Frances E. Lyon, age 85, of Wayne, passed Sunday, May 12, 2019.

Born to Francis and Marie Cort in Orange, New Jersey, she graduated from Our Lady of the Valley in South Orange.

Fran first met the love of her life at the Cricklewood Store, a soda shop across from Seton Hall, in South Orange. It was there, over coffee with a friend, that Owen Lyon introduced himself, and a six-decade long love story began. Owen, knowing instantly that this beautiful and sparkling young woman was the girl for him, took to accompanying Fran—as a self-appointed “chaperone”—on dates with other boys (occasionally even jumping into the car when her escort would pull up to the house). Fran’s father, after meeting Owen, called him “the worst guy she’d ever brought home” as he was “marriage material.” It turns out Mr. Cort was right, for Fran and Owen fell in love, and married on May 28, 1955 at Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange.

Owen often says they were “well married”, as they had six priests on the alter and a Papal Blessing secured by the Passionist Brothers. They had a reception at The Condor in Livingston, and drove to honeymoon in Miami, Florida. Fran and Owen enjoyed a loving and caring marriage for sixty-four years, both here in Wayne, and their summer home in Long Beach Island.  

Fran was a loving wife and devoted mother, survived by her beloved husband Owen; daughter Karen, and husband John Holmes, of Roxbury; daughter Sharon, and husband Paul Giordano, of Lincoln Park; son Tom Lyon of Manhattan, NY; and pre-deceased by their infant daughter, Joanne. She leaves cherished grandchildren, John and Julie Holmes of Randolph; Justin and Alise Holmes of Roxbury; Jessica and Derek Fromm of Richland, PA; and Taylor and Michael Giordano of Wayne; as well as great-grandchildren Mila Rose Holmes, Jackson Holmes, Dylan Holmes, Colton Fromm, and Caleb Owen Fromm.

Any story of Fran would be incomplete without mentioning her beloved dog, Riley.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to VITAS Hospice Community Connection, PO Box 645352, Cincinnati, OH 45264, would be greatly appreciated.  To donate online click on this line and please indicate "New Jersey North" in the designation box.

Charles R. Pankow, age 86, of Pompton Lakes passed on Sunday, May 12, 2019.

He was born to Gustave and Jannety Pankow on the kitchen table in the family home in Wyckoff. He graduated from the Ramsey High School with the Class of 1951.

As a young man during his high school years he worked part-time at the Grand Union Grocery store as a clerk and packer and for Sinkway Plumbing in Glen Rock as a plumber’s helper. After high school he worked at the Broadway Camera Shop in Paterson as a route salesman selling cameras film, and delivering film processing.  He later worked for the Monahan & McCann Stone Company in Newark first as a laborer and after one month he became an overhead crane operator.  When worked slowed he was laid off as all non-union employees were and he worked for a short time at the Glen Rock gas station before being drafted into the US Army. He was drafted in 1953 and served with the 148th Infantry Group attained the rank of Sergeant and the responsibility of an Infantry Company First Sergeant before being honorably discharged in 1955. After his service he attended and graduated from the Newark College of Engineering (N.J.I.T.) with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology with the Class of 1962.

After graduating from College Charles worked for the Orange & Rockland Utilities based in Spring Valley, New York.  He started as a Transmission and Distribution Lineman then as a Working Line Foreman, Supervised ten Radio Dispatchers, worked as a System Operator managing transmission lines, Chief District Operator, Transmission Operations Trainer, and final as a Generation Scheduling Supervisor having retired in 1994. In his retirement he served as a consultant for Noram Energy Services and  Tracabel Energy both in Houston, Texas. He was never one to let grass grow under his feet and throughout his working years he did side jobs such as painting houses, electrical work, trimmed trees, cleared lots, and with his wife Roberta they were apartment superintendents collecting rents and doing general maintenance at the complex.

Charles met his wife Roberta Botyos on a blind date to the Bear Mountain Inn in Tomkins Cove, New York. This dinner dance turned into a loving and devoted marriage of sixty years.  They married on October 20, 1956 at Saint Anastasia Church in Teaneck and drove to Florida for their honeymoon. Actually they were supposed to go from Florida to Cuba but she got so badly sunburned they canceled the excursion to Cuba.

Charles will be lovingly remembered as a patient, kind, generous person who could be tough when he had to.  His children remember his hard line stance of curfews. If he was sitting silently in the rocking chair at the top of the stairs you knew you were in for it.  He had a hilarious sense of humor, was loving, loyal, and a dedicated family man. He loved to golf and was a master at the barbeque grill.  When it would inevitably rain at a family gathering he would set up the barbeque at the edge of the garage entrance.  

He was the loving husband of the late Roberta C. Pankow (d.2016); loving father of Carol Pankow of Oak Ridge, the late Nancy Brennan (d.2013), Suzanne Gaffney and her husband Raymond of Hamburg, and Amy Haggerty and her husband Dean of Wantage; he was the cherished grandfather of ten grandchildren and the much loved brother of his late siblings Rose, Fred, William, and Ed.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the VNA - Visiting Nurse Association - who rendered wonderful loving care to Charles in his final days would be greatly appreciated. (if you click on the blue text for VNA you will be directed to the donation page of their website.)

Thomas Elliott Tatem, Jr, age 74, of Wayne, passed away on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

Born in Paterson, Tom grew up in Glen Rock where, as a student at Glen Rock High School, he excelled in sports, most notably football and track. In fact, he held the school record in sprinting for many years, only to see it be broken by future Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. After graduating with the Class of 1962, Tom set off in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. From there it was his father’s desire that Tom study law. He started attending Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law but cut it short when tragedy struck his family. His dear younger brother William, who was just finishing high school lost his life suddenly in an automobile accident. This event devastated his entire family and Tom thought it best to be closer to home. He was able to become a police officer for the Lavallette Police Department and worked in law enforcement for several years while keeping close ties with his parents and sister. Eventually, he returned to school, this time at Michigan State University where he earned a master’s degree in marketing. Fresh out of Michigan State, Tom launched a career with Exxon Corporation that would ultimately span more than thirty years and see him rise to the rank of marketing executive.

One evening at a place called Joey Harrisons in Clifton, Tom had the pleasure of a meeting a young lady from that town named Barbara Ryaby. It was through a mutual friend that they encountered each other and a loving relationship quickly developed going forward. Tom and Barbara both seemed to love the Jersey shore and so they spent a good portion of their dating time down in the West Point Island section of Lavallette – a place where Tom’s family had a home and where he spent entire summers since his childhood. One night, while out at the Manor in West Orange, Tom wanted to express his sincere love for Barbara and his wish for them to be married. Undaunted by the fact that he didn’t have an engagement ring for her at that very moment, he quickly fashioned one from a swizzle stick and slid it on her ring finger. Soon after, they went down the shore and one day while walking on the boardwalk along White Avenue in Lavallette, Tom proudly presented Barbara with a real engagement ring. Soon after, they married, exchanging their wedding promises to one another before God, family and friends at St. Mary’s Church in Passaic on Saturday, October 20, 1973. After a reception in that very place where Tom had presented Barbara the swizzle stick engagement ring, they honeymooned on the beautiful Caribbean island of Curacao.

The newlyweds first home together was in West Paterson, now known as Woodland Park, where they stayed for a year before purchasing their own home at 55 Carlos Drive in Fairfield. It was there that Tom and Barbara were blessed with the births of all three of their children. For that reason alone, that house in Fairfield held special memories but alas, it got to be too small so, in 1979, they moved into a home they had built in Wayne – the home where Tom remained for the rest of his life.

Tom’s love affair with Lavallette’s West Point Island remained with him well beyond his childhood and all throughout his adult life. As a teenager, he served there as a lifeguard, and the family’s beach home became a place where he was also able to make great memories with his own children and grandchildren. That tradition continues to this day and into the future for his family. A big sports fan, Tom’s allegiances were always for the New York Giants and Penn State University’s Nittany Lions football team. Tom also had a unique love for collecting duck decoys – the origin of this interest no one in his family can explain, and he was also not ashamed to tell you that he loved to go shopping. If Barbara and his daughters were planning a trip to the mall, Tom always could think of something that he “desperately needed” to pick up, and he was especially fond of anything made by Ralph Lauren or Polo.

Above all else, Tom’s greatest love and loyalty was for his family. When his son and two daughters were growing up, there could be just a few parents cheering their kids on at their soccer, football, track, basketball, baseball, cheerleading and ballet events and Tom was always one of them. He was also so proud to serve as one of Tommy’s soccer coaches in the town league. By the time his kids were adults, they had seen most of the United States and all the great this country has to offer. Good times together took place at the beach house in Lavallette and also at their beach house in Sand Key, Florida, and during that awesome family vacation to Hawaii. Retirement allowed for even more free time and Tom used it well, traveling with Barbara throughout much of Europe including Italy, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and also to Alaska and Canada, and enjoying one of his greatest passions - being an awesome grandpa by gladly babysitting and attending his grandchildren’s many activities.

Tom began to experience health challenges starting with a heart attack in 2006. He was evaluated for a heart transplant, but because he had peripheral arterial disease, he was put on a B-list. Instead he opted for alternative coronary bypass surgery. The physician who performed that surgery recommended that Tom try seeking a heart transplant at Newark Beth Israel Hospital. Much to Tom and his family’s delight, Newark Beth Israel Hospital accepted him for the surgery. In fact Tom’s was the first such surgery for a patient like Tom with peripheral arterial disease and it changed transplant protocol allowing other patients to be viable candidates also. During his illness and recovery, Sandy, his golden retriever and loving friend was always by his side as a true companion. It was also a time where his faith in God experienced noticeable growth, thanks in large part to the priest from St. Mary’s Church paying faithful visits.

Tom’s quiet, gentle spirit made for a man whose company his family and friends surely enjoyed. Modest in nature, he chose to take a keen interest in others as opposed to talking about himself.

Tom was the beloved husband of Barbara; loving father of: Tommy Tatem of Randolph, Kristy and husband Jonathan McLellan of Ridgewood, and Kerry and husband Jake Beeman of Ho-Ho-Kus; adoring grandfather of: Chloe, Haleigh, Georgia, Peyton, Tommy, Presley, Charley, Hadley, Finley, and Emma; and loving brother of Judy and husband Philip MacPeek of Neptune, and the late William Tatem (1967).

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Tom’s name are asked to consider:

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Heart Transplant,

201 Lyons Ave., G2, Newark, NJ 07112.

Please make check payable to: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

On the memo line indicate: “In memory of Thomas E. Tatem, Jr.”

You may also give online at: www.newarkbethgiving.org.

Please click on “Give for Good Health; Designation; Heart Transplant".

Nina Darpino (nee Caliri) age 90, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday May 10, 2019 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Nina was born in Lawrence, MA and was the first of two daughters to Christopher and Catherine Caliri.  When Nina was about eight years old, the family moved from Massachusetts to Newark, NJ.  While living with her family in Newark, Nina attended Central High School and graduated with the class of 1945.  Nina found work quickly after graduating from high school as a secretary at Prudential Insurance in Newark.  Nina worked there for about six years.

As a young lady in Newark Nina met a cute boy named Dominick Darpino. Nina was just eight years old and the two of them would walk down the street, holding hands, to get ice cream sodas. They were true childhood sweethearts.

Dominick proposed to Nina in 1950 just before he went into the Army. They were married in 1951 at St. Frances RC Church in Newark and honeymooned in California.  After Dominick returned from his service with the United States Army, Nina devoted herself to becoming a full time homemaker, nurturing and caring for her husband and three sons, Christopher, Dean, and Robert.  The couple settled in Newark after first getting married and as their family grew they moved to Wayne in 1962 where they raised their children and have been ever since.

Nina was devoted to her Catholic Faith and was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church for many years.  She was also involved and volunteered at the charitable organization Wayne Unico, where they helped their local community by raising money for scholarships and other various efforts.  Nina was an avid golfer and was also a long time member of the North Jersey Country Club with her husband Dominick, it was their “Home Away from Home.”   Nina and Dominick also owned a condo in Hillsborough, FL where they spent their winters from January till March.  They also frequented Massachusetts where they often visited family.

Nina’s true calling was being a mom, she lived for her sons and husband.  She was an outstanding cook, her meatballs and Christmas cookies were famous throughout her family and friends.  Dinner was on the table at 5:30 every night, no exceptions!  Nina loved hosting Sunday dinners and holidays with all of her family.  She was ferociously protective of her boys and was the “best mom and best friend anyone could have.” She was always happy, and bubbly, generous and kind with everyone she met.  Nina and Dominick cherished 65 years of loving and loyal marriage until Dominick’s passing in February of 2016.  Nina was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by her family and friends alike.

Nina is survived by her three sons; Christopher Darpino and his wife Lynda of Wayne, Dean Darpino and his wife Colleen of Wayne, and Robert Darpino and his wife Cynthia of Wayne, one sister Gail Pisciotta of Verona, six grandchildren; Lisa Onnembo and her husband Giovanni of Wayne, Tara McHugh and her husband Patrick of Wayne, Melissa Darpino of Wayne, Danielle Darpino of Wayne, Connor Darpino of Wayne, and Brynn Darpino of Wayne, her niece Cathyanne, her nephew Jason, as well as her nephews Stephen, Danny, and Jimmy, and her nieces Nina, Kathy, Susan, Michelle, and Debbie, three great grandchildren; Giuliana, Nicholas, and Alexa. She was predeceased by her husband Dominick on February 27, 2016.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Nina’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.

Eileen L. Pascrell (nee Gibbs), age 87 of Wayne died on Friday, May 10, 2019.  Her loving family was gathered at her bedside when she passed.

Eileen was raised in Paterson and graduated from St. Bonaventure High School.  After graduation, she went right to work for Bell Telephone.  Her career there would lasted until her retirement in 1990, although she did take a number of years off to raise her children.

During the 1950’s, Eileen was introduced to Frank Pascrell.  It wasn’t very long before the wedding bells were ringing and in 1956 they married.  They settled into their home in the Albion section of Clifton where they raised their sons Frank and Tom.  Sadly, her husband Frank died in 1985, and Eileen decided to move to Wayne in 1990.  She moved into a home with his newly married son and daughter-in-law, who just so happened to also be named Eileen.  Together, the three of them lived very happily and when grandchildren came along, they only added to the joy.  Her grandchildren loved having their “Nana” living with them, and as fate would have it; it was the best arrangement that her son Frank could have ever hoped for.  In 2007, Frank’s wife passed away and his mother rose to the occasion.  She stepped in and became a “mom” to her grandchildren and showered them with love.  There was nothing more important to Eileen than her family, and this was especially true of her grandchildren.

Eileen was nothing less than an amazing woman.  She had numerous friends all over the place, and if you were ever fortunate enough to go with her to the bank, grocery store, bakery, or even just for a walk around the neighborhood, she would end up meeting friends!  She was an avid reader of anything by James Patterson, she enjoyed going out for dinner, and a good dinner wasn’t complete with her Pinot Grigio.  She was obsessed with watching the TLC Channel and loved programs such as Judge Judy and Divorce Court!  In years prior, she had a summer home on Long Beach Island where she spent time with her family and took long walks on the beach.  She really loved her time in Haven Beach.

Eileen’s son Tom and wife Maryanne live in Howell with their three children Frank, John, and Michelle. Eileen loved getting phone calls from her son and daughter-in-law, and always looked forward to talking to her grandchildren too about lacrosse games, school, and working. Every Christmas Eileen would drive down to see them, which never failed to make her excited. She was happiest when her sons and their families got together once each football season to watch a Packers game.

Eileen is survived by her sons; Frank J. Pascrell of Wayne and Thomas Pascrell and his wife Maryann of Howell, NJ, four grandchildren; Theresa and her husband Garry, Frank, John and Michelle, and a brother; Joseph E Gibbs and his wife Rosemarie of Wayne, and many nieces and nephews.  We would be remiss if we did not mention her beloved miniature poodle; Buddy.  They were true companions…the best of friends.  Eileen was predeceased by her husband Frank in 1985, by her grandson Michael in 2013, and by her daughter-in-law; Eileen in 2007.

Those wishing to make a donation in Eileen’s memory are asked to consider; Boys Town, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010, www.boystown.org, or to the ASPCA.org.

Bert E. Tucker, Jr. age 85 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, May 8, 2019.

Bert grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and enjoyed what was a typical Southern childhood.  It was a very simple life.  After high school he attended Southeastern LA College for his freshman year and then was selected for enrollment at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  He went on to graduate in the top 25 percent from West Point in 1956 and served for three years in Frankfurt, Germany.  He remained loyal to the U.S. Military Academy and was very proud of his time in the Service. Bert obtained his Masters from Louisiana State University.

While at West Point, Bert met Doris Hoffmann at a dance.  Bert was celebrating his upcoming graduation from the West Point Military Academy and Doris was his blind date that evening.  They enjoyed a little revelry around New York City’s Times Square on that first date and their love for one another grew quickly.  They married later that same year, on December 22, 1956 and honeymooned for a few days in Florida.  Bert was assigned to serve with the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany for the next three years, and they moved there together as newlyweds.  While living in Germany, they were blessed with the birth of her daughter, Diane.  Upon returning to civilian life, they settled to Wayne in 1964.  Together, they enjoyed traveling and had visited many European countries, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Norwegian nations.  They also visited each of the fifty United States and toured more than sixty of our Nationals Parks.

While in the US Army Corps of Engineers branch, he was a pilot and instructor for helicopters, airplanes and parachuting. Bert ultimately earned his Master’s Degree in Physics and Mathematics from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge where began a cryogenics project for NASA. He was approved for doctoral PhD program which he completed in cryogenics for his PhD.

Bert and Doris moved to Wayne in 1965. Bert worked for Uniroyal Tires, where he derived differential equations for new belted passenger tires. Bert advanced to the New York City financial sector where he excelled as a software designer. He worked for many of the large financial companies as a consultant including Monchick Weber, McGraw Hill and Goldman Sacks. He retired at sixty-six years of age, but found himself even busier in the years to follow.  He became involved in local politics, becoming a 3rd Ward Councilman in Wayne, he ran for Mayor at one point, joined the Wayne Historical Society, Rotary International, to name a few.  He started an ethics program for high school students which was hosted at West Point, and he published three books; Blind Quest Avoiding Pitfalls, Blind Quest Deceived by Experience, And Life Force Mars!  He kept himself busy and intellectually stimulated, without any doubt.

Bert is survived by his daughter; Diane Joseph and her husband Robert of Wayne, three grandsons; Robert Joseph and his wife Emma of Mahwah, Timothy Joseph of Mahwah, and William Joseph of Wayne, one great-granddaughter; Fiona of Mahwah, a sister; Nancy Davis and her husband James of Louisiana, and four nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his wife Doris in 2015, and by one brother; Richard Tucker of Louisiana.

Michele Simunovich-Wilson age 47 of Philadelphia, PA passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday May 7, 2019.

Michele was born in St Petersburg, FL and spent her formative years in West Orange, NJ.  Michele attended and graduated from Mountain High School, now known as West Orange High School.  Following her high school graduation, Michele attended Morris County Community College and then spent time doing office work for various local companies.  In 1994 Michele went to work for Western Exterminators in West Orange and worked there for the next ten years.

Michele started her own business, “Helping Hands by Michele”, which was based on personal concierge for the elderly.  She held this business for the next two to three years.  Michele later found work at Accredited Dermatology for three years.  She was a resident of New Jersey until she relocated to Philadelphia, PA where she was employed as a baker for Fresh Grocer for three years.

Michele had a passion for cooking and was creative in preparing various dishes.  She was a fun loving person who enjoyed dancing, singing and listening to music.  She was cheerful, bubbly, energetic and always looking for the positive side of people and situations.  She was devoted to her Christian Faith and was also a loving mom.   Michele touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Michele is survived by her two daughters; Ashley Simunovich, and Christina Wilson, and her mother Gloria Vivirito. She is also survived by many beloved family and friends.

Arlene W Darrah, age 84 of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains, formerly of Wayne, passed Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

She was born in Jersey City and lived in Lyndhurst, before moving to Wayne, where she lived for fifty-five years, before moving to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains. Her family was associated with Wayne for many years before they moved there permanently, as they would spend summers along the Passaic River in the Hoffman Grove section of Wayne.

Arlene graduated from the Catherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Montclair and worked as a legal administrative assistant in the Passaic County Courthouse, for the Hon. Burrell Ives Humphreys.  She later worked for the Hon. Howard H. Kestin, who was a New Jersey Superior Court Judge and later Appellate Judge in Hackensack.  Arlene and Judge Kestin worked together for over twenty years, before her retirement in 1995.

Arlene was a member of the Calvary Gospel Church in Wayne for over forty years and she was dedicated to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was a member and previously served as the Secretary of the Wayne Golden Age and was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Wayne Elks Lodge 2181 for many years.

Arlene will be remembered as a very loving and fun-loving person.  She was an extremely dependable and family-oriented woman. As a single working mother for sixteen years, she was dedicated to her children beyond words, and always put their needs before her own.  She loved reading, singing, dancing, traveling and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Arlene was the loving wife of thirty years to the late James Darrah (2007); loving mother of Craig Jackson of Totowa and Laura Jackson-Jahnke and her husband Jim of Belle Meade; she was the cherished grandmother of Ryan and his wife Sarah Jahnke, Rachel Jahnke, and Monica and Nicolas Jackson. She was also the dear sister of Eleanor Stuart of Trinity, Florida and the late Richard Johnson of Bloomingdale, NJ, and she leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews.

Sharon Marie Hoffman (nee Gloor), age 58, of Totowa passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer on Monday May 6, 2019 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Sharon was born in Paterson and was the first of two children to Frank and Bernice Gloor.  She was raised in Totowa and graduated from Pope Paul VI High School in Clifton with the class of 1978.  During her time at Pope Paul VI she excelled in math and was a member of the school choir.  Following her high school graduation, Sharon attended Seton Hall University in South Orange where she earned her Bachelor of Education with the class of 1982.  Sharon then found employment at St Philip’s RC School in Clifton where she taught third grade.  She worked for St Philip’s for one year.

Sharon was a member of a Catholic Young Adult Group named Berakah located in Fair Lawn, NJ where she was also a member of their music group.  The group would gather weekly for Wednesday Evening Liturgy and host dances, retreats, trips, and various other social events. It was in this group where Sharon met a handsome young man named Anthony Hoffman.  Sharon and Anthony’s first date was a double date with two friends, one of whom would be the best man at their wedding.  Sharon and Tony hit it off great and they were together for about two years before getting married on November 3, 1984 at the Seton Hall University Chapel.

The couple settled in Little Falls where they welcomed all three of their children.  Shortly after the birth of their last child, they moved to Totowa in 1996 where Sharon had grown up, and they resided there until her passing.  When Sharon became a mother, she made the decision to become a full-time homemaker.  She devoted her life to her family and homeschooled all of her children.  In 2012, after their children had graduated high school, Sharon decided that she would return to the workplace.  She found work quickly and was offered a position as a teacher at the Essex Regional Educational Services Commission.  Sharon worked for them from 2012 through 2018, when her illness forced her to stop.  During 2015 and 2016 Sharon also held a fifth grade teacher’s position at the Academy of St Francis in Totowa.

Sharon was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne for several years and was also a member of the church choir there.  She was a Girl Scout Leader for fourteen years.  She and her family enjoyed traveling to various destinations, mostly via cruise ships.  One of Sharon’s favorite places to visit was Disney World.  Sharon enjoyed word and jigsaw puzzles, reading Christian fiction, and collecting snow globes.  Sharon was devoted to her Catholic faith and to the New York Mets.  She was known for her sense of humor, often commenting humorously and rhetorically in puns, which her family remembers her inheriting from her father. She took great pride in her ability to find a bargain. Nothing meant more to Sharon than providing for and spending time with her husband and children.  She and Anthony cherished thirty-four years of a loving and loyal marriage.  Sharon touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.  

Sharon is survived by her husband, Anthony Hoffman of Totowa; two daughters: Lisa Hoffman of Bloomfield and Jessica Hoffman of Lincoln Park; one son, Michael Hoffman of East Hanover; one brother, Frank A. Gloor of Totowa, and her mother, Bernice Gloor of Totowa; three nieces: Erin, Elizabeth, and Daniela; one nephew Frank, and several loving cousins. She was predeceased by her father, Frank E. Gloor.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sharon’s name may be made to Atlantic HealthCare, Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, 475 South St, Morristown, NJ 07960.

RoseMarie “Candy” Margiotta, age 74, of Wayne, passed peacefully with her family by her side on Monday, May 6, 2019.

She was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 21, 1944 to Augustine and Marie Centra.  She graduated from New Utrecht High School in 1963.  Although Candy moved to New Jersey with her children and her then-husband Tom, she still considered herself a true New Yorker.  She only let the Brooklyn in her fade slightly.

Candy was a kid at heart.  She loved to fool around and didn’t take things too seriously.  She was easy going unless it came to her meticulous housekeeping.  She did not allow anyone to wear shoes in the house and always made sure the formal living room carpet had perfectly symmetrical vacuum lines.  She even had it blocked off like a museum.  Her children would purposely sit in the formal living room to send her into a frenzy.  Immediately, she would whip out the vacuum and start putting all the lines back into the carpet.

She also enjoyed the sun, getting tan, being dressed to the nines, and giving back.  Candy enjoyed dressing up in costume for special needs children events.  Whether it was dressing up as “Mrs. Claus” or a clown, she was always willing to volunteer her time for the special needs children.  She would put a smile on everyone’s faces.

Candy had a love for all animals.  She especially loved her dogs.  No one could ever understand it, but her dogs were so well trained that they would walk around the neighborhood greeting the neighbors and would come back by dinner time.  She also had a love of birds.  Birds had always reminded her of her father.

She was extremely proud of all her children and grandchildren.  She cherished every newspaper article, drawing, ribbon, etc.  She loved family card games and was an especially good poker and mahjong player.

Candy was what you would call a “shop-oholic”.  A few times a year, she would host “Shopping Sprees” where she would invite all her family and friends over to take any clothes she no longer wanted.  Everyone always loved her shopping sprees and could not wait for the next one to come!

Many fond memories were made at her home swimming at backyard barbeques, as well as weekly Sunday family dinners with her “Sunday Sauce” accompanied by NY Giants football.  Her grandkids called her “Wammy” because she would yell “wammy” at the television to give the Giants good luck.

Candy was the devoted mother of Frank and his wife Lucy of Brooklyn, Augustine and his wife Lisa of Wayne, Paul and his wife Mari of Wayne, Natalie and her husband Don of Haskell, and daughter-in-law Danielle and her husband Dave of Wayne.

She was the cherished grandmother of Candace and her husband JohnAnthony, Nicole, Zachary, Brandon, Devin, Shane, Kaden, Dylan, Samantha, Anthony, Tommy, Justina and her husband Herbert, Sally Ann and her husband Cosimo, Frankie, Sophia, Hannah, and Madison.

She was dearly loved by her great-grandchildren Rocco, Olivianna, Alysia, Juliana, and Leila.

She was the dear sister of the late Richard "Richie" Centra, Ralph Centra of New York, Ronnie Centra and his wife Shirley of California, Patricia Centra of New York, and Christine Caccamo of New York.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474 or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959. .

Marian R. Branthwaite (nee Garbaccio), age 88, of Pompton Lakes passed away peacefully on Monday, May 6, 2019 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Marian was born and raised in Paterson and was the child of Gene and Genevieve Garbaccio. She had two siblings. Growing up in Paterson, Marian attended St. Mary’s High School, graduating with the class of 1947.  Following high school, Marian found employment quickly and worked for a couple of local businesses for a two year period.  During that time, Marian’s parents took notice of a handsome young man they had met at  the motorcycle races, an interest they had in common, named Wilfred Branthwaite.  Marian’s parents thought they would be a nice couple, so they introduced Marian to him.  The couple hit it off rather well and they dated for about a year or so.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married on August 28, 1949 at St Mary’s Church in Paterson.

The couple settled in Pompton Lakes, where they welcomed their two children, Leslie and Ike. They raised their family there and remained in Pompton Lakes for the rest of their lives together.  After getting married, Marian devoted herself to her family, becoming a full time homemaker.  This was truly Marian’s calling and where, indeed, she flourished.  Although being a homemaker was her top priority, she still enjoyed having a part time job where she could maintain and exercise her social skills. Her part time work included employment at a local retail department store in Pompton Lakes.  As her children grew older, Marian went back to work full time as an Administrative Assistant at Artistic Weaving, and later American Cyanamid in Wayne, where she worked until her retirement.  

Marian was a parishioner of St Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes for many years and was also a member of the Golden Agers in Pompton Lakes.  Marian loved music and dance. Attending shows with friends was a favorite activity of hers. She was very fashionable, always certain to have a completely coordinated outfit, beautifully done hair and manicure.  Her grandchildren called her “fancy lady”.  Her greatest passion by far was her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Marian than her children and grandchildren.  She was a fun loving person and a kid at heart.  She was happy to play for hours with her grandchildren, giving them her complete, undivided attention. Marian and Wilfred cherished sixty-five years of loving and loyal marriage together until Wilfred’s passing in 2014.  Marian touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew her.

Marian is survived by her daughter Leslie Drucks and her husband Brian of Morristown, her son Ike Branthwaite and his wife Cary of Durham, NC, one sister Carol Alvino of Wayne, four grandchildren Aimee Rosenfelder of New Holland, PA, Ronald McBain of West Hollywood, CA, Chloe Drucks of Charleston, SC, Hannah Branthwaite of Nashville, TN, and one great grandchild, Joie Stoltzfus of New Holland, PA.  She was predeceased by her husband Wilfred Branthwaite in 2014 as well as her brother Scott Watson in 2016.

Winifred “Winnie the Pooh” Convertini, age 81, of Lakewood, passed at home on Sunday, May 5, 2019.

She was born to Cassie and Olive Rodrick and raised in the family home on Beach Terrace in the Bronx, New York. She graduated from Walton high school in the Bronx with the Class of 1955.

Through her working years Winnie worked in an administrative capacity in many and varied industries including her first job at Lee’s Luggage in Manhattan. She also worked as the manager for the Englewood Country Club, at a textile company in Clifton and a corrugated box company in Palisades Park.

She found love three different times in her life.  She married Stephen Savva, Ed Ulinsky, and finally met the true love of her life Joe Convertini. When she met Joe she stopped working and traveled with him extensively for about fifteen years.  Along with all their traveling they would spend about three weeks each year in Aruba.  It was their special place. She “snow birded” in between Florida and New Jersey for over 20 years. She has lived for many years in the Leisure Village development in Lakewood where she had many friends whom she adored.

Winnie was dedicated to her Christian faith and loved to go to church.  She never passed a church she didn’t like and felt at home in just about any house of worship. Not only would she feel at home there but she would get involved and volunteer as well.

Winnie was like a fish and loved swimming, snorkeling and diving. At the beach she would swim out beyond the breakers and loved to swim the backstroke. She was always taking children under her wing to teach them how to swim – whether she knew them or not. She has curio shelves full of shells, starfish, sand dollars, coral, and all other manner of sea related trinkets. Her granddaughter Karlee took up her love of travel and the ocean, and always loved hearing about her trips. She also collected elephants but always wanted them with the trunks raised as those were the good luck elephants.

Winnie was always the life of the party, dancing like a nut even when she needed a walker. Her son started his own events company in 1983,  and she always loved hearing about his life in the party business. When she met you she would introduce herself as “Winnie the Pooh” and tell you her son even had a cat named Tigger. She had a huge personality, was always joining or getting involved, and was the kind of person who loved to be there and care for others.  She would strike up a conversation with anyone in any situation and soon they would be conversing back.  She just loved others and they loved her back. Just before she had her recent knee replacement she was visiting others, bringing them to doctors’ visits, and delivering food for the local food pantry. She was kind beyond words and deeds and put other needs ahead of her own, even those she had potentially met the day before. She was also frugal, loved her daily $1.00 cup of coffee at McDonalds, and her purse was always stuffed with coupons.

Winnie was the loving wife of the late Joseph Convertini (1993); devoted mother of Nicholas Savva and his wife Andrea of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Karlee and Haley Savva and Ryan and Alyssa Convertini and their mom Joy Convertini; she was also the dear sister of the late Patty Rodrick, Millie Derk of Long Beach, Long Island, NY, and Barbara D’Angelo of Tampa, FL. She was also loved by nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.

She always struggled with chronic bi-polar disorder that she did her best to hide. Her highs were awesome but her lows were always difficult for her and something she tried to shield from others. Her granddaughter Haley, is pursuing her masters at NYU in social work to help others the way her grandma taught her. Ironically her passing falls during Mental Health Awareness Month. In lieu of flowers memorial donations should be directed to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health).

With a life devoted to her faith we have no doubt she got an express ticket to heaven, and is finally reunited with the love of her life Joe, her family, and friends and playing with her “godson” Maxi. She would prefer everyone to celebrate her life during this time, and reflect on all the happy memories. She lived by mantra’s and wrote them in every card, “we are family, keep smiling, take the best and leave the rest!”

Linda Handal, age 83, of Totowa, passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2019. Her family was lovingly by her side at the time of her passing.

Daughter of Jeries and Hanna Hasbun, Linda, was born and raised in Bethlehem, Palestine. At the age of 18 she married Domingo Handal of Amman, Jordan, and began their life adventure and journey which landed them in Totowa, New Jersey. The epitome of strength and courage, Linda and Domingo traveled the globe while raising their children; each child born in a different country. Linda helped her husband manage a grocery store, and finally, an ice cream parlor in Jersey City, NJ. Together they became a beloved cornerstone of business and community. She was a founding member of the Bethlehem Association, a not-for-profit organization, and served as Convention Chair and Board member for over three decades.

As her children grew, she devoted her life to not only helping her husband, but also to becoming a true matriarch of her growing family. She was simultaneously, and interchangeably, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Linda lived for her family, and each of her children and grandchildren will continue her legacy by carrying the life lessons she instilled in them. Linda’s graciousness and genuine warmth made everyone feel special in her company. She fostered life-long friendships and always enjoyed talks around the table with good coffee and good cake--big family meals were a staple of life. She opened her home to friends and family from all over the world; so much so that her house became known as “The Handal Hotel.” She enjoyed dancing at family events with her grandchildren, vacationing in Cocoa Beach, and weekend trips to Atlantic City.

Linda is survived by her devoted and loving husband, Domingo Handal, their five children; Vida Handal and her husband Samir, Vera Faris and her husband Nassib, Florence Fersa and her husband Pierre, David Handal and his wife Michelle, and Christine Handal. She was kept active by her thirteen grandchildren, Sanielle Handal-McGlynn, Ramzi Faris, John Handal, Renee Faris-Sciacca, Nicole Fersa, Kristina Handal, Ramie Faris, Alex Fersa, Andre Fersa, Gabriella Handal, Anthony Handal, Andrew Handal, Michael Handal, and two great-grandchildren, Alia and Maggie Handal-McGlynn. She is now reunited with her brothers Tawfiq Hasbun and Issa Hasbun, and sister Mary Elali, in God's Kingdom and will be remembered by her brother Fouad Masrieh, and sisters Margo Khalil-Hasbun, Lily Handal, and Nelly Hasbun. She will be missed greatly, and will forever be carried in the hearts of all who loved her.

To honor Linda’s passion and hard work within the Bethlehem Association, please consider a gift to:

Bethlehem Association

Scholarship Fund

PO Box 1111

Media, PA 19063

Please make check to Bethlehem Association Scholarship Fund

In memo line of check please write “In memory of Linda Handal”

Vito A. Lampariello, age 84, of Wayne, passed away on Saturday, May 4, 2019. His family was lovingly by his side at the time of his passing.

