Marianna “Ann” Pugliese (nee Bozza) age 92 of Riverdale passed away peacefully on Friday November 23, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Marianna was born and raised in Newark to Dominic and Beatrice Bozza.  She grew up in the heart of Newark and after graduating high school she took a job as a bookkeeper at a local bank.  After several years she became Head Bookkeeper at West Side Bank.  During that time in the late 1940’s she was introduced to a handsome young man by the name of Leonard Pugliese.  It was Leonard’s brother Tony and Ann’s cousin Jenny that got the two of them together.  Ann and Leonard hit it off great and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on February 18, 1950.

After getting married, the couple stayed in Newark only for a short time and then moved to Nutley where they would spend many years together and raise their family.  Also after getting married, Ann decided that her one mission in life was too devote herself to her family and become a homemaker.  She was always there for her daughter and two sons, and she and Leonard were “joined at the hip” throughout their entire marriage.  Ann was fond of cooking and was quite good at it.  She and Leonard enjoyed traveling, they owned a timeshare in Aruba as well as Villa Roma, and frequented Pompano Beach where they owned a condominium.  Ann was a “quiet person” never saying much and letting her husband do most of the talking.  However she was like a “pillar of strength,” always there at her children’s and her husband’s side.  Leonard and Ann cherished fifty four years of loving and loyal marriage until Leonard’s passing in 2004.  Above all, Ann’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing meant more to her than spending time with and caring for her children and husband.  Ann was an extraordinary person who touched the lives of many people.  She will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Marianna is survived by her daughter Andrea Driesse and her husband John of Lincoln Park, two sons; Leonard Pugliese Jr and his wife Linda of Nutley, and Gary Pugliese and his wife Diane of Bloomfield, six grandchildren; Jason, Brandon,  Leonard III, Gary Jr., Alycia and Matthew, as well as great grandchildren.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marianna’s name to Lustgarten Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite D, Woodbury, NY 11797.

Marianna “Ann” Pugliese (nee Bozza) age 92 of Riverdale passed away peacefully on Friday November 23, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Marianna was born and raised in Newark to Dominic and Beatrice Bozza.  She grew up in the heart of Newark and after graduating high school she took a job as a bookkeeper at a local bank.  After several years she became Head Bookkeeper at West Side Bank.  During that time in the late 1940’s she was introduced to a handsome young man by the name of Leonard Pugliese.  It was Leonard’s brother Tony and Ann’s cousin Jenny that got the two of them together.  Ann and Leonard hit it off great and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on February 18, 1950.

After getting married, the couple stayed in Newark only for a short time and then moved to Nutley where they would spend many years together and raise their family.  Also after getting married, Ann decided that her one mission in life was too devote herself to her family and become a homemaker.  She was always there for her daughter and two sons, and she and Leonard were “joined at the hip” throughout their entire marriage.  Ann was fond of cooking and was quite good at it.  She and Leonard enjoyed traveling, they owned a timeshare in Aruba as well as Villa Roma, and frequented Pompano Beach where they owned a condominium.  Ann was a “quiet person” never saying much and letting her husband do most of the talking.  However she was like a “pillar of strength,” always there at her children’s and her husband’s side.  Leonard and Ann cherished fifty four years of loving and loyal marriage until Leonard’s passing in 2004.  Above all, Ann’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing meant more to her than spending time with and caring for her children and husband.  Ann was an extraordinary person who touched the lives of many people.  She will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Marianna is survived by her daughter Andrea Driesse and her husband John of Lincoln Park, two sons; Leonard Pugliese Jr and his wife Linda of Nutley, and Gary Pugliese and his wife Diane of Bloomfield, six grandchildren; Jason, Brandon,  Leonard III, Gary Jr., Alycia and Matthew, as well as great grandchildren.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marianna’s name to Lustgarten Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite D, Woodbury, NY 11797.

Raymond Cielo, age 77 of Wayne passed Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

He was born in Paterson to Frank and Lena Cielo and raised at the family home located at 48 Vreeland Avenue in Clifton. He attended St Pauls Grammar School in Clifton and graduated from Don Bosco Technical School in Paterson He also attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck.

