especially when her daughter Taryn came for a visit or when she traveled to LA.  Iris was known for excitedly saying “Let’s go on an adventure!” And off they’d go, taking in new sights, seeing Broadway shows, or doing what every woman loves to do – go shopping! Iris was also the proudest grandma in the whole wide world! When her grandson Jaxon was born, life took on a whole new dimension and, when it came to spending time with Jaxon, Iris had all the energy and time in the world and then some! As late as early December, she assisted her very talented son, Brian with building a custom bed for Jaxon.  She was extremely proud of her son's talents; particularly his career in law enforcement with the Passaic Country Sheriff's Department.  A fun fact about Iris was that not only was she a huge fan of Roberto Clemente and Reggie Jackson, but she could throw a baseball so wickedly fast, the Yankees or Mets would have loved to sign her to a multi-year contract. No doubt, her grandson Jaxon would have loved to witness Grandma Iris don the uniform of a major league baseball team.

Throughout much of her life, Iris was hampered by a heart ailment. Despite this challenge, she did her best to never let it hold her back from living life to the fullest and blessing others along the way. Her heart muscle might have had its challenges but her heart was always filled with love, kindness, selflessness, and generosity. She could not help being sensitive to the needs of others and she derived great joy by helping a hurting soul or giving a warm hug of encouragement. Iris may have formally retired from her job as a social worker but her love for the welfare of others never retired! Never able to deny her benevolent nature, Iris continued to address the needs she saw, even taking children in to live with her when they were down on their good fortune. She was like an angel.

Iris was the loving mother of Taryn Weitzman of Los Angeles and Brian and wife Jennifer Weitzman of Wayne; adoring grandmother of Jaxon Weitzman of Wayne; and dear sister of numerous siblings. She is also survived by countless nieces, nephews, and cousins and her faithful Chihuahua Rosie Bean.

Michael Joseph Heberling was born on June 19, 1976 in Ridgewood, NJ to Henry and Josephine Heberling (nee Carrabba). He passed away unexpectedly at age 44 on December 2, 2020, after years of struggling with diabetes.

Mike was a lifelong resident of Wayne, NJ, having attended Packanack Elementary and George Washington Junior High schools. He participated in Police Athletic League sports and played football, and briefly lacrosse, at Bayley-Ellard, a Catholic high school in Madison, NJ. After graduation, Mike took some community college courses, and ultimately decided to complete his learning outside of the classroom. He was well read, curious, and intelligent and was a dreamer who pursued his passions on his own terms. Mike loved music and his collection was extensive. Before his illness limited his ability to work, he was a security guard at various companies.

While Mike was not always capable of expressing his feelings as he grew into adulthood, it was obvious to all who knew him that he was a sensitive soul and that he had a big heart. He is fondly remembered for his mischievous smile, his childhood “hidden camera” pranks, the haunted houses he built in the cellar for his little sister, and for his protectiveness of his family. Growing up, he idolized his maternal grandfather, Carmen, wearing his police cap around the house and carrying his pipe in his mouth. As an adult, Mike spent hours talking over his thoughts about life and the world with his mother.

Mike is predeceased by his grandfather Carmen Carrabba and his father Hank Heberling, who died earlier in the year, also from complications with diabetes. He leaves behind his much beloved mother Jo Heberling of Wayne, NJ, his younger sister Katherine Heberling and her husband Jason Young of Brooklyn, NY, and his grandmother Rose Carrabba of Mahwah NJ, as well as a large extended family.

Donations may be made in Michael’s memory to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at http://www.nami.org