Vito was born and raised in Newark where, after graduating from Barringer High in the early 1950’s, he pursued higher education at Montclair State Teachers College, ultimately earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education and administration.

Vito’s vocational calling lead him to Lafayette Street School in Newark where he taught eighth grade with a concentration in social studies, ultimately transitioning into the role of vice principal before retiring in 1994 after 32 years of service. Post retirement allowed for new pursuits where several part-time jobs ultimately led to full-time work with the UFCW 464A United Food and Commercial Workers. In this role for the union, Vito was beloved by his workplace associates where he held several positions, serving for the past 25 years, even to the present time.  

In 1967, Vito moved to Wayne. After becoming widowed at an early age, he eventually found love again with a childhood friend. Her name was Claire Mignone, and she and Vito met again in their roles as teachers at Lafayette Street School where Vito was unanimously recognized at the time, as the school’s most eligible bachelor. Claire was a kindergarten teacher and their rekindled friendship blossomed into love which lead to marriage before God, family and friends on Saturday, November 3, 1968 at Immaculate Conception Church in Newark. They enjoyed 37 priceless years until Claire’s passing in 2005. During their life as husband and wife, Vito and Claire happily welcomed the birth of their son James and their daughter Mary.

An avid bowler during his younger years, Vito was involved in various leagues that competed at the former Rizzuto-Berra Lanes as well as Wayne’s own T-Bowl. He also enjoyed fishing, especially the salt water variety if his stomach would put up with the ocean waves, trips to the Borgata and going out for a night of harness racing at the Meadowlands. In more recent years, he always looked forward to being with his buddies for a night of friendly poker where gentleman bets were the traditional wager.

Next to his faith in God, Vito’s greatest love and devotion was for his wife, children and grandchildren, all of whom he considered to be gifts from God. For countless years, vacations to all beaches along the Jersey shore remained a highlight in Vito’s life, from the time his own son and daughter were growing up to many rich family times with his grandchildren, most recently spent together in Ocean City. Vito truly enjoyed watching his grandchildren grow and attending all of their various and numerous sporting events, theatrical performances, academic successes, and graduation milestones. He was so very proud of them and, while he enjoyed a good natured joke at their expense, each of his grandchildren knew they could always count on “Pa”.  

Vito’s sincere devotion and love for God was central to his very being and an integral part of who he was as a man, husband, father, grandfather and friend. Possessing a dear devotion to Saint Anthony, he was a very active parishioner for over 50 years at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne. Vito enjoyed serving as an usher and working at the annual fundraising festivals that took place at the church. He was a man who believed in the power of prayer and thus, made intercession with God a daily part of his life. Thankful for the overflow of blessings in his own life, he loved to give generously to numerous charitable endeavors with a special affinity toward supporting the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Vito was a beautiful example of a man who lived a humble life of love and service to his family and friends. Meticulous for all the right reasons, he carried himself with class and genuineness, giving generously of his time, talents and treasure to make this world a little bit better for all who had the privilege of having him in their life. Well done Vito! Rest in peace.

Vito was the beloved husband of the late Claire (nee Mignone). He was the loving father of Dr. James Lampariello and his wife Laura of Wayne, and Mary Dudek and her husband Paul of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Michelle and Nicole Lampariello and Michael and Kayla Dudek.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Vito’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).

Raymond S. Vena, age 81 of Wayne, passed peacefully on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at home with the comfort of his family by his side.

Ray was born in Linden to Michael and Mathilda Vena.  He graduated from Linden High School with the Class of 1955 and soon enlisted in the United States Air Force.  For much of his service he was stationed at the Gettysburg Air Force Base in South Dakota where he worked with Air Traffic Control and affiliated electronics.  He was also a great baseball player during his high school years and played second baseman during his service in the Air Force.

Upon being honorably discharged from the Air Force Ray found work with electronics and main frame computers at the Burroughs Corporation which eventually transitioned to the Unisys Corporation.  He worked here for over forty years and retired in 2001 as a Regional Field Engineering Accounts Manager.

While on a blind double date at Otts Spot in East Rutherford Ray met the love of his life Ann Marie DeCarlo.  They fell in love and married on May 6, 1961 at Sacred Heart Church in Lyndhurst, had their reception at San Carlo’s Restaurant in Lyndhurst before honeymooning at Mount Airey Lodge in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  Their devotion to each other is evidenced by their wedding song “I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time.”  Ray and Ann Marie have had a loving and devoted marriage of fifty-eight years.

Ray was dedicated to his community.  For many years he volunteered his time and talent at the Wayne P.A.L where he was a coach, Trustee, and he served as their Secretary and President.  He was always volunteering at the P.A.L. fireworks, bingo, and carnival as well. His over thirty-five year devotion and commitment to the P.A.L. was honored with several awards and a conferment of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was dedicated to his Catholic faith and most currently a parishioner of St Thomas More Church in Fairfield. For many years he was a committed adorer, at Our Lady of the Valley’s Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.

Ray could fix just about anything but never well.  His use of duct tape defied even the most all-encompassing uses of this product. Many will remember him for his punctuality that was perhaps influenced by his military service.  He was an extremely dedicated New York Yankees fan and loved the New York Giants as well.  He never took himself too seriously and enjoyed joking and kidding around. He was a dog lover and deeply missed his Golden Retrievers Timmy and Vinnie. Ray was a very proud husband, father, grandfather, and uncle who loved family barbeques and poker games.

He was the loving husband of fifty-eight years to Ann Marie; devoted father of Renee Bishop and her husband Robert of Parsippany, Janice DeBenedetto and her husband Michael of Wayne, Raymond Vena, Jr. and his wife Annmarie of Green Township, and Joseph Vena and his wife Jennifer of Wayne; he was the cherished grandfather of Michael, Claire, and the late Nicole DeBenedetto, Dana Bishop, Isabella, Catherine, and Jaclyn Vena.

Richard “Rich” A. Breen, age 66, of Totowa passed peacefully on Saturday, May 4, 2019.

Rich was born to Richard and Johanna Breen and was a lifelong resident of Totowa.  He graduated from Passaic Valley High School with the Class of 1970. He continued his education at LaSalle University School of Management in Philadelphia.

Rich had a wide and varied career path.  He talked about how his first job was as a shoe salesman and he later worked as a truck driver and in area factories including the Contract Packaging Company. He had a thirst for knowledge and was a certified mechanic, locksmith, golf instructor and even studied astronomy.  He worked at the Meadox Medical Company which was acquired by the Boston Scientific Company and most recently the Maquet Medical Supply Company in Wayne.  Through his years he went to the Philadelphia School of Textiles which helped him with his career as a Cardio Vascular Technician making artificial arteries. His medical device division was moved to a company in North Carolina where he went for a while as an independent contractor to train them how to run his division. He officially retired in 2018.

While at the Contract Packaging factory he met Judy Cassano.  When Judy walked through the door at work Rich was smitten. Seeking the advice of other girls at work he waited until the end of the day to ask Judy out for coffee.  That cup of coffee led to a forty-four year devoted marriage.  When Rich first met Judy’s mom Jenny she liked him so much she said “when are you marrying her?”  The pressure was on.  Jenny would say this to Rich constantly when she saw him.  Just about every day Rich would get up early and head over to Judy’s home and drive her to work. But before they left Judy’s mom would make a big breakfast saying they shouldn’t go out for breakfast she could make it right here. Rich asked Judy’s parents for her hand in marriage and on May 24, 1975 they married at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne. They had a reception at the Wayne Manor and honeymooned in Bermuda.

Rich will be remembered as a loving, caring, and always willing to help - Mr. Fix It, who had a great sense of humor and was just easy going. His huge loving heart is exemplified by his visit to a local pet shop with his wife and mother-in-law Jenny.  Judy fell in love with a puppy and her mom said “no dogs.” As they went to leave the pet shop the clerk said to Judy she forgot something.  Judy said she didn’t forget anything but the clerk handed her the puppy she fell in love with. Judy named him Spotty and her dad said she had to train that dog right away.  Well she did train Spotty and he was a loyal, lovable dog that was scared of his own shadow.

He was the loving husband of Judy Breen; devoted father of Julie Breen of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Johanna, Giovanni, and Xavier Carrasquillo and Jayden Dunn-Ford; he was the loved brother of the late Lorraine Breen.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Totowa First Aid Squad, PO Box 619, Totowa, NJ 07511 would be appreciated.

Marjorie “Marge” DeKany (nee Podmayersky) un-expectantly passed away early Saturday morning, May 4, 2019.

Marge was raised in Little Ferry, N.J. and attended the Little Ferry school system, graduating from Ridgefield Park High School, Ridgefield Park, N.J.  She furthered her formal education, graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology and later attending Farleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J., majoring in business.

Marge had a successful 36 year career with Becton, Dickinson (BD) in finance, as an accountant and financial analyst, primarily within the Bard-Parker and Consumer Products Divisions of the Company.

She was a 31 year active member of Soroptimist International of Passaic Valley, an organization that contributes time and financial support to the community based and international projects benefiting women and girls.  Marge also had a keen interest in supporting animal rights projects and for over 5 years, visited various facilities for the disabled, etc., with her therapy dog Tyler.

Marge leaves her husband Don, her step children Dennis DeKany of Boonton, N.J. and Karen Hruby of West Milford. N.J., their respective spouses Lauren and Jim, her precious grandchildren Jennifer and Meagan Hruby, her sister Michelle Dawson and nephew Michael of Westwood N.J.

Those wishing to donate to a charity in Marjorie’s memory can do so to:

Clifton Friends of the Shelter, P.O. Box 4923, Clifton, NJ 07015 or

Soroptimist of Passaic Valley, attn.: Carla Scheld, 37 Pleasantview Drive,  Wayne, N.J. 07470

Linda C. Milligan (nee Cunningham) age 66 of Totowa died on May 3, 2019.

She was born in Paterson, NJ on August 31, 1952, graduated from Eastside High School, and worked as an Executive Secretary.

She is survived by her four sisters; Donna Lee Hughes of Spring Hill, Florida, Debra Cinnella (Greg) of Maywood, NJ, Mary Ellen Hilla (Warren) of Pequannock, NJ, and Susan O’Keefe (Tim) of Oakland, NJ, her sister-in-law; Donna Cunningham of Margate, Florida, and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her beloved son Scott in 2018, her father James Edward in 1991, her brother James Michael in 2017, her loving Mother Ellen in 2018, her nephew Devin in 2012, and her boyfriend of 20 years; Stephen Wolf in 2016.

Linda will be fondly remembered by nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.  Linda enjoyed cooking, being with her family and friends, and loved watching the Lifetime movie channel!

Ronald L. Minafri, age 76 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Thursday, May 2, 2019.  He had been a resident of Wayne since 1974.

Ron enjoyed a lengthy career working with technology.  After serving in the Marine Corps, he utilized the G.I. Bill to earn a Master’s Degree in Mathematics, Magna Cum Laude, from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  He took his first professional job working with computers at Hoffman LaRoche in the mid-1960’s.  He concluded his career at the New York Insurance Department and retired as Deputy Superintendent. He was a very bright man who loved keeping up with the most current trends in technology.

Ron’s childhood was spent in Paterson and he graduated from Central High School in 1960.  He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1961.  During his time in the Marines, Ron wrote daily to his high school sweetheart; Claudette Caiola.  They were married at St. Georges Church in Paterson and enjoyed a memorable honeymoon at the Fountainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.  They settled in Haledon, then Bloomingdale before moving to Wayne in 1974.

Ron was a quiet and reserved man, shy to a degree.  He cherished his family and his friends.  He loved music and often made compilation CD’s for his friends, with a mix of his favorite music.  He was passionate about soccer and coached his son Scott for many years.  When his daughter Patti decided she would rather pursue dancing instead of soccer, he was fully supportive and always there for her.  He and Claudette made a point of sitting down each evening to discuss the day’s events, the kids, and life.  This almost always included a cocktail, and they both looked forward to this time together each day.  They enjoyed a very deep connection with one another.  Fifty three years of marriage will always involve ups and downs, but Claudette will tell you that it was nothing short of wonderful; a true love story.  They never lost the “high school sweetheart” mentality.  She will miss him dearly.

Ron is survived by his loving wife Claudette (nee Caiola) of Wayne, his two children; Scott Minafri and his wife Christy of W. Milford, and daughter; Patricia Corrigan and her husband Stephen of Wayne, five grandchildren; Carina, Jared, Courtney, Mia, and Max, and one brother; Paul Minafri of Galveston, TX.  

Daniel L. Buckey, age 83, of Wayne, passed away peacefully, after a very brief illness, on Thursday, May 2, 2019. He passed while receiving the care of his loving family.

Dan was born in Ava, Ohio and raised in Canton Ohio where he graduated from McKinley High School with the Class of 1954. While at McKinley, Dan was a star running back on the school’s football team, the McKinley Bulldogs.

Daniel met Mariann Benedetto, a young lady gifted with a beautiful appearance and countenance from Alliance Ohio. There life-paths crossed in June, 1955 at the Clearwater Park, a recreation water park in Uniontown, Ohio. They soon fell in love and married the following January, 1956 in Mariann’s hometown of Alliance. They thoroughly enjoyed almost 53 years of unconditional and devoted love together until Mariann’s passing from this life in 2008.

After high school, Dan initially worked as a mechanic at a local gas station in Canton. His love of the American automobile eventually lead him to employment as a car salesman. Dan’s magnetic personality and hard work ensured success and, after a few years, his best friend and mentor Gene Dengg convinced him and Mariann to move to New Jersey. Once in New Jersey, Dan got a sales position with Elmwood Ford. Eventually, his good friend Gene invited him to come work for him at his auto dealership - Gene Dengg Ford. Dan’s continued sales success ultimately resulted in the ownership of his own auto dealership – Dan Buckey Ford in Chestnut Ridge, NY.

Upon moving to New Jersey in 1968, Dan and Mariann settled in Wayne where they put down roots, made many good friends and raised their beautiful family. In every facet of his illustrious life, Dan was beautifully meticulous. No one in all of Wayne had greener grass or more perfectly manicured bushes. He would actually go through his lawn and hand-pick any weeds that dared pop up. He was equally fanatical about his own appearance. Oh no! Never touch Dan Buckey’s perfect hairstyle. Even the wind dared not blow a hair out of place. Of course, the numerous applications of hair spray had a little to do with that. One could imagine that hair care companies were glad to have Dan as a customer.

One of Dan’s favorite post-retirement activities was playing golf. In fact, Dan ate, drank and slept golf! If he wasn’t playing 18 holes with some friends at the Apple Ridge Country Club where he was a longtime member, he was either watching golf or working a part-time golf course job that he took just to be around the game of golf.

Everything Dan did, he did 110%. Up until just three weeks ago, he was working out every day at the gym. He spent a lot of time on the treadmill and an equal amount of time just taking walks around town for exercise and fresh air. Many of his family members were often told by those they’d run into, “Hey! I saw your dad walking around town today!” Devout in his faith, one thing Dan was serious about was the season of lent when he always gave up sweets. This was especially impressive since his birthday fell during lent. In many respects, it was his faith in God that informed Dan and motivated him to be so helpful and generous to others. He was everyone’s friend and he truly reflected the love of Christ. If anyone needed help with anything, Dan never said no. A giving man, he gladly donated towards the lights that lit the football field at Wayne Valley High School, regularly donated cars from his dealership to Our Lady of the Valley Church for various fundraising raffles, and even silently helped put students through college by paying towards their tuition.

Above all, Dan’s greatest love and devotion was for his family. They meant the world to him and nothing made him happier than having them all gathered together. Consequently, he loved hosting birthday and holiday gatherings and he never missed even one.  

Dan leaves his family and countless good friends with cherished memories of a very loving, warm, gregarious and giving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and wonderful friend.  

Daniel was the beloved husband of Mariann (nee Benedetto) – blessed in marriage for fifty-two and a half years until Mariann’s passing in 2008. He was the loving father of Denise Lynn Gaeta and former husband Ron of Arizona, Dana Lynn Kelly and husband Frank of Wayne, Daniel J. Buckey of Pompton Lakes, and the late Jeffrey Allan Buckey who passed at the age of two days, breaking his heart; cherished grandfather of: Jeffrey Gaeta, Alex Gaeta, Brooke Hanenberg and husband Kevin, Megan Mariani, Morgan Mariani, Julian Buckey, and Daniel J. Buckey; adored great-grandfather of: Kevin, Journey, Zaidin, Christian, and Joelle; and dear brother of Connie, Roberta, Brenda, and Cheryl. He was predeceased also by his four dear brothers: Robert, Jack, Bill, and Duane.

John Vozza, Jr., age 61 of West Milford, passed away on Monday, April 29, 2019. His family was lovingly by his side at the time of this passing.

Born in Teaneck, NJ, John grew up in Ringwood where, as a teenager, he was a lifeguard at Cupsaw Lake. John was a graduate of Lakeland High School with the class of 1975.

After attending New Jersey Institute of Technology for a year, John entered the workforce in the emerging computer and information systems field. John’s first job was working for Sears in their electronics repair center. In 1986, he took a position as a Regional Repair Manager with Sony Corporation and remained there until 1993 when he started his own business venture. In 2006, John took his career in a different direction working for JMA Consultants of Englewood Cliffs. His company took on apartment renovation projects in New York City and John made sure that all building codes were complied with. He had been working in that capacity until illness prevented him from continuing.

While working at Sony, John met a young woman by the name of Patricia Dorato. It was Pat who asked John to join her one evening for dinner. They went to Tiffany’s on Route 17 in Ramsey and began a loving friendship that culminated in marriage on Saturday, April 29, 1989 at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Kinnelon. With both John and Patricia having a true love for the sun and water, a honeymoon to Hawaii turned out to be the perfect way to start off married life. Happily, April 29 was their wedding anniversary but sadly April 29 was also the day John passed away – 30 years after exchanging wedding vows of “for better or worse, in health and in sickness.” Pat and John were truly grateful for those thirty years of marriage and Pat faithfully stood by John’s side, loving and encouraging him through the ups and downs John faced beginning with a cancer diagnosis in 2010.

One of John and Pat’s most enjoyable shared activities started with a pair of jet skis in 2000. Over the ensuing years, they incrementally stepped it up a bit – first with a 24 foot boat, then a 28 footer, 40 footer, and finally a 52 foot Silverton, which they affectionately named “Wake-n-Waves”. Harbored in Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City that boat literally became their summer home. Wake-n-Waves took them to wonderful destinations including Block Island in Rhode Island, Fire Island off Long Island, NY, Martha’s Vineyard, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in Maryland and as far as Newberry Port in Massachusetts to visit Patricia’s mother and sister.

Whether on his boat or home in West Milford, John’s faithful Border Collie named Jake and West Highland Terrier named Riley were always an enjoyable presence by his side. John loved Jake’s incredible show of intelligence. For example, when they hiked, Jake could tell left from right. So if they came to a fork in the trail, John could tell Jake to go left and Jake correctly went left every time. Jake also knew the names of his twenty toys and would bring John the one John requested. John and Jake loved swimming off the side of the boat and Jake was such a faithful companion through much of the time John was fighting cancer. When John asked Jake for a hug, he’d promptly jump up and put his front paws on John’s shoulders and snuggle into him. It took Jake about four months to get used to Riley but once he did, they were the best of buddies. In fact, Riley even had a miniature stuffed border collie named Jake that he would carry around.

John also took up the very interesting hobby of 3D printing. He printed all kinds of three dimensional objects including vases, cartoon characters and figurines of Jake and Riley. He would even print parts to upgrade his 3D printer. Always hungry to learn more, John loved to watch the Discovery Channel on television with favorite shows including How it’s Made and Gold Rush.

Although he could be a bit sarcastic and opinionated at times, when it came right down to it, you couldn’t find a bigger mush or a more kind-hearted person. His mere presence alone will be greatly missed.      

John was the beloved husband of Patricia (nee Dorato), blessed in marriage for 30 years to the day; loving father of: Michael and wife Kate Vozza of Morrisville, PA, and Lisa Hammond of Morrisville, PA; much-loved son of John Vozza, Sr. and his wife Natasha of Burke, VA and much-loved son of the late Stephini Vozza (1991); dear brother of Steven Vozza of Chester, VA; and dear uncle of Therese Pymento, Dana Pymento, Valerie Vozza, Gregory Vozza, and Elizabeth Spencer-Vozza.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTION INFORMATION

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in John’s name are asked to consider American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 986 South Springfield Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081, or click here to donate online.

Nicholas Lindemulder, age 82, of Wayne, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

Nick was born in Holland in a little town called Andijk located in the province of Noord. The name Andijk comes from the Dutch “aan de dijk” which translates into English as “at the dike”.

Nick was just a young boy when World War II was at its height in Holland. When asked about that experience, he recounted the story of a damaged B-17 coming over the fields in his childhood town. The plane was at eye level where he could see the faces of the crewmembers. The tail was partially missing, two of the engines were not running and the plane was full of bullet holes. As the beleaguered B-17 limped westward, back towards England, A German bunker opened fire on it. The bomber looped back around and unloaded its bomb cargo in a last ditch effort to inflict some kind of damage but the bombs missed the bunker and the B-17 continued flying westward. Nick recalled another time when yet another downed B-17 was burning in a nearby field and Nick ran to see it with his father. Upon approaching the downed aircraft Nick saw the pilot sitting upright in the burning aircraft. He could never get that vision out of his mind. There was also the memory of a thousand bombers flying overhead, the sight and sound of which was very frightening to anyone, let alone a young boy Nick’s age.    

In 1949, when Nick was just thirteen years old, his father said “All they do in Europe is kill each other.” He determined in his mind that it was time for a change and decided to seek a better life in the United States. Nick’s family settled in Prospect Park, where countless other Dutch immigrants originally started out. His parents enrolled him in Eastern Academy in Prospect Park where, although old enough to be in eighth grade, it was determined that he should be enrolled in sixth grade because of his inability to read or speak the English language. This never sat well with Nick who was a very bright individual. Consequently, as soon as he got the chance, he quit school. Since it was already quite clear that Nick could do virtually anything that he set his mind to, he went to work as an auto mechanic specializing in automatic transmissions for Boot’s Garage in Haledon.  

In 1955, Nick’s beloved wife-to-be, Jane (nee Elzinga) also came from Holland. She originally settled in Sussex where her father worked as a dairy farmer. When her dad became ill and couldn’t continue dairy farming, she and her family moved to Prospect Park. It was there that Nick had the opportunity to meet Jane. A family friend told him about her and encouraged Nick to call her on the phone and ask her out. The problem was, Jane’s house didn’t have a phone. So Nick had to go there and knock on the door – the old fashioned way. Jane accepted and their first date together was going roller skating in Paramus. They dated for a few years and ultimately agreed that they would love to marry. They exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends on Friday, April 11, 1958 at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church on Haledon Avenue in Paterson with Reverend Vos officiating the ceremony. After a brief honeymoon in Ohio, they initially started life together on Cliff Street in Haledon.

Nick continued to work at Boot’s Garage until one day in the fall of 1959, he received a call from Uncle Sam and was promptly drafted into the United States Army. He served in Korea from October of 1960 to February, 1962 followed by reserve duty until 1965. During his Army service Nick also earned his high school diploma and, because he proved to be so bright, he even was encouraged to take some college level classes. Upon returning home to civilian life, he quickly learned that his position at Boot’s Garage, which he was promised would be held till he returned, was actually filled by another mechanic. Undaunted, Nick opened his own garage on High Mountain Road at the Haledon and North Haledon border and he befittingly called it Nick’s Garage. Over the course of the next few years, he and Jane moved to Carbon Street in Paterson, then to Hopper Street in Prospect Park before moving one last time to Wayne in 1965. Eventually, Nick started working for Town Irrigation. Then in 1973, after about seven years of learning the business, an opportunity arose to purchase yet another company called Sun Valley Lawn Sprinklers. Always an entrepreneur at heart, Nick always wanted to run his own company and so, with a fourth child on the way, he risked it all by purchasing Sun Valley Lawn Sprinklers with his brother Cornelius “Case”. They renamed the company Twin County Irrigation and, through a lot of hard work, the business grew and expanded to cover much of northern New Jersey’s need for irrigation and well pump installation and service as well as water testing. For 44 years, Nick got to the office every morning by 7:00 AM, ready to work. This continued until two years ago when he became ill.

When they moved to their house in Wayne in 1965, the home they purchased had an attached garage with a flat roof. To Nick, a flat roof was a complete waste of space. So he added a room above the garage, enlisting the services of his young sons to remove every nail from the wood used in the original construction, because to Nick, that wood was too valuable to just throw away.

Nick could make anything out of wood. A lot of his projects were made from scraps but, by the time he finished, you would think they were made from the finest cuts of lumber money could buy. Some of his creations included a spinning wheel, a finely crafted desk which sat in his living room by the front door, a beautiful entertainment center constructed from the wood of an old dresser, a rocking horse, a well-crafted new banister and spindles for the stair case going from the first to second floor in his house in Wayne, and something in Dutch called a “Stoof” - a small wooden foot stove that had room inside for a heating agent. It was something that was common in the home when he was growing up in Holland where houses didn’t have a central heating system. The Stoof was a very effective little foot stove which family members would warm themselves by putting their feet on it.

From the early years of their marriage, Nick and Jane found beauty and enjoyment in vacations to the Adirondacks near Saranac Lake. It became a regular vacation spot for them and their four sons. For years they rented a house every summer but in 1984 they got the chance to purchase a little place of their own. The house was so remotely located, it was twelve miles either way to the nearest town. The first thing Nick did to the house was to tear off the roof and add a second floor. This, of course, scared away all the mice who had taken free residence in the house. Nick did all the work on the house himself, and the act of doing this he called “vacation.” Of course, doing all the work on his own required and endless supply of different tools. Consequently, the small garage on the property had a plaque above the door with the Dutch words “De Speelgoed Doos” which translates in English to mean “The Toy Box”. It was called this because all of Nick’s tools filled that garage and to Nick, his tools were his toys.

Besides having the ability to fix cars, do construction projects on his homes, and run an irrigation company, Nick was quite a talented artist. He painted beautiful paintings which decorated his home and he showed his work in many art shows, on several occasions, receiving prominent awards.

Nick lived a very active life. It seemed that his hands always had to be doing something and he poured a lot of time and effort into whatever he did, always wanting his work to be the best it could be. While these endeavors were important to him, they were never as important as his devotion to his faith in God and his love for his family. Nick was not just a religious guy, he was a true believer in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Nick loved being with fellow believers in church and, over the years worshiping, originally in Prospect Park Christian Reformed Church and in later years at Preakness Christian Reformed Church and Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church. Nick always took an active part in the life and ministry of the church serving as a deacon, an elder, a bible study leader, a Sunday school teacher and a Cadet counselor. For many years he made a regular practice of visiting monthly and sharing the bible’s teachings with the elderly residents and shut-inns of the Alps Manor and Atrium in Wayne.  

For the past year and a half, Nick battled cancer. It was not an easy time for him or his loving family. Nick’s battle is over and he suffers no more. Instead, his Christian faith has become site as he enjoys being in the presence of God. His family is thankful for his life – for the joys and the good times that they were blessed to have together and for his great job as a husband, father, grandfather, and brother, and they look forward to that time when, by God’s grace, they will get to see him again.

Nick was the beloved husband of Jane (nee Elzinga), blest in marriage for 61 years; loving father of George and wife Susan Lindemulder, John and wife Susan Lindemulder, the late James Lindemulder (2015), and Reverend Paul and wife Heidi Lindemulder; seven cherished grandchildren: Stephen, Victoria, Ethan, Eric, Julia, Josie, and Joel; and five dear siblings: the late Jerry Lindemulder (1971), Gerard Lindemulder, Agnes and husband John Fisher, Reverend Alfred and wife Nancy Lindemulder, and Cornelius and wife Manuela Lindemulder.

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Nick’s name are asked to consider the following:

Eastern Christian School Association

50 Oakwood Avenue

North Haledon, NJ 07508-2449

If writing a personal check, please make it out to:

The Foundation for Eastern Christian School

You may also donate online at easternchristian.org

Eastern Christian Children’s Retreat

700 Mountain Avenue

Wyckoff, NJ 07481

You may also donate online at eccretreat.org

Ruth Tanis, age 89, of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains passed away peacefully on Monday, April 22, 2019.

Ruth was born in Paterson and raised in Prospect Park. She met her husband Ken at Hawthorne High School. Their first date was a walk from Prospect Park up through North Haledon. They married on Friday, July 31, 1948 at First Presbyterian Church in Paterson. After a honeymoon at the Point Pleasant Hotel down the Jersey shore, the newlyweds moved in to live in a two-family house with Ruth’s grandparents living on the first floor and Ruth and Ken living on the second floor with Ruth’s parents – three generations in one house!

Ruth started work as a bookkeeper for a local laundry in Paterson and then Universal Manufacturing in Westwood. When the blessing of her children came into her and Ken’s life, she turned her attention exclusively to their nurture and care. Once they were old enough, she returned to working, this time as a retail clerk at Mark Pharmacy in Wayne. She worked there for twenty years before retiring for good.

Ruth was a woman whose faith in God and family were her most cherished blessings. A member of Jacksonville Chapel (now known as The Chapel) in Lincoln Park for over twenty years, she loved worshiping there and participating in the Loaves and Fishes Food Distribution ministry. Ruth enjoyed family outings including picnics at Ringwood Manor, warm sunny days at Swartswood Lake, a nice stroll at Ringwood Manor or High Point State Park, family vacations, and having the family gathered regularly for dinner. Ruth was a great cook and baker and all of her family loved her delicious pies, breads and meat pudding. She loved getting outside in spring and summer to tend to and enjoy her gardens while evenings were spent sewing, knitting or reading a good book.    

Ruth was the loving wife of Ken Tanis, blessed in a long and loving marriage spanning 68 years until his passing in August, 2016. She was the loving and devoted mother of Lori Tanis-Blixt and her husband Timothy of Wayne, and Paul Tanis and his wife Beverly of Denton, Texas; cherished grandmother of Christopher, Jesse, and Jacob Tanis. Ruth was predeceased by her sister Doris Eelman.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Ruth’s name are asked to consider a charity of choice.

Christine Cannito, (nee Gentile), age 99, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Monday April 22, 2019, while receiving the loving care of her family.

Christine was born in Buffalo, NY, and was raised in Brooklyn.  She was one of four children to Pasquale and Mary Gentile.  Christine was also a member of a group in our society known as “The Greatest Generation.”  While growing up in Brooklyn and after graduating from high school, Christine found work as a seamstress which was no easy task during the time of the Great Depression.  After working as a seamstress for a few years, tragedy struck her family when her father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  Christine was only twenty-three with two younger siblings, when her mother moved the family to Michigan to live with relatives. Christine’s mother passed away one year after her father, nearly to the day.  Following her mother’s death, Christine took the responsibility of raising her younger brother and sister.

Christine grew up with a young man named Frank Cannito; they actually attended grammar school together.  Later, as they grew up as young adults, they started dating.  The couple dated for nearly six years.  When Frank returned from his service in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War, Christine and Frank were married on March 11, 1943, in Michigan.  They settled in a working and middle class section of Brooklyn known as Canarsie.  While living there, Christine and Frank welcomed both of their children, Frank Jr. and Francine.  From this point on, Christine devoted herself to her family and became a full time homemaker.  The family moved to Queens Village in 1956.  In 1969, they moved to Wayne and have been there ever since.  Frank and Christine cherished nearly fifty-one years of a loving marriage together, until Frank’s passing in 1994.

Christine was a wonderful cook.  In the past years, she spent her time babysitting, sewing, crocheting, and knitting. She was the classic mom/wife that had supper on the table every night for her family and hosted countless holidays and family events at her home. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and family.  She had a most memorable cross country trip with her husband and family from New York to California in 1968.  The couple also vacationed to Hawaii three times through the years.  Christine continued to travel after she lost her beloved Frank, and visited other memorable places such as Greece and Italy.  Frank and Christine owned a home in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Christine enjoyed her numerous trips there during the winter months.

Christine was a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church for many years.  She was Vice President of her husband’s company, Fran Deb Fringing in New York City.  She worked closely with her husband, Frank, and made garment novelties.  Christine was a strong-willed woman, and very loving.  Aside from all of Christine’s interests, hobbies, and talents, her greatest passion was for her family. Christine was blessed with a long life and a wonderful family.  She had many friends and touched the lives of many people.  She will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Christine is survived by her daughter Francine Casale and her husband Steve of Wayne, her son Frank Cannito, Jr. and his wife Helen of Delaware, OH, one sister, Ninfa Buscemi of West Palm Beach, FL,  six grandchildren; Kristen Mallet and her husband Josh of Wayne, Allison Makowsky and her husband Marc of Wyckoff, Dana Moon and her husband Kevin of Oakland, Danielle Linert and her husband Jan of Worthington, OH, Shawna Morita and her husband Don of Delaware, OH, and Gregory Cannito and his partner Steven Zindler of Danbury, CT, and seven great grandchildren: Jack, Luke, Sam, Maya, Luke, Kylie, and Jake.  She was predeceased by her husband, Frank Cannito, in 1994, as well as her two brothers, Steve and Murray Gentile.

Peter Marinus Dooyes, age 72, of Wayne, passed away on Sunday morning, April 21, 2019 at his home.

Peter was born in Rotterdam in The Netherlands. At the age of nine, his parents, Walter and Wilhelmina, decided more opportunity awaited in the United States so Peter suddenly found himself in new surroundings. They settled in Paterson where Peter eventually graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1965. Education continued at Columbia University for one year before Peter transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science. Soon after college Peter had been living in Fairfield.

After college, Peter immediately landed a position in social work. He enjoyed a long career spanning thirty-nine years as a social worker with the Passaic County Board of Social Services in Paterson and Passaic, retiring in 2008. It was at work that Peter met his wife Janet. They married on 11/20/1988 with the ceremony and reception taking place at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes. After marriage, Peter and Janet moved to the Pines Lake section of Wayne.

Peter loved living in Pines Lake as it afforded him the opportunity to enjoy his most favorite pastime – fishing. There was never a time when everything seemed all right with the world like the times he was in his boat on Pines Lake with a small trolling motor moving the boat along as he waited, fishing line cast, for that big pike or bass to strike. Sometimes he was fishing alone but oftentimes he enjoyed sharing his passion with friends. Peter loved the outdoors in general, so much time was also enjoyed working in his yard, keeping the grass manicured, the flowers blooming, most importantly tulips, and tending to his precious Koi fish which lived in a pond that he built himself. Evenings were often spent reading history books. Peter was such a lover of history that he often took notes from the books that he read. His favorite subjects were wars, war ships and war planes.

Above all else, Peter’s family was most important. He and his sons Jeff and Zach often enjoyed watching the Mets and Giants games on television together. Sports were always a big part of his sons lives and Peter loved being there for all of Jeff’s games and Zach’s football games at Wayne Hills High School. Food has always been a good excuse to gather family and friends and, with Peter being such an excellent cook, his family was always happy and eager recipients of his culinary skills. Family favorites included Peter’s beef stew, soups and Rouladen – a German steak wrapped in bacon with mustard and pickles. Of course, being of Dutch descent, Peter also found herring to be absolutely delicious! The rest of his family did not share this love with him.

Peter will always be remembered for his quiet, loving demeanor. He chose to live life simply and honestly, valuing a life of service to the less fortunate over the material trappings that so often are chosen. Friends and neighbors could always find him at the Twin Elm Deli, right in his neighborhood, for his morning coffee.