As a young man he lifeguarded at the Clifton Pool then known as Bellini’s Pool. He later worked as a helper at Joe’s Butcher Shop in Clifton before enlisting in the United States Navy having served aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Intrepid.  Aboard ship he applied his artistic abilities and did artwork for “The Press” which was an onboard newsletter. After being Honorably Discharged from the Navy Raymond found work pasting billboards for the Glendale Company in Fairfield. After working as a designer for the Dimensional Communications Company in Northvale  he started his own business, Doyle Delta Designs which was a trade show exhibit design and fabrication company in Paterson.  Raymond ran the company for over thirty years before retiring in 2002.

Raymond will be remembered for his great sense of humor and strong Catholic faith. He was a dedicated parishioner of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wayne for many years.  He loved painting in water colors and oils, hunting in Pennsylvania, and trout fishing in New Jersey.

Ada (nee Gambuti) was born in Guardia Sanframondi, Italy.  She met her husband Raymond there while he was serving in the U.S. Navy.  Of course, their initial meeting was a little awkward, as Ray could not speak Italian, and Ada didn’t know any English.  When Ray returned to the States, they corresponded by letter with Ada’s cousin providing translation.  Eventually, Ada came to America in June of 1961 and they were married December 10 that same year.  Ada’s wedding pictures show a sad bride, someone who, at the time, was unaware of the great happiness and joy that would eventually define her marriage.  She and Ray shared a love and devotion that few people ever enjoy.  When Ray retired, he told everyone that he planned to spend all his time with his wife.  They were inseparable and did everything together during the fifty five years since Ada landed on the shores of America.  During those years, they enjoyed a great deal of travel together, having toured most of Europe, several visits to Italy, Australia, Hawaii, South America, and the Caribbean Islands.  Summer vacations to Wildwood were particularly memorable for her two children.

After their honeymoon to Miami Beach, Ada and Ray settled into a home in Clifton and then soon built a new home right next door to Ray’s parents in Clifton.  They had sort of a ‘family compound’ with Ray’s uncle living in a neighboring house as well.  Ada was very ‘house proud’ and her home was always spotless.  Wherever family was, she was happiest and many of their activities were based around family.  Sunday was particularly special with dinner at Ada’s.  Typically more than ten people gathered at her table and there was never a shortage of food.  She was a fantastic cook.  Ada preferred to cook as often as possible and it took a bit of negotiating to get her to go to restaurants on holidays. The only holidays she would eat out on were Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday.  

Raymond was predeceased by his loving wife of fifty-five years, Ada (Gambuti) Cielo, in July of 2016; he was the devoted father of Patricia Zarpaylic and her husband Larry of West Milford, and Raymond Cielo and his wife Lisse of Woodland Park; he was the cherished grandfather of Brianna and Gabriella Cielo, L.J. Zarpaylic and Caprese Zarpaylic and her fiance Daryl; dear brother of Frank Cielo of Clifton and the late Robert Cielo and his surviving wife Edith of Toms River; loved brother in law of Lina DiLonardo of Clifton; loved uncle of many loving nieces and nephews.

Raymond Cielo, age 77 of Wayne passed Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

He was born in Paterson to Frank and Lena Cielo and raised at the family home located at 48 Vreeland Avenue in Clifton. He attended St Pauls Grammar School in Clifton and graduated from Don Bosco Technical School in Paterson He also attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck.

As a young man he lifeguarded at the Clifton Pool then known as Bellini’s Pool. He later worked as a helper at Joe’s Butcher Shop in Clifton before enlisting in the United States Navy having served aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Intrepid.  Aboard ship he applied his artistic abilities and did artwork for “The Press” which was an onboard newsletter. After being Honorably Discharged from the Navy Raymond found work pasting billboards for the Glendale Company in Fairfield. After working as a designer for the Dimensional Communications Company in Northvale  he started his own business, Doyle Delta Designs which was a trade show exhibit design and fabrication company in Paterson.  Raymond ran the company for over thirty years before retiring in 2002.

Raymond will be remembered for his great sense of humor and strong Catholic faith. He was a dedicated parishioner of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wayne for many years.  He loved painting in water colors and oils, hunting in Pennsylvania, and trout fishing in New Jersey.

Ada (nee Gambuti) was born in Guardia Sanframondi, Italy.  She met her husband Raymond there while he was serving in the U.S. Navy.  Of course, their initial meeting was a little awkward, as Ray could not speak Italian, and Ada didn’t know any English.  When Ray returned to the States, they corresponded by letter with Ada’s cousin providing translation.  Eventually, Ada came to America in June of 1961 and they were married December 10 that same year.  Ada’s wedding pictures show a sad bride, someone who, at the time, was unaware of the great happiness and joy that would eventually define her marriage.  She and Ray shared a love and devotion that few people ever enjoy.  When Ray retired, he told everyone that he planned to spend all his time with his wife.  They were inseparable and did everything together during the fifty five years since Ada landed on the shores of America.  During those years, they enjoyed a great deal of travel together, having toured most of Europe, several visits to Italy, Australia, Hawaii, South America, and the Caribbean Islands.  Summer vacations to Wildwood were particularly memorable for her two children.

After their honeymoon to Miami Beach, Ada and Ray settled into a home in Clifton and then soon built a new home right next door to Ray’s parents in Clifton.  They had sort of a ‘family compound’ with Ray’s uncle living in a neighboring house as well.  Ada was very ‘house proud’ and her home was always spotless.  Wherever family was, she was happiest and many of their activities were based around family.  Sunday was particularly special with dinner at Ada’s.  Typically more than ten people gathered at her table and there was never a shortage of food.  She was a fantastic cook.  Ada preferred to cook as often as possible and it took a bit of negotiating to get her to go to restaurants on holidays. The only holidays she would eat out on were Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday.  

Raymond was predeceased by his loving wife of fifty-five years, Ada (Gambuti) Cielo, in July of 2016; he was the devoted father of Patricia Zarpaylic and her husband Larry of West Milford, and Raymond Cielo and his wife Lisse of Woodland Park; he was the cherished grandfather of Brianna and Gabriella Cielo, L.J. Zarpaylic and Caprese Zarpaylic and her fiance Daryl; dear brother of Frank Cielo of Clifton and the late Robert Cielo and his surviving wife Edith of Toms River; loved brother in law of Lina DiLonardo of Clifton; loved uncle of many loving nieces and nephews.

Paul Samanchik, age 70, of Wayne for over fifty years, passed suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

He was born in Passaic to William and Edithe Samanchik and lived in Clifton before moving to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne when he was twelve years old.  He graduated from the Wayne High School with the Class of 1966. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Virginia and played on their golf team all four years.  He was a US Army Veteran who served with the National Guard for six years.

When Paul was about ten or eleven years old his father joined the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne.  In his younger years Paul took a job watering the greens and tee boxes with the club’s dog sitting in the cart by his side. His father passed away in 1974 at just sixty-one years old and there was no membership level available for such a young person so the club made-up one called the “B Membership.”  Paul was a member and served on the Board of Directors, Greens Committee, and the Golf Committee at North Jersey Country Club where he was a member for over sixty years. He won twelve Club Championships, was the youngest champion in 1964 at the age of sixteen, and you will find his name in first place on just every other tournament the club has had. He was always very proud of winning the Metropolitan Golf Association Father Son Tournament with his dad in 1964 and again in 1968.  Years later he would win the same tournament with his son Scott. On July 14, 1966 at the age of eighteen Paul and his father William played golf at the Highlands Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina where the professional golfer Bobby Jones held the course record.  Paul carded a score of 61 to set a new course record. Bobby Jones just happened to be at the course that day and congratulated Paul on beating his course record. Bobby Jones gave Paul an autographed copy of the book, The American Golfer to commemorate the day.