Peter was the loving father of Zachary and wife Jessica Dooyes of Riverdale, and Jeff and wife Ashley Campeas of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Mason, Makayla, and Maya. He is also survived by his former wife Janet Dwyer of Pompton Lakes and his cousin Froukje “Florence” and her husband Jan “John” of West Milford.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Peter’s name are asked to consider the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047, or online at www.lbda.org

Dorothy E. Wall (nee O’Malley), age 96 of Wayne, died on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.  She had lived in Wayne since 1964.

Dorothy was born in Philadelphia and moved to the Bronx as a young girl.  She was the youngest of four daughters to Austin and Nellie O’Malley.  Dotty lived in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx, and she went on to graduate from St. Thomas Aquinas high school.  Shortly after high school, Dotty went to a dance at St. Helena’s Church where she met Robert Wall.  They hit it off that night, but Robert was in the U.S. Army and he had to leave for the Pacific Theatre.  They kept in touch as best as they could, and upon his return, they married at the Holy Family Church in the Bronx.  They tied the knot on September 11, 1948 and settled in Parkchester.  They were inseparable and loved each other dearly.

In 1964, they moved to Packanack Lake in Wayne, NJ.  They loved their new community right from the start, and never moved again.  They raised their daughter, Dorothy Ellen, there and made a nice life for themselves.  Each of them were devoted parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne, and Dotty missed being able to go to mass in recent years.

Traveling together was something she truly enjoyed, and the whole family had visited Hawaii at least three or four times.  It was her favorite destination by far, and they have spent time on all the islands.  They were a very close and loving family, so much so that their daughter Dorothy Ellen never left home!  She made a mean Mai Tai, her signature drink, which was perhaps part of the reason she was so welcome to continue living with her parents.  Truth be told, Dorothy Ellen took great care of her parents, and without her loving care, they would not have been able to stay in their home as long as they did.  Sadly, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in 2011.  This was a true heartbreaker for Dotty and her husband Bob, and losing their daughter put great strain on them both, as it would do to any parent.  Soon thereafter, Dotty lost her best friend and loving partner, when Bob died just nineteen months after their daughter.  Six years have passed since then, and there is comfort knowing that they are all reunited once again in God’s Kingdom.

Dotty will be missed by her loving niece; Geraldine Rock and her husband Barry of Durham, NH, and by her nephew; Robert Barrett of Spring, TX.

Dorothy “Dottie” Bernice Saunders, age 90, of Wayne for over sixty-five years, passed peacefully on Sunday, April 21, 2019.

She was born to William and Inez Spencer in the Bronx, New York.  Through her childhood years Dottie lived in all of the five boroughs of New York City at one time or another.  When she was a junior in high school her family moved to North Haledon and she graduated from Hawthorne High School with the Class of 1946. She continued her education and received her undergraduate degree from William Paterson College in Wayne. Dottie has lived in North Haledon, Pekin, Illinois, and Wayne for the past sixty-five years.

She met the love of her life Richard “Dick” Saunders III while at a dance in North Haledon.  They married on July 14, 1946 at Saint Pauls Church in Paterson. “Dick” was just out of the Navy and they had their reception in the backyard of their home.  They never had a formal honeymoon as they just didn’t have the money.  Dottie would tell the story that her mother was a bit skeptical about her marrying a “sailor” that was possibly an “experienced man” but soon realized he was a wonderful son-in-law. Dottie was always the one on the go and Dick would stay in the background.  One shining example of this is when they bought their home in Wayne.  Dottie showed him the house they were going to buy and he simply said “that’s fine” and signed the purchase contract. All else was in Dottie’s hands.  That being said Dick was always very proud of his Dottie and her dedication to family, community, and veterans. They had a loving and devoted marriage of fifty-four years before his passing in 2000.

Dottie was independent, strong willed, organized, determined, and dedicated to her Catholic faith, family, community, country and veterans.  She was a dedicated mother to her two children Richard and Rickie and always taking her kids shopping in downtown Paterson and Pompton Lakes. She was a member of St Paul’s Church in Paterson, later North Haledon and for many years she was a parishioner of Holy Cross Church in the Mountain View section of Wayne. Dottie was an over twenty-five year member of Wayne Fire Department Community Co. #1’s Ladies Auxiliary and joined the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post 174 in Wayne and focused her time and talent on helping Veterans across our country.  With the American Legion she worked her way through the local ranks, then the county ranks and served as County President in 1989 and 2005 and finally became the President of the American Legion Auxiliary Department of New Jersey 1995-1996. Dottie went on to work with the National Executive Committee of the American Legion Auxiliary for several years. She has traveled across the country attending American Legion Auxiliary meetings, conventions, visiting veteran hospitals and speaking to all types of groups on behalf of veterans. She was also an accomplished painter whose favorite medium was acrylic paints.  She would demand to see family vacation photos for inspiration and won many awards for her work.

Dottie worked full time for the State Farm Insurance Company in Wayne for twenty-seven years having retired in 1990 as an Insurance Underwriter. During her years at State Farm she was told she couldn’t get a promotion without a higher degree.  She was never one to be deterred so she entered a Masters Degree program at William Paterson College in Wayne and coordinated her classes with her daughter Rickie’s so they could commute to school together. Looking at all of Dottie’s life accomplishments it’s hard to believe it but she never had a driver’s license!

Dottie was the loving wife of fifty-four years to the late Richard “Dick” Saunders, III (d.2000); devoted mother of Rickie Katz and her husband Alan of West Milford and the late Richard Saunders IV (d.2007) and his surviving wife Catherine of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Richard Saunders and his wife Melissa, Mark Saunders, William Katz and his wife Susan, Jessica Watkins, and Allison Watkins; dearly loved great-grandmother of Cameron Saunders, Ava Saunders, Hannah Katz, Lexi Watkins, Donald Watkins, Aiden Watkins, and Nora Watkins.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the American Legion Post 174, 55 Boonton Tpk.,Wayne, NJ 07470 would be greatly appreciated.

William M. Evers, age 74, of Butler passed away peacefully on Sunday April 14, 2019 while holding the hand of his beloved wife Cheryl of fifty-one years at Morristown Medical Center.

Bill was born in the Bronx, NY.  He and his family moved to Wayne, NJ when Bill was about five years old.  Growing up in Wayne, Bill attended Wayne High School and graduated with the class of 1963.  Upon graduating, he found work quickly at Bogue Electric in Paterson where he worked as an Expeditor.

Bill worked there for about two years when he heard the call to serve his country an enlisted in the NJ Army National Guard in 1965.  Bill was a career veteran and served our country in the US Army National Guard from 1965 until 1992. During his military career he attended the Sea Girt Military Academy where he earned the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in 1967 and continued working his way up the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1993 while being assigned to the US Army Reserve.  Bill ultimately retired from the military when he was sixty years old in 2005.

Bill was a member of the Military Officer’s Association, Northern NJ Chapter, where he was also the Chairman of the Membership Committee.  He was also a Master Mason of the Lessing-Passaic Masonic Lodge #67.  In 1974, Bill joined the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in Morristown as a Detective/Sargeant.  Bill worked at the Prosecutor’s office for twenty years before retiring.

On September 23, 1967, Bill married his high school sweetheart Cheryl Cobell.  After getting married, the couple settled in Wayne where they welcomed their first child, their daughter Brittney.  In 1974, Bill and Cheryl moved to Butler where they then welcomed their second child, their son Doug.  The couple remained in Butler for the rest of their lives together and raised their family.  Bill and Cheryl cherished fifty-one years of loving and loyal marriage together.

Bill enjoyed collecting and working on antique Lionel Trains.  He was also fond of antique automobiles.  Two of his most prized possessions were his 1950 Ford F1 truck, and his 1962 Willy’s Pickup Truck.  He enjoyed going to car shows with his wife and his vehicles.  And over the years, Bill was awarded multiple trophies for his cars.

Bill was devout patriot to his country which he truly loved.  He was a fountain of knowledge when it came to history and loved to tell stories and explain history to people.  Once Bill got started telling his stories it was difficult to stop him.  Above all, Bill’s greatest passion was for his family, nothing meant more to Bill than providing for, and spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.  Bill touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Bill is survived by his wife Cheryl Evers (nee Cobell) of Butler, one daughter Brittney Burnworth and her husband Terrill of Blacklick, OH, one son Doug Evers and his wife Tammy of Castalian Springs, TN, and four grandchildren; Maddox and Andrew Burnworth, and Mason and Sloane Evers.  He was predeceased by his mother Elsa Uhlmann and his father William Jacob Evers, both of Wayne.

Jean Mary (Kepler) Doubleday, age 88, of Newton, formerly of Wayne and Wanaque, passed on Sunday, April 14, 2019.

She was born and raised in Clifton, NJ and graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1949.  After high school Jean graduated from the Newark Preparatory School. Her first job was with the Walter Kidde Corporation in Belleville where she worked in the secretarial pool. After Jean’s children were grown she worked as a Medical Transcriber for about thirty years before retiring in 2008.

Jean met Ralph Stafford Doubleday, Jr. while she was working at the Walter Kidde Corporation.  They fell in love and married on September 12, 1954 at Saint Paul’s Church in Clifton.  Their wedding reception was at the Lexington Cocktail Lounge in Clifton and they honeymooned in Canada.  Jean and Ralph, or as many knew him “Doub” or “Doubs”, had a loving marriage of sixty-one years before his passing in 2015.

Jean was a parishioner of Saint Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes for many years.  She and Ralph enjoyed bowling in leagues at the T-Bowl Lanes in Wayne and when Ralph retired from work he became Jean’s bowling coach. Jean will be lovingly remembered for her poppy seed cake, enjoying a Manhattan, summers at the Jersey Shore in Point Pleasant and Long Beach Island, and day trips to the beach at Sandy Hook. Jean will be remembered for her sense of adventure, being soft spoken, always wearing blue, and although she was small in stature she had a huge heart.

She was the loving wife of the late Ralph “Doub” Doubleday (2015); loving mother of Alan Doubleday and his wife Denyce of Phoenix, Geoffrey Doubleday and his wife Karen of Sparta, and Kim Musumeci and her husband Charles of Franklin Lakes; she was the cherished grandmother of Alexander, Cameron, Wyatt, Geoffrey, Christian, Ashley, and CJ. Jean was also the loved sister of the late Eleanor Ungerleider and her surviving husband Arthur of Alexandria, VA.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Tarahumara Children's Hospital Fund; Attn: Rev. David Ungerleider, SJ; PO Box 532233; San Diego, 92153-2233. (if you click on the link above be sure to enter Jean's name in the "In Memory of" section.  The hospital has been sent a letter directing donations in memory of Jean are to be managed by Rev. David Ungerleider.)

Michael John Jachera, age 54 of Scotch Plains, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Michael was born in Glen Ridge. The first four years of his life were spent in Perth Amboy before moving with his parents and siblings to Wayne in 1968. Michael was a student at DePaul High School in Wayne where he graduated with the Class of 1982.

By his early twenties, Michael founded his own company Seal of Approval in Scotch Plains. His specialty was extending the life, beauty and integrity of his customer’s residential driveways and commercial parking lots by means of crack-filling and seal coating.

Michael met his beloved wife Holly Edelson one night in 1993 while out on the town in Hoboken. It was a mutual case of love at first sight. After a season of dating, he chose an evening when they were visiting the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY to get on one knee and ask Holly for her hand in marriage. He did not let the fact that he had no ring at the time dissuade him from his goal of marrying Holly. The exchange of vows took place on Saturday, April 29, 2000, returning to the place of his marriage proposal for the wedding ceremony - the Mohonk Mountain House. Ten years later, they returned once more to the very room at Mohonk where they had originally married and, once again, in the presence of all their guests, Michael got down on one knee and proposed.

After the wedding, Michael and Holly’s first house was in Ringwood. They remained there for about three years and then they moved to Scotch Plains where they’ve lived to this day. The blessing of two boys – Zachary and Tyler changed Michael’s life forever. He adored his sons and loved living life with them. A faithful fan of the Giants, Rangers and Mets, he shared his love of sports with Zach and Tyler and they even went to Citi Field to see the Mets less than a week ago. Michael didn’t ask for a whole lot from life. He enjoyed fishing and this hobby too, was enthusiastically shared with his sons. He loved Holly and being all-together as a family. Michael loved to cook and, having gone through two years of culinary school, he was pretty darn good at it! He loved cooking for the family and his shepherd’s pie and steak were real family favorites. Together, Michael, Holly, Zachary and Tyler made happy memories with trips to places like Disney World, the Grand Canyon, and also to Washington DC – a place that Michael loved because of his great sense of patriotism and love for America. Michael was a real history buff. He was well-versed in knowledge about all the American wars and it seemed he knew every General that ever served. He loved taking Zachary and Tyler on trips to plane and tank museums and once, on a very cool trip to the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum. Lately he was becoming increasingly concerned about America veering from her roots.

Michael’s love for family extended well beyond his wife and sons. He would do anything for anyone and his love for his extended family was clearly evident. When his niece Kristie got married in March of 2018, it was Uncle Michael who proudly walked her down the aisle in place of her dear father Jacob who had passed away. The family were so appreciative of Uncle Mike’s loving gesture and all agreed that it was most fitting since Michael didn’t have any daughters of his own to some-day walk down the aisle.  

Michael had a soft spot in his heart for the plight of homeless and sheltered animals. He and his wife Holly were supporters of the Friends of Linden Animal Shelter, sometimes making it their Christmas or birthday gift to each other to make a donation to this cause they found to be so worthy. They gave a home to a couple of the animals from the shelter themselves – their dear dog and Michael’s faithful friend Colby and their sweet cat named Jasper who recently passed away. For Michael, family was most important and his pets were a very welcomed part of that family.

Michael embodied all of the most enviable qualities. While he could be straight forward and sometimes a bit stoic, he was equally gentle. A brave and quiet man, he was an adoring father and family man who always filled the lives of others with genuine love.

Michael was the beloved husband of Holly (nee Edelson); loving father of Zachary and Tyler Jachera; loving son of Winifred Jachera of Wayne and the late John Jachera (2000); dear brother of: Patricia Galloway of Kinnelon and her late husband Jacob (2009), Linda Feldman and her husband Peter of Wayne, and Steven Jachera and his wife Antonella of Morris Plains; dear uncle of Kristie, Amanda, Alexandria, Jayden, Jonathan, and Madison; great-uncle of Aubree; dear son-in-law of Karen Frost of Somerville, and Paul Edelson of Warren; and dear brother-in-law of Dana Edelson of Manhattan.

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

Friends of Linden Animal Shelter

Please make checks out to FOLAS

Please mail your gift to:

FOLAS

P.O. Box 2151

Linden, NJ 07036

You can also donate online at folas.org/donate

Rheumatology Research Foundation

2200 Lake Boulevard

Atlanta, GA 30319

You can also donate online at www.rheumresearch.org/donate

Mariam Patricia Vidal (nee Ortiz), age 64, of Clifton passed away peacefully on Friday April 12, 2019 after a courageous battle with cancer and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Mariam was born and raised in Callao, Peru and was one of seven children to Arturo and Amelia Ortiz.  For as long as she could remember, Mariam’s lifelong dream was to start a family of her own.  In 1973, her dream came true when she married her husband Gonzalo Vidal and immigrated to the United States of America.  Upon arriving in the United States, Mariam and Gonzalo settled in New York City where they lived for about two years.  During that time, Mariam was dedicated and supportive of her husband while he was still attending college here in the US.  During their time living in New York City, the couple welcomed their first child, Kenneth.  When Mariam’s husband was offered employment in Illinois, the family relocated to Peoria, IL.  Mariam and Gonzalo lived there for the next ten years and welcomed the birth of their next two daughters, Jeannette and Michelle.

Gonzalo and Mariam chose to relocate to be closer to family and settled in Linden, NJ.  They lived there for ten years before moving to Clifton in 1995.  The couple remained in Clifton ever since.  For the first fourteen years of their marriage, Mariam devoted herself to caring and nurturing her children and her husband.  Then, over a period of a couple of years, Mariam's entrepreneurial spirit led her to start her own company, Vidal Travel, Inc. in 1987.  Mariam had an outstanding work ethic, a talent for sales, and she was quite a natural business woman.  She applied the extreme dedication and devotion as a homemaker to her business, and it flourished.  In 1991 her husband Gonzalo joined her at Vidal Travel and they worked together for almost twenty eight years.  Being the owners of a Travel Agency, Mariam and Gonzalo got to travel throughout most of the world.  During many of their trips, they were accompanied by travel business associates, who later became some of their closest friends.  There were not many places that Mariam had not been to.  Some of her favorite destinations included India and Russia, and a most memorable trip with friends and family to Punta Cana shortly after Mariam was diagnosed with cancer.

By far, the most important thing and Mariam’s greatest passion was her family.  Nothing meant more to Mariam than providing for, and spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and her brothers, and sister.  Over the years Mariam sponsored all of her brothers and sisters to immigrate to the United States.  When they arrived she provided housing for them in her own home.  Mariam was a strong woman, compassionate and loving.  Mariam was a beacon of strength that radiated warmth. Those closest to her, were privileged to also know how generous and playful she was. Mariam touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by all who knew her.

Mariam is survived by her husband Gonzalo Vidal of Clifton, one son Kenneth Vidal and his wife Heather of Budd Lake, two daughters; Jeannette Vidal-Murtha and her husband Daniel of Glen Ridge, and Michelle Vidal of New York City, NY, six grandchildren; Aidan, Ava, Julian, Vivian, Tedric, and Sadie, one sister Nancy Ortiz of Passaic, and two brothers; Jesus Ortiz, and Manuel Ortiz.  She was predeceased by her three brothers; Walter Ortiz, Levi Ortiz, and Ronnie Ortiz.

Lester Reiche, Jr., “Poppy” or “Grandpa,” age 88, of Pompton Lakes for the past sixty years, passed Friday, April 12, 2019.

He was born in Paterson to Lester and Martha Reiche. Lester attended Eastside High School in Paterson with the Class of 1949. His family recalls a story Lester would tell about the family physician coming to the house and having his tonsils removed while he laid on the kitchen table.

Just out of high school Lester worked for the Brightstar Industries and soon enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in December of 1953 with the rank of Corporal and having received the National Service Defense Medal.

Lester met his future wife Agnes while on a blind date. They dated and married on September 13, 1952 at Holy Spirit Church in Pequannock while he was on leave. As a young newlywed couple they lived in a small home by the Marine Corps Base in North Carolina and through the years they lived in Pequannock, Totowa, and Pompton Lakes. They had a loving marriage that was blessed with four children before Agnes’ passing in 1996. Lester and Agnes were loving parents and when the grandchildren started coming their happiness and devotion to family and each other found a new level.  The love in his heart grew even more with the birth of his great granddaughter.

When it came to work Lester was a hard worker that was always managing at least two jobs.  For over 39 years Lester worked for PSE&G having retired in 1993 as a Substation Operator.  All during his work with PSE&G Lester worked a myriad of part time jobs.

Lester never let grass grow under his feet…even though he was a caddy for all those years, he was always on the move.  He just never stopped moving and many will know him for his daily trips to the Shop Rite in Oakland, walking his grandson Kris’ Dalmatian around Pompton Lakes just about every day if not twice a day.  He especially enjoyed shopping with his granddaughters and visiting the Rockland County Sportsman’s Show. For many years he also cooked up a storm.  He would make huge portions of spaghetti sauce, chicken soup, pea soup that he would place into containers and deliver to family, friends, and neighbors. He was simply a caring, loving guy who easily made friends and cared for everyone.

He enjoyed hunting and fishing his entire life.  He could often be found fishing on the bridge in Pompton Lakes or on a party boat at the Jersey Shore.

He is survived by his son Michael Reiche of Longs, SC, grandson Kristopher Reiche and his girlfriend Kim DeBlieck of Pompton Lakes, NJ, daughter Barbara Reiche and her wife Nancy DeNoia of Guttenberg, NJ, daughter Linda Selsor and her husband Douglas of Vernon, NJ,  granddaughter Katie Aries and her husband Paul and great granddaughter Sophie of Mint Hill, NC, granddaughter Maggie Selsor of Vernon, NJ, son Lester Reiche and wife Patty and grandson Sean of Highland Lakes, NJ.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Pompton Lakes First Aid Squad, 700 Ramapo Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 or the Pompton Lakes Fire Department 1 Passaic Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 would be greatly appreciated.

Evelyn Van Houten, age 99, of Lincoln Park passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family, to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Evelyn was born and raised in Paterson NJ.  She was part of a group of people in our society known as the Greatest Generation.  People of the Greatest Generation were people who grew up during the Great Depression and later as young adults fought and bore witness to the Second World War.

Evelyn got her formal education in Paterson, graduating from Eastside High School with the class of 1937.  Following her graduation from high school, Evelyn found work quickly at the Little Falls Laundry facility in Little Falls.  She worked there for more than seven years.  While employed there, Evelyn literally worked “back to back” with a handsome young man named Raymond Fylstra.  The two of them started dating and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on September 10, 1941 at the Second Reformed Church in Little Falls.  The couple settled in Paterson and shortly after getting married the events of World War Two unfolded.  Raymond was drafted by the US Army in late of 1943.  In 1945, days before the war was about to end, Raymond was killed by a German Sniper.

Following Raymond's passing, Evelyn moved back to Little Falls with her newborn daughter Janice to live with Raymond's family. Evelyn and her daughter moved to an apartment in Little Falls 5 years later and lived there for the next 10 years. During this time Evelyn went back to work grading test tubes at Cargill Laboratory.  She held this position for a time, then worked for the Little Falls Post Office, and then the Kearfott Company where she performed clerical work.

In 1959 Evelyn found love again meeting Cornelius Van Houten and once again getting married on March 30, 1959.  Neil had two sons of his own and gladly and whole heartedly accepted Evelyn’s daughter Janice as his own.  Evelyn and Neil and their family settled in Paterson.  Evelyn and Neil cherished seventeen years of loving and loyal marriage until Neil’s passing in 1975.  Evelyn and her family lived in Paterson, then moved to West Paterson (now Woodland Park).  Evelyn and Janice moved back to Little Falls for about twelve years and then relocated to Lincoln Park in 2002 where they have been ever since.

Evelyn was extremely devoted to her faith and was one of the oldest members of the Second Reformed Church in Little Falls.  There she taught Sunday school, was a member of the Choir, and the Evening and Morning Circle.  She was a member of the American Legion in Little Falls Post 121, as well as the Gold Star Wives of America.  She volunteered at the Corner Closet Consignment store in Hawthorne for many years.

Evelyn loved her word search puzzles, and she treasured watching her favorite soap operas; The Young and the Restless, and As the World Turns.  Evelyn was a fun loving woman and was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Evelyn was blessed with a long healthy life, she touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by all who knew her.  

Evelyn is survived by her daughter Janice Lynn Fylstra of Lincoln Park, one son William Van Houten and his wife Lois of Little Falls, five grandchildren; Debbie, Donna, Billy, Cathy, and Cindy, and fourteen great grandchildren; Melanie, Matthew, Marli, Kaylie, Brendan, Robbie, Jacob, Tyler, Bennett, Sarah, Brady, Spenser, Zachary, and Jason.  She was predeceased by her first husband Raymond Fylstra in 1945, then her second husband Cornelius Van Houten in 1975, and her step son Edward C. Van Houten in 1999.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Evelyn’s name may be made to the Second Reformed Church 6 Walnut St. Little Falls, NJ 07424 or the First Reformed Church 61 Main St. Little Falls, NJ 07424.

Robert Ridgway, age 83, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Robert was born and raised in Pompton Lakes.  He was the only son and one of two children to Frank and Alice Ridgway.  While as a student of Pompton Lakes High School, Bob played for the Varsity Basketball and Baseball Teams.

After graduating with the class of 1952, Bob worked for a couple of years with the Erie Railroad.  One day, Bob’s heard in his heart, the call to serve his country.  He and a friend enlisted in the United States Army.  Bob served honorably in the US Army from 1956- 1958.  During his time in the service, he was stationed in Germany and Colorado.  Subsequent to his honorable discharge from the military, Bob found work quickly as a truck mechanic at Country Club Ice Cream where he worked for about ten years and was then offered a position at Entenmann’s Bakery in Little Falls.  Bob was employed there for nearly twenty years earning the title of Fleet Manager.  Following his employment at Entenmann’s, Bob went to work for Wayne Township Board of Education.  He worked for the Board of Education for the next twenty-seven years at Wayne Valley H.S. as the Head of the Custodial Department.  Bob held this position until his retirement in 2011.    

During the summer of 1959, Bob was spending some time with friends at a popular local ice cream/eatery in Wayne called the Milk Barn.   While there, Bob noticed an attractive young lady by the name of Anne Sanclementi.  Bob offered to take her out to the movies.  They hit it off great on the first date and dated just a year.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married on February 21, 1960 at St. Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes.

Bob and Anne settled in Pompton Lakes.  There they welcomed their first two sons, Robert and James.  As their family started to grow, the couple moved to Wayne Township where they welcomed their third child and only daughter, Marie.  Bob and Anne would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives.  Bob, Anne and the children vacationed regularly throughout the years in Wildwood and in Hawaii where they owned a timeshare.

Bob never lost his passion for baseball and was a devout and serious New York Yankees fan.  Growing up, some of his favorite players included Mickey Mantle, Thurman Munson, and Joe DiMaggio.  He was always meticulous about his lawn, proudly making sure that he mowed his lawn replicating the same pattern as was in Yankee Stadium.  Bob was also an avid gardener, growing a variety of fruit trees and vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, hot peppers and squash.  One of his prized possessions as of late was his 1931 Model A Ford.  Thoughout his life he developed a love for clocks. He had a variety and multitude of them he had collected in his home throughout his life, including several that he built himself.  Bob could fix just about anything from cars to electronics and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it.  He always looked for the best in people and always gave the best of himself to everyone he met.  Bob was a fun person to be around always smiling and joking with everyone. He was a genuine gentleman, and kind of guy that touched the hearts of everyone he met. All that came in contact with him couldn’t help but like him.  

Bob was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.  He was quite the dictator with his children while raising them, but after his grandchildren were born, his children recall him becoming “Mr. Softy” and spoiling his grandkids to pieces.  Above all of Bob’s talents and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing meant more to Bob than providing for, and spending time with his family and friends.  Bob and Anne cherished forty-nine years of loving and loyal marriage until Anne’s passing in 2009.  Bob was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Bob is survived by his daughter Marie of Wayne, two sons; Robert F. Ridgway and his wife Sondra of Navarre, FL, and James Ridgway and his wife Lynne of Milltown, NJ, one sister Joan Cabrera of Easton, PA, and seven grandchildren AnnaMarie and Daniella Coffaro, Nicholas, Richard, Matthew, Gina, and Robert James (RJ).  He was predeceased by his wife Anne (nee Sanclementi) in 2009.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in Robert’s name are asked to consider Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad P.O. Box 2004.

Gregory “Hank” Velardi, age 89 of Wayne, died peacefully at his home on April 9, 2019.

Hank was born and raised along with his 3 brothers in Wayne, NJ. He was the 4th loving son of Frank and Fortunata Velardi and was born on August 23rd, 1929.

He attended Wayne Schools, and graduated the 8th Grade.

In 1944 he was awarded a “Certificate of Service” from the State Department of Agriculture for his work “on the farm front” aiding in the production and harvesting of food crops, thereby contributing directly toward the prosecution of the war.

He served his country as a private in the Army, based in Germany during the Korean conflict and was honorably discharged on January 23rd 1953.

Hank met his future wife Eleanor when she used to vacation in Wayne at her Grandmother’s summer bungalow out in the “country”.  While here one summer, she visited the Hi-Ho Club where she met Hank.

Hank and Eleanor were married on June 8, 1957 and settled into the home that Hank, his friends, and his brothers built on Dupont Terrace in Wayne where they raised their 2 boys, Frank and Gregory.

The pride and joy of his life were his 3 grandchildren Tim and Paul, and Robby.  He loved watching them grow up, spending time with them, and reveling in all their successes.  

Hank was a proud union carpenter serving with local unions 2 and 15 in Passaic and Bergen counties. He worked on many projects in and around the North Jersey Area.

Hank spent the last 13 years of his career as the carpenter foremen at Brendan Byrne (Meadowlands) Arena. While employed there, he was awarded a certificate of appreciation for removing a child whose neck was trapped by a turnstile at the arena.  Hank sawed off the arm of the turnstile as the child’s frantic mother was screaming wildly. In staying within his usually calm cool nature, he meticulously sawed away until the child was freed from the turnstile.

At the arena, it was the responsibility of the carpenters to manage the installation of the glass around the boards of the hockey rink.  All the glass is pre-cut, and stored behind the stands.  Many of the pieces are different sizes. One night while working the standby shift during a hockey game, a piece of glass broke, and needed to be replaced. Hank went out on the ice, saw what piece was broken, went back behind the stands grabbed the piece of “replacement“ glass and brought it out to the ice to be installed.  He tried to install the glass, but it just wouldn’t fit.  He shoved, pushed, pulled and twisted, but the glass just wouldn’t go in.  As you can imagine by now after having the game delayed about 30 minutes, the fans and players were getting restless. Of course the whole time he was trying to install the glass he was getting verbal assistance on how to install the glass from all the fans in the front row, that had never installed a piece of glass in their life.  Finally after wrestling with the wrong size piece of glass for 15 minutes, he realized that someone had placed the piece of glass he had in the wrong bin, and it was the wrong size.  Once he realized this, he went back in the shop and cut a new piece, just the right size. He brought it out, and installed it after about a 60 minute delay.  The fans were ecstatic, clapping and cheering after he completed the installation.

Hank and Eleanor were parishioners of Holy Cross church in Mountain View, for many years.

Hank was a 63 year Life Member of POL Fire Co. No. 2 having served as their Captain and Trustee.  He also served on numerous firehouse committees including the fair, new building, and old building committees.  He was a fixture at the front entrance table of the pancake breakfasts. He was also a life member of the New Jersey State Firemen’s Association, and the New Jersey State Exempt Firemen’s Association.”. In 2001 he was awarded the Wayne Counseling and Family Services Unsung Hero award along with 2 sons and brother Nat.  In 2008 Hank along with his brother Nat they were selected by the Wayne Elks to be honored as  “Firemen of the Year”.

Hank was also an avid sports fan and he enjoyed watching the Yankees, Giants, and Devils on TV.

Hank is survived by his devoted and beloved sons Frank and his wife Gillian of Wayne, NJ and  Gregory and his wife Laurie of Wayne NJ. He will also be missed by his three cherished grandsons Timothy, Paul, and Robert. Hank was predeceased by his loving wife of 58 years Eleanor (2015), three older brothers Natale (2002), Rocco (2003), and Carmen (2016).

The family is forever grateful, and would like to acknowledge and THANK Monika Shebalin, Hank’s loyal, faithful, loving, and dedicated caregiver. Her hard work and exhausting efforts over the last five years assisting both Eleanor and Hank with their numerous day to day activities was greatly appreciated.

Those wishing to make a donation in Gregory’s memory are asked to consider The New Jersey Firemen’s Home. Donations should be made payable to the “The New Jersey Firemen’s Home 565 Lathrop Avenue Boonton, NJ 07005”.

Gary M. Hall, age 89, of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed away peacefully with his family lovingly by his side on Sunday, April 7, 2019.

Gary was born in Passaic to Elsa and Maynard Hall and he grew up in Rutherford. He attended Sylvan and Pierrepont schools as a child, then Rutherford High School where he graduated with the Class of 1947.

After high school, Gary attended two years at Syracuse University before transferring to Newark College of Engineering.

In between starting and finishing his college education, Gary met the love of his life whose uncle and aunt lived in Rutherford and happened to be friends with Gary’s parents. Her name was Gloria Coon and she was from Michigan visiting her uncle and aunt. Gary and Gloria’s paths crossed by virtue of her uncle and aunt and his parents friendship. They fell in love and married on Saturday, April 7, 1951.

After marriage, Gary finished his education at Newark College of Engineering, graduating as a mechanical engineer in 1952. He immediately accepted a direct commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve and went to Lakland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas for officer basic training. Subsequently, he was ordered to Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, Illinois to attend officer communication school. Soon after graduation, Gary became eligible for release from active duty. He continued reserve duty for eight years before being released as Captain. During his years in the Air Force, his young wife Gloria always accompanied him and, throughout those years, they welcomed the first three of their four children.  

After his Air Force service, Gary joined Worthington Corporation training program and subsequently chose to start work in Wellsville, NY. After two years, he changed jobs and went to work for Walter Kidde and Company in Belleville, NJ at which time he moved to Clifton for ten years before moving to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne in 1966. While living in Clifton, Gary and Gloria welcomed their fourth child. Gary’s career at Kidde spanned 27 years then, in 1982, he left Kidde and took a job with Valcor Engineering Corporation in Springfield, NJ. He continued to work at Valcor for the next fourteen years before permanent retirement in 1996.

One of Gary’s favorite activities was playing tennis. He played a lot with the Packanack Tennis Club and even served as their president for many years. Before and after retirement, he had no problem keeping himself occupied. He continued to play tennis and, being a lover of the outdoors, he was an avid gardener who enjoyed the creative and design side of this hobby as much as the nurturing and cultivating part. He and Gloria’s yard was always so beautiful which must have been a welcomed enjoyment for those in their neighborhood.

Being an engineer, Gary loved projects of all kinds. Moving walls, or doing plumbing and electrical work was no problem for him and, frequently, his children were the fortunate recipients of his endless skills. It was Gary who made the Packanack Tennis Club’s bulletin board and he even installed a fire suppression sprinkler system in his own house.

Above all, family was the most important part of Gary’s life. When his children were young, it was tradition to visit Gloria’s family in Michigan two weeks every year for reunions and, later in life, to visit Gloria’s sister in Florida. Gary took great pride and delight in his grandchildren, always doing his best to be present for his grandchildren’s athletic events. After Gloria’s passing, it became a tradition that, whenever there was a wedding in the family, Grandpa Gary always got up to dance to a special song with all of his beautiful granddaughters.

Gary’s family give thanks to him for being a wonderful and loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. His family and friends were blessed to have shared life with this quiet man who possessed an enjoyable dry sense of humor and who was known for always being there if you needed help with anything! It’s worth noting that Gary passed away on the date of his wedding anniversary. One can’t help but wonder if it was his desire to be reunited with his beloved Gloria to celebrate.

Gary was the beloved husband of Gloria, blessed in marriage for 58 years until her passing in 2007. He was the loving father of Margaret G. Grutzmacher and her husband Mark of Wayne, Maureen Matano and her former husband Gary of Wayne, Gerald M. Hall of Baltimore, MD, and George M. Hall and his wife Lynn of Jefferson; cherished by eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Gary’s name are asked to consider either Packanack Lake Fire Company 5, 5 Lake Drive West, Wayne, NJ 07470 (www.plfc5.com), or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675 (www.woundedwarriorproject.org/Donate).

Eric Denus Heppel, age 47, of Sussex and formerly a thirty year resident of Wayne passed suddenly of natural causes on Saturday, April 6, 2019.

He was born in Pequannock to George and Veronica Heppel and raised in Wayne.  Eric graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1989 and continued his education at Montclair State University where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting with the Class of 1993. He worked as a computer consultant for many years.