Paul was a Tournament Golf Official for the New Jersey Golf Association and served with the Metropolitan Golf Association as a Tournament Golf Official and volunteered his time for their Caddy Scholarship Program. Paul also volunteered as an official at the Senior PGA (Chubb Classic) and the CME Ladies Tournament both in Naples, Florida.

Paul worked in the Insurance and Financial industry his entire career.  He started with the Home Life Insurance Company.  Through the years the company has changed names several times and is now known as Allied Wealth Partners in Parsippany.  He worked in the industry for over forty years and was semi-retired.

When asked to describe Paul’s personality the name Archie Bunker comes immediately to mind. Paul could laugh at his friends, laugh at others, and more importantly laugh at himself.  He had a nickname for just about everyone and even himself, “Rambo.” He gave himself the nickname because while golfing he would hit a shot deep into the woods and go looking for it.  He made sure to wear a brightly colored hat as his errant shots were so far gone he wanted to make sure no hunters mistook him for a trophy animal. In Florida his errant snap-hook golf shots earned him the nickname “Snipe.”

In his youth Paul was friends with Bob Sessa and his girlfriend Susan.  Paul was a lot of fun to hang around with and the three were often out together.  The “third-wheel” Paul worked fine until he sat between Bob and Sue at a movie.  It was at this point Bob said they had to find him a girl.  Paul was to go on a double-date on Saturday night with his blind date Carolyn Cafone.  Sue thought it a good idea for Carolyn to meet Paul the Friday before and Carolyn wasn’t so sure.  If she didn’t like him she was stuck going out with him again the next day.  Well she did meet Paul that Friday night and when they left Paul extended a hand to her so they could shake hands.  Carolyn confided in her friend Mary “I’m going to marry that guy.”  After dating for months Carolyn opened her heart and confided in Paul that when they shook hands that first night she felt a magic in his touch. Her heart was smitten.  Paul replied, as only he could “Ok – well - I felt nothing.” Anyone who knows Paul can hear that coming from his lips.  He was confident, to the point, honest even if it hurt his cause, and couldn’t keep a secret.

For months Paul would visit Carolyn daily for about an hour in her apartment in her mom’s three family home in Belleville.  Valentine’s Day was approaching on a Friday and on Wednesday Paul called to say he wasn’t going to make it over.  He called on Thursday to say he wasn’t going to make it again.  Carolyn was sure he was going to break up with her.  He showed up on Valentine’s Day with no flowers or gift in hand.  She presented her Valentine gift and Paul reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.  The card said “Love Forever” and that’s all Carolyn saw.  Paul said “read it out loud.”  As she did the realization hit her because the front of the card said “To My Wife with Love.”  Carolyn’s mother also breezed over that part!  When all realized the implications of those words they drank champagne til the wee hours of the morning.  Paul and Carolyn married on August 17, 1975 at the Wayne Manor and honeymooned in his parents’ home in Stuart, Florida for one week and then spent the second week at Disney World. In July of 1976 their marriage was blessed with a son Scott who tragically passed away on December 22, 1997 at the age of twenty-one. Although devastated by his passing they have enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of forty-three years. Carolyn said she will miss Paul’s stating the obvious when he would walk through the door at home and shout “Hi honey…It’s me.”

He was the loving husband of forty-three years to Carolyn (Cafone) Samanchik and the devoted father of the late Scott Samanchik (d.1997); he was the loved brother of Jane Schreven and her husband Cliff of Lynnwood, WA and loved uncle of Travis and Zachary Schreven and dear great-uncle of Mia Love Schreven and Peyton Shane Schreven.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation, 3 Golf Drive Suite #206, Kenilworth, NJ would be greatly appreciated.

Paul Samanchik, age 70, of Wayne for over fifty years, passed suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

He was born in Passaic to William and Edithe Samanchik and lived in Clifton before moving to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne when he was twelve years old.  He graduated from the Wayne High School with the Class of 1966. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Virginia and played on their golf team all four years.  He was a US Army Veteran who served with the National Guard for six years.