Eric loved community theatre! He was involved with productions at Montclair State University, the Radburn Players of Fair Lawn, and The Barn Theatre in Montville just to name a few.   For many years he enjoyed the themed storyline at The New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, New York. He will be remembered for his loving, caring, comfortable to be around way.  His home was always open to friends and acquaintances who needed a place to stay.  He was generous to a fault, had a great sense of humor, and was a great hugger!  He enjoyed all kinds of games and whether it was Dungeons and Dragons, video games, or live action role playing. He was a black belt in Karate and for many years enjoyed fishing trips to Canada. Most of all Eric will be remembered for his devotion to family. He was an amazing Dad.  He was incredibly proud of his daughter Bera, who he shared many adventures with.  He also dearly loved his nephew and God-Son Ryan. Eric showed up at his Marine Corps graduation at Parris Island and was just recently at his Police Academy graduation with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.

Eric was the loving son of Veronica and George Heppel of Wayne; the devoted father of Bera Heppel and her loving mother Erin Goss of Fairlawn; much loved brother of George Heppel and his wife Geri of Wayne; and dear uncle to Ryan Heppel of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations for the benefit of Eric's daughter Bera would be greatly appreciated.  Please make donations payable to George Heppel, and mail to Vander May Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Mrs. Deborah Elizabeth Leckel, “Memom”, of Wayne, NJ, passed at the age of 96 with peace and grace with her family at her side, April 5th, 2019.

Deborah was born in 1923 to parents, George and Debora Bayersdorfer. She lived in the Richfield section of Clifton, NJ until moving to Wayne in 1932. On September 20th, 1943 she married the love of her life, Alfred F. Leckel for 58 years.

She was a homemaker using love and kindness in everything she did.

Deborah is survived by her two sons and their wives, George and Linda Leckel of Bear, DE, Alfred and Elizabeth Leckel of Exmore, VA; one sister, Lucille Tracey of Wayne, NJ; four Grandchildren, Kimberly and her husband Edmund Wilson, Katherine and her Fiancé William, Joseph, and Tara, and four Great-Grandchildren, Nolan, Caelan, Peyton Wilson, and Bryce Leckel.

Deborah was one of the longest standing members of the historic Preakness Reformed Church located in Wayne, NJ that was founded in 1798. At this Church’s Columbarium, she will be put to rest beside her beloved husband.

Frank Sparacia, age 82 of Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday April 4, 2019.

Born in Brooklyn, Frank married Joelle Arciero on June 20, 1959.  They met at a traditional church dance and fell in love shortly thereafter. They moved to Wayne in 1969 with their two children and have been residents ever since.  

Frank proudly served his country from 1957-1963 in the Army as Specialist 4th Class, both on active duty and in the reserves. Here he was introduced to the computer field.  He found his professional calling eventually becoming a Vice President of Management Information Systems originally for Revlon Corporation in Edison, and then subsequently for Simon & Schuster in Old Tappan.

Affectionately known as “Cheech” and “Poppie”, Frank was a loving husband; father, grandfather, father-in-law, brother, uncle, friend and godfather.  He enjoyed life and found happiness in fishing, golfing, and traveling.  But his true passion was spending time with his family.  Sunday family dinner was a sacred time for Frank and was not something to be missed.  Summertime was Frank’s favorite season, and he loved working in the yard, in his tomato garden, or tanning on the beach at Wildwood during their annual family vacation. While others were shading themselves, Frank was soaking up the rays.  Crabbing in Barnegat Bay became a mandatory summertime event as well.

Frank is survived by his loving wife of 59 years - Joelle of Wayne; his two children: Patricia Missey and her husband Todd Missey of Cary, NC and James Sparacia and his wife Marialynn of Elmwood Park; his five grandchildren: Andrew, Dominick, Ryan, Giana, and Gabrielle; his brother Richard Sparacia and his wife Teri of Atlantic Highlands; his brothers-in-law: Joseph Arciero of Las Vegas, and Henry Larsen and his wife Donna of Fort Myers, Fla; his sister-in-law Anne Arciero – wife of his late brother-in-law Vincent Arciero of Naples Florida; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and godchildren.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Frank’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

Dolores “Lorry” Toomey, age 83, of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

Born and raised in Passaic, Dolores was a graduate of Pope Pius High School in Passaic, Class of 1954. With her formal education completed, she joined the working world at the offices of Fritchie Brothers in Clifton. Soon after, she met the man she would someday marry. His name was Thomas J. Toomey and they met by virtue of a sport that they both loved – bowling. As the story goes, Tom was a regular in a weekly bowling league. Along came Dolores who was called upon to substitute on another team. She didn’t go unnoticed by Tom and soon he was asking around as to who that pretty girl was. Long story short, Tom eventually made himself known to Dolores and a season of courtship culminated in the exchange of marriage vows before God, family and friends at St. Mary’s Church in Passaic on Saturday, November 21, 1959. For their honeymoon, they traveled by Dolores’ least favorite mode of transport – flying to Florida.

After the wedding, Dolores continued to work until the blessing of the first of three children graced her and Tom’s life. They named that first child Thomas. He would be followed by a little sister named Kathleen and then another little sister named Lori. Her children became the primary calling of Dolores’ life as she embraced motherhood and homemaking. Dolores ultimately returned to working outside her home to help cover Kathy’s tuition at Felician School for exceptional Children. She never considered it a burden as Kathleen and all of her children were truly one of the greatest loves of Dolores’ life and she’d do anything to give them every opportunity possible. In later years, Dolores also worked part-time in a number of bookkeeping positions as well as at Rickel’s Home Center and Meyer Brothers.

As a young girl, Dolores loved to dance, especially polkas and she always looked forward to winter so she could put on her skates and get on the ice which to Dolores was just another form of dance.

Bowling continued to be a big part of Dolores and Tom’s leisure time. They bowled in their own respective leagues as well as leagues together, and many games were enjoyed with Dolores’ sister Barbara and her husband John. For Dolores, she always enjoyed the competitive part of the game, but for her bowling was also a means to get together with friends to socialize and have a good time.

When it came right down to it, Dolores was really a homebody and all-around family person at heart. She took great pride in her home and it was always a warm and welcoming place. Being with her family was very important to Dolores. She spent a lot of good times getting together with her six sisters, her brother and their families. Being the youngest child in a large family meant that some of her sibling’s children were about the same age as her and they became very close.

Dolores loved playing card games and board games of all varieties so it was very common for her to be playing games like Pinochle with Tom, or Candyland, Yahtzee, Sorry, or Parcheesi with the kids when they were young. Of course, she played Bingo with her sisters and friends wherever a game could be found in town. Most recently, she enjoyed getting together with the ladies from church for a good game of Canasta.

When her daughter Lori was playing basketball for Manhattan College, Dolores never missed a game. When the blessing of grandchildren graced her life, she was always gladly available to greet them as they came home from school and stay with them until Lori or her husband Devin got home from work. Because of her aversion to flying, Dolores would never be described as a world traveler. In fact, over the years, she only took a few flights to see her son Tom and his family who live in Colorado. Dolores’ idea of traveling was taking a trip to the Jersey shore. This she did with greater frequency and trips down the Garden State Parkway were always a pleasure!

A faithful and founding parishioner of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne, she and her family began attending there starting in 1965 before the church was even built, gathering on Sundays at Schuyler Colfax School while construction was going on. Dolores remained a faithful OLC parishioner throughout the rest of her life

Dolores leaves an important mark on those who had the pleasure of knowing her. When asked by her family what they will miss most about her, they reflected and replied with that which really is the most important thing – her mere presence. Rest in peace Dolores.

Dolores was the beloved wife of Thomas J. Toomey, blessed in marriage for 43 years until his passing in 2003. She was the loving mother of Thomas J. Toomey and wife Kay of Denver, CO, the late Kathleen A. Toomey who passed away in 2013, and Lori Derstine and husband Devin of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Alanna, Avery, Zachary and Colin; dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews; and dear sister-in-law of John Ulicni of Woodland Park. Dolores was predeceased by her brothers and sisters: Marion Koterba, Ann Costa, Josephine Novick, Joseph Sefcik, Florence Orlovsky, Evelyn Plafta, and Barbara Ulicni.

Dorothy C. Vasilenko, age 94 of Gettysburg, PA and a long-time former resident of Wayne, passed away on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

Dot was born in her grandmother’s house in Garfield, NJ. The oldest of three children, Dot remembered moving to Saddle Brook and sitting in front of the coal stove in the kitchen - the only means of heat in the apartment, and putting her feet in the opening of the oven while doing homework. As a child, Calvin Coolidge was President, a candy bar cost five cents, movies were fifteen cents, and gas for the car was eleven cents per gallon.

Dot had wonderful childhood memories of her Grandma Toth who was a great cook and baker. She used to love watching her Grandma when she baked apple strudel – stretching the dough around the table and, every year, she made Dot a peach and whipped cream cake for her birthday.

Growing up and being a teenager during World War II, many of Dot’s relatives and friends were in service, especially in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. She herself was a USO member and she and her friend Ruth would dance with the servicemen on Friday’s at the YWCA in Passaic while her mother served refreshments.

Dot’s first job was during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school. She worked in the office of Botany Woolen Mills typing and filing. She attended Lodi High School where she was secretary in the National Honor Society and a three year member. She graduated with the Class of 1942 and, over the course of her life she worked numerous places with favorites being: at the U.S. Rubber Company in Passaic where she especially liked doing lots and lots of steno, and for Bonland, Inc. – Sheet Metal Contractors in Wayne where she was secretary to the president and also editor of the Bonland monthly newsletter.

Dot met her husband Pete through her Aunt Helen and Uncle Steve who lived next door to Pete. Their first encounter was not face to face. Instead it was a conversation on the phone. They talked for an hour and, as Dot would later tell her children while in a reminiscing mood, “It just clicked!”  The next day Pete picked up Dot for their first date and she was especially impressed when he pulled up in his new car. Ironically, that car broke down on that date, but their relationship never broke down. Contrarily, it got better and better. Six months after they started seeing each other, Peter Vasilenko Jr. and Dorothy Markert became Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Dorothy Vasilenko as they married on Saturday, September 17, 1949 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Passaic. The hot band at the time was Glenn Miller’s Orchestra and the hottest dance was the jitterbug. Their first home together was in an apartment on the second floor of Pete’s parent’s home in Garfield where the rent was twenty five dollars a month. The following year they purchased their own home for $12,000. Then, in 1960, they moved to Wayne where they remained for the next 51 years. During the course of their marriage, Pete and Dot were blessed with three children – Nancy, Peter, and Susan. They enjoyed a sweet marriage of 34 years until Pete’s passing in 1983. As Dot would say, the secret to their marital bliss was due to the daily practice of always loving each other, expressing that love with words and trusting one another.

Dot was a great mom who gave her children a loving upbringing and a welcoming home to grow up in. She enjoyed instituting traditions like having all the family gathered for birthday parties, Santa at the house at Christmas to hand out all the presents, always having homemade cookies for Christmas because “They were the best”, filling Easter baskets that Peter had blessed at the Russian church, and having a big turkey and pumpkin pies, yams and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. She and Peter were true believers in engaging their kids in vacations that enriched the mind. Thus, over the course of their upbringing, family vacations were to numerous destinations including Williamsburg, VA, Gettysburg, PA, Boston, MA, Mystic Seaport, the Bronx Zoo, Cape Cod, and Lake George to name a few.

Home-baked Christmas cookies were “the best” because Dot was such a skilled baker. She loved to cook and bake and always helped out at church for special affairs and lunches. She always remembered how her husband Peter would say after a Thanksgiving meal, “You really did a great job Sweetheart.” She also really enjoyed and was good at counted cross stitch, quilting and macramé, and she loved collecting teapots, owls and Santas.

In many respects, Dot’s life could be described as a life of service. She was an active member and former president of the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 255 in Garfield, NJ. She was an assistant Girl Scout leader during the late 1950’s, she taught Sunday school in both St. John’s Lutheran Church in Passaic, NJ and in St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Wayne, NJ, and she was also a long-time member of the Miriam Circle and a member of the Council at St. Timothy’s church.

Dot’s faith is Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior was extremely important to her. Her faith journey lessons included, never giving up, keeping your faith, believing and praying always!

Dorothy was the beloved wife of Peter Vasilenko, Jr., blessed in marriage for 34 years until his passing in 1983. She was the loving mother of Nancy Vasilenko of Gettysburg, PA, Dr. Peter Vasilenko, III and wife Carol Anne Fuller-Vasilenko of Gettysburg, PA, and the late Susan Vasilenko-Wilson (1995); cherished grandmother of Dr. Sara Anne Vasilenko and Reverend Christin Rose Vasilenko Fawcett and husband Luke; adoring great-grandmother of Louisa Rae and Penelope Violet Fawcett; dear sister of the late Fred Markert and the late Robert Markert.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dorothy’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

Joseph Elias Massoud started life as the second child of what would be twelve children to Elias and Fadwa Massoud in Jaffa, Palestine. Joe loved his young life and was known for being the good boy –or maybe it was just the contrast with his older brother George who kept his parents up nights. George and Joe would be as close as any two brothers could be throughout their lives. In 1948, the family became refugees and resettled in Beirut. Joe never held a grudge. His last “best friend” was a Jewish man, and the two would alternate between Catholic and the Jewish prayers. Joe worked hard to help support his family while in Beirut, and through hard work and determination, he became Chief Financial Officer of a major Lebanese import company by the age of 24.

In 1956, Joe and George immigrated to the U.S., and the rest of the family followed three years later. Upon arriving in the U.S., George and Joe fell in love with sisters, Josephine and Gloria Massood, and the four were inseparable for 60 years.

Joe married his one and only love, Josephine or “Josie,” in November 1956 and began a family of his own. He was a devoted family man, who walked through the door every day at 5:30 p.m., sometimes carrying dinner. Joe was a gentle soul, always there when you needed him without judgement or hesitation. He was a devout Catholic, serving on the parish council and as a member of the Knights of Columbus. Always ready to forgive, there wasn’t a mean or hateful bone in his body. Family meant everything to him. Early in his career, Universal Corp. asked him to move to Chicago, and he responded, “There isn’t anything you could offer me to leave me family.”

He eventually joined his brothers-in-law at MGM where he worked until retirement. Joe had a passion for learning, and when computers where introduced, he made sure MGM had one of the first. He was a "software engineer” before the term was coined.

In the last years of his life, he was persuaded by his son, Bryan, to write an autobiography which was published two years ago titled, “A Life Well Lived.” His life is an example of one truly well lived, and we are humbled by his kindness and love for his family.  We take comfort knowing he is resting peacefully with his family, as we celebrate his life.

Joe is preceded in death by his wife Josephine, his daughter Patricia, his parents, his brothers George, Paul and Edmund, and his sister Josephine. He leaves behind 7 brothers and sisters; his children Anthony, Bryan and Michele; 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. He will be remembered fondly, and deeply missed by all those with whom he walked the road.

Patricia “Trish” L. McKenna (nee Ghirardi), age 50 of Pompton Lakes, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, March 30, 2019.  She’s been a lifelong resident of Pompton Lakes.

Trish was currently a Special Education Para-Professional at the Lincoln Elementary School in Pompton Lakes, where she’s been for nearly twelve years.  She had infinite patience, a heart of gold, and truly loved the students with whom she worked.  She was gifted with a special disposition which was ideally suited to helping children.

Trish grew up in Pompton Lakes and graduated from Pompton Lakes High School with the class of 1986.  She loved her hometown and met her husband Tom there in 1997.  They were introduced by family friends and dated for a few years before finally getting married on June 13, 1999 at Christ Episcopal Church in Pompton Lakes.  Tom recalls what an excellent cook Trish was, making the best Lasagna and Chicken Cacciatore.  She was also a devoted mother to her three children, but there was no one more special than her beloved little granddaughter; Isabella.  Trish spent every second she could with Isabella, and showered her with love.

Summertime was probably her favorite season, and she was a true “sun worshiper.”  Trish loved floating around the pool with a Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee in hand, or tanning on the beach at Wildwood during their annual family vacation.  While most people were shading themselves, Trish was soaking up the rays.  

Trish is survived by her loving husband of nearly twenty years; Thomas of Pompton Lakes, her three children; Marisa, Tyler and Timmy, all of Pompton Lakes, her granddaughter; Isabella, her mother; Patricia Anderson of N. Carolina, her mother-in-law; Maria McKenna of Riverdale, two sisters; Allyson Iannelli and her husband Nicholas of Vernon, Kathleen Ghirardi of Kinnelon, a brother; Charles Ghirardi and his wife Amy of Pompton Plains, her brother-in-law; Scott Graf and his wife Denise of Riverdale, her brother-in-law Timothy McGovern and his wife Kristin of Pequannock; and nieces and nephews; Nikole, Rachel, and Caitlyn Ghirardi, Michael and Samantha Iannelli, Carly and Dylan Graf, Braeden and Chase McGovern, and her most beloved dog; Sandy.

For those wishing to make a donation in Trish’s memory, please consider the Alpine Learning Group, 777 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ 07652 or visit www.alpinelearningroup.org.

Lucille M. Van Dis, age 80, formerly of Clifton, passed away on Saturday March 30, 2019.

Lucille was born in Passaic and was a lifelong resident of Clifton until moving to Wayne in 2017.  She was the beloved daughter of Adrian and Maria Van Dis.  After graduating from Clifton High School, she attended Secretarial School and received her Associates Degree.  Lucille worked for a textile company in New York City for many years and then for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson before retiring.

Lucille had a very loving and close relationship with her parents.  Her friends and co-workers knew her to be trustworthy, loyal, and kind.  She always had a positive attitude and never spoke unkindly about anyone. She remained a close childhood friend of Ann Vander Valk and was predeceased by her dear friends Wilma Secker, Ken Malone, and Mary DiNeto.

Lucille had two cousins, Beppie Kappetijn, Netherlands, and Roel van Eden of Belgium, along with other family members, Ruud and Sylvia van Dis, and Marlies Veldhuizen, which she remained in contact with.

Philippians 4:5

Let your graciousness be known to everyone.

The Lord is near.

Kathryn E. Kuiken (nee Thompson), age 69 of Wayne, died on Friday, March 29, 2019.  She was a Wayne resident since 1975 and had been a Haledon Elementary School teacher for twenty-two years before retiring in 2012.

Kathryn grew up in Wichita and Manhattan, Kansas.  Kathryn went on to study at the College of Emporia, Kansas, where she was editor of the Year Book; “Alla Rah.”  While playing cards in college one night, Double Deck Pinochle to be exact, she met Ken Kuiken and their love for one another grew quickly.  They were married on June 12, 1970 in Emporia, and after a honeymoon to New Orleans, they settled to Clifton and Little Falls before buying a home in Wayne in 1975. They began to raise their family and Kathryn continued her college studies at William Paterson College, eventually earning her Bachelor’s Degree.  She soon landed a teaching job in the Haledon elementary school and embarked on a twenty-two year career there.  She loved it, and particularly enjoyed having the summers off to spend time with her family and travel.  Traveling was by far her most enjoyable activity.  It wasn’t out of the question for her and Ken to enjoy five or six cruises per year!  They had some dear friends who would often join them on the cruises, and St. Maarten was among her favorite islands to visit.  She also vacations for nearly twenty years on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in the town of Duck.  She was also quite the homemaker who enjoyed sewing, ironing Ken’s shirts, and reading.  On average, she had three to five books per month checked out of the library, mostly mystery novels.  She was well-read, to say the least.  With all that activity keeping her busy, she was still able to taxi her kids around to swim meets, baseball games, camp, and everything else.  She was always there for Ryan and Michelle, with dinner on the table at 6:15 sharp every, single day.  She was an amazing wife and mother.  Of course, she also endured great sadness when her son Ryan died in 2002 at just twenty-four years old.  She was never the same after losing Ryan, and grieved for him every day.  Surely her family and friends will miss her dearly, but there is solace knowing that she is with Ryan once again.

Kathryn is survived by her husband; Kenneth of Wayne, her daughter; Michelle Graffanino and her husband Rich of Oakland, two grandchildren; Emma and Connor Graffanino of Oakland, a sister; Marcia Andrews and her husband George of Arizona, a brother; Bruce Thompson of Redmond, Washington, her brother-in-law; John Spada of Long Valley, NJ, and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her son Ryan in 2002.

For those wishing to make a donation in Kathryn’s memory, please consider the Alpine Learning Group, 777 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ 07652 or visit www.alpinelearningroup.org.

Lucille Theresa Martelli (nee LaRocco), age 69, of Riverdale passed away on Monday, March 25, 2019 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Lucille was born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  She was one of three children and the only daughter to Salvatore and Luna LaRocco.  While growing up in New York, Lucille played snare drum in the Drum Corps at Cathedral High School and graduated with the class of 1967.  Following her graduation from high school, Lucille enrolled in a Medical Technician’s school.  She was quickly offered a position at an office on 68th St in Manhattan, working for a local physician.  She continued to work at that office for the next thirteen years. As a young woman, Lucille enjoyed traveling.  There were not many places she hadn’t been.  Lucille traveled extensively through Europe and South America and the United States.

In 1979, Lucille was introduced through a mutual friend to a young man named Michael Martelli.  They were set up on a blind date and had drinks at a place called “Adams Apple” in New York.  Lucille and Michael hit it off great, they dated for less than a year and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on September 30, 1979.

The couple settled in the Bayside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.  Lucille and Michael only lived there for about a year then moved to Wayne in 1980.  Lucille and Michael would call Wayne their home for the next thirty eight years and raised their two children there.  The couple moved to Riverdale in 2018.  After getting married, Lucille dedicated herself to her family becoming a full time homemaker.  Lucille was a devoted wife and mother, always having dinner on the table every evening.  She became an outstanding cook over the years, always making Sunday dinners and holidays something very special.  After Lucille’s children started getting a little older, she decided that she would get back into the workforce and in 1993 was offered a position as a Teacher’s Aid with the Wayne Township Board of Education.  Lucille held this position until her retirement just a few months ago.  

Lucille was the kind of girl who enjoyed sitting “Poolside.”  She was a fan of country music and Elvis.  She loved to go shopping and would often contemplate destinations she traveled to according to the shopping that was available there.  She was a creative person and indulged in Arts and Crafts, making a variety of artistries including ornaments, wreaths, and gift baskets.  After getting married, Lucille continued her tradition of traveling with her family and took yearly family vacations to Florida, the Bahamas, Disney Wold, Las Vegas, Cancun, and California.

She was devoted to her Catholic Faith and was a parishioner of St Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes for many years.  Lucille was a fun person to be around and you couldn’t help but like her.  She was a “Social Butterfly,” she created and cherished lifelong friendships with many people.  During her years as a Teacher’s Aid she often helped children who were less fortunate, buying school equipment for those who couldn’t afford it.  Above all of Lucille’s hobbies and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Lucille adored spending time with her children, and grandchildren and treasured thirty nine years of loving and loyal marriage to her husband Michael.  Lucille touched the lives of countless people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Lucille is survived by her husband Michael Martelli of Riverdale, one daughter Lauren Reszka and her husband Thomas of Rockaway, one son Michael C. Martelli, Jr. and his wife Nicole of West Hempstead, NY, one brother Charles LaRocco of Valley Stream, NY, four grandchildren; Evangeline Martelli, Everly Martelli, Kent Reszka, and Grayson Reszka.  She was predeceased by her brother Peter LaRocco and his wife Angela, as well as her niece Melissa LaRocco.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lucille's name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.

Edmund Roy Data

1932 - 2019

Edmund Roy Data, 86, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Sunday, March 24th.  His entire family and grandchildren were blessed to spend the prior evening with him in his Wayne residence of 40 years.  

Born in Garfield in 1932, Ed grew up with his parents, sister and three brothers in a home where they raised chickens and owned horses.  Edmund fondly remembered his favorite horse, Babe, who enjoyed eating ice cream right out of a cup.  

Other than his family, Ed's true passion was repairing, restoring, and painting vehicles, particularly cars.  At an early age, he started by often painting his bicycle different colors, as the mood struck him.  

Edmund met his wife, Patricia, in 1951 while driving (in a car) on Route 46 in Pine Brook.  Pulling up beside Patti and her girlfriends, the boys challenged the girls to a drag race.  After "losing" the race, the boys paid the agreed-upon penalty of treating the girls to ice cream at the iconic Milk Barn in Wayne.  When asking Patti for her phone number, Ed didn't bother writing it down, but forever committed it to memory (Prescott-7- 4291).  Pat thought she would never hear from him again, but destiny proved otherwise.  

An army veteran, Ed served in the Korean War at Madigan Army Hospital near Tacoma, Washington from 1952 to 1954.  Not surprisingly, his jobs involved vehicles.  He ran the motor pool and drove an ambulance. Although he witnessed tragedies of war, he made the best of his time by playing baseball and writing daily letters to then-fiancée Pat.  Ed consistently passed inspections.  A fastidious man by nature, Ed guaranteed he would pass with flying colors by secretly keeping a second set of items in his footlocker, all neatly shined, polished, and pressed.  Upon discharge from the service, Ed joined his father in the family business, Englewood Bus Company, where he drove bus routes and maintained the vehicles.  

Edmund and Patricia married in 1955.  For their Honeymoon, Ed bought a 1949 Ford Coupe and fully customized it.  He painted it two-tone pink and black to match Patti's traveling outfit for embarking on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls.  They would eventually raise two daughters in Wayne, both grateful to drive vintage Mustangs fully restored to perfection by Dad.  

In 1961, Edmund left the family bus company to open his own auto body shop in Wayne.  Its original location, "around the corner from the Hi Ho Club" became a familiar refrain, and when the business moved to Lincoln Park, "Hi Ho Auto Body" was born.  His wife joined him in his endeavor, and they built a solid business with a reputation for integrity and quality of work.  

Soon after, Hi Ho added a used car dealership and towing company.  The towing business, in particular, became a source of wild anecdotes. People would get their cars in impossible predicaments: hung over guardrails or dangling off the edge of the road.  When Ed extracted the cars quickly and efficiently, some were amazed.  Others didn't want to pay because the job looked "too easy."  Ed simply replied, "fine, I'll put it back."

In the 1980s, Ed purchased a 1950 Ford Coupe with an identical body to his famous Niagara Falls car.  He customized it and restored it exactly the same as the pink and black honeymoon car, and "My Nifty Fifty" was born.  Pat and Ed began attending car shows and cruise nights.  They became regulars and met dear lifelong friends.  They formed the Nifty Cruisers car club, and traveled the Eastern Seaboard showing cars, laughing with friends, and earning many trophies for Ed's Fifty and Mustangs.  Every Thursday in summer during the 1990s, they organized and ran the famous Jamesway Cruise Night in Pompton Plains featuring hundreds of antique and vintage cars.  

The Data family vacationed summers in Wildwood Crest, and traveled to many sites, including Florida, California, and the Bahamas.  Pat and Ed enjoyed gambling, and spent frequent weekends in Atlantic City playing the slots and seeing a variety of shows.  

Edmund was on the Board of Directors for the North Jersey Auto Body Association for many years, and a long-time member of the Passaic County Police Chiefs Association.  He retired in 2006, after 45 successful years in business.  

Ed will be remembered for his enduring love and fierce loyalty to family, his quiet nature, and his occasional hilarious wit.  He will be missed.

Edmund is survived by Patricia, his joyful wife of 63 years.  Also his devoted daughters Lisa Data and Laura Shamber, along with her husband Randy Shamber and cherished grandchildren, Benjamin and Claire Shamber all of Pompton Plains.  

He is survived by a sister, Eileen Conrad, and niece and nephews, Susan Data-Samtak, Wayne Data, and Robert, Christopher and Timothy Conrad.  

Edmund is predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Helen, siblings Joseph Jr., James, and Richard, and nephews Mark and Warren Data.  

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne PBA Local 136, PO Box 3597, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Kathleen Marie Sternick (nee Markisz), age 53, formerly of Franklin Lakes passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

Kathleen was born and raised in Wayne and was one of two daughters to Stanley and Patricia Markisz.  As a young girl, she took music lessons and enjoyed playing the piano and the flute.  She was also a Girl Scout and received the highest honor that the Girl Scouts had at that time.

Kathleen put aside her formal education, entering into motherhood at an early age, and welcomed her first two children.  She married her childhood sweetheart John Weber in 1982 and the couple settled in Easton, PA.  They lived there for several years when in 1989, tragedy struck Kathleen’s life and her son George Jacob Weber passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  Difficult and troubling emotional times descended on the couple’s lives and their marriage unfortunately ended.  Later in 1993 Kathleen welcomed her fourth child and married her second husband James Sternick.  They settled in Franklin Lakes for a time and also lived in Garfield.  Throughout her life, Kathleen worked for various companies, mostly employed at a clerical position.  

Kathleen was a very spiritual person and was devoted to her Christian faith.  She was a “free spirit” of sorts and was always willing to help others.  She dedicated much time to Alcoholics Anonymous and would often offer assistance to people in recovery.  She was a volunteer at Eva’s Kitchen in Paterson, as well as the Spring House Women’s Shelter for many years.  Kathleen was an exceptional writer and wrote mostly poetry and philosophical quotes.  She was a voracious reader, particularly of spiritual literature.  Kathleen loved being outdoors and in touch with nature.  She was the kind of person that would take notice of so many details and yet find the beauty in such simple things. Kathleen also enjoyed sewing and cooking.  She was a very affectionate person and there was no doubt that she loved and cherished her family.  Kathleen had a special place in her heart for all four of her children.  She learned many nursery rhymes as a child and through the years and passed them down to her children.  Kathleen also treasured her relationship with her grandfather Ralph McPhee.  Kathleen was a very special person who touched the lives of many people.  She will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Kathleen is survived by her daughters Christian Schembre and her husband Kerry of Lambertville, and Laura Brigley of Pequannock; one son John Grew of Athens, Greece; one sister Kristine Steele of Old Town, ME; three grandchildren Vienna Schembre, Max Schembre, and Luca Schembre, all of Lambertville; her mother Patricia Van Steyn, and her step-father Garry Van Steyn.  She was predeceased by her son George Jacob Weber in 1989, as well as her father Stanley Markisz in 2018 and grandfather Ralph McPhee in 1975.

Those wishing to make a donation in Kathleen’s name are asked to consider Eva’s Kitchen, 16 Spring St, Paterson, NJ 07501 or the charity of their choice.

Virgilio Lao, age 72 of Passaic, died suddenly on Thursday, March 21, 2019 with his family at his side.  He had been a technician with LifeCell in Branchburg, NJ before a severe injury forced him to resign in 2010.

Virgilio was born in Leyte, Philippines.  His family included ten children, of which he was the fourth one to be born.  He earned his degree in Civil Engineering from the Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu City, Philippines.  He enjoyed his early career as a civil engineer in Southern Leyte, working on many public highway projects.  The rapid growth in the Philippines which occurred during the decades following World War II, included the construction of many public highways and bridges, joining together many of the smaller islands of Southern Leyte.  He became a supervisor and earned an excellent reputation for getting things done right.  In 1976, he took an opportunity and moved to Ontario, Canada where his sister sponsored him. In 1985, he came to the USA and settled in Passaic, NJ.  He worked for several firms, including Panel Graphic, Merck, and LifeCell.

Virgilio enjoyed time with his family, and he was a devoted father and husband.  He worked very hard, and selflessly, to provide a good life for each of them.  His sons recall how hard their father worked, insuring that his family had a good life.  He didn’t require much for himself, except maybe a good cup of coffee.  He was essentially a homebody who often had a project he was working on around the house, and he loved to fix things.  He was proud to build his own shed from the ground up.  He loved gambling and Russian Poker was one of his favorites.  He loved horse racing too, and went to the Meadowlands often to play the horses. He had traveled a bit, including to Florida and Las Vegas.  He was a very friendly man who could sit and talk to anyone.  Many of his neighbors recall him sitting on his front stoop and striking up a conversation with any passer-by.  He met his wife Evelyn in Canada and they were married in the late 1970’s.  They have enjoyed forty years of marriage and raised their two sons together here in Passaic.  Sadly, Virgilio was assaulted in 2010 in front of his home.  His injuries were very severe, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay, and he has been paralyzed ever since that day.  The past nine years have therefore involved daily struggle, but Virgilio is blessed with a large and loving family who lovingly cared for him.  They each stepped in to help with the daily needs of his wife and children, and Virgilio received the best care he could have hoped for.  They will miss him dearly, but also find relief knowing that his is no longer suffering.

Virgilio is survived by his wife Evelyn of Passaic, by his two sons; Jonathan and Christopher, also of Passaic, eight of his siblings, and many nieces and nephews.

Rita Heykoop, age 84 of Pequannock, passed Tuesday, March 19, 2019 in the comfort of her own home with family by her side. To family and friends Rita was affectionately known as “Peep.”

Rita was born in Paterson, NJ, the youngest of three children. She spent her youth in Wayne, NJ and graduated from high school in Wayne. She was a top notch bowler and won the girls high school bowling team championship.  Additionally, she played basketball and hockey recreationally and loved ice skating.  

Rita met the love of her life, Robert Heykoop. After they married they made their first home in Connecticut where Bob served in the Navy.  There they had their first child, a daughter, Linda.  When Bob completed his service they moved back to NJ. They decided to build a home in Pompton Plains on the property of the family tree nursery where Bob worked.  They built their home with the help of friends and family. Here, they had their second child, Robert Jr.  

With their home on the property of the tree nursery it was easy for Rita to help with the sale of trees, shrubs, and fresh vegetables. She was always happy to be out watering the forsythia or weighing and selling tomatoes! They made a great team.

Rita and Bob had a wonderful life together and they enjoyed a loving marriage of just over 61 years. For several years they enjoyed horse racing adventures with their horse “Drummer’s Best.”  In later years, Rita and Bob were excited to become grandparents to three precious girls – Rhonda, Kelly, and Kaitlyn. Later, they were blessed to become great-grandparents to Lily, Hannah, and Laila. All these girls enjoyed many days of blueberry pancakes at the kitchen table with “Peep” and Pop, and that same kitchen table served as the perfect platform for family games of all kinds.  

Rita will be lovingly remembered for her contagious smile, warm heart, and creating a home that was open to all.  Peep was known for sending supportive greeting cards for events both small and large just to let you know you were loved and she was thinking about you. She loved it when the family was together for holidays, special occasions or gathered together for a theme party she was hosting. Annual trips to the Jersey Shore in Seaside with the family, playing family games, and picnics were highlights for all.  Rita’s potato salad, baked beans and iced tea were always on the menu!  Peep was an avid cook book collector and had cupboards and curios filled with owl, frog, and elephant figurines.  Rita enjoyed observing and feeding the birds in the backyard and was the only lady in town who had a cardinal that when called would fly to her and perch on her shoulder. The green thumb she developed over the years was evident with her indoor plants and flowers. Her African Violets were a joy to see in bloom.

Rita was the loving mother of Linda Van Wingerden and husband Vincent Intindola of Pompton Plains, and Robert Heykoop, Jr. and wife Nancy Heykoop of Lincoln Park; she cherished her three granddaughters: Rhonda, Kelly, and Katie, and her three great-granddaughters: Lily, Hannah, and Laila were her pride and joy. Rita’s siblings include Arthur Zimmerer, Jr. and her recently deceased sister Theresa McCormick.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Covenant House Times Square Station, PO Box 731, NY, NY 10108-0900  or Saint Jude Childrens Research Hospital would be appreciated. (you can click on the organizations name to be brought to their donation page)

Norma Honeywell, age 79 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday March, 19, 2019 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Norma was raised in North Haledon and was one of three children to Conrad and Evelyn Bubb.  She attended public school and graduated from Hawthorne High School with the class of 1957.  Some of her interests as a young lady were employment as a Private Secretary, Social Dancing Club, Art Club, Hunting and Fishing Club and High School social gatherings such as Pep Rallies, Games and Dances. Norma got married while she was still a young woman in August of 1957.  After getting married she devoted herself to becoming a full-time homemaker, and remained so for the next twenty five years.  During those years she devoted herself to nurturing and caring for her three children.

In 1982 Norma, having become a single mother, decided she needed to get back into the workforce to provide for herself and her youngest child. She found work rather quickly.  Norma worked as a bookkeeper for Friendly’s Restaurants for 10yrs and then for Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pequannock until her retirement in 2014.  Throughout the years as a homemaker, and as a working single mother, she made countless sacrifices for her children.

Norma enjoyed gardening, particularly growing flowers and also cherished creating various types of floral arrangements.  She also enjoyed being outdoors and “close to nature.”   She was completely devoted to her Christian Faith and had a firm belief and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  She was an outspoken woman and you always knew where you stood with Norma.  She cherished her family and treasured spending time with her eight grandchildren.  Norma touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Norma is survived by her two daughters Robyn Pombo of Wayne, and Michelle Bradley of Liberty, NY, one son Stephen Honeywell and his wife Melissa of Highland Lakes, and eight grandchildren; Richard Iannotta of Monticello, NY, Marissa Pombo of West Milford, Michael Hubinger of Liberty, NY, Danielle Oliver of Oklahoma City, OK, Robert Pombo of West Milford, Troy Honeywell of Highland Lakes, Solomon Honeywell of Highland Lakes, and Jayna Honeywell of Highland Lakes.  She was predeceased by her sister Janice Westdyk, and her brother Bruce Bubb.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Norma’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.

Peter R. Hjelm, age 76, of Wayne, passed away on Monday, March 18, 2019.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, the oldest of Roy and Mary (nee Casey) Hjelm’s three children, Peter spent a portion of his early years on first the north side of the city and then the south side.

After graduating from high school, Peter entered seminary for the priesthood. It was at that time that he met a sweet young lady named Lauren Lotak through her brother, who was in seminary with Peter. Sensing that God was leading him in a different direction, Peter left seminary and began attending DePaul University in Chicago. After earning his Bachelor’s degree, he decided that he wanted to study law. He was accepted to Kent Law School in Chicago. During the next two years Peter studied law while simultaneously working for an insurance agency for livelihood and to pay tuition bills. You may be wondering what happened to that sweet young lady, Lauren. Well, Peter asked her out and, their first date was to Riverview Amusement Park in Illinois. As their relationship grew, they had a mutual sense that God’s will was for them to spend their lives together. They married on Saturday, July 17, 1971 at the Catholic Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois and, after a magic honeymoon to Mexico in the city of Acapulco, where they stayed at the beautiful Hotel Las Brisas, they returned home and started married life together in a house on the north side of Chicago, right across the street from Lake Michigan. It was a great place to live as they both loved daily runs or walks along the beach. On one particular walk in the frigid cold of winter, catastrophe almost struck. As they stood together on a frozen berm of ice and snow that overlapped the water, it suddenly collapsed underneath, plunging both Peter and Lauren into the icy cold depths of the lake. Lauren was able to grab onto the floating block of ice that they had just been standing on, but Peter went under. Fortunately, Lauren was able to reach out and take Peter’s hand and pull him to safety. They emerged from the water and ran home to the warmth of their home and gave thanks to God for putting his protective arm around them.

Peter finished law school but chose to stay working for the insurance company where he was presently employed. Soon after marriage, his company relocated to California and Peter and Lauren chose to follow. They moved for a couple of years to Santa Monica in a home two blocks from the ocean. Eventually, they transferred to the company’s New York City affiliate and bought a home in Little Falls. When the company split, Peter seized the opportunity to purchase a portion of it. He named his new business American Agent and Brokers and set up his office in New York City near South Street Seaport. With his wife Lauren working alongside him, Peter sold all types of insurance but specialized mainly in property and casualty policies. Never retiring, Peter loved his career and worked really hard at it. Meanwhile, in 1988, he and Lauren sold their home in Little Falls and moved permanently to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne.  

While work was a great sense of joy and satisfaction in his life, Peter had other interests as well. In his twenties, he got the itch to take to the sky so he enrolled in flight school. Eventually, he was given the opportunity to fly solo and on his second solo flight he invited Lauren to join him but, feeling safer with two feet planted firmly on the ground, she graciously turned down his offer. When it was a professional pilot manning the cockpit, Lauren would join Peter and, over the course of their lives together, the two of them enjoyed wonder flights to all kinds of beautiful destinations. For their first wedding anniversary, they returned to their honeymoon destination of Acapulco. This time both of their parents joined them and the six of them had a blast. Their parents also joined them on cruises and also on a tour through Europe where they visited Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Holland and England. On quieter trips alone, Peter and Lauren enjoyed Barbados, Saint Maarten and Bermuda.

Peter and Lauren’s marriage was a great friendship. They did almost everything together. One year they decided to volunteer at the Wayne Animal Shelter. They loved it and it and the work gave Peter such a great sense of joy and satisfaction. When the township took over the shelter and volunteers were no longer needed, Peter and Lauren started Homeless Tails, Incorporated, a non-profit in which they organized and executed the rescue and fostering of dogs and cats to loving homes. Peter believed so much in this cause and gladly volunteered countless hours working the non-profit as well as the fundraisers to keep it operational. Over the years, it gave him great satisfaction knowing that he had rescued and placed literally hundreds of animals to loving owners.

A parishioner of St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes, Peter’s faith was a literal fabric of his being. In many respects, it made him the man that he was – one that many described as the nicest man they ever met. Generous and caring to many persons whose life-path crossed with his, he humbly enjoyed the respect of family, friends, employees, and people in general.  

Peter was the beloved husband of Lauren Hjelm (nee Lotak), blessed in marriage for 47 years. He was the loved brother of Anna Canty of Illinois and Roy and wife Debra Hjelm of New York City; and dear uncle and great uncle to numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was predeceased by his brother-in-law Robert Canty.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Peter’s name are asked to consider the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 7 Ridgedale Ave., Suite 103, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927.

Patricia “Paddy” Fallon CCRN, age 70 of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed on, just after midnight, on Sunday, March 24, 2019. She spent her final hours surrounded by her loving family.

Born in West Paterson, Paddy moved with her family to Packanack Lake at age two and spent the rest of her life in the home her father built. She was active in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish for most of her life. While attending DePaul High School, she volunteered at St Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson as an aide, and that began a 50+ year Nursing career. After graduating from St Joseph’s Nursing School she began working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where a great many of the young patients were terminally ill. More than a few came from under-privileged families and foster families and although she tried to keep it secret, it was not uncommon for Paddy to buy burial dresses for patients whose parents couldn’t afford it. On several occasions she paid for entire funerals and stayed in touch with the families… many of them to this day.

But quietly taking care of the less fortunate in her own back yard was not enough to satisfy Paddy’s sense of honor and charity. She joined the “Healing the Children Foundation” and over the years travelled at her own expense to the jungles of Panama, the grasslands of Kenya, the deserts of Morocco, the ghettos of Mexico and the Dominican Republic and any place on earth where she was needed, to care for children who needed plastic surgery to correct cleft lips or cleft palates. She was also part of one of the first surgical teams to provide corneal transplants, giving blind children of Bedouins and Nomads their first look at the world. Paddy was named Employee of the year and at one point, “Unsung Hero” in the town of Wayne, but the title she cherished most was Sister, Aunt and Godmother.

Even in her leisure, Paddy was truly the personification of a giving spirit. For many years, she loved relaxing in Cape Cod but eventually she shifted course and purchased a home down the Jersey Shore in Manasquan. She considered it a privilege and great joy to be able to regularly bless lots of friends, family and acquaintances with the keys to that house so that they also could enjoy a few days or a week in the sun, sand and surf. Friends, family and co-workers also came to know that Paddy’s home in Packanack Lake was the place to be for some of the best annual St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas parties where she always was such a gracious and fun-loving host. And if you attended one of her parties, you were sure to meet her dear Labrador Retrievers Cagny and Murphy, and later on in life, dear rescued dogs Cooper and Max.

Paddy was a super aunt to her nieces and nephews and she loved spending quality time with them and supporting them by cheering them on at their sporting events. Her grandnieces and grandnephews also got to spend quality time with Great Aunt Paddy as she would frequently invite them to her house for a sleepover and a chance to be spoiled by getting to do fun things their parents wouldn’t necessarily allow. Paddy had a fun spirit – one which was evident when she was riding her Honda CB360T motorcycle. She also had a determined and strong willed spirit – one which was expressed by riding that motorcycle in a full body cast necessitated by a diagnosis of scoliosis when she was in her late twenties.

Surely it that strong-willed spirit coupled with her gigantically generous heart that  enabled Paddy to be such a help and inspiration to the countless souls she was blessed to bless during her days on this earth.

Paddy was predeceased by her parents, William and Ellen Whitty Fallon, her brother-in-law Charles Ferrara, and her foster son William Hanley.

Surviving are Paddy’s sister and two brothers: Maureen Fallon Ferrara and William Fallon, Jr., both of Wayne, and George Fallon and his wife Betsy Knicos Fallon of Lake Stockholm; four nieces and nephews: Chuck and wife Laura Ferrara of Wayne, Joseph and wife Lisa Ferrara of Riverdale, Katie and husband Jason Macones of Wayne, and Amanda Fallon of Wayne; grandnieces and grandnephews: Kaylee, Makenna, Charlie, Max, Natalie, Reilly, Will and Evie; and countless cousins - especially Ruth who was such a great help navigating our family through this most difficult time.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTION INFORMATION

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Paddy’s name are asked to consider the:

Child Life Department

Please make check out to “The Child Life Department”

Please write “Paddy Fallon” in the memo line of the check

All checks should be mailed to:

Tiffany Shevchik

Child Life Department

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital

703 Main Street

Paterson, NJ 07503

Thank you very much for your generosity.

Margaret Mary (Peggy) Vineis, age 93, died peacefully on March 18, 2019 at Lakeview Rehabilitation and Care Center in Wayne, NJ, after a long illness.  Peggy was born on November 24, 1925, in her beloved home town of Freeland, PA, the daughter of Cornelius and Cecilia Denion.

Peggy was proud of her Irish ancestry, her Catholic faith and to be an American. That said, she was most proud of her three sons, daughters-in-laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Starting out life running away from school, she later came to love learning and went on to receive a BA from Penn State University and to teach mathematics at Wayne Hills Senior High School and Morris Knolls High School.  Peggy was a talented and thoughtful teacher who formed life long bonds with her students, receiving Christmas cards from and attending weddings of former students. Her family and former students are the legacy she left behind.

In 1952, Peggy married the love of her life Frank Vineis and began a long, loving and happy marriage that ended with Frank’s death in 1986.  They had three boys, Frank Michael, John and Paul, all of whom tested their parent’s patience but never their parent’s unrelenting support, love and affection.  Her grandchildren and great grandchildren experienced that same support, love and affection.  

For most of her adult life, Peggy was a faithful member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Wayne, NJ but most recently was a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, in Pompton Plains, NJ.

Peggy is survived by her sons, Frank Michael (Ruth) of Westtown, NY, John (Mary) of Pompton Plains, NJ and Paul (Ildiko) of Austin, TX; and her sister Joan Boyle (Jerry), seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was pre-deceased by her father and mother as well as her sisters Mary Grace Jones and Patricia Mulhearn and brothers William Denion, John Denion and Cornelius Denion.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Peggy’s name, are asked to consider a donation to Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 155 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

“If death teaches us something, it is above all that nothing else matters in the world but love."  

 
Helen S. Pilat, age 66 of Wayne, died on October 15, 2019. She had worked for BAE Systems for many years.

Helen began her career with Singer Kearfott and in 1982 she joined BAE Systems in Wayne. She began as an Engineering Administrator before earning her Computer Science degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She was most recently a Software Engineer at BAE Systems, and dedicated thirty seven years to the company.

Sadly, we do not know much else about Helen. She passed away at home, alone, on October 15 of 2019, and she has been in the care of the NJ State Medical Examiner since that day. Her friends went about trying to find Helen’s relatives, but that proved to be a bigger challenge than anyone anticipated. Just a few months later, the world found itself consumed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Very little progress was made in the search for Helen’s relatives in the months, then years, that followed. In 2021, through the unrelenting work of some dedicated friends and strangers alike, distant relatives of Helen’s were finally located in Europe. At long last, a proper funeral for Helen can now take place.

Helen’s loved ones in Poland and Denmark had long hoped for her to visit them again. “Helcia,” as they affectionately called her, spoke fluent Polish and exchanged frequent emails with her relatives abroad. They recall Helcia, a tall and gorgeous woman, being full of joy and curiosity. They all shared a strong connection and spoke frequently about future visits. Helcia had plans to visit them in Europe soon after her retirement. In her last email to them, Helen shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer and she asked them all to pray to St. Jude for healing. Sadly, the healing did not come and their grief was compounded by the many months of silence that followed. For so long, they did not know what had happened to Helen. They are grateful to all of those here, in America, who worked so hard to find them and see to it that Helen received a proper funeral. They say goodbye to their beloved “American cousin” Helcia with heavy hearts and cherish the memories they have of her. They will all miss her dearly.
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‍*If you’re curious to know more about these circumstances; Helen’s funeral was delayed for two and half years because the law in NJ requires that blood-relatives have full authority of funeral arrangements, except for some complex legal exceptions that didn’t apply in her case. Even in a case like this, where her well-intentioned friends were willing to arrange and pay for her funeral, the NJ State Medical Examiner would not allow it, and they would not release her body to any funeral home without the permission of her blood relatives, or a court order. In fact, Helen was on the NJ State Medical Examiner’s list to be buried in “Potter’s field,” and she was very near to having that happen. Despite the fact that her friends wanted her buried with her parents, the State of NJ would not allow it, and was prepared to bury her in an unmarked grave with several other unidentified, unclaimed, or indigent individuals, simply because her friends lacked the legal authority for her funeral. It might sound shameful, but that’s the law in the State of New Jersey.

At our funeral home, we have regretfully experienced many situations like this, where a 'complicated' family dynamic has lead to a completely unnecessary disruption of someone's funeral, lengthy delays, and unwanted stress and anguish. For this reason, it is very important for people to plan ahead and know the law in order to avoid such pitfalls. We can help you to prepare. We encourage you to talk to a funeral director if you want to learn more.

Carman Joseph Mania, Sr. age 99 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Monday December 31, 2018 in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of his family.

Carman was born and raised in Paterson, NJ.  He was one of three children to Carmelo and Josephine Mania.  It was after Carman started attending grammar school when he started to learn English.  Italian was his first language.  Carman went home after school every day and would teach his mother English as he learned it in school.  Carman’s father, Carmelo Mania passed away during the Influenza  Epidemic in late 1918 while his mother was pregnant with him.  He attended Eastside High School in Paterson and graduated with the class of 1937.  Subsequent to his graduation, during the latter years of the Great Depression, Carman worked as a Caddy for a local golf club in Montclair among other things.  He did what he could to earn a living and help his mom.  

In 1941, Carman was drafted into the United States Army.  Because Carman was drafted in the service before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he and his Army buddies would mark off X’s on their calendars, counting down the days till they would be sent home.  After the events of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Carman and his fellow GI’s threw away their calendars, knowing it would be some time before they would be going home.  Carman started off in the Communications Department of the US Army but was then transferred to the Supply Department and participated in the Pacific Theater Campaign at New Guinea, the South Philippines, and Luzon.  During the four years that Carman served he reached the Rank of Sergeant and received the Victory Medal, American Defense Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon.

Following the War’s end, Carman was honorably discharged from the United States Army and was offered a position at Gencraft where they manufactured Windows and Venetian Blinds.  It was here that he met an attractive young woman named Gloria Beshada.  They started dating and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on June 16, 1951  at St Johns Cathedral in Paterson.  The couple settled in Paterson after getting married and lived in a three family house with Carman’s mother and sister Ida.  In 1956 Carman would act as a General Contractor and oversaw the building of his own home on Kipp Place, also in Paterson.  Carman and Gloria remained in Paterson for almost fifty years.  They would raise their three children there until moving to Wayne in 1999.

A few years after the war, Carman went to school at Curtis Wright where he would learn the trade of Drafting and Mechanical Engineering.  He worked for Curtis Wright throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s.  He then worked for Avion and other companies including North American Philips Corp.  His career as a Mechanical Engineer spanned nearly thirty-five years until Carman retired in 1984.

Ever since Carman was a young man, he enjoyed racing Homing Pigeons.  He did so competitively for many years and won many competitions.  He was a long time member of the Paterson Homing Pigeon Club.  Carman was also an avid gardener, if it grew from the ground, Carman could grow it.  He enjoyed growing just about anything including vegetables, flowers and fruit trees.  But of all of Carman’s talents and hobbies, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing meant more to Carman than providing for and spending time with his family.  He cherished over sixty years of loving and loyal marriage to his wife Gloria until her passing in 2011.  He was a devoted father and grandfather, and as his mother grew older, he took on the responsibility of caring for her as well.  He was a quiet man but witty, so when he spoke it was always something worth listening to.  Carman touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Carman is survived by his daughter Diane Baskinger-Petrolino and her husband James of Coral Springs, FL, two sons; Michael and his wife Gail of Wayne, and Carman Jr. and his wife Jayne of Lodi, one sister Ida Bavazzano of West Caldwell, six grandchildren; Corey Mania of Burlington, VT, Kelsie Mania of New Rochelle, NY, Matthew Baskinger of Wayne, Jenna Lynn Mania of Lodi, David Mania of Lodi, and Hannah Mania of Lodi, and one niece Barbara Lawrence of West Caldwell. He was predeceased by his wife Gloria Mania in 2011 as well as his infant brother Johnny in 1917.

Olinto “Lenny” Cioletti, age 71, of Totowa, passed away somewhat unexpectedly on Sunday, December 30, 2018. His family was lovingly by his side at the time of his passing.

Born and raised in Paterson Lenny’s family moved to Wayne when he was ten years old. He graduated from Wayne Senior High School (now Wayne Valley High School) with the Class of 1966.

Lenny was one of the most patriotic people you would ever meet. He wanted to serve his country so much that, in 1967, when the United States was involved in the war in Vietnam, he enlisted in the U.S. armed forces choosing the Marines because he always said, “If I’m going to die for country, I want to die a Marine.” A little over a year into his service in Vietnam, he contracted malaria and soon after was honorably discharged. During his time at war, he was a Mortar Man and Small Firearms Technician and was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. He was also the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Vietnam Service Medal. After returning to civilian life, Lenny got a tattoo which said “Death Before Dishonor.” For many years after returning home, he served as a member of the American Legion Post 227 in Totowa. He enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow veteran servicemen and the opportunities for service and fun that membership offered.

In 1970, Lenny met Barbara Saner, a sweet girl from West Milford, at a little club called TG’s in Greenwood Lake, NY. He had seen her there before, and a friend of Barbara clued her in that Lenny seemed to be interested in her. Her friend was right and, one night while he was there playing a game of pool, a song came on. It was called Cherish and it was a 1966 hit by a group called The Association. As Lenny was setting up his next shot, his mind was drawn to the first couple of lines of that song: “Cherish is the word I use to describe, all the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside.” The song so perfectly described Lenny’s feeling about Barbara! He stopped the game of pool he was playing, conjured up the courage to walk up to her and ask her if she’d like to dance. Much to his delight, Barbara said yes and the rest was history. Barbara fell in love with that ex-Marine and, after a year of dating, they got engaged. They married at the West Milford Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 11, 1972. After enjoying a honeymoon on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, they initially settled in an apartment in a two-family home on Mount Pleasant Ave in West Paterson (known today as Woodland Park). Two years later, after the birth of a baby boy which they named Bryan, Lenny and Barbara moved into a house they purchased in Totowa and have remained there ever since. Soon after moving to Totowa, they welcome a baby girl which they named Lori.  

For many years, Lenny was the warehouse manager for Eagle Roofing and Siding Supply in Lodi. In 1994, he started developing symptoms of Gait Ataxia which doctors later learned was the result of a genetic disorder. Unfortunately, it forced Lenny to have to take early retirement. Despite any challenges he faced, Lenny was always an optimistic and active person.

As a young kid, Lenny took a real interest in model making – plastic, scale models of muscle cars, buses, trucks and trains. As he grew older, the models he selected became more and more intricate and difficult to make. Even after he got married, Lenny and his cousin regularly gave each other model kits as gifts to make. At some point, Lenny’s love of making these replicas morphed into making them out of wood instead of plastic. To accomplish this, Lenny needed more and more tools – things like a table saw, a radial arm saw, a jigsaw, a joiner-planer, a lathe, and all kinds of hand tools too. Soon his family and friends gave him the nickname “Mr Tool Man.” From his workshop in the basement, he spent an average of three hours a day fashioning incredible and increasingly intricate cars, trucks, and tractors from pieces of wood. At Christmas, his yard was beautifully decorated with deer and a sleigh – all constructed from wood. He also made other things – planters, a book holder which tilted the book to a comfortable reading angle, and even a lazy Susan. Lenny’s skills developed more and more so he decided to share his knowledge by serving as a 4-H club leader teaching woodworking to his son Bryan and the other boys that attended.

When Lenny was giving his hands a rest, he was usually filling his mind with knowledge. He was an avid reader who loved learning anything he could about war and military service, and he also loved reading action novels by Tom Clancy. If the television was on, it was usually tuned to the History Channel where accounts of events like Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor were known to move Lenny to tears. On a lighter note, he enjoyed watching NASCAR racing every Sunday and also working on his small collection of Playboy magazines which he only collected for the great articles…..of course!    

Lenny’s service in the Marines as a small arms technician resulted in a keen interest in firearms. When he realized that his diagnosis of malaria was going to result in being sent home from Vietnam for good, he knew there was one gun that had to come home with him. It was a semi-automatic service pistol that he just had to have! So he wrapped the gun in foil and hid it inside of a radio which he had gutted to accommodate and hide the gun. Lenny sent the “radio” to his Dad with strict instructions NOT to open the package until he got home. He also acquired other guns and rifles which he enjoyed shooting for many years as a member in his shooting league.

While Lenny enjoyed his many hobbies, his greatest love was most definitely reserved for his family. He adored his wife Barbara for all 46 years of marriage and he was very proud of his son Bryan and daughter Lori and most grateful for the six awesome grandchildren they blessed him with. In the early days of Lenny, Barbara, Bryan and Lori enjoyed good times together down the shore in Ortley Beach, and more recently, the whole family – grandchildren too, took summer trips to Point Pleasant and also got to experience two great cruises together; first to the Virgin Islands and the second cruise to Bermuda. Lenny adored the company of his grandchildren and spending time with them playing games together like Scattergories.

His family adored Lenny greatly. They were very proud of his service to this great country we are all blessed to be part of and they will simply miss his loving presence. After twenty years of health problems and disability, Lenny will rest in peace and be reunited with his dog Snickers and his two cats Boots and Bobby.  

Lenny was the beloved husband of Barbara (nee Saner), blessed in marriage for 46 years. He was the loving father of Bryan and his wife Kimberly Cioletti of Succasunna, and Lori and her husband Dennis James of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Jailyn, Dylan, Marcus, Jacob, Matthew, and Hannah; dear brother of the late Captain Craig Cioletti and his wife Deborah of Richmond, VA; and dear uncle of Christopher Cioletti of Prosper, TX and Corey Cioletti of England.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Lenny’s name are asked to consider the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund 1235 South Clark Street, Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22202 (vvmf.org), or the Wounded Warrior Project

PO Box 758517 Topeka, KS  66675 (woundedwarriorproject.org).

Dorothy M. “Dot” Faber, 91 of Haledon, died peacefully at home on Friday, December 28, 2018.

Dot was born in Gibraltar, Pennsylvania and spent her early years in the areas of Birdsboro, Seyferts and Reading.  Tragically, her father died when she was just thirteen years old.  A few years later, her mother remarried and moved the family to New Jersey, settling in Prospect Park.  Dot began working in the office at the Faber’s Laundry in Haledon, which is where she met Jacob Faber, Jr.  “JR” Faber was smitten and the two of them were married on November 19, 1948 at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church.  Their strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ served as a solid foundation for their marriage and family.  Dot supported her husband in 1955 as he and his brothers started “Faber Brothers” in Haledon, where they sold broadloom carpeting and retail furniture from their large store.  She served as bookkeeper at Faber Brothers for more than fifty-five years.  Dot and JR's home was in close proximity to the store, and every day, without fail, she opened her doors at 10 AM for ‘coffee and’ to anyone who wished to join them.  This was a decades-long tradition that Dot proudly maintained.

Dot and JR enjoyed traveling over the years.  They visited Holland and Alaska, cruised the Caribbean Islands, and vacationed in Mexico.  Most of all, they enjoyed relaxing at “the farm” in Matamoras, Pennsylvania and the condo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  They had a very loving and strong marriage for sixty years before JR passed in 2008.  Dot was devoted to JR and she has missed him dearly ever since.

Dot’s hobbies included crocheting blankets and afghans, decorating her home with countless pictures of her family, and playing the organ.  She liked to cook and had a lot of fun playing dominoes.  She was especially fond of all animals and had horses, dogs, cats, and pet mice; she cared for any creature her children brought home.  She was not, however, particularly fond of the monkey that her son received in the mail one day.  She was most concerned that someone might contract a rare and incurable disease from him, so Dot quickly found him a new home!  Dot was one of the most kind and considerate souls you could ever have the pleasure of knowing, and surely she is present with the Lord today.

Dot is survived by her two children; Grace Vermeulen and her husband Jon of Haledon, Jacob G. Faber and his wife Rosalinda, five grandchildren; Ligen Vermeulen and his wife Deanne Somers of Sparta, Gavin Vermeulen and his wife Melissa Miley of Kentucky, Kendra Macaluso and her husband Jeff of W. Caldwell, Jackie O’Brien and her husband Tim of Hawthorne, and Darlene Murphy and her husband Robert of Haledon, five great-grandchildren; Shelby Vermeulen, Jacob Macaluso, and Kyle, Joshua, and Zachary Gillespie, a sister-in-law; Julia Mae Martin and her husband Ray, a step-niece; Joy Lavin of N. Haledon, a step-nephew; Richard Plaatsman and his wife Jackie of Florida.  She was predeceased by her husband Jacob “JR” in 2008, her step-brother; Aris Plaatsman, and her daughter-in-law, Jacalynn (Lynn) Faber.

William M. Leitner, 96 years old, died on December 25, 2018.  He was affectionately known as “Billy the Whip” for his incredible skill at spinning his partners around on the dance floor.

Bill had a lengthy career with PSE&G as a foreman, retiring in 1984 at the age of sixty-two.  He was very talented and knew how to fix everything.  He had an iron-like handshake, and was always willing to help a friend in need.  Bill’s hearty and infectious laugh was unforgettable, and he had a great sense of humor.  He was also a very kind soul; one of those people who never uttered a bad word about others.

Active with Annunciation RC Church in Wayne, Bill was a founder of the “Prime Timers” club, where he made many dear friends.  He was also a big sports fan, rooting for his hometown NY GIANTS and the JETS.

Bill met his wife Rose while dancing.  He loved dancing and during the 1940’s, Bill went dancing almost every Saturday night.  He met Rose in 1944 while dancing to the Duke Collins Orchestra at the President Palace Ballroom, and she was the best dance partner he had ever had the chance to spin with on the dance floor!  They were married on December 7, 1947 and enjoyed their honeymoon at Niagara Falls.  They moved to Wayne in 1960 and enjoyed sixty-seven years of marriage before Rose’s passing on Christmas Eve of 2014.  She was everything to Bill, and he has missed her terribly in the years since.

Bill is survived by a large and loving family of nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.  He was predeceased by his beloved Rose in 2014, and by all of his brothers and sisters.

Ellen V. Cunningham, age 93, of Pequannock and formerly of Paterson, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 25, 2018, while in the loving presence of her family.

The youngest of seven children, Ellen was born and raised in the coal mining country of Archbald, Pennsylvania. She was a graduate of Archbald High School with the Class of 1943. After graduating, she initially took a job as a seamstress in a local clothing factory.

One night while at a dance in her hometown, Ellen’s eyes were drawn to a very handsome young man in a U.S. Navy uniform. His name was James Cunningham and, home on leave from service, he decided to attend the dance. God smiled on Ellen and James and a long and beautiful relationship began that evening. The two lovebirds, as the saying goes, ended up tying the knot on Wednesday, December 17, 1947 at the Roman Catholic Church in Archbald. There is a saying that a chord of three strands is not easily broken – the three strands of the chord, in this case, being made up of Ellen, James and God. James and Ellen included God in their lives and in their marriage and He blessed them with a beautiful family consisting of five daughters and one son. They initially lived in Archbald where they welcomed their firstborn – a baby girl which they named Donna Lee. In 1952, like Ellen’s sister and brother-in-law before them, Ellen and Jim moved to Paterson, NJ where Jim found work in the Curtis Wright Corporation’s Aeronautical Division. Once in Jersey, the family grew with the welcomed births of Linda, James, Debbie, Mary Ellen, and Susan.  They were married for 44 years until James’ passing into glory in 1991. Ellen remained in Paterson until 2008. Then she moved to Totowa for a while with her grandson Scott, before coming to live with her daughter Mary Ellen and son-in-law Warren in Wayne. When they later moved to Pequannock, she joined them there also to live out her final years.

Ellen was a strong woman who managed her household with excellence while lovingly raising her family. Unafraid to take on any project in the house, Ellen could lay carpet, install linoleum flooring, hang wallpaper like a pro, and even change an electrical outlet if necessary. Her children will always cherish special memories of Christmas. Every Christmas Eve, once the kids were in bed, she’d put up and light the Christmas tree, decorate the whole house, and wrap all the gifts. In the morning, they would wake up to a house transformed into quite the magical Christmas spectacle. While primarily a homemaker when her children were young, Ellen once landed a part-time job in a factory in Little Falls. In order to get that job, she had to hide the fact that she was pregnant. Later, when her youngest, Susan was old enough, Ellen returned to work fulltime as a physician’s switchboard operator for the Professional Answering Service in Paterson. She worked there for 20 years until retirement.

Always on the go, Ellen had many interests. She bowled every week in a league with coworkers from the answering service. She made beautiful quilts and, to this day, her countless creations keep many of her children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren plenty warm and cozy on a cold winter’s night. She was also into ceramics and some of her beautiful creations, including a handmade ceramic church with real stained glass windows and electric lights, a ceramic Christmas tree, and a figure of Santa Claus reading a naughty and nice list with all of Ellen’s children’s names on the nice list (of course), served as beautiful decorations in her house throughout the years.

When her hands were idle, it was usually because Ellen was reading one of her “Book of the Month Club” books – usually a good murder mystery by Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, or Mary Higgins Clark. Ellen simply loved murder mysteries! In fact, she was often jokingly quoted by her family for saying “I love murder.” She loved to watch the I.D. Discovery Channel – Channel 171 on cable television, which featured documentaries on famous murders and missing persons. And speaking of television, Ellen also liked to watch, of all things, UFC fights, with her grandson Chris. A force to be reckoned with herself, when she was watching the fights, you could hear her shouting at the TV, “Pin him down!” and “Go you red head!”  Oh yes! Ellen was very, very proud of her Irish heritage so if an Irish guy was boxing, you bet she was rooting for him.

Ellen found the genealogical study of her family roots to be a fascinating pastime. She would spend hours researching her family tree on Ancestry.com and discovering family members she never even knew existed. In fact, some of those discoveries included unknown cousins who she connected with and who came to visit in just the past year. Ellen recently took one of those spit-in-a-jar DNA tests and was proud (and relieved) that the results indicated that she was 99% Irish. Of course, no matter what she was doing around the house (did we mention that she was also into crocheting afghans?), you could always count on the fact that one of her faithful cats were by her side keeping her company. She had many feline friends throughout the years including Mikey, George, Tommy, Sheba, and Bentley (aka “Benny”) to name a few. Those kitties were always happy when she returned home from one of her trips abroad including trips to Aruba, Canada, twice to Ireland where she got to kiss the Blarney Stone, and one trip with her niece Shirley to Fatima and Lourdes where she returned home with holy water.

While Ellen embraced all of her life’s endeavors with great enthusiasm, the two most important things to her were faith and family. Devout in her relationship with God, she attended Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson for many years. Upon moving to Wayne and Pequannock, she became a parishioner at St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes. She prayed the rosary every night and always faithfully prayed for her family and friends. They say that kissing the Blarney Stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab, eloquence and flattery. Well, for Ellen, kissing that stone really seemed to do the trick. Ellen was the greatest story teller! Her grandchildren loved to sit near Nana as she shared accounts of funny things that she experienced, tales of her childhood, and even growing up during the depression. They came away with a real sense of gratitude for the blessings that they experience in their own lives.

Ellen was the beloved wife of James, blessed in marriage for 44 years until his passing in 1991. She was the loving mother of Donna Lee Hughes of Spring Hill, FL, Linda Milligan of Totowa, her late son James Cunningham who passed away in 2017 and his wife Donna of Margate, FL, Debra and her husband Gregory Cinnella of Maywood, Mary Ellen and her husband Warren Hilla of Pequannock, and Susan and her husband Timothy O’Keefe of Oakland; cherished grandmother of Eric and his wife Alison, Clifford, Keith, Scott - who passed away in 2018, Gregory and his wife Josephine, Lisa and her husband Anthony, James, Danielle, Devin – who passed away in 2012, William and his wife Delaney, Christopher, Allison, Katelyn and her husband Jasser, Colin, and Hope; adoring great-grandmother of Sarah, Breanna, Haley, Adriana, Carmelo, Joseph, and Gabriella; her dear late sister and brothers: Mary Lyons, John Manley, James Manley and his wife Sophie of Ledgewood, Gerald Manley, Robert Manley, and Donald Manley; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Ellen’s name are asked to consider Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road, Second Floor, Princeton, NJ 08540, or at www.autismspeaks.org

Patricia "Pat" Ann Dalzell (Henry), age 80, of Pequannock, formerly a Wayne resident, passed unexpectedly on Monday, December 24, 2018 while having Christmas dinner with her family. As difficult as this sounds there was a comfort to knowing Pat passed with the comfort of family by her side.

She was born to the late Willis F. and Anne T. Henry in Brooklyn, N.Y.  The family eventually moved to Woodbine Street in the Ridgewood section of Queens, New York and she lived in Queens and Bellmore, Long Island, New York before moving to Wayne in 1969.  She lived in Wayne for forty three years before moving to Pequannock about six years ago.

Pat's first job was as an office administrator for the Givaudan Corporation in Clifton. Pat met the love of her life Robert "Bob" Dalzell in 1973.  Their first date was lunch at Ernie Tomai's on Ratzer Road in Wayne.  Pat and Bob married on April 19, 1975 at the Hamilton Club in Paterson.  They honeymooned at the South Hampton Princess Hotel in Bermuda and enjoyed a loving and adventurous marriage of thirty-one years before Bob's passing in 2006. Bob was a past-president of the Paterson Rotary, Wayne Rotary, and served as District Governor for Rotary's District 7490. With Rotary and the many lifelong friends they made that Pat and Bob traveled extensively around the world.

She will be remembered for being a great mother and grandmother who loved cooking and gardening. Although she was always impeccably dressed with her hair just so, she was not vain in any sense of the word. She was outgoing, had a great sense of humor, and her grandchildren were the light of her life.