When Paul was about ten or eleven years old his father joined the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne.  In his younger years Paul took a job watering the greens and tee boxes with the club’s dog sitting in the cart by his side. His father passed away in 1974 at just sixty-one years old and there was no membership level available for such a young person so the club made-up one called the “B Membership.”  Paul was a member and served on the Board of Directors, Greens Committee, and the Golf Committee at North Jersey Country Club where he was a member for over sixty years. He won twelve Club Championships, was the youngest champion in 1964 at the age of sixteen, and you will find his name in first place on just every other tournament the club has had. He was always very proud of winning the Metropolitan Golf Association Father Son Tournament with his dad in 1964 and again in 1968.  Years later he would win the same tournament with his son Scott. On July 14, 1966 at the age of eighteen Paul and his father William played golf at the Highlands Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina where the professional golfer Bobby Jones held the course record.  Paul carded a score of 61 to set a new course record. Bobby Jones just happened to be at the course that day and congratulated Paul on beating his course record. Bobby Jones gave Paul an autographed copy of the book, The American Golfer to commemorate the day.

Paul was a Tournament Golf Official for the New Jersey Golf Association and served with the Metropolitan Golf Association as a Tournament Golf Official and volunteered his time for their Caddy Scholarship Program. Paul also volunteered as an official at the Senior PGA (Chubb Classic) and the CME Ladies Tournament both in Naples, Florida.

Paul worked in the Insurance and Financial industry his entire career.  He started with the Home Life Insurance Company.  Through the years the company has changed names several times and is now known as Allied Wealth Partners in Parsippany.  He worked in the industry for over forty years and was semi-retired.

When asked to describe Paul’s personality the name Archie Bunker comes immediately to mind. Paul could laugh at his friends, laugh at others, and more importantly laugh at himself.  He had a nickname for just about everyone and even himself, “Rambo.” He gave himself the nickname because while golfing he would hit a shot deep into the woods and go looking for it.  He made sure to wear a brightly colored hat as his errant shots were so far gone he wanted to make sure no hunters mistook him for a trophy animal. In Florida his errant snap-hook golf shots earned him the nickname “Snipe.”

In his youth Paul was friends with Bob Sessa and his girlfriend Susan.  Paul was a lot of fun to hang around with and the three were often out together.  The “third-wheel” Paul worked fine until he sat between Bob and Sue at a movie.  It was at this point Bob said they had to find him a girl.  Paul was to go on a double-date on Saturday night with his blind date Carolyn Cafone.  Sue thought it a good idea for Carolyn to meet Paul the Friday before and Carolyn wasn’t so sure.  If she didn’t like him she was stuck going out with him again the next day.  Well she did meet Paul that Friday night and when they left Paul extended a hand to her so they could shake hands.  Carolyn confided in her friend Mary “I’m going to marry that guy.”  After dating for months Carolyn opened her heart and confided in Paul that when they shook hands that first night she felt a magic in his touch. Her heart was smitten.  Paul replied, as only he could “Ok – well - I felt nothing.” Anyone who knows Paul can hear that coming from his lips.  He was confident, to the point, honest even if it hurt his cause, and couldn’t keep a secret.

For months Paul would visit Carolyn daily for about an hour in her apartment in her mom’s three family home in Belleville.  Valentine’s Day was approaching on a Friday and on Wednesday Paul called to say he wasn’t going to make it over.  He called on Thursday to say he wasn’t going to make it again.  Carolyn was sure he was going to break up with her.  He showed up on Valentine’s Day with no flowers or gift in hand.  She presented her Valentine gift and Paul reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.  The card said “Love Forever” and that’s all Carolyn saw.  Paul said “read it out loud.”  As she did the realization hit her because the front of the card said “To My Wife with Love.”  Carolyn’s mother also breezed over that part!  When all realized the implications of those words they drank champagne til the wee hours of the morning.  Paul and Carolyn married on August 17, 1975 at the Wayne Manor and honeymooned in his parents’ home in Stuart, Florida for one week and then spent the second week at Disney World. In July of 1976 their marriage was blessed with a son Scott who tragically passed away on December 22, 1997 at the age of twenty-one. Although devastated by his passing they have enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of forty-three years. Carolyn said she will miss Paul’s stating the obvious when he would walk through the door at home and shout “Hi honey…It’s me.”