She was the beloved wife of the late Robert J. Dalzell, Jr. (2006); devoted mother of Michael Dalzell and his wife Laura of Sparta, the late Kevin Dalzell (2003), and Lisa Ann Albanese and her husband Peter of Wayne; loving sister of the late Thomas Henry (1998); she was the cherished grandmother of Alexa Dalzell, Kayla Dalzell and her fiancé Dan Volk, Tyler Dalzell, Peter Albanese, Jr. and his wife Megan, Kyle Albanese and his fiancé Alexa Han, and Leighann Albanese.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Pompton Falls Co. #3, 130 Jackson Ave., Wayne, NJ 07470 would be greatly appreciated.

Helen C. Mahoney, age 87, of Wayne passed Sunday, December 23, 2018.

She was born and raised in Queens, New York and graduated from the William Cullen Bryant High School in Astoria Queens.  Helen married her high school sweetheart Richard “Dick” Mahoney.  Along with other students Dick and Helen often went to the local soda fountain after school. They took such a fond liking to each other, as was the custom of the day, on April 18, 1948, they declared that they were going steady. After high school Dick was drafted into the United States Marine Corps to serve during the Korean War.  Separated from each other during the war, Dick and Helen kept in touch primarily through written correspondence. In one of his letters, Dick asked Helen to be his wife. Then, as was their custom, every Sunday night Helen would walk from her house down to the corner where there was a pay phone. There she would wait for Dick’s weekly call. When the phone rang, Helen excitedly answered and accepted Dick’s marriage proposal. During his next two-week leave, Dick came home and on Sunday, July 13, 1952, he and Helen were joined in marriage before family and friends at St. Mary’s Church in Woodside Queens. With a two-week military leave, they took a bus to their honeymoon vacation in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. One of Dick’s favorite honeymoon memories was riding horses with Helen because for some reason, her horse always refused to go forward. After the honeymoon, Dick returned to Quantico Marine Base and Helen continued to live with her parents. She eventually followed her parents from their home in Queens to a new home in Lodi, NJ. There she waited for Dick to finish his Marine Corps service. He was honorably discharged in 1954 – a proud recipient of the National Defense Service Medal. He and Helen could now begin their married life together.

Just out of high school Helen worked on Wall Street as a secretary and when Dick came back from the military they moved to Queens. Helen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl which they named Nancy. They were living in Jackson Heights at the time but soon after Nancy’s birth they moved back to New Jersey where their sons Kenny and Bob were born. Helen and Dick moved to Wayne in 1962. Helen retired from Valley National Bank in Wayne where she served as a loan officer for several years.

As a young girl Helen and her sisters would take her by train to the beach at Coney Island.  These beach visits gave her a lifelong love of the beach.  She and Dick were able to purchase a home down the Jersey Shore in Long Beach Island (LBI).  On the older maps it was ocean front property but capitalism must have motivated someone to build two houses in front of it before they purchased it. Ocean front property or three houses in from the ocean – it didn’t matter that much to Helen and Dick because the sun was just as beautiful and that’s what they really liked. They enjoyed the sun, surf and most importantly, making family memories with their children and grandchildren at LBI. One memorable occasion on the beach is when her umbrella was launched from the sand by the wind. Helen grabbed the umbrella and did a perfect back flip.  The crowd on the beach saw this and applauded her.  Helen and Dick had the privilege of traveling extensively with cruises being their favorite way to travel. In all they took twenty-four cruises including trips to Alaska, Bermuda, the Caribbean, up the east coast of the U.S. and two cruises to Hawaii. They really loved Hawaii – so much so that, in addition to the two cruises, they took seven additional trips there. Helen also loved going to New York City to see Broadway shows and musicals.

She was a devoted and dedicated mom who, when her daughter joined the Girl Scouts, volunteered to serve as a Girl Scout Leader.  She will be lovingly remembered for her quiet way, great sense of humor, and once she started to laugh it was hard for her to stop.  She loved to bake and all would cherish the tins of assorted Christmas cookies she would give out each year. Helen was also a dedicated New York Yankee fan that knew any and all players and could recite all kinds of stats. She inherited her love of the Yankees from her mom who was also a long time Yankee fan.

Helen was the loving and devoted wife of sixty-three years to the late Richard “Dick” Mahoney; cherished mother of Nancy Mahoney of Pequannock, Kenneth Mahoney and his wife Linda of Jersey City, and Bob Mahoney and his wife Suzanne of Wayne; Helen was the dearly loved grandmother of Nicholas, Shannon, Jake, and Lia; she was the dear sister of Marie Tishy, John Revel, and was predeceased by her sister Joan.

Memorial donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

Dennis John Fitzgerald, age 71 of Butler, passed away peacefully, with the comfort of his family by his side, on Sunday, December 23, 2018.

Dennis was born in Passaic and raised for a short time in Clifton before moving to Butler where he began school. He graduated from Butler High School with the Class of 1965.

While in high school, Dennis met a pretty girl named Sandra “Sandy” Reardon and soon, they fell in love. They got engaged on Valentine’s Day in 1969 and married at Saint Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes on Sunday, November 2, 1969. They honeymooned in Bermuda and went there again to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

Following high school, Dennis went to work as a mason apprentice. After honing his skills for several years working for various contractors, he started his own business in 1973. He could do anything…..blockwork, brickwork, stonework…..you name it, and he built many swimming pools over his 45 year career too. He was a perfectionist who loved his work so much, he never really retired. His wife Sandy was his greatest partner in the business, handling phone calls to the office, as well as much of the billing and bookwork.

Dennis was a frequent golfer at Sunset Valley Golf Course in Pequannock and at Farmstead Gold and Country Club in Sparta. For a guy who didn’t start golfing until he was in his fifties, he was pretty darn good. Sandy enjoyed his Sunday morning golf outings. He’d be out on the course by 7:00 AM to play nine holes and, being home by the time she was having her first cup of coffee, she’d be known to light-heartedly quip “I’m not ready for you yet.” There were also the annual golf trips with three of his buddies – Craig, John and Bill, to Ocean City Maryland. This was a tradition enjoyed for many years. As a side note, Dennis always had quite an eye for fashion and the golf course was one of the places where he always wanted to look his best. His shoes always matched his socks, which had to match his pants, which had to match his shirt, which had to match his hat. He even had different rain jackets to complement each outfit. He would purchase complete ensembles.

Dennis was a man of traditions and one of those traditions was having coffee every morning at 6:00 AM before work with those same three high school buddies that he golfed with.  They always gathered at the B&B Deli (formerly Pros and All American Deli) on Boonton Ave in Butler. This went on for decades and they became affectionately known as “The Coffee Shop Cartel.”  

Many family memories were made at the backyard pool, on summer vacations to the Jersey Shore, trips to Disney with Sandy and the girls, and years later with grandchildren. He especially enjoyed the trips he took with Sandy and dear friends to St. Maarten and Florida over the winter months. While the travel was great, that pool Dennis built in his backyard was most special to him. Not so much because it was such a great pool (although it was really nice), but more because it became a special place for family and friends to gather on a regular basis. Dennis and Sandy and their neighbors enjoyed a special tight-knit sense of community and, unlike many neighborhoods which see families come and go, the neighbors around the Fitzgerald home have stayed for countless years. Consequently, that pool which started as a place for Dennis and Sandy to have regular gatherings with their friends and their daughters’ friends, became a place where their grandchildren and the neighborhood grandchildren continued to gather. This was very meaningful to Dennis and it gave him great joy. Dennis was a real family man who loved taking part in the lives of his grandchildren. He took enthusiastic interest in them and did his very best to attend all of their soccer and football games and the many dance recitals and competitions of his granddaughters’ over the years.

When he had serious spare time, Dennis occupied himself by searching for a 1964 white Pontiac GTO that was just like the one that he bought after he started working full time. While his first car in high school was a 1955 Chevy, there was something about that GTO that Dennis really missed. His family and friends got in on the search too and would often call him to excitedly tell him that they think they may have located one, but it was never exactly like the one he had and so the search went on.

After Sandy’s sad passing in 2015, Dennis started attending mass again at St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes. After the 5 o-clock Saturday mass he’d often go out for dinner with friends. On Fridays, you could often find Dennis at Calandra’s in Fairfield, either with friends or sometimes by himself. He liked Friday nights because it was oldies night with a couple of musicians named Mark and Ted performing all the famous hits of his youth.

When asked to describe Dennis, his family used the word “stubborn.” He had a precise way of doing things and he truly felt that his way was the best. So if you asked Dennis for advice, he would give it to you once and lovingly remind you “I told you so”, if you chose to do it a different way and it didn’t work out. Dennis would do anything for his family. The bottom line was, he lived his life to make his family happy, always trying to ensure that his kids and grandchildren had everything they needed.

Dennis was the loving husband of Sandra, blessed in marriage for 46 years until her passing in 2015. He was the loving father of Denise and her husband Brian Segedin of Pequannock, and Lindsay and her husband Tim Hedenhag of Butler; cherished grandfather of Meggie, Jennie and Bradon Segedin, and Nate, Riley, and Mason Hedenhag; dear brother of the late Patricia Bossard (2017) and her husband Jan of Butler; and dear brother-in-law of David Reardon of Butler. He was also dearly loved by many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors.

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Memorial donations to Foundation for Morristown Hospital Cardiology would be greatly appreciated.

Leona Mary Dugan (nee McGarry) passed away on Friday, December 21, 2018 at the age of 99.

Born in 1919 at Paterson, NJ, she graduated from St. John’s High School and worked for New Jersey Bell Telephone Co. and Verizon as a directory assistance operator and supervisor.  Leona lived in Wayne, NJ from 1951 until moving to Lakewood, NJ in 2004.

Leona was predeceased by her loving husband; Matthew A. Dugan in 1974.  She was also predeceased by her sisters; Mary McDermott, and Genevieve (Jean) Murphy, as well as nephews; Michael Murphy and Timothy Dugan.

She is survived by her daughter; Mary Anne Tomassone and her husband Anthony, as well as her sister Elizabeth Sutton and her husband Albert.  Also surviving are nephews; Gerard Dugan, Richard Dugan, Robert A. Dugan, Terrance Dugan, Robert Dugan, William M. Dugan, Thomas Murphy, and Mark Sutton.  Surviving nieces are Lois Ann Siegle, Virginia Vaupel, Patricia Peck, Mary Beth Viera, and Christine Sutton.

“GG Lee” also leaves behind step-grandchildren; Mark Tomassone, Christine Kramer, and Karen Szabo.  Also step-great-grandchildren; Grace and Hunter Szabo.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Leona’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Mail donations to; St. Jude CRH, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, or by visiting www.stjude.org.

David Michael Friswell, age 31, of Toms River, formerly of Wayne, passed suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, December 21, 2018.

He was born and raised in Wayne. He graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary Grammar School in 2002 and Wayne Hills High School in 2006.

Dave had a passion for auto body and worked for various shops including Peter’s Auto Body in Oakland, Kreans Auto Body and most recently, MAACO Collison Repair & Auto Painting in Toms River. For several years, he has also worked on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk as a game operator.

His favorite pastime was watching football and cheering on the Dallas Cowboys. If he wasn't watching or talking about football, he was playing video games.

Dave was notorious for his sarcasm and wit, and the infectious laugh that followed each jab. He wanted nothing more but to make the ones around him happy and laugh. He was also an extremely caring and considerate soul. He did his best to help everyone he came in contact with.

He was the devoted son of Michael and Diane Friswell of Wayne, cherished brother of Andrea Herrmann and her husband Brett of Morristown and their two children, Benjamin and Vera; dearly loved grandson of Margaret Hartman of Toms River and the late Chip Hartman; dear nephew of Kenneth Hartman and his wife Renata of Durham, NC and Steven Hartman and his wife Dianna of Oak Ridge; adored cousin of CJ, Dominique, and Samantha Hartman. He will also be deeply missed by extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Chilton Medical Center Foundation, 97 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 would be greatly appreciated.

Robert J. Scartozzi, age 52, of Wayne passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday December 20, 2018.

Robert grew up in Wayne and attended Wayne Valley High School, graduating with the class of 1984.  Immediately after graduating, Robert went to work in the construction industry, being accepted into the Tapers Union.  He worked for several years in the Tapers Union then moved to North Carolina where he enjoyed attending Nascar events and owned and managed a small tavern.  It wasn’t long after gaining ownership of the tavern, Robert then decided to move back to New Jersey and help his sister with the construction of her home.

When Robert arrived back in New Jersey and started to assist his sister, he was diagnosed with a form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  But with early detection and chemotherapy, Robert was able to be put into remission and beat it.

Robert continued his construction career working for Peterson Construction and the Carpenter’s Union Local 253.  He bought a home across the street from a gentleman he was working with in Wayne.  His neighbor and friend across the street had a step-daughter named Sarah Fream.  Sarah and Robert were invited to a mutual friend’s house one evening.  There, Robert cooked some shrimp Scampi for Sarah and they watched the movie “Dodgeball.”  Sarah found the shrimp delicious and they both found the movie hilarious.  Robert and Sarah only dated for about a year but as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on April 7, 2006.

Sarah and Robert lived in Wayne for as short time after getting married then moved to Oakland in 2007.  Sarah had two sons from her first marriage, which Robert accepted and cared for as his own.  Sarah and Robert not long after getting married welcomed their first child together.  Robert often told his wife Sarah that he never planned on getting married.  Robert lived his life as a bachelor and enjoyed it, however he also explained to Sarah often times that his married life was just as fulfilling and that he had gotten the best of both worlds.  Sarah and Robert cherished sixteen years of loving and loyal marriage.

When Robert was a boy he enjoyed Motocross, and later as an adult was into Nascar, boating and fishing.  Throughout his life he was also a Boxing fan.  He trained as a boxer in his early twenties and continued to enjoy boxing well into his adult life.  Robert boxed for the Golden Gloves in Newark as a young adult.  Robert also had a fondness of all types of animals, and had cats and dogs as companions throughout his life.  You rarely had a problem with Robert because he always made sure people knew where he stood with them.  He was the kind of guy that you either loved or hated, fortunately many of the people that knew him loved him deeply.  He was a fun person to be around, he was a funny guy with a great sense of humor and quick backhanded wit.  Robert was a devoted husband, father, brother, and son.  He touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Robert is survived by his wife Sarah (nee Fream) of Oakland, three sons Daniel, Ryan, and Robert, his mother and father Robert and Edythe Scartozzi of Wayne, and his very dear friend (and the brother he never had) James Dob of Wayne.  He was predeceased by his sister Lisa Scartozzi in 2014.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider making donations in Robert’s name to Friends of Wayne Animals (FOWA) PO Box 3701, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Anthony N. Iudici "Ant" age 21, of Fairfield and formerly of Wayne, passed away from this life and way too soon on Tuesday, December 18, 2018.

He was born in Ridgewood and lived in West Paterson and Wayne before moving to Fairfield five years ago.

Anthony has worked for his father at the family business Iudici & Son Construction for the past five years.  He also worked at Wayne Mazda.

He will be remembered for his crazy, fun personality and his silly laugh. Anthony had a great sense of humor and a big heart. He loved animals, having dogs, bunnies, hamsters, chicks, guinea pigs, and birds growing up. Many will remember his giant sweet tooth with his overflowing candy drawer and frequent runs to 7-11 for slushies. He loved all kinds of sneakers and was always wearing a hat even though he never had a hair out of place. Anthony loved going out for sushi with his mom, sometimes several times per week. He loved traveling and the beach and when on vacation Anthony was extremely good at ordering room service.

Anthony was the loving son of Lisa Iudici and her fiancée Ronald Hall and Giuseppe Iudici all of Fairfield; much loved brother of Angelo Iudici and his wife Fallon of Paterson, and Joseph Iudici of Fairfield; he was the cherished uncle of Hazel Iudici; he was the dearly loved grandson of Michael and Theresa Calabria of Wayne and Angelo and Giovanna Iudici of Little Falls; he will also be dearly missed by many aunts and uncles, several cousins, extended family and friends.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the  Make-A-Wish Foundation (click on blue text to donate) would be greatly appreciated.

Constance Michel, age 90, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 13, 2018.

Connie was born and raised in Paterson where she was a graduate of Central High School. During her childhood, she grew up with a young kid in the neighborhood named George Michel. Connie and George grew up to become high school sweethearts which ultimately lead to talks of marriage. At the time, George was in the U.S. Army but, thinking that a problem with his eye would keep him from being deployed, they set a wedding date for October 22, 1949. Much to his surprise, the Army deployed George anyway so, right after the wedding, Connie went to their new home on North 9th Street in Paterson while George put on his uniform and headed to Panama. The newlyweds were able to be reunited for a brief time while George was on leave and upon his return to civilian life, Connie introduced him to Douglas, their new baby boy. In the following years, Doug was joined by two younger brothers, Craig and George “Scott.” In 1959, the Michel’s purchased property in the “farmlands of Wayne” and, a year later, they moved into their brand new home on Ridge Place in Wayne’s Lions Head Lake section.

Connie truly enjoyed her primary calling of mother and homemaker. Her boys meant everything to her and they could do no wrong. She loved spoiling her family with her fine cooking and family favorites included her linguine and white clam sauce, homemade ziti, meatballs, and stuffed pepper recipes, to name a few. She took great pride in her house, making it a home where everyone wanted to gather after a long day at work or school and also on the holidays. Always doing her best to keep the house in pristine condition, all the neighbors referred to the Michel home as the dollhouse on the block.

Connie loved to go shopping. She was fastidious about her appearance and Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Sterns and Nordstrom usually had the fashions she was looking for. She was also one of QVC’s best customers especially when it came to the purchase of cosmetics but Connie also used the home shopping club to purchase gifts for family and friends. She kept a stock of nice gifts in her home, always ready to give a happy recipient for whatever the occasion might be. She was very generous and the gifts she gave were always truly thoughtful.  

If you ever needed advise on which horse to bet on, Connie was the person to ask. It seemed that she was always calling the winners. One time she correctly bet three trifectas in one night and she recently called the winning horse in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Connie knew her horses and it came from lots of time studying the newspapers, but it was all in good fun.

Connie loved spending time with her family. Fall time was always looked forward to for the Army football games at West Point. It was a family tradition and it always started with breakfast at West Point’s Thayer Hotel. She and her husband George enjoyed traveling together. Every year they took the train to Florida for a vacation in the summer and they also enjoyed trips to Puerto Rico and cruises including one on the Queen Mary with her much-loved sister Olivia and brother-in-law Pete. Connie and her sister Olivia were very close. She would refer to Olivia as her “Best friend ever” and when Olivia passed away, Connie would express almost every day how much she missed her.

Connie always felt so grateful to be blessed with such a loving family. Her husband George was her life-long true dear sweetheart. Even during the seven years that he was receiving dialysis treatment, she faithfully stood by his side as his most loving caregiver. The extra TLC that George received from Connie allowed for them to have a relatively good life in the later years of their marriage until George’s passing in 1999. Four years ago, she moved in with her son Scott and daughter-in-law Donna. Her spirits really picked up having the constant company and wonderful sense of community. It was fun to be in the same house as her two grandsons too and she would frequently give them some cash and send them out for takeout. In fact, Connie fell in love with the concept of “takeout” and she could often be heard saying things like “Go get me a bucket of chicken” or “Do we have any menus for that place?” or “What should we order today?” Yes, it was good to be living with Scott and his family but the many miles could not keep her away from her son Craig either. Over the course of the last three summers, she really enjoyed going to see him and his wife Carrie at their house in Florida. Connie’s grandchildren were equally special to her. Her sole granddaughter Heather was the apple of her eye, and Jeffrey, her first grandson, followed by Connor and Chad was the start of her next chapter. She was their biggest fan and admirer at all their football and hockey games, concerts, plays and recitals. Her great-grandchildren were the icing on the cake! Just this past October, Connie got to celebrate her 90th birthday party and who better to be around than her grandchildren’s children! Connie loved to eat and, though she was just a little lady, she celebrated that 90th year of her life by enjoying two lobster dinners in one day.

Connie was the beloved wife of George, blessed in marriage for 49 years until his passing in 1999. She was the loving mother of Douglas and wife Debbie Michel of Wayne, Craig and wife Carrie Michel of Ormond Beach, FL, and Scott and wife Donna Michel of Wayne; cherished grandmother of: Heather and husband Tom Clarke, Jeffrey and Michelle Michel, Connor Michel and Chad Michel; adoring great-grandmother of: Olivia, Kayleigh, Rowan, and Zinnia; dear aunt of Donna Argenta; and “best friends” sister of the late Olivia Argenta.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Connie’s name are asked to consider the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or at www.stjude.org

Nancy D. Zambito (nee Tompkins), age 60 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.  She was surrounded by her loving family who were all gathered at her bedside.

Nancy most recently had been the “School Nurse” at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne for eleven years before her illness forced her to resign in October of 2017.  She loved working there and cherished the many friends she made, as well as all the wonderful students she became acquainted with over the years.  She became a Registered Nurse in 1981, after completing her schooling at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford.  She began nursing at Wayne General Hospital and remained there for about twelve years before leaving to become a full-time mother.  Once her children had grown to be teenagers, she saw an ad on the local TV station for the DePaul nursing position.  She applied and was hired virtually on the spot!  The job was a perfect fit for her and she was truly in her element there.

Nancy was truly a selfless individual, always focused on everyone else’s needs. It was simply her nature to take care of everyone, and she did it well.  This was true in all aspects of her life, especially with her family.  Her children recall her being a devoted mother, almost excessively so!  There was nothing she wouldn’t do for them.  She was a proud mother and felt so blessed to see her daughter Kelly get married to her wonderful husband Matt and her son James graduate college with both events occurring in May of 2017.   Her love extended to the family pet Kobi – a Norwich terrier which gave her endless joy.  Turtles were her ‘spirit animal’ and she had many turtle collectables.  When her friends at DePaul assembled a team to participate in a cancer walk to support Nancy’s cause, they adopted the name “The Purple Turtles” in her honor. She was so touched when DePaul dedicated the 2018 school yearbook to her.

Nancy was also very handy and capable of fixing lots of things, a skill she learned from her father.  She had her own yellow toolbox for projects around the house, and she would even tackle some electrical tasks!  She was a wonderful decorator and her home and shore home are beautifully decorated.  She enjoyed having family and friends over the house and hosted holiday family gatherings at Easter and Christmas, where she got to display her Christmas Village collection which took her many hours to set up each year.  Nancy was an amazing cook and hostess, carefully planning and putting together wonderful meals with beautiful decorations.

Nancy re-met her husband Matthew in 1984 as they had actually known each other since high school at Wayne Valley where they graduated from in 1977.  Matthew took her to “The Aspen” in Parsippany for their first date, and after dating for a year and falling in love and with a little nudging, he proposed.  They were married on November 8, 1986 at St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes, followed by a honeymoon cruise to the Caribbean.  They settled in Rockaway Township upon their return, and eventually moved to Wayne in 1991.  Throughout the years, Nancy traveled to Europe, visited family in Japan, and enjoyed many destinations in the Caribbean.  Nancy loved scuba diving and there was no better place to do it!  Together, they have enjoyed thirty-two years of marriage and her husband and her family will miss her dearly.

Nancy is survived by her loving husband; Matthew of Wayne, two children; Kelly Rigoglioso and her husband Matthew of Wayne, James Zambito of Wayne, her parents; Donald and Sadako Tompkins of West Milford, one brother; Edward Tompkins and his wife Lori of West Milford, one sister; Judith Tompkins of Metuchen, two sisters-in-law; Theresa Pisano and her husband Dominic of Chatham and Mary Carla Hofsommer of Pompton Plains, two brothers-in-law; Michael Zambito and his wife Debra of Parsippany, and Salvatore Zambito and his wife Diane of Livingston, as well as many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

Patricia Rantowich, age 76 of Toms River and formerly of Oak Ridge, died suddenly on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018.

Pat was raised in South Paterson and graduated from Central High School in 1959, when she was just sixteen years old.  She began working as a secretary at the Passaic Valley Water Commission and remained there until becoming a full-time mother. When her children went to school, she began her career in banking, working at New Jersey Bank, PNC Bank, and later retiring from 1st Constitution Bank in Cranbury, NJ.

Pat was young at heart and pretty hip in the eyes of her grandchildren.  She was pretty tech savvy and keeping in touch with her grandchildren required that she learn how to use her smartphone well.  Texting was easy, and soon she became hopelessly addicted to Candy Crush!  It became a competitive obsession for her, challenging others to try and best her score of 2316!  She had a strategy to play on multiple devices at the same time, earning her extra lives and inflating her score!  Needless to say, she was not your typical bingo-playing grandma!  She did Zumba to keep in shape, ate well, and generally kept herself active.  She loved going for a drive in her Lincoln, which she nicknamed “Ruby”!  She wasn’t just an ordinary aunt to her nieces and nephews either, oh no! She was affectionately known as “The Great Aunt Pat” to all of them!  She loved her family and any time spent with them would make her the happiest.

Pat is survived by her two daughters; Paula Dougherty and her husband Michael of Oak Ridge, Sandi Cusick and her husband Peter of Oak Ridge, eight grandchildren; Melissa Llewellyn, William Bailey, Jr., Ryan, Allison and Caitlyn Dougherty, Mark and Zachary Cusick, her great-granddaughter; Janel Llewelyn, her brother; John Scala, and an extended family from her second marriage, including stepson Joseph Rantowich and his wife Ann Marie, another stepson; Jack Rantowich , two step-grandsons; Anthony and Nicholas Rantowich, who were all very dear to her.  Pat was predeceased by her husband Joseph W. Rantowich in 2015, by her ex-husband; Arthur Bailey in 2014, by her son; Bill Bailey in 2010, and by her grandson; Michael Dougherty in 2014.

Gloria La Sala Boyle (nee Du Bois) age 89 of Wayne passed peacefully, with the comfort of family by her side, on Tuesday, December 11, 2018.

She was born in Paterson and lived in the same house in Wayne for fifty-five years having lived in Lincoln Park for sixteen years before returning in 2000 to her childhood home in Wayne. She graduated from Pompton Lakes High School with the Class of 1947.

Gloria’s first job was picking strawberries on her Aunt Marie VanRiper’s farm.  She was paid 5 cents/quart.  She also babysat for 25 cents/hour regardless of the number of children she was watching. She later got a job with the A&P Tea Company of Belleville in the payroll department. Before retiring in 1999 she was the assistant supervisor for the S.B. Thomas Bakery in Totowa where she worked for thirty-one years.

She was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church in Wayne and a member of the church’s Ruth Circle.

Gloria was very active in her community having belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star Mountain View Chapter 205, the Golden Key, Fellowship Club of Pequannock, and helped sew sleeping bags for the homeless at the Packanack Community Church in Wayne.

Her first husband William La Sala was her high school sweetheart.  Their first date was to see a movie and after William took Gloria to “The Wheel” where they served pizza and alcohol.  As a Methodist she was supposed to avoid establishments that served alcohol and she remembers being very nervous about being spotted in such a place. Gloria remembers not wanting to be criticized for marrying too young so she dated William until she was twenty-one. They married at the United Methodist Church in Wayne in October of 1950 and enjoyed twenty-four years of loving and devoted marriage until William had a heart attack and passed in 1974.  After his passing she joined the group “Parents Without Partners” and met Kevin Boyle. Their first date was to an Indian Pow Wow in Oakland.  Kevin was in need of an operation to fuse the vertebrae in his neck, a procedure only done in Canada at the time. Once Kevin had his operation he would need to be nursed back to health at home. Gloria felt the only befitting  way to give him the care he would need was to marry him before the operation.  This way she could bring him to her home without criticism. They married on June 18, 1976 and spent their honeymoon week at the hospital in Canada. They enjoyed thirty-four years of marriage before his passing in 2010.

Gloria was the loving wife of the late William J. La Sala (1974) and the late Kevin E. Boyle (2010); devoted mother of William J. La Sala, Jr. and his wife Deborah of Wantage, the late Patrick Boyle (1973), Kathleen Jurewicz and her husband Mark of Pompton Plains, Maureen Duthie and her husband Wade of Hewitt, John Boyle of Manchester, the late Sharon Boyle, Timothy Boyle of Bedford, NH, and Brian Boyle and his wife Kristin of Allendale; sister of the late Richard DuBois; cherished grandmother of thirteen grandchildren.  She was predeceased by her son, Kevin earlier this year.

Angela “Gela” Winters (nee Kajah) age 61 of Butler passed away peacefully on Tuesday December 11, 2018 after a courageous battle with cancer and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Angela was born in the Bronx, NY and was one of four children to Horst and Magda Kajah.  When Angela was about eight years old, her family moved to Pompton Lakes where she spent the majority of her childhood.  She attended Pompton Lakes High School and was an active member of the High School Band playing Clarinet.  Participating in the band in high school generated wonderful and long lasting friendships for Angela.  She graduated with the class of 1975 and subsequent to graduation, attended William Paterson University where she earned her Bachelors of Science Degree in 1979.  Angela became a registered nurse and was offered a position at Wayne General Hospital, now known as St Joseph’s Wayne Hospital.  Angela worked there for about one year.

Angela was also a member of Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park during the immediate years following her graduation from college.  One day at a young adults event at Jacksonville Chapel she was approached by a handsome young man named Brian Winters.  They went out on their first date to a concert, again at Jacksonville Chapel.  Brian and Angela hit it off immediately and dated for about a year, and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on August 16, 1980 at Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park.  Immediately after getting married, Angela and Brian moved to Wayne but for only about two years.  The couple then moved to Little Falls and lived there from 1983 till 1987.  As their family was growing and after the birth of their third child, they bought a house in Wayne in 1987.  They spent the next twenty-seven years there raising their three daughters.  Brian and Angels cherished thirty-eight years of loving and loyal marriage together.

During the years that Brain and Angela’s children were growing up, Angela put her career aside and decided to become a full time homemaker.  Angela spent nineteen years raising and nurturing her children and after they had grown, she decided she would go back to work.  Angela was offered a position as a school nurse at the Calvary Christian Academy in Wayne where she worked for ten years.  Angela left the Calvary Christian Academy and took a position at the Township of Wayne in 2007 where she also became nursing supervisor of the Public Health department in 2009.    

Even after Angela was diagnosed with cancer, and being the incredibly strong woman that she was, she continued to work up until just very recently.  Angela and Brian enjoyed traveling together to many places over the years, including South America and many countries in Europe.  Aside from all of Angela’s interests, hobbies, and her career, her greatest passion was for her family, her grandchildren in particular.  Angela was a strong, loving, and generous person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Angela is survived by her husband Brian Winters of Wayne, three daughters; Rebecca Peller and her husband Jason of Pompton Plains, Courtney Winters of Wayne, and Sarah Hout and her husband Jonathan of Linchburg, PA, one sister Christine Pallo and her husband Steven of Pompton Lakes, one brother Thomas Kajah of Londonderry, VT, her parents Horst and Magda Kajah of Pompton Lakes, and seven grandchildren Liam, Noah, Caleb, Luke, Hannah, James, and Daniel, and four nieces Kerstin, Heidi, Devan, and Lily.  She was predeceased by her brother Stephan Kajah in 2006.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider donations in Angela’s name to The American Cancer Society – NJ Chapter, 986 Springfield Ave, Springfield, NJ 0708, www.cancer.org or Colon Cancer Coalition 5666 Lincoln Drive, #270, Edina, MN 55436, https://coloncancercoalition.org/donate

John C. Liljegren, age 84, of Wayne passed peacefully at home, with the comfort of family by his side, on Monday, December 10, 2018.

He was born in Kansas City, Mo in 1934 and lived for his first 12 years in a number of places in that area including Kansas City and Springfield, MO and Topeka, Kansas. His father worked for General Motors and was transferred frequently so the family moved a lot and he attended many different grade schools. In 1946 his father was transferred to Stockholm, Sweden, so the family moved there and he attended Swedish schools for five years. Upon returning to the US in 1951, he attended Upsala College in East Orange, NJ and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Math in 1955. This is where he met his wife, Eleanor Carlson, who was working toward a degree in teaching. Upon graduation, John got a job at National Union Electric Corporation and worked developing special purpose vacuum tubes for the US Army.  

About that time, John’s life changed a bit from youthful turbulence and moving so much to stability.   John and Eleanor got married in 1957 in which they were able to celebrate their 60th anniversary with their family in 2017 at a beautiful estate in New York for a weekend.  In 1957 he also started work at ITT at which he worked for entire career.  In 1959 John and Eleanor bought a new house being built in Wayne NJ in which they still live today.  John loved the grounded life he lived.  He was the kind of person that enjoyed the day to day, the traditions of life and truly dedicated his life to his family. He loved having his family around him.

John’s work at ITT focused on radar and communications technologies.  He visited Arizona often at testing facilities.  His work at ITT culminated with the biggest and most life changing technology our world has ever experienced.  He was part of a team that created GPS.  ITT was originally contracted to create GPS as a defense technology for the use of the government only.  It is now the driver of about everything we do on the internet and our phones.

After retiring and having the girls all out of the house about 1988, John and Eleanor enjoyed a lot of time at the shore, eventually inherited Eleanor’s family’s little cottage on the bay and bought a 2nd home 2 doors down.  John bought a boat and enjoyed being “captain”.  Back in Wayne, Lynn and her husband Danny moved into John’s former parent’s home up the street and had/raised their 2 sons Christopher and Jonathan which allowed John and Eleanor to be an integral part of their grandson’s lives and activities.  Joan and her husband Dan have lived in West Orange and also integral in all the family activities.  Karin moved to Los Angeles, and John, Eleanor and Joan have made annual trips almost every year to the west coast to spend time with Karin and her son Arik.

John had a peaceful nature and he was so kind, forgiving and compassionate.  He was a spiritual man.  That peacefulness that he was internally, exuded to those around him.  He will be remembered for being: loving, trustworthy, humble, tech-savvy, always having a to-do-list in his pocket, and as a tinkerer who could fix just about anything. For many years John enjoyed fixing cars as it entertained and challenged his engineering and mechanical way of thinking. From eating everything on his plate to fixing things many would throw away he did not tolerate wastefulness. He was meticulous and organized to a fault. John had about 100 peanut butter jars organized and categorized in the basement with various screws and parts.  His passion for making Excel Spreadsheets for anything you can image provides another glimpse into his passion for organization. He was lovable, kind, considerate, generous, and not afraid to show emotion-he would even cry if a television commercial so moved him.  John was the kind of person who was extremely fair minded and whose handshake was as good as gold. If you told him something he took your word as your honor as well.  John’s words, which were few, were thoroughly thought through and chosen with care. His gratitude for those who did anything for him was always expressed.  Most recently during a hospital stay he took the time to learn everyone’s names, from the cleaning crew to doctors, and sincerely thanked them all by name.

He was a dedicated and long-time member of Saint Timothy Lutheran Church in Wayne.  For over fifty years he sang bass in the choir.  Many will remember his love of photography as well as he often took pictures at church events.  John was extremely proud of his Swedish heritage and after living there during his formative years, was fluent in the Swedish. He was always the main communicator to all the Swedish as well as American family members that live far away.

The family spent time every summer at Eleanor’s family’s home in Seaside Park. A simple, calm, loving family and life was John’s happy place.  John loved to feed the ducks at the Jersey Shore. He would gain their trust getting them to not only eat out of his hand but to follow him into the house. Even his cell phone ringtone was set to the “quack-quack-quack” ring.  He enjoyed boating at the Jersey Shore but always had a dislike of the loud go-fast boats at which he would exclaim “turkey boat” as they roared by. At his home in Wayne John feed the squirrels and tried to get them into the house. Eleanor’s shouts soon put an end to the lets get the squirrel in the house idea.