He was the loving husband of forty-three years to Carolyn (Cafone) Samanchik and the devoted father of the late Scott Samanchik (d.1997); he was the loved brother of Jane Schreven and her husband Cliff of Lynnwood, WA and loved uncle of Travis and Zachary Schreven and dear great-uncle of Mia Love Schreven and Peyton Shane Schreven.

‍

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation, 3 Golf Drive Suite #206, Kenilworth, NJ would be greatly appreciated.

Evelyn Claire Bocchino age 92 of Montville passed away peacefully on November 20, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

She was born in South River, New Jersey to Peter and Anna Dunn.  The family soon moved to Newark, New Jersey where Evelyn graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1944.

Just out of high school she worked for the Ronson Corporation in Newark where she met Anthony Bocchino.  They fell in love and married on October 1, 1950 at Saint Rose of Lima Church in Newark. They enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of forty-six years before Anthony’s passing in November of 1996.

After leaving the Ronson Corporation she retired from the Philips Corporation, formerly the Westinghouse Corporation, where she worked on a light bulb assembly line for thirty years. For many years she belonged to the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.  

Evelyn was dedicated to her Catholic faith and a parishioner of Saint Anthony’s Church in Belleville for over sixty years.  She was most recently a parishioner of St Pius X church in Montville. She was known as Evelyn, Aunt Claire, Aunt Evelyn, loved to tease, and had a dry, wicked sense of humor.

She was predeceased by her husband Anthony Bocchino; and was predeceased by her six loving siblings,  Marie Novak, James Dunn, Rita Kirby, Muriel Black, Peter Dunn, and Ella Murphy; she was dearly loved by many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Evelyn Claire Bocchino age 92 of Montville passed away peacefully on November 20, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

She was born in South River, New Jersey to Peter and Anna Dunn.  The family soon moved to Newark, New Jersey where Evelyn graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1944.

Just out of high school she worked for the Ronson Corporation in Newark where she met Anthony Bocchino.  They fell in love and married on October 1, 1950 at Saint Rose of Lima Church in Newark. They enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of forty-six years before Anthony’s passing in November of 1996.

After leaving the Ronson Corporation she retired from the Philips Corporation, formerly the Westinghouse Corporation, where she worked on a light bulb assembly line for thirty years. For many years she belonged to the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.  

Evelyn was dedicated to her Catholic faith and a parishioner of Saint Anthony’s Church in Belleville for over sixty years.  She was most recently a parishioner of St Pius X church in Montville. She was known as Evelyn, Aunt Claire, Aunt Evelyn, loved to tease, and had a dry, wicked sense of humor.

She was predeceased by her husband Anthony Bocchino; and was predeceased by her six loving siblings,  Marie Novak, James Dunn, Rita Kirby, Muriel Black, Peter Dunn, and Ella Murphy; she was dearly loved by many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Daniel V. Schiavello, age 65, of Totowa, and formerly of New Milford and Saddle River, passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 18, 2018, after sharing the day with his two children. Diagnosed with Stage IV Leiomyosarcoma in 2003, and predicted numerous times to have only months to live, Dan’s fighting spirit enabled him to endure countless surgeries and treatments, and beat the odds in an amazing way for the next fifteen years. His doctors presumed he was the longest living person with his particular disease, describing him as one of the strongest individuals they had ever met, and anyone who knew him would undoubtedly agree. Dan was a true inspiration in to his friends and family in how he fought his battle, and he often turned to an interview he shared on YouTube (https://youtu.be/C9AnItr5w_Y) to help other patients with their journey as well.