John and his wife Eleanor have enjoyed sixty-one years of a loving and devoted marriage. They met at Upsala College in East Orange. Their first date was to the movies in Paterson on Christmas break their freshman year. He proposed marriage in Eleanor’s parent’s driveway in East Paterson (Elmwood Park) while sitting in a two-tone green Chevrolet.  They married on April 20, 1946 at the First Lutheran Church in Clifton and after a reception at the Friar Tuck Inn in Cedar Grove they honeymooned in Bermuda. John and Eleanor had Joan in 1958, Lynn in 1962 and Karin in 1968.  His three girls were the light of his life and he was the kind of Dad that was always there for his girls.   His parents moved back from Hawaii to NJ to be up the street from them around 1970 and were an integral part of their lives till his Dad passed away in 1978 and his Mom in 1995.  Every Sunday was family dinner with his parents and Eleanor’s Dad as well.

John was diagnosed with myodysplasia about 20 years ago which is an immune deficiency disease.  He was expected to have that turn into leukemia and live about 3-6 years.  John declined relatively slowly over the years, with a few bumps, but not really till about 4 months ago was he debilitated.  He spent the last 4 months of his life back and forth mostly between the hospital and medical rehab fighting infection after infection.  In true John fashion, he was almost always positive “stay the course” – kind of attitude.  He always said thank you to every aide and nurse, and always remembered their name.  

The last 5 days of his life he was able to come back to his own home for hospice, and then passed away with his family all around him and in peace. John had something special that people were always attracted to – he had a sense of stability and groundedness, in an approach to all aspects of life that came from love, kindness and compassion and wrapped in a sense of humility and humor.  He will be missed by all, but we know that he is in all of us.

John was the devoted father of Joan C. Liljegren and her husband Daniel Collinson of West Orange, Lynn Gaffney and her husband Daniel of Wayne, and Karin Liljegren and her fiancé Kelly Kish of Los Angeles/Santa Barbara, CA; he was the cherished grandfather of Christopher Gaffney and his fiancé Sherry Shen of New York City, Jonathan Gaffney of Wayne, and Arik Billings of Los Angeles, CA.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Memorial Fund of Saint Timothy Lutheran Church, 395, Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 or the charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated

Peter F. Barbier, Jr. age 52 of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 9, 2018. He was surrounded bedside with family.

Throughout Peter’s life, he faced varied health challenges. When he was just one years old, a trip to the hospital to deal with a bout of pneumonia resulted in the discovery and diagnosis of diabetes.

The youngest of three children born to Peter and Theresa Barbier, Peter was raised in Newark and attended Bloomfield Technical High School.  Following high school, Peter first worked as a facilities manager for an apartment complex in South Orange. He later accepted a position as a dock worker with New England Motor Freight in Elizabeth, NJ. He was there for the majority of his working years until 2005 when he suffered a stroke which forced early retirement. A second stroke occurred in 2007 and Peter’s failing health prompted a move to Wayne in 2013 so that he could be closer to his family.  

One day in 1985, nineteen-year-old Peter met a young girl babysitting for his neighbor who lived across the street from his house. Her name was Claudia, and three years later, that brief encounter resulted in marriage. A wonderful blessing resulted when Peter and Claudia excitedly welcomed their son Peter John.

Peter and his son enjoyed many great times together. They shared a love for football, baseball and NASCAR racing. Peter had an unusual way of dedicating himself to the teams which he chose to root for. His lifetime love of the NFL Miami Dolphins was prompted by a Christmas gift he received at about age 4, a Miami Dolphins helmet. His love of baseball came a little later in life when he was down in Miami for a Dolphins game, an annual trip with lifelong friends and family to see his beloved Dolphins and Dan Marino. While there, it just so happened that the MLB Florida Marlins were going for their first World Series title against the Cleveland Indians. Peter was able to scalp some tickets and go to the game. From then on, he was a Marlins fan, which came as a disappointment to his family, lifelong Yankees fans. This was just a testament that Peter did not follow the crowd and was his own man. When it came to NASCAR racing, Peter was the biggest fan of three drivers - Richard “The King” Petty, Ricky “The Rooster” Rudd, and Bill “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” Elliott. He and son Peter John got to attend three races together; twice at the Pocono Raceway and once at the Kentucky Speedway. He didn’t stop there, he also made it to Daytona for the 500. His love of travelling also prompted a road trip for Mardi Gras in Savannah, GA with his brother Chuck and friends.

As little kids growing up, Peter and his sister Andrea made a regular habit of playing that good old-fashioned game of Cowboys and Indians. Andrea eventually put those days behind her but Peter continued to embrace many facets of the cowboy life throughout adulthood. Walking into his house was like walking into the Wild West, with Indian dream catchers, photos of the western desert and pictures of wolves everywhere. He loved the music of Johnny Cash, Slim Whitman, and other country-western artists, and the bolo tie became a staple in Peter’s “dressed up attire”. Ask Peter any detail about a classic John Wayne movie or any episode of Bonanza, The Wild Wild West or F-Troop and he could tell you all about it. In recent years he enjoyed Duck Dynasty, he especially enjoyed Uncle Si and his bits of wisdom.  A frustrated urban cowboy and outdoorsman, Peter was an avid reader of Guns and Ammo Magazine and a frequent viewer of the Hunting Channel. He also liked to watch the cooking channels, especially when the culinary theme was BBQ. And oh yeah…Peter also liked the famed daredevil Evel Knievel, especially the time that Evel attempted the jump across the Snake River Canyon in the Magic Valley of Idaho. As a little kid, he would often emulate Evel Knievel’s stunts by jumping his big wheel over various objects in the street including his sister. After the second stroke, he enjoyed going to Atlantic City where playing the slots was his game of choice at Cesar’s Palace, his preferred venue because he always would win there.

Peter was the loving father of Peter John Barbier of Wayne; brother of Charles Barbier of Callicoon, NY, and Dr. Andrea Barbier and husband Anthony Gagliano of Wayne; and former husband of Claudia Barbier of Bloomfield. He was predeceased by his parents: Peter F. Barbier, Sr. in 1997 and Theresa Barbier Del Mauro in 2017

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Peter’s name are asked to consider the National Stroke Association, 9707 East Easter Lane, Suite B Centennial, CO 80112 (www.stroke.org), or the American Diabetes Association 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22202 (www.diabetes.org).

Josephine M. Ganz (nee Matusik) of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, December 6, 2018 after a long and blessed life of 97 years. Her family was lovingly with her at the time of her passing.

Josephine was born in the family home at 135 Main Street in Conemaugh, PA. When she was about 7 years old, her family moved to a farm in Summerhill, PA. Her father worked at the steel mill and Josephine attended school in a one room schoolhouse. She graduated from Wilmore High School with the Class of 1937. All graduates took a school sponsored trip to Washington D.C. which included a site-seeing plane ride of the Capital. One of her teachers turned down his ticket for the plane ride citing concern for his wife and two children if the plane went down. Consequently, Josephine was the lucky recipient of the extra ticket and got to fly twice!

Soon after high school Josephine found work as a nanny/housekeeper in Long Island, New York. She got this job as her sister Stella did the same work in Long Island as well. After a short time she returned to the family farm in Summerhill, PA and went to visit her dad’s cousin in Hillside, NJ. She decided to stay in New Jersey and found a job working for the RCA Corporation in Harrison on the vacuum tube assembly line.  After working there she got a job working for the Laurel Rubber Company in Garfield on the assembly line. Josephine also worked at the A&P food store in the butcher department and finally for the Thermo Electric Company in Saddle Brook as a file room supervisor and librarian before retiring in 1983.

While working at RCA in Harrison, Josephine went out to Ernie’s Pub and Grill with two girlfriends and met a soldier on leave named Stephen Ganz. Stephen returned to his service but he and Josephine kept in touch through letters. When he returned from World War II they again dated. After a trip together out to the family farm in Summerhill, Pennsylvania, where Stephen asked Josephine’s dad for her hand in marriage, they were soon engaged. Josephine and Stephen married on September 14, 1946 at Saint Peters Church in Newark and honeymooned in Niagara Falls, New York and Montreal, Canada. Josephine would tell a story about, when they entered Canada on their honeymoon, she wasn’t asked for any identification or paperwork. Instead, the agent simply asked her “Are you with him?”  On the way back to the United States she told the agent “I’m with him,” and the customs agent said “I don’t care who you’re with, let me see your papers.” After returning from their honeymoon the young couple rented an apartment in Garfield within the home of her brother-in-law and they soon bought their own home at 95 Pacific Avenue in Garfield.  In the latter years of their marriage Josephine and Stephen enjoyed traveling to such places as Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas.  Josephine and Stephen enjoyed a loving, caring, and devoted marriage just one month short of forty-three years before Stephen’s passing in 1989. She was the greatest fan of her four grandchildren and eight dear great-grandchildren and, with great pleasure, she made sure she never missed any of their sporting events or dance recitals.

Josephine was an avid reader and had a great sense of humor. Recently while in the hospital emergency room, after six hours of waiting, she quipped that “On television emergency room shows they have this and more done in an hour!” She loved her dogs Snowball, Trixie, and Bucky, and was a social butterfly. Her twenty years at Siena Village in Wayne had her on bus trips to Atlantic City, exercise classes, Bible study, trips to Camp Hope, playing Bingo and Dominos, and being part of the Siena Village Welcome Wagon. She was a faithful parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne during her years living in Wayne. When asked what she most wanted to do in life Josephine said she would like to drive a tractor trailer.

Josephine was the beloved wife of the late Stephen Ganz, blest in marriage for almost 43 years until his passing in 1989; loving mother of Stephanie and husband Joseph Volpe of Fords, NJ, and Philip and wife Rosemary Ganz of Hillsborough; cherished grandmother of: Michael Volpe, Lynne Chonka, Philip Ganz, and Matthew Ganz; adoring great-grandmother of Zachary Volpe, Alyssa Barker, Lauren Barker, Isabella Volpe, Katelyn Chonka, Drew Chonka, Alison Ganz and Ryan Ganz; and dear sister of the late Stella Butler and the late Helen Malesky. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and one great grand-puppy, Gidget.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Josephine’s name are asked to consider the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home Menlo Park, 132 Evergreen Road, Edison, NJ 08818.

Josephine M. Ganz (nee Matusik) of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, December 6, 2018 after a long and blessed life of 97 years. Her family was lovingly with her at the time of her passing.

Josephine was born in the family home at 135 Main Street in Conemaugh, PA. When she was about 7 years old, her family moved to a farm in Summerhill, PA. Her father worked at the steel mill and Josephine attended school in a one room schoolhouse. She graduated from Wilmore High School with the Class of 1937. All graduates took a school sponsored trip to Washington D.C. which included a site-seeing plane ride of the Capital. One of her teachers turned down his ticket for the plane ride citing concern for his wife and two children if the plane went down. Consequently, Josephine was the lucky recipient of the extra ticket and got to fly twice!

Soon after high school Josephine found work as a nanny/housekeeper in Long Island, New York. She got this job as her sister Stella did the same work in Long Island as well. After a short time she returned to the family farm in Summerhill, PA and went to visit her dad’s cousin in Hillside, NJ. She decided to stay in New Jersey and found a job working for the RCA Corporation in Harrison on the vacuum tube assembly line.  After working there she got a job working for the Laurel Rubber Company in Garfield on the assembly line. Josephine also worked at the A&P food store in the butcher department and finally for the Thermo Electric Company in Saddle Brook as a file room supervisor and librarian before retiring in 1983.

While working at RCA in Harrison, Josephine went out to Ernie’s Pub and Grill with two girlfriends and met a soldier on leave named Stephen Ganz. Stephen returned to his service but he and Josephine kept in touch through letters. When he returned from World War II they again dated. After a trip together out to the family farm in Summerhill, Pennsylvania, where Stephen asked Josephine’s dad for her hand in marriage, they were soon engaged. Josephine and Stephen married on September 14, 1946 at Saint Peters Church in Newark and honeymooned in Niagara Falls, New York and Montreal, Canada. Josephine would tell a story about, when they entered Canada on their honeymoon, she wasn’t asked for any identification or paperwork. Instead, the agent simply asked her “Are you with him?”  On the way back to the United States she told the agent “I’m with him,” and the customs agent said “I don’t care who you’re with, let me see your papers.” After returning from their honeymoon the young couple rented an apartment in Garfield within the home of her brother-in-law and they soon bought their own home at 95 Pacific Avenue in Garfield.  In the latter years of their marriage Josephine and Stephen enjoyed traveling to such places as Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas.  Josephine and Stephen enjoyed a loving, caring, and devoted marriage just one month short of forty-three years before Stephen’s passing in 1989. She was the greatest fan of her four grandchildren and eight dear great-grandchildren and, with great pleasure, she made sure she never missed any of their sporting events or dance recitals.

Josephine was an avid reader and had a great sense of humor. Recently while in the hospital emergency room, after six hours of waiting, she quipped that “On television emergency room shows they have this and more done in an hour!” She loved her dogs Snowball, Trixie, and Bucky, and was a social butterfly. Her twenty years at Siena Village in Wayne had her on bus trips to Atlantic City, exercise classes, Bible study, trips to Camp Hope, playing Bingo and Dominos, and being part of the Siena Village Welcome Wagon. She was a faithful parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne during her years living in Wayne. When asked what she most wanted to do in life Josephine said she would like to drive a tractor trailer.

Josephine was the beloved wife of the late Stephen Ganz, blest in marriage for almost 43 years until his passing in 1989; loving mother of Stephanie and husband Joseph Volpe of Fords, NJ, and Philip and wife Rosemary Ganz of Hillsborough; cherished grandmother of: Michael Volpe, Lynne Chonka, Philip Ganz, and Matthew Ganz; adoring great-grandmother of Zachary Volpe, Alyssa Barker, Lauren Barker, Isabella Volpe, Katelyn Chonka, Drew Chonka, Alison Ganz and Ryan Ganz; and dear sister of the late Stella Butler and the late Helen Malesky. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and one great grand-puppy, Gidget.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Josephine’s name are asked to consider the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home Menlo Park, 132 Evergreen Road, Edison, NJ 08818.

Joseph “Pa-Joe” Mazza, age 94, of Wayne passed peacefully on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

He was born in Suffern, New York and raised in Paterson having graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1942. After high school Joe enlisted in the United States Army where he served in the South Pacific Theatre of WWII having served in the Philippine Islands, New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies. He recalled that while refurbishing military vehicles on the Island of New Guinea he experienced an earthquake and remembers the mud being so bad that it was too difficult to walk to the mess tent on rainy days. He served with the 3018th Ordinance Company / 141st Ordinance Base Automotive Maintenance Battalion before being honorably discharged in 1946. For his service he received the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Philippines Liberation Ribbon, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Before going into the service Joe worked at the Sipp-Eastwood Corporation in Paterson as a machinist.  He soon went into the service and when he returned from the service he got his job back again at Sipp-Eastwood. He attained 1st Class Machinist qualifications and worked for Continental Can in Paterson and Wright Aeronautical in Caldwell before retiring in 1988 from the Colgate-Palmolive Corporation in Jersey City.

Joe and his wife JoJo met almost by chance.  Joe just happened to be with an Army buddy who had stopped off to visit a girlfriend.  Josephine was there as well, and she caught Joe’s eye.  They hit it off right from the start.  Their first date was to the Regent Theatre in Paterson, which didn’t go so well.  Josephine broke out in hives and Joe rushed her home!  Nevertheless, they fell in love and Joe proposed marriage at Lake Atrium in Suffern, New York.  They were married on February 28, 1948 by the Honorable Judge Milton Shamuck in Paterson, during a pretty severe snow storm.  Joe and JoJo honeymooned at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. They have since enjoyed sixty-seven years of a loving and devoted marriage.  They were always together and they complimented each other perfectly.

Joe recalled that his home in Wayne cost $14,500.00 in 1962 and his taxes were $400.00 per year.  He also remembers his first car was a yellow and black 1929 Chrysler Roadster Cabriolet with a spare tire on each fender and a trunk mounted on the back of the car. His grandmother had a boarding house and one of her tenants couldn’t pay the rent so he gave her the car.  She saved the car for Joe and gave it to him as a gift.

For many years Joe and his wife JoJo enjoyed spending time in Cape May New Jersey. They also enjoyed Boxer dogs and had five over the years.  One of them was a show dog that won 3rd, 2nd, and eventual 1st Place/Best of Breed in area dog shows. Most of all Joe will be remembered for being a loving and devoted family man who loved his wife and daughter and was very proud of the accomplishments of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Many will also remember Joe as “Mr. Handy – Mr. Fix-it.”  If you had a problem with something at the house Joe was the go to guy in the neighborhood.

Joe was the loving husband of the late Josephine “JoJo” Mazza (2014); devoted father of Debra Mastrogiovanni and her husband Robert of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Jennifer Piro and her husband Marc of Wayne, and Laura Mauriello and her husband Albert of Wayne; much loved great-grandfather of Madison and Samantha Piro, and Daniel and Andrew Mauriello; dear brother of the late Alfred Lee Mazza and his surviving wife Lucy, Anthony Mazza and his wife Grace of Wanaque, and John Mazza and his wife Arlene of Whiting; much loved uncle to many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Ennoble Hospice, 2 University Plaza Drive, Suite 204, Hackensack, NJ 07601 would be greatly appreciated.

Gabriel Steven Mellina, “Gabe”, age 29 of Weehawken passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Gabe was born and raised in Wayne and was one of three children to Steven and Diane Mellina.  Growing up Gabe took an interest in Football and played for the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne.  Throughout his life, Gabe was a very private person, and although he was reserved, he was able to talk about anything to just about anyone.  He was a passive and gentle souled young man who loved and cared deeply for his family.  Gabe never seemed to have an argument with anybody and never seemed to make any enemies.  His family recalls their yearly vacations to Isla Mujeres, Mexico where Gabe would be at his most content, relaxing on the beach and basking in the sun.  Clearly the most important thing in Gabe’s life was his family.  He was a very special person who was taken from the world too soon, but yet he touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Gabriel is survived by his parents Steven and Diane Mellina of Weehawken, one brother Nick Mellina and his wife Lauren of Denver, CO, one sister Nicole Chatfield and her husband Steven of Hoboken, his two nieces Olivia and Harley, and his nephew Stevie.      

Dean William Campbell, age 22, of Wayne and formerly of Camillus, NY, passed away from this life unexpectedly and way too soon on Saturday, December 1, 2018.

All 8 pounds, 15 ounces of him was born in a rush at 8:51 AM on Tuesday, October 15, 1996 in Syracuse, NY. And that is how Dean lived his life, with a rush to climb anything and everything from walls at age three to mountains at age 15. Dean loved to explore the waterfalls, lakes and forests surrounding his hometown of Camillus, NY and around New York’s Lake Skaneateles, and to conquer New Jersey’s second highest elevation peak in Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon. He also loved scuba diving and deep sea fishing in Hawaii and traversing the dried lava trails in Volcanoes National Park with his family.  

Life offered so much that Dean loved and embraced, from learning the skills and philosophy of Karate and earning his black belt in 2011, to mastering the automotive tech program at West Genesee High School where he was a graduate with the Class of 2014. Dean was in the school’s auto program for two years and he really took to the inner workings of the combustion engine. His teachers thought he was so gifted that they asked him to give region-wide speeches to promote the school’s program. Dean’s equally sharp skill of verbal communication was so convincing, the school received extra funding as a result of his speeches. Public speaking always goes hand-in-hand with good writing and in that discipline too, Dean excelled. Like all students, it was required of him to learn to write and, like most young people, it was no fun at first. But Dean learned to appreciate the finer art of conveying his thoughts and feeling in creative written prose.  

Dean and his older brother Nathan were only two-and-a-half years apart and they had a bond so fierce, they got matching tattoos “Brothers Forever” on their forearms. Dean’s huge heart and capacity to protect others was certainly evident when his baby sister Siena Maltese was born in January, 2012. Siena was Dean’s “Little Chipmunk” and he, her “Bubba” who would swing her around upside down by her ankles.

There is so much that Dean loved and enjoyed in addition to his vast, extended family: being outdoors, helping family and friends – like cleaning up his grandparents’ yards or taking some pressure off his mom by getting his kid sister Siena off the bus, eating, music, animals (including his loyal dogs Tina the Boxer as a little boy and more recently Cosmo Maltese the Shih Tzu, and his cats Black Cat and White Cat), karaoke, concerts, and exploring expressions of his favorite color…..brick red. Did we mention eating? His affectionate pet name was “The Bottomless Pit” and one of his favorite dishes was his mom’s mashed potatoes which Dean affectionately referred to as “Momma’s Mashed” and his father’s strong gravy. No need for a garbage disposal when Dean was around!

The loss of this amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend leaves a huge hole in the hearts of all who knew and loved and adored him. Thanks for the privilege of sharing this life, even if it was only for a short time.

Dean is survived by his loving mother Jessica and her husband David Maltese of Wayne, and his father Scott Campbell of Ocala, FL; awesome brother and sister: Nathan Campbell of Ocala, FL and Siena Maltese of Wayne; all of his cherished grandparents; numerous dear aunts and uncles, and a plethora of much-loved cousins.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dean’s name are asked to consider donating to: Vera House, 723 James Street, Syracuse, NY 13203; http://www.verahouse.org/give/donate-now

Dean William Campbell, age 22, of Wayne and formerly of Camillus, NY, passed away from this life unexpectedly and way too soon on Saturday, December 1, 2018.

All 8 pounds, 15 ounces of him was born in a rush at 8:51 AM on Tuesday, October 15, 1996 in Syracuse, NY. And that is how Dean lived his life, with a rush to climb anything and everything from walls at age three to mountains at age 15. Dean loved to explore the waterfalls, lakes and forests surrounding his hometown of Camillus, NY and around New York’s Lake Skaneateles, and to conquer New Jersey’s second highest elevation peak in Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon. He also loved scuba diving and deep sea fishing in Hawaii and traversing the dried lava trails in Volcanoes National Park with his family.  

Life offered so much that Dean loved and embraced, from learning the skills and philosophy of Karate and earning his black belt in 2011, to mastering the automotive tech program at West Genesee High School where he was a graduate with the Class of 2014. Dean was in the school’s auto program for two years and he really took to the inner workings of the combustion engine. His teachers thought he was so gifted that they asked him to give region-wide speeches to promote the school’s program. Dean’s equally sharp skill of verbal communication was so convincing, the school received extra funding as a result of his speeches. Public speaking always goes hand-in-hand with good writing and in that discipline too, Dean excelled. Like all students, it was required of him to learn to write and, like most young people, it was no fun at first. But Dean learned to appreciate the finer art of conveying his thoughts and feeling in creative written prose.  

Dean and his older brother Nathan were only two-and-a-half years apart and they had a bond so fierce, they got matching tattoos “Brothers Forever” on their forearms. Dean’s huge heart and capacity to protect others was certainly evident when his baby sister Siena Maltese was born in January, 2012. Siena was Dean’s “Little Chipmunk” and he, her “Bubba” who would swing her around upside down by her ankles.

There is so much that Dean loved and enjoyed in addition to his vast, extended family: being outdoors, helping family and friends – like cleaning up his grandparents’ yards or taking some pressure off his mom by getting his kid sister Siena off the bus, eating, music, animals (including his loyal dogs Tina the Boxer as a little boy and more recently Cosmo Maltese the Shih Tzu, and his cats Black Cat and White Cat), karaoke, concerts, and exploring expressions of his favorite color…..brick red. Did we mention eating? His affectionate pet name was “The Bottomless Pit” and one of his favorite dishes was his mom’s mashed potatoes which Dean affectionately referred to as “Momma’s Mashed” and his father’s strong gravy. No need for a garbage disposal when Dean was around!

The loss of this amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend leaves a huge hole in the hearts of all who knew and loved and adored him. Thanks for the privilege of sharing this life, even if it was only for a short time.

Dean is survived by his loving mother Jessica and her husband David Maltese of Wayne, and his father Scott Campbell of Ocala, FL; awesome brother and sister: Nathan Campbell of Ocala, FL and Siena Maltese of Wayne; all of his cherished grandparents; numerous dear aunts and uncles, and a plethora of much-loved cousins.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dean’s name are asked to consider donating to: Vera House, 723 James Street, Syracuse, NY 13203; http://www.verahouse.org/give/donate-now

Calise, Joseph Bartholomew, Sr. of Wayne, formerly of Clifton, Naples, FL, and Toms River, passed away on November 30, 2018.  Born on the Lower Eastside of New York, Joe spent many of his formative years in Brooklyn before moving to Clifton in 1949. A member of the “Greatest Generation”, his college career was interrupted by the Second World War where he proudly served his country as an Army Mortar Platoon Leader, in the Pacific Theater.  He returned home to marry his childhood sweetheart, Anne Colosimo, on July 26, 1945.

Joe started his career at U.S. Testing and spent nearly 40 years at Benjamin Moore Paints before retiring at 62.  Joe and Anne raised their 9 children in Clifton and were well known in the community.  A loving and committed husband and father, he believed it was important to serve others.  Joe was a member of the Clifton Planning Board and oversaw the building of the first Passaic County Children’s Shelter.  He actively supported the Clifton Boys’ and Girls’ Club as a Trustee.  As a veteran, Joe was a member of American Legion Post 8 and the VFW.  He served on the Lay Council of St. Philip’s Church in Clifton and as a member of the Holy Name Society and the Regina Mundi Chapter of the Knights of Columbus.  Sports also played a large part in Joe’s life.  Recognized as “Most Athletic” his Junior and Senior years at Immaculata High School, he supported his sons as one of the founders of the Clifton Midget League, coaching both baseball and basketball.

Joe’s wife, Anne, predeceased him (1997), as did 3 children, Susan (1980), Anne Marie (Gaccione) (2013) and Joseph, Jr. (2018). After Anne’s passing, Joe married Alice Jane Smith who passed in 2016.  His surviving family includes Francis (Frank) and Florence Calise; Kenneth and Mary Lou Calise; Robert and Sherry Calise; Philip and Erica Calise; John and Lynda Calise; Donna  and Joe Brulato and Peter Gaccione along with 16 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.  He will be truly missed by all of his family.

Calise, Joseph Bartholomew, Sr. of Wayne, formerly of Clifton, Naples, FL, and Toms River, passed away on November 30, 2018.  Born on the Lower Eastside of New York, Joe spent many of his formative years in Brooklyn before moving to Clifton in 1949. A member of the “Greatest Generation”, his college career was interrupted by the Second World War where he proudly served his country as an Army Mortar Platoon Leader, in the Pacific Theater.  He returned home to marry his childhood sweetheart, Anne Colosimo, on July 26, 1945.

Joe started his career at U.S. Testing and spent nearly 40 years at Benjamin Moore Paints before retiring at 62.  Joe and Anne raised their 9 children in Clifton and were well known in the community.  A loving and committed husband and father, he believed it was important to serve others.  Joe was a member of the Clifton Planning Board and oversaw the building of the first Passaic County Children’s Shelter.  He actively supported the Clifton Boys’ and Girls’ Club as a Trustee.  As a veteran, Joe was a member of American Legion Post 8 and the VFW.  He served on the Lay Council of St. Philip’s Church in Clifton and as a member of the Holy Name Society and the Regina Mundi Chapter of the Knights of Columbus.  Sports also played a large part in Joe’s life.  Recognized as “Most Athletic” his Junior and Senior years at Immaculata High School, he supported his sons as one of the founders of the Clifton Midget League, coaching both baseball and basketball.

Joe’s wife, Anne, predeceased him (1997), as did 3 children, Susan (1980), Anne Marie (Gaccione) (2013) and Joseph, Jr. (2018). After Anne’s passing, Joe married Alice Jane Smith who passed in 2016.  His surviving family includes Francis (Frank) and Florence Calise; Kenneth and Mary Lou Calise; Robert and Sherry Calise; Philip and Erica Calise; John and Lynda Calise; Donna  and Joe Brulato and Peter Gaccione along with 16 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.  He will be truly missed by all of his family.

Dean A. Wanamaker, age 68 of Ringwood, and formerly of Tuxedo, NY and Oakland, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 30, 2018.

Dean was born in Hackensack and raised in Ramsey. He was a graduate of Ramsey High School, Class of 1968. Thinking that he wanted to work in the field of accounting, he applied and was accepted to Bentley College, a school of accountancy in Waltham, Massachusetts. During his years at Bentley his interests changed to the field of law enforcement. He pressed through and earned a Bachelor’s degree in accounting but, upon his return home Dean took his first job with the Bergen County Prosecutors Office. Working alongside the FBI and U.S. Marshalls he was involved in many facets of law enforcement including but not limited to numerous organized crime investigations, and the extradition of fugitives. In particular, his extradition work involved extensive travel to varied destinations and, no matter where he went, his daughter and two sons will always remember how Dean would bring them back gifts that were unique to the area where he was working. Dean always derived great satisfaction from his twenty-five year career and, after retiring in 2000 as a Sergeant Detective, he tried to be a bum for a few years but eventually got too antsy and took a job in the maintenance department of Columbia Bank of Fair Lawn. Retiring fully in 2012, he resigned from that position so that his son could take over his job.

Dean’s three kids meant the world to him. They’ll always have great memories of their father taking them fishing on the lakes in Ringwood, going on vacation to Hilton Head in South Carolina, and going to the shooting range in Upstate, NY. He did his best to teach them to be independent and value the most important things of life by teaching them that it was more important to give them what they needed as opposed to always giving them what they wanted. As adults they enjoyed great camaraderie with Dean, frequently busting his chops for all kinds of things which he received in a good-natured spirit. Dean’s adoration for his kids was only matched by his love for his grandchildren. Unlike his own kids, they could do anything they wanted and it was perfectly ok with Papa Dean. The grandkids would always want to go to see Papa Dean because he’d let them play video games, kill zombies, watch scary movies, shoot BB guns, and all the while, he’d sugar them up with Twinkies and other no-good-for-you treats.

Dean was not one to sit still. Even in his retirement years, he was always up with the birds and ready to go. He was the type of guy who’d be out at 7:30 AM cutting his grass. He needed to start that early because his goal was always to have his yard as pristine as possible, and that took time and effort. And after the grass was cut, no one was allowed to walk on it. Very handy, he could fix anything and he did all the maintenance on his own house, and he enjoyed volunteering his time with the Skyline Lake Association maintaining the pristine quality of the water. Dean also loved to fish and go deer hunting. Consequently, venison was always in good supply in the Wanamaker house. When his daughter Kelly was little, she never liked the idea of eating venison so he would playfully try to fool her by telling her it was steak. A great means of enjoyment was taking his family out to dinner. Growing up, his kids didn’t like it so much because Dean always took so long and they didn’t want to sit in the restaurant all night. Dean however liked to use this dinner occasions to teach his kids patience – first a drink, then an appetizer, then a salad, now the main course, surely followed up by an after-dinner drink, then coffee and dessert. His favorite place to eat was The Timbers in Oakland.

On a quiet evening at home with just his easy chair and the remote, Dean would spend the night watching the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel and NBC News. In fact, his kids recall that when they were growing up and Dean was watching NBC News with Tom Brokaw, they had to be quiet because “This is important.” More recently, much of that time spent watching the news was spent with his faithful companion named Sweet Pea – a sweet little Toy Yorkie that Dean’s daughter Kelly sprung upon him one day. At the time, he was upset that she brought a dog into the house, but he grew to love Sweet Pea so much that, when Kelly got married and wanted to take the dog to live with her, Dean said “No way!, She’s mine!”

Dean will always be remembered for his matter-of-fact approach to life. There was no guessing what Dean ever really felt because he would just tell you the way he saw the situation. Even upon being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this past July, he took the news for what it was and took the approach that this was just the way life is. Dean was a remarkable person who touched the lives of everyone that knew him and he will be sincerely missed.

Dean was the loving father of Kelly and husband James Engels of Ringwood, Kyle and wife Leana Wanamaker of Paterson, and Eric and wife Felicia Wanamaker of Vernon; cherished grandfather of Colton, Hunter, and Axel; dear uncle of Craig and wife Jackie Wanamaker; and dear great-uncle of Evan and Alexa.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dean’s name are asked to consider the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite D. Woodbury, NY 11797 or online at www.lustgarten.org/donate

Dean A. Wanamaker, age 68 of Ringwood, and formerly of Tuxedo, NY and Oakland, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 30, 2018.

Dean was born in Hackensack and raised in Ramsey. He was a graduate of Ramsey High School, Class of 1968. Thinking that he wanted to work in the field of accounting, he applied and was accepted to Bentley College, a school of accountancy in Waltham, Massachusetts. During his years at Bentley his interests changed to the field of law enforcement. He pressed through and earned a Bachelor’s degree in accounting but, upon his return home Dean took his first job with the Bergen County Prosecutors Office. Working alongside the FBI and U.S. Marshalls he was involved in many facets of law enforcement including but not limited to numerous organized crime investigations, and the extradition of fugitives. In particular, his extradition work involved extensive travel to varied destinations and, no matter where he went, his daughter and two sons will always remember how Dean would bring them back gifts that were unique to the area where he was working. Dean always derived great satisfaction from his twenty-five year career and, after retiring in 2000 as a Sergeant Detective, he tried to be a bum for a few years but eventually got too antsy and took a job in the maintenance department of Columbia Bank of Fair Lawn. Retiring fully in 2012, he resigned from that position so that his son could take over his job.

Dean’s three kids meant the world to him. They’ll always have great memories of their father taking them fishing on the lakes in Ringwood, going on vacation to Hilton Head in South Carolina, and going to the shooting range in Upstate, NY. He did his best to teach them to be independent and value the most important things of life by teaching them that it was more important to give them what they needed as opposed to always giving them what they wanted. As adults they enjoyed great camaraderie with Dean, frequently busting his chops for all kinds of things which he received in a good-natured spirit. Dean’s adoration for his kids was only matched by his love for his grandchildren. Unlike his own kids, they could do anything they wanted and it was perfectly ok with Papa Dean. The grandkids would always want to go to see Papa Dean because he’d let them play video games, kill zombies, watch scary movies, shoot BB guns, and all the while, he’d sugar them up with Twinkies and other no-good-for-you treats.

Dean was not one to sit still. Even in his retirement years, he was always up with the birds and ready to go. He was the type of guy who’d be out at 7:30 AM cutting his grass. He needed to start that early because his goal was always to have his yard as pristine as possible, and that took time and effort. And after the grass was cut, no one was allowed to walk on it. Very handy, he could fix anything and he did all the maintenance on his own house, and he enjoyed volunteering his time with the Skyline Lake Association maintaining the pristine quality of the water. Dean also loved to fish and go deer hunting. Consequently, venison was always in good supply in the Wanamaker house. When his daughter Kelly was little, she never liked the idea of eating venison so he would playfully try to fool her by telling her it was steak. A great means of enjoyment was taking his family out to dinner. Growing up, his kids didn’t like it so much because Dean always took so long and they didn’t want to sit in the restaurant all night. Dean however liked to use this dinner occasions to teach his kids patience – first a drink, then an appetizer, then a salad, now the main course, surely followed up by an after-dinner drink, then coffee and dessert. His favorite place to eat was The Timbers in Oakland.

On a quiet evening at home with just his easy chair and the remote, Dean would spend the night watching the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel and NBC News. In fact, his kids recall that when they were growing up and Dean was watching NBC News with Tom Brokaw, they had to be quiet because “This is important.” More recently, much of that time spent watching the news was spent with his faithful companion named Sweet Pea – a sweet little Toy Yorkie that Dean’s daughter Kelly sprung upon him one day. At the time, he was upset that she brought a dog into the house, but he grew to love Sweet Pea so much that, when Kelly got married and wanted to take the dog to live with her, Dean said “No way!, She’s mine!”