The first child of Gabriel and Shirley Schiavello, Dan grew up in Yonkers, NY, as a protective big brother to sisters Angela and Diana. One of his greatest childhood enjoyments was playing lead guitar in a band he formed with his friends, called the Standard Five. He was a graduate of Yonkers High School, Class of 1971, where his claims to fame included his insistence that he was the first person to perfect the method of going backwards over the high jump, as well as his invention of a new equation to complement the hyperbola, aptly named the “Schiavebola” by his high school math teacher.  It was that same teacher, Gary Markman, who he said changed his life by giving him a copy of a 1957 novel by Ayn Rand called Atlas Shrugged. In it, the author tells a story about a dystopian world similar to ours, but the story’s deeper message is about the human condition and human greatness. The words truly resonated with Dan and he often credited that book as the foundation of his philosophy, and the reason he later became an engineer.  He was always passionate about sharing his appreciation for Ayn Rand’s work with his friends and family, including his favorite quote, “The world you desire can be won. It exists…it is real…it is possible…it’s yours.”

Dan continued his years of education by attending Columbia University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, in 1975 and 1976, respectively. Dan rekindled his involvement with the school later in life when his daughter attended for her Master’s Degree, serving as an Alumni Representative Committee regional chairperson, a Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Industry Advisory Committee member, and a Columbia Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA) Board Member and Secretary. He was also a past President of CEAA and ex-officio member of the Columbia Engineering Board of Visitors. Dan greatly cherished his Columbia experiences, mentorships, and friendships.  He was among the recipients of the 2011 Columbia Alumni Medal and was the keynote speaker for numerous Columbia graduation and alumni events.

Dan began his engineering career with Burns and Roe Enterprises of New York City.  In 1980, he started his own company – Desktop Engineering Int’l Inc, a Computer Aided Engineering software development and consulting firm responsible for analyses of large structures, industrial equipment, satellites, power plants, and mechanical systems. Dan originated the concept of the computerized version of American Iron and Steel Institute’s “Automotive Design Manual” and the Aluminum Association’s “Aluminum Design Manual”, and directed the development of “The Desktop Engineer”, the world’s largest known compilation of solutions to structural/mechanical engineering applications.

In 2000, Dan formed a subsidiary, Minerva Health Technologies Inc., named after Columbia’s Alma Mater sculpture, the goddess of wisdom and medicine. The company developed Health Risk Assessment Models and “Minerva Health Manager”, a software product that allowed individuals to manage their personal health records, enhance communication with healthcare providers, and save lives. After retiring in 2014, Dan enjoyed working as a consultant for Formyula Solutions, Inc.

Dan’s daughter Kira and son Steven were the greatest joys in his entire life. They were his number one priority and he treated his love and responsibility for them with unprecedented dedication.  In addition to his fondness for being overprotective, laughably controversial, and “always right”, their happiness was Dan’s mantra, and it was in the little ways that he showed his love best - like when he would pretend to dislike his nice dinner of lobster or steak, as a trade for his young son’s “kids meal”, knowing it would bring out a smile.

The desire to be engaged in Kira and Steven’s life was one of Dan’s primary motivations for going into his own business, as it afforded him the opportunity to be there for every special event in their lives. Dan was the entertainment at countless birthday parties as the magician, showing off a unique hobby of his that he loved to share with his kids. He coached many childhood sports, and never missed one of Steven’s wrestling events or Kira’s tennis matches in high school. One of Dan’s greatest pleasures was sailing on his 28-foot MacGregor, affectionately named Laissez-Faire. He loved spending this time with his kids, sailing along Greenwood Lake, Haverstraw, and eventually Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Sailing was such a positive activity in Dan’s life that he used to say that for every day he sailed, he added another day to his life.  Other key hobbies Dan enjoyed with his family (when we wasn’t watching Fox News), were going to the shooting range, and playing golf.  Dan particularly loved reminding his son-in-law that he should be allowed to win their next round of golf, after he mistakenly thought Preston would let him win on the day he asked permission to marry his daughter.

The only match for the love of his own daughter and son was Dan’s adoration for his adorable little granddaughter, Kaylen. He was obsessed with her and, although she moved to Texas just a year ago, Dan had already visited twice and was making arrangements to move permanently to Texas in the next few weeks. Dan and little Kaylen had a special bond and they loved to tell each other, “I love you infinity times around the world and back again!” He did magic tricks for Kaylen, too – just like he had done for his own children. He loved to compliment Kaylen for her “best hugs”, and he’d always say, “Kaylen, your hugs heal me.”

Dan had so many memorable qualities, one of which was being the “king” negotiator. He often joked that he had probably saved more than a million dollars thanks to his shrewd negotiation skills. Sometimes it paid off in a big way and other times it was merely just a bit of a sport for him. Like the time he and Kira had purchased some fresh fruit that looked good on the outside, but wasn’t so good upon first bite. Asking her if she dared him to return the half-eaten piece of fruit, he proceeded to unashamedly get his refund, a victory he laughed about for years.

Dan’s sense of humor was also just a joy to behold, and even in the worst times of his illness, he found ways to bring smiles to those around him.  Just this past summer, he had been unexpectedly rushed to the hospital and scheduled for emergency surgery to remove a tumor from his brain. His brain function status had to be monitored around the clock, which included a nurse coming in to ask basic questions every hour through the night. One night the nurse came into his room at 3:00 AM, had Dan perform some physical tests and asked him, “What year is it?”  Dan was lying in bed half-asleep and weakly replied, “1918”.  He paused just long enough for his daughter and the nurse to look at each other wide-eyed and begin to panic, before adding with a smile on his face, “Plus 100!”

Whether using his great sense of humor to charm you, challenging you to always do your best, or offering sage advice as he loved so much to do, Dan touched the lives of many and made a huge impact on those he knew and met. His personality was so magnetic and the impression he left was so great, that many who met him only once have commented that they will never forget him.

Dan always said that he would want anyone who knew and loved him to answer this one question…..”Who is John Galt?” As a tribute to Dan, look up the answer!

Dan was the loving father of Kira and husband Preston Larson of McKinney, Texas, and Steven Schiavello of Ramsey; adored grandfather of Kaylen Larson; dear son of Shirley Milardo of Ansonia, CT and Gabriel Schiavello of Seymour, CT; dear brother of Angela and husband Kevin Killeen of Orange, and Diana Todd and husband Michael Fischetti of Seymour, CT; and loved uncle of Kasey Killeen, Kristen Killeen, Lauren Todd, and Danielle Todd.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dan’s name are asked to consider a gift in his memory to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which will go to support cancer research and patient care:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

P.O. Box 849168

Boston, MA 02284

or via www.dana-farber.org/gift.

Daniel V. Schiavello, age 65, of Totowa, and formerly of New Milford and Saddle River, passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 18, 2018, after sharing the day with his two children. Diagnosed with Stage IV Leiomyosarcoma in 2003, and predicted numerous times to have only months to live, Dan’s fighting spirit enabled him to endure countless surgeries and treatments, and beat the odds in an amazing way for the next fifteen years. His doctors presumed he was the longest living person with his particular disease, describing him as one of the strongest individuals they had ever met, and anyone who knew him would undoubtedly agree. Dan was a true inspiration in to his friends and family in how he fought his battle, and he often turned to an interview he shared on YouTube (https://youtu.be/C9AnItr5w_Y) to help other patients with their journey as well.

The first child of Gabriel and Shirley Schiavello, Dan grew up in Yonkers, NY, as a protective big brother to sisters Angela and Diana. One of his greatest childhood enjoyments was playing lead guitar in a band he formed with his friends, called the Standard Five. He was a graduate of Yonkers High School, Class of 1971, where his claims to fame included his insistence that he was the first person to perfect the method of going backwards over the high jump, as well as his invention of a new equation to complement the hyperbola, aptly named the “Schiavebola” by his high school math teacher.  It was that same teacher, Gary Markman, who he said changed his life by giving him a copy of a 1957 novel by Ayn Rand called Atlas Shrugged. In it, the author tells a story about a dystopian world similar to ours, but the story’s deeper message is about the human condition and human greatness. The words truly resonated with Dan and he often credited that book as the foundation of his philosophy, and the reason he later became an engineer.  He was always passionate about