Dean will always be remembered for his matter-of-fact approach to life. There was no guessing what Dean ever really felt because he would just tell you the way he saw the situation. Even upon being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this past July, he took the news for what it was and took the approach that this was just the way life is. Dean was a remarkable person who touched the lives of everyone that knew him and he will be sincerely missed.

Dean was the loving father of Kelly and husband James Engels of Ringwood, Kyle and wife Leana Wanamaker of Paterson, and Eric and wife Felicia Wanamaker of Vernon; cherished grandfather of Colton, Hunter, and Axel; dear uncle of Craig and wife Jackie Wanamaker; and dear great-uncle of Evan and Alexa.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dean’s name are asked to consider the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite D. Woodbury, NY 11797 or online at www.lustgarten.org/donate

John A. Stinziano, age 76, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 29, 2018 while in the loving presence of his family.

Born and raised in Jersey City, John was the eighth of his parents John and Rose Stinziano’s nine children. He was a Class of 1960 graduate of Jersey City’s Ferris High School. After high school John took a job with Ryerson Steel in Jersey City. For the next ten years he worked there faithfully by day while attending classes at St. Peters College at night in pursuit of his real dream – teaching U.S. History at the high school level. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in education in 1974, John’s dream was realized when he accepted a position with Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne as their history teacher. Over the course of his twenty-five-plus year career at the school, John enjoyed the respect of his countless students and faculty alike. Throughout his teaching career until retirement in 2003, John always remained a student of history himself and consequently, his enthusiasm for what he taught was contagious to his students. Of course, they also loved him because he was more interested in sharing his love of history than testing them on the subject. John’s generosity toward the students went beyond a typical school day as he was always willing to help them with their studies after class, but his genuine care for them went even further as he also took a keen interest in their overall welfare frequently offering them food and clothing when needed.

John was a truly avid sport lover. He played baseball in high school himself and, being a huge New York Yankees fan, he loved to quip that one day he would be playing center field at Yankee Stadium. While that dream was never realized he had plenty of fun settling for family whiffle ball tournaments and he also played a lot of tennis. He loved going to watch the Yankees play and he was always organizing school faculty trips to the stadium. When John’s nephew Joe was a student at PCTI, the two of them arranged the first student against faculty baseball game. Joe was proud that the students won and John turned the students-faculty baseball game into an annual tradition for many more years to come. Next to baseball, John’s favorite sport was football. He was a Giants fan but his knowledge of the league was widespread. In fact, he even was giving his niece Laura advice for her fantasy football team a week before his passing. It turned out to be good advice as the players he told her to play did great and she won the game!

John was an extremely organized man. He was also a big mail order shopper who loved to purchase things out of catalogs. His brother Dennis liked to joke that if John had a computer and the ability to purchase items online, he’d be broke and he’d have a house full of junk. He was a salesman’s delight! John loved to collect World War II memorabilia, model cars, and sports memorabilia so those that peddled such things probably considered John a best friend. In his younger years he was a bit of a painter too. His family liked to poke a little bit of fun at him for a paint-by-number painting of the Last Supper that he did as a young man. He also painted a 3-D model of Yankee great Babe Ruth.

As much as he loved to buy things for himself, you would never find a more generous man than John. His generosity to his students was only the tip of the iceberg as John was a regular contributor to countless charities both religious and philanthropic. Surely his benevolent nature was instilled in him already as a young man when he was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Jersey City.

John always held God close to his heart. A very devout believer in God, he always wore his St. Anthony medal close to his heart. He was a delight to know. He loved being part of a big Italian family and he surely was cherished by his brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews alike. He was also beloved by many friends and former students that he had the privilege of getting to know throughout the course of his life.  

John is survived by his dear siblings: Jeanette and husband Gabriel Quarterbosh of Little Falls, Joseph and wife Ellen Stinziano of Oak Park, Illinois, and Dennis and wife Patricia Stinziano of Hollywood, Florida; and numerous dear nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his loving parents: John and Rose Stinziano; and four dear sisters and one dear brother: Theresa Sucato, Anna Kachnowski Rosemary Falcone, Dominick Stinziano, and Josephine Lombardi.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in John’s name are asked to consider either Wounded Warrior Project  PO Box 758517  Topeka, KS  66675 (www.WoundedWarriorProject.org), or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,  Memorial Processing   501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (www.stjude.org).

John A. Stinziano, age 76, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 29, 2018 while in the loving presence of his family.

Born and raised in Jersey City, John was the eighth of his parents John and Rose Stinziano’s nine children. He was a Class of 1960 graduate of Jersey City’s Ferris High School. After high school John took a job with Ryerson Steel in Jersey City. For the next ten years he worked there faithfully by day while attending classes at St. Peters College at night in pursuit of his real dream – teaching U.S. History at the high school level. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in education in 1974, John’s dream was realized when he accepted a position with Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne as their history teacher. Over the course of his twenty-five-plus year career at the school, John enjoyed the respect of his countless students and faculty alike. Throughout his teaching career until retirement in 2003, John always remained a student of history himself and consequently, his enthusiasm for what he taught was contagious to his students. Of course, they also loved him because he was more interested in sharing his love of history than testing them on the subject. John’s generosity toward the students went beyond a typical school day as he was always willing to help them with their studies after class, but his genuine care for them went even further as he also took a keen interest in their overall welfare frequently offering them food and clothing when needed.

John was a truly avid sport lover. He played baseball in high school himself and, being a huge New York Yankees fan, he loved to quip that one day he would be playing center field at Yankee Stadium. While that dream was never realized he had plenty of fun settling for family whiffle ball tournaments and he also played a lot of tennis. He loved going to watch the Yankees play and he was always organizing school faculty trips to the stadium. When John’s nephew Joe was a student at PCTI, the two of them arranged the first student against faculty baseball game. Joe was proud that the students won and John turned the students-faculty baseball game into an annual tradition for many more years to come. Next to baseball, John’s favorite sport was football. He was a Giants fan but his knowledge of the league was widespread. In fact, he even was giving his niece Laura advice for her fantasy football team a week before his passing. It turned out to be good advice as the players he told her to play did great and she won the game!

John was an extremely organized man. He was also a big mail order shopper who loved to purchase things out of catalogs. His brother Dennis liked to joke that if John had a computer and the ability to purchase items online, he’d be broke and he’d have a house full of junk. He was a salesman’s delight! John loved to collect World War II memorabilia, model cars, and sports memorabilia so those that peddled such things probably considered John a best friend. In his younger years he was a bit of a painter too. His family liked to poke a little bit of fun at him for a paint-by-number painting of the Last Supper that he did as a young man. He also painted a 3-D model of Yankee great Babe Ruth.

As much as he loved to buy things for himself, you would never find a more generous man than John. His generosity to his students was only the tip of the iceberg as John was a regular contributor to countless charities both religious and philanthropic. Surely his benevolent nature was instilled in him already as a young man when he was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Jersey City.

John always held God close to his heart. A very devout believer in God, he always wore his St. Anthony medal close to his heart. He was a delight to know. He loved being part of a big Italian family and he surely was cherished by his brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews alike. He was also beloved by many friends and former students that he had the privilege of getting to know throughout the course of his life.  

John is survived by his dear siblings: Jeanette and husband Gabriel Quarterbosh of Little Falls, Joseph and wife Ellen Stinziano of Oak Park, Illinois, and Dennis and wife Patricia Stinziano of Hollywood, Florida; and numerous dear nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his loving parents: John and Rose Stinziano; and four dear sisters and one dear brother: Theresa Sucato, Anna Kachnowski Rosemary Falcone, Dominick Stinziano, and Josephine Lombardi.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in John’s name are asked to consider either Wounded Warrior Project  PO Box 758517  Topeka, KS  66675 (www.WoundedWarriorProject.org), or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,  Memorial Processing   501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (www.stjude.org).

Donald J. Skorton, age 85 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018.

Raised in Bloomfield, Don graduated from Bloomfield High School with the class of 1951.  He started working in the printing and paper industry, and he remained in that industry throughout his entire career.  He worked for Hy Grade Printing in Caldwell, as well as other printers in New York City, Edison, and throughout the area.  Don saw the writing on the wall as the printing industry began to shrink during the 1980’s, and he retired in 1988 from Haven Business Forms in Edison, NJ.

Don was a talented and skilled artist who preferred to work with charcoal and oil.  He could fix anything around the house, including cars.  A “chronic putterer,” Don was always doing something in the basement.  He just had to keep himself busy.  He was also an avid reader of mystery novels, political books, and biographies.  He loved to dance and wouldn’t quit until his knees gave out!

Don met his wife Natalie (Heaphy) on a bus trip to Lake Placid, sponsored by Wayne Township.  On the return bus trip, there was a terrible snow storm that brought all traffic to a halt.  They spent hours talking to each other on that bus, and their relationship only got better from that day forward.  Don proposed around Thanksgiving later that year, and they were married on November 29, 1968 at the First Reformed Church in Wayne.  Their wedding reception dinner was held onboard a cruise ship in the New York Harbor, and the next day they set sail for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for their honeymoon.  Thus began fifty years together with many vacations to their favorite destination; Williamsburg, Virginia.  They had a time-share there and used it often, sometimes three times per year!  They loved the history, the location, and the restaurants there.  Natalie will surely treasure those memories that they made together in Williamsburg, and throughout all the years of their marriage.

Don is survived by his loving wife Natalie of Wayne, by three daughters; Donna Loblein and her husband John of Toms River, Linda Jones and her husband Joseph of Clemons, NC, Susan Capron and her husband Paul of Toms River, NJ, one son; Jim Skorton of South Carolina, two step-sons; Jim Lindsay of Wayne, and Bob Lindsay and his wife Bernadette of Wayne, as well as fifteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.  He was predeceased by his son Bill Skorton, a brother; Robert Skorton, and by his sister; Dorothy Mackay.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Don’s memory are asked to consider the Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474, www.waynefas.com

Donald J. Skorton, age 85 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018.

Raised in Bloomfield, Don graduated from Bloomfield High School with the class of 1951.  He started working in the printing and paper industry, and he remained in that industry throughout his entire career.  He worked for Hy Grade Printing in Caldwell, as well as other printers in New York City, Edison, and throughout the area.  Don saw the writing on the wall as the printing industry began to shrink during the 1980’s, and he retired in 1988 from Haven Business Forms in Edison, NJ.

Don was a talented and skilled artist who preferred to work with charcoal and oil.  He could fix anything around the house, including cars.  A “chronic putterer,” Don was always doing something in the basement.  He just had to keep himself busy.  He was also an avid reader of mystery novels, political books, and biographies.  He loved to dance and wouldn’t quit until his knees gave out!

Don met his wife Natalie (Heaphy) on a bus trip to Lake Placid, sponsored by Wayne Township.  On the return bus trip, there was a terrible snow storm that brought all traffic to a halt.  They spent hours talking to each other on that bus, and their relationship only got better from that day forward.  Don proposed around Thanksgiving later that year, and they were married on November 29, 1968 at the First Reformed Church in Wayne.  Their wedding reception dinner was held onboard a cruise ship in the New York Harbor, and the next day they set sail for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for their honeymoon.  Thus began fifty years together with many vacations to their favorite destination; Williamsburg, Virginia.  They had a time-share there and used it often, sometimes three times per year!  They loved the history, the location, and the restaurants there.  Natalie will surely treasure those memories that they made together in Williamsburg, and throughout all the years of their marriage.

Don is survived by his loving wife Natalie of Wayne, by three daughters; Donna Loblein and her husband John of Toms River, Linda Jones and her husband Joseph of Clemons, NC, Susan Capron and her husband Paul of Toms River, NJ, one son; Jim Skorton of South Carolina, two step-sons; Jim Lindsay of Wayne, and Bob Lindsay and his wife Bernadette of Wayne, as well as fifteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.  He was predeceased by his son Bill Skorton, a brother; Robert Skorton, and by his sister; Dorothy Mackay.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Don’s memory are asked to consider the Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474, www.waynefas.com

Lynn Connelly, age 64 of Wayne, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne since 1991.

Lynn grew up in Hawthorne and graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1972, where she built many life-long friendships.   Lynn earned her Bachelor’s Degree from William Paterson College.  She began teaching special needs students at Passaic County Vocational-Technical High School in 1977 and remained there until 1984.

She returned to teaching in 1994, this time in Pequannock.  She loved her job, the students, and the many other teachers with whom she became good friends.  Lynn was a special person, and truly interested in getting to know everyone, always bringing her kindness, loving spirit, and sense of humor along with her.  She was blessed to have built so many great friendships throughout her life.

Lynn’s family was her world.  She met her beloved husband, Joe, while they were teachers at Passaic County Tech.  They were married on August 18, 1984, at St. Theresa’s in Paterson, and honeymooned in Aruba. Soon after, Lynn and Joe built a family of their own, having two sons, Brendan and Kevin.

Lynn devoted herself to her family, and especially raising the two boys.  They recall how she never missed a game or practice during their childhood, and she was always there for them. She was a wonderful host of many parties and holiday gatherings, where many memories were made.

She was a big Army football fan and her family had season tickets for decades.  Going to West Point for games was a tradition that she loved dearly, and if she wasn’t at West Point to see the game, you could find her at home watching on TV.  Lynn, Joe, and her sons would always spend weekends at West Point in the fall.  Summer vacations were also very memorable, often vacationing in Holden Beach, North Carolina with great friends. Her sons recalled this week the only time of the year that she could lay on the beach, get a sun tan, read a book, and relax.

Lynn had a wonderful sense of humor and fancied herself a comedian of sorts.  She loved to make people laugh and could see the funny side of just about any situation.  She always made the best of life, and as quoted in her high school yearbook "Laughter makes all things tolerable."  Lynn lived by this motto.

Lynn is survived by her two sons; Brendan and Kevin, both of Wayne, three brothers; Rev. Edward Reading of Ortley Beach, NJ, Patrick Reading of Paterson, NJ, and Thomas Reading of Forked River, NJ, as well as her nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.  She was predeceased by her husband Joe in 2009.

Lynn Connelly, age 64 of Wayne, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne since 1991.

Lynn grew up in Hawthorne and graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1972, where she built many life-long friendships.   Lynn earned her Bachelor’s Degree from William Paterson College.  She began teaching special needs students at Passaic County Vocational-Technical High School in 1977 and remained there until 1984.

She returned to teaching in 1994, this time in Pequannock.  She loved her job, the students, and the many other teachers with whom she became good friends.  Lynn was a special person, and truly interested in getting to know everyone, always bringing her kindness, loving spirit, and sense of humor along with her.  She was blessed to have built so many great friendships throughout her life.

Lynn’s family was her world.  She met her beloved husband, Joe, while they were teachers at Passaic County Tech.  They were married on August 18, 1984, at St. Theresa’s in Paterson, and honeymooned in Aruba. Soon after, Lynn and Joe built a family of their own, having two sons, Brendan and Kevin.

Lynn devoted herself to her family, and especially raising the two boys.  They recall how she never missed a game or practice during their childhood, and she was always there for them. She was a wonderful host of many parties and holiday gatherings, where many memories were made.

She was a big Army football fan and her family had season tickets for decades.  Going to West Point for games was a tradition that she loved dearly, and if she wasn’t at West Point to see the game, you could find her at home watching on TV.  Lynn, Joe, and her sons would always spend weekends at West Point in the fall.  Summer vacations were also very memorable, often vacationing in Holden Beach, North Carolina with great friends. Her sons recalled this week the only time of the year that she could lay on the beach, get a sun tan, read a book, and relax.

Lynn had a wonderful sense of humor and fancied herself a comedian of sorts.  She loved to make people laugh and could see the funny side of just about any situation.  She always made the best of life, and as quoted in her high school yearbook "Laughter makes all things tolerable."  Lynn lived by this motto.

Lynn is survived by her two sons; Brendan and Kevin, both of Wayne, three brothers; Rev. Edward Reading of Ortley Beach, NJ, Patrick Reading of Paterson, NJ, and Thomas Reading of Forked River, NJ, as well as her nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.  She was predeceased by her husband Joe in 2009.

Thomas Leonard, age 75, of Wayne passed Monday, November 26, 2018.

He was born in Paterson and was a lifelong resident of Wayne.  Tom attended the Mountain View School, Anthony Wayne Junior High, and Wayne Valley High School all in Wayne.

He was a United States Army Veteran and served in Korea.  During his service Tom was trained in Nuclear Weapons Technology and stationed in the DMZ in Korea.  He was deeply affected by the many children he saw in Korean orphanages and donated much of his free time in the orphanages there.  He also fondly remembered military service in Fort Bliss, Texas where he got to eat rattlesnake.

After his service he worked for Bob Grimil Construction, was a bar tender at the Hi-Ho Club in Wayne, and worked as a foreman for several years at the Wayne Township Water Department before retiring for health reasons in 2003.

Tom was a dog lover and had several dogs through the years.  Tom’s sister Patricia recalled how she would dog-sit his Irish Setter named Shannon.  Shannon would sit at Patricia’s window and bark at every truck she was hoping it was Tom coming to bring her home.

Tom was instilled with a life-long love of fishing by his father.  Tom cherished a photo of he and his dad fishing in a boat in Pompton Lake.  As a matter of fact Tom’s sister Patricia when fishing once too.  Once is the operative word as she couldn’t stop talking in the boat and was blamed for scaring all the fish away.

Tom was the loving son of the late Michael and Helen Leonard; he was the much loved brother of his sister Patricia Leonard of Wayne.

Thomas Leonard, age 75, of Wayne passed Monday, November 26, 2018.

He was born in Paterson and was a lifelong resident of Wayne.  Tom attended the Mountain View School, Anthony Wayne Junior High, and Wayne Valley High School all in Wayne.

He was a United States Army Veteran and served in Korea.  During his service Tom was trained in Nuclear Weapons Technology and stationed in the DMZ in Korea.  He was deeply affected by the many children he saw in Korean orphanages and donated much of his free time in the orphanages there.  He also fondly remembered military service in Fort Bliss, Texas where he got to eat rattlesnake.

After his service he worked for Bob Grimil Construction, was a bar tender at the Hi-Ho Club in Wayne, and worked as a foreman for several years at the Wayne Township Water Department before retiring for health reasons in 2003.

Tom was a dog lover and had several dogs through the years.  Tom’s sister Patricia recalled how she would dog-sit his Irish Setter named Shannon.  Shannon would sit at Patricia’s window and bark at every truck she was hoping it was Tom coming to bring her home.

Tom was instilled with a life-long love of fishing by his father.  Tom cherished a photo of he and his dad fishing in a boat in Pompton Lake.  As a matter of fact Tom’s sister Patricia when fishing once too.  Once is the operative word as she couldn’t stop talking in the boat and was blamed for scaring all the fish away.

Tom was the loving son of the late Michael and Helen Leonard; he was the much loved brother of his sister Patricia Leonard of Wayne.

Gloria M. Stepic, age 75, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 25, 2018 while in the loving care of her family.

Gloria was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. She was raised in El Paso, Texas but enjoyed returning often to Chihuahua to spend summers on her grandparent’s farm.

After graduating from high school, Gloria began working at the Hilton Hotel in El Paso. There, she met a young gentleman from New Jersey named William Stepic who was a patron of the hotel. Since Bill was on an extended business trip, he stayed at the Hilton for several months. This gave him and Gloria a nice amount of time to really get to know each other. As fate would have it, they fell in love which led to marriage on Christmas Day - Monday, December 25, 1961 at the Roman Catholic Church in El Paso. Soon after marriage, Gloria and Bill moved to New Jersey, settling into a garden apartment in Hackensack. In 1965 they moved to a new home on Palmer Drive in Wayne where they remained for the past 53 years.

Gloria embraced her role as homemaker and mother. Her family was the most important part of her life and her home was always a welcome place to gather. She loved entertaining for all the big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and her kids could always count on Mom to throw the best birthday parties. Truly one of Gloria’s greatest gifts was cooking, and she made the best meals you could ever imagine. Family favorites included offerings from her Mexican background like enchiladas, quesadillas, mole sauce and her homemade salsa and guacamole.  She was the master of other dishes too, like Italian meals such as meatballs and lasagna. Gloria also liked to bake as well, her family especially enjoyed the date nut cake she baked for the holidays.

After her children gained some independence, Gloria returned to the workplace. She held various jobs before accepting a position as a switchboard operator for American Cyanamid Corporation, where she worked until retirement

After Bill retired, he suggested a trip to the Caribbean but Gloria had her sites set more on Hawaii. So to Hawaii they went. She always kept close ties with her family in El Paso, Texas and visits remained a regular tradition. Her kids often joined her on those trips so that they could spend time with their grandmother. Gloria was lucky to have had nine grandchildren of her own, and she took the greatest pleasure in spoiling them all. They say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach and Gloria definitely used her gift of cooking to win her grandchildren’s hearts.

Known also as Glo, Glosie, Gam-ma-ma, and Mamasita, Gloria was a pleasant warm and friendly person who could strike up a conversation with a total stranger and proceed to talk for the next hour. She was a gifted story teller who used her great sense of humor to add a funny twist to the stories she told.

Gloria was the beloved wife of William – married for almost 57 years. She was the loving Mother of her sons, Robert and Walter Stepic, daughter Lillian Stepic, daughter Maryann and husband, Mark Howes, and daughter Sarah and husband Michael Pisani; the adoring grandmother of David, Adam, Skye, Isabella, AJ, Evan, Sophia, Maya, and Marco; and the loving Caregiver of Vera Garcia.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Gloria’s name are asked to consider The ARC for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Donations can be made online at thearc.org/donate.

Gloria M. Stepic, age 75, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 25, 2018 while in the loving care of her family.

Gloria was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. She was raised in El Paso, Texas but enjoyed returning often to Chihuahua to spend summers on her grandparent’s farm.

After graduating from high school, Gloria began working at the Hilton Hotel in El Paso. There, she met a young gentleman from New Jersey named William Stepic who was a patron of the hotel. Since Bill was on an extended business trip, he stayed at the Hilton for several months. This gave him and Gloria a nice amount of time to really get to know each other. As fate would have it, they fell in love which led to marriage on Christmas Day - Monday, December 25, 1961 at the Roman Catholic Church in El Paso. Soon after marriage, Gloria and Bill moved to New Jersey, settling into a garden apartment in Hackensack. In 1965 they moved to a new home on Palmer Drive in Wayne where they remained for the past 53 years.

Gloria embraced her role as homemaker and mother. Her family was the most important part of her life and her home was always a welcome place to gather. She loved entertaining for all the big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and her kids could always count on Mom to throw the best birthday parties. Truly one of Gloria’s greatest gifts was cooking, and she made the best meals you could ever imagine. Family favorites included offerings from her Mexican background like enchiladas, quesadillas, mole sauce and her homemade salsa and guacamole.  She was the master of other dishes too, like Italian meals such as meatballs and lasagna. Gloria also liked to bake as well, her family especially enjoyed the date nut cake she baked for the holidays.

After her children gained some independence, Gloria returned to the workplace. She held various jobs before accepting a position as a switchboard operator for American Cyanamid Corporation, where she worked until retirement

After Bill retired, he suggested a trip to the Caribbean but Gloria had her sites set more on Hawaii. So to Hawaii they went. She always kept close ties with her family in El Paso, Texas and visits remained a regular tradition. Her kids often joined her on those trips so that they could spend time with their grandmother. Gloria was lucky to have had nine grandchildren of her own, and she took the greatest pleasure in spoiling them all. They say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach and Gloria definitely used her gift of cooking to win her grandchildren’s hearts.

Known also as Glo, Glosie, Gam-ma-ma, and Mamasita, Gloria was a pleasant warm and friendly person who could strike up a conversation with a total stranger and proceed to talk for the next hour. She was a gifted story teller who used her great sense of humor to add a funny twist to the stories she told.

Gloria was the beloved wife of William – married for almost 57 years. She was the loving Mother of her sons, Robert and Walter Stepic, daughter Lillian Stepic, daughter Maryann and husband, Mark Howes, and daughter Sarah and husband Michael Pisani; the adoring grandmother of David, Adam, Skye, Isabella, AJ, Evan, Sophia, Maya, and Marco; and the loving Caregiver of Vera Garcia.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Gloria’s name are asked to consider The ARC for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Donations can be made online at thearc.org/donate.

Donald Rossman, age 68 of Wayne, died on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018.  He had lived in Wayne since 1994.

Don grew up in Passaic and graduated from Passaic High School in 1968.  He took his first job with Home Fuel Oil Company as a dispatcher, and eventually landed a sales job with Keller-Depken.  He loved the work and the people he worked with.  Of course, he also had a lot of fun working backstage security at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic during the 1970’s and 1980’s.  Working with John Scher, Don met and partied with all the major bands of the era.  The Capitol Theatre lineup often included acts such as: Bruce Springsteen, Yes, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, the Allman Brothers Band, the Byrds, the Kinks, T. Rex, Richie Havens, and The Grateful Dead often played three-night stands.  After one Black Sabbath show, Don had to climb up into the rafters to bring Ozzy Osbourne back down to safety.  All the people that Don worked with at The Capitol Theatre were like family, and they have remained very close throughout the ensuing years.  They have frequent reunions, picnics, bowling nights, and continue to make memories together while reminiscing about the incredible times they had together during the years they worked at the Capitol Theatre.  Don loved them all very much.

Don met Marie Shortino in 1983 and they enjoyed their first date at “Yesterdays” in Clifton.  They ended up talking the night away until the place closed and they had to leave.  They tied the knot on September 26, 1987 at the Governor Morris and honeymooned in St. Maarten.  Settling in Garfield upon their return, they started to raise a family and Don became an amazing father to his two kids.  He loved being a dad and his children became everything to him.  His world revolved around his daughter Gina and he did everything for his little girl.  Don loved to watch his son Brian play hockey. He couldn’t be prouder of him on or off the ice. They vacationed every summer at the Ocean Towers in Wildwood, the same place Don had been going since he was a little boy himself.  Being near the ocean made him feel close to his father, and he especially enjoyed his time there.  He also liked fishing at Upper Greenwood Lake and going camping with his buddies.  Don and Marie celebrated thirty-one wonderful years together. To Don, Marie was the perfect wife because there was no other woman in the world that would have put up with him like she did.  Marie will miss him dearly.

Don is predeceased by his father Amady Rossman and is survived by his beloved wife Marie of Wayne, his two children; Brian and Gina, his mother; Rose Rossman, brother; Richard Rossman and his wife Patty of Riverdale, brother-in-law; Joe Shortino and his wife Linda of Naples, FL, sister-in-law; LuAnn Rosende and her husband Pete of Naples, FL, nieces; Bridget Pasznik and her husband Eddie, and Ariel Villegas and her husband Dave, Danielle and Lisa Rosende, and nephew, Christopher Rosende, and grand-niece/nephews; Kelsie, Edward, and Austin Pasznik.

Donald Rossman, age 68 of Wayne, died on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018.  He had lived in Wayne since 1994.

Don grew up in Passaic and graduated from Passaic High School in 1968.  He took his first job with Home Fuel Oil Company as a dispatcher, and eventually landed a sales job with Keller-Depken.  He loved the work and the people he worked with.  Of course, he also had a lot of fun working backstage security at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic during the 1970’s and 1980’s.  Working with John Scher, Don met and partied with all the major bands of the era.  The Capitol Theatre lineup often included acts such as: Bruce Springsteen, Yes, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, the Allman Brothers Band, the Byrds, the Kinks, T. Rex, Richie Havens, and The Grateful Dead often played three-night stands.  After one Black Sabbath show, Don had to climb up into the rafters to bring Ozzy Osbourne back down to safety.  All the people that Don worked with at The Capitol Theatre were like family, and they have remained very close throughout the ensuing years.  They have frequent reunions, picnics, bowling nights, and continue to make memories together while reminiscing about the incredible times they had together during the years they worked at the Capitol Theatre.  Don loved them all very much.

Don met Marie Shortino in 1983 and they enjoyed their first date at “Yesterdays” in Clifton.  They ended up talking the night away until the place closed and they had to leave.  They tied the knot on September 26, 1987 at the Governor Morris and honeymooned in St. Maarten.  Settling in Garfield upon their return, they started to raise a family and Don became an amazing father to his two kids.  He loved being a dad and his children became everything to him.  His world revolved around his daughter Gina and he did everything for his little girl.  Don loved to watch his son Brian play hockey. He couldn’t be prouder of him on or off the ice. They vacationed every summer at the Ocean Towers in Wildwood, the same place Don had been going since he was a little boy himself.  Being near the ocean made him feel close to his father, and he especially enjoyed his time there.  He also liked fishing at Upper Greenwood Lake and going camping with his buddies.  Don and Marie celebrated thirty-one wonderful years together. To Don, Marie was the perfect wife because there was no other woman in the world that would have put up with him like she did.  Marie will miss him dearly.

Don is predeceased by his father Amady Rossman and is survived by his beloved wife Marie of Wayne, his two children; Brian and Gina, his mother; Rose Rossman, brother; Richard Rossman and his wife Patty of Riverdale, brother-in-law; Joe Shortino and his wife Linda of Naples, FL, sister-in-law; LuAnn Rosende and her husband Pete of Naples, FL, nieces; Bridget Pasznik and her husband Eddie, and Ariel Villegas and her husband Dave, Danielle and Lisa Rosende, and nephew, Christopher Rosende, and grand-niece/nephews; Kelsie, Edward, and Austin Pasznik.

Antoinette Esposito (nee Cascone) age 97 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Saturday November 24, 2018 in the presence of, and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Antoinette was born and raised in Paterson and was one of four daughters to Carmelo and Orazia Cascone.  Antoinette was part of a group in our Society that has become known as “The Greatest Generation.”  The Greatest Generation are those who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity made decisive contributions to society.  Antoinette, like many others during that time, decided that their education would have to be put aside in order to help support their families, and Antoinette was barely a teenager when she entered the workforce.

She held several different jobs as a young woman including working as a seamstress, and assembly line worker.  However in and around 1938 that all changed for her. Sometime in 1938 Antoinette was attending the St Michael’s Feast in Paterson with her cousins, and she was introduced to a handsome young man named Walter Esposito.  They hit it off wonderfully and as fate would have it they fell in love, and after dating for about three years they were married on October 26, 1941.  They were married just as Walter was being shipped off to the US Army Air Corps.  Walter and Antoinette were only able to enjoy a one-night honeymoon in New York City before Walter had to return to his Army barracks.  Antoinette moved near to Fort Monmouth where Walter was stationed and Walter would sneak off the barracks every so often to meet her.  Walter was later transferred to Seattle and Antoinette followed him there so that they could see each other whenever possible.  

Following Walter’s return home after the war, the couple moved to Paterson where they lived with Antoinette’s parents in a two-family home.  They lived there until 1955 when the moved to Wayne.  They would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together and raised their two sons Wally and Joe there as well.  Antoinette and Walter cherished an astonishing seventy-two years of loving and loyal marriage together until Walter’s passing in 2014.  Immediately after getting married, Antoinette took on the role for which she was destined, a homemaker.  Antoinette was a totally selfless person, dedicating her life to caring and nurturing her family.  Antoinette was the pillar of strength for her family, always being there for her children and her husband.  She was an amazing cook, known by her family and friends particularly for her rice balls, artichokes and various pasta dishes.  Her recipes are being passed down through her children and her children’s children, many of them hand written by Antoinette herself.  Antoinette and Walter enjoyed traveling together to places such as Italy, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Sanibel Island, and St Thomas (to stay with her son Joe who lived for several years).  They also frequented Florida in the winters where they rented a house.  But above all, Antoinette’s greatest passion was for her family, nothing in the world, meant more to her than caring for and spending time with her children and grandchildren and great grandson.  Antoinette was a remarkable person who touched the lives all everyone that knew her and she will be sincerely missed.

Antoinette is survived by her two sons; Wally Esposito and his wife Kathy of Ridgewood, and Joe Esposito and his wife Carolyn of Wayne, four grandchildren; Michael Esposito and his wife Gianine of Morristown, Kristin Esposito of Needham, MA, Corey Esposito of Wayne, and Ty Esposito of Wayne, one great grandchild Christopher Kiesling of Needham, MA.  She was predeceased by her husband Wally Esposito in 2014 as well as by her three sisters; Mary Cappello, Francis Gulino, and Sadie Realbuto.        

In lieu of flowers, donations in Antoinette’s name may be made to Wayne First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Antoinette Esposito (nee Cascone) age 97 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Saturday November 24, 2018 in the presence of, and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Antoinette was born and raised in Paterson and was one of four daughters to Carmelo and Orazia Cascone.  Antoinette was part of a group in our Society that has become known as “The Greatest Generation.”  The Greatest Generation are those who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity made decisive contributions to society.  Antoinette, like many others during that time, decided that their education would have to be put aside in order to help support their families, and Antoinette was barely a teenager when she entered the workforce.

She held several different jobs as a young woman including working as a seamstress, and assembly line worker.  However in and around 1938 that all changed for her. Sometime in 1938 Antoinette was attending the St Michael’s Feast in Paterson with her cousins, and she was introduced to a handsome young man named Walter Esposito.  They hit it off wonderfully and as fate would have it they fell in love, and after dating for about three years they were married on October 26, 1941.  They were married just as Walter was being shipped off to the US Army Air Corps.  Walter and Antoinette were only able to enjoy a one-night honeymoon in New York City before Walter had to return to his Army barracks.  Antoinette moved near to Fort Monmouth where Walter was stationed and Walter would sneak off the barracks every so often to meet her.  Walter was later transferred to Seattle and Antoinette followed him there so that they could see each other whenever possible.  

Following Walter’s return home after the war, the couple moved to Paterson where they lived with Antoinette’s parents in a two-family home.  They lived there until 1955 when the moved to Wayne.  They would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together and raised their two sons Wally and Joe there as well.  Antoinette and Walter cherished an astonishing seventy-two years of loving and loyal marriage together until Walter’s passing in 2014.  Immediately after getting married, Antoinette took on the role for which she was destined, a homemaker.  Antoinette was a totally selfless person, dedicating her life to caring and nurturing her family.  Antoinette was the pillar of strength for her family, always being there for her children and her husband.  She was an amazing cook, known by her family and friends particularly for her rice balls, artichokes and various pasta dishes.  Her recipes are being passed down through her children and her children’s children, many of them hand written by Antoinette herself.  Antoinette and Walter enjoyed traveling together to places such as Italy, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Sanibel Island, and St Thomas (to stay with her son Joe who lived for several years).  They also frequented Florida in the winters where they rented a house.  But above all, Antoinette’s greatest passion was for her family, nothing in the world, meant more to her than caring for and spending time with her children and grandchildren and great grandson.  Antoinette was a remarkable person who touched the lives all everyone that knew her and she will be sincerely missed.

Antoinette is survived by her two sons; Wally Esposito and his wife Kathy of Ridgewood, and Joe Esposito and his wife Carolyn of Wayne, four grandchildren; Michael Esposito and his wife Gianine of Morristown, Kristin Esposito of Needham, MA, Corey Esposito of Wayne, and Ty Esposito of Wayne, one great grandchild Christopher Kiesling of Needham, MA.  She was predeceased by her husband Wally Esposito in 2014 as well as by her three sisters; Mary Cappello, Francis Gulino, and Sadie Realbuto.        

In lieu of flowers, donations in Antoinette’s name may be made to Wayne First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07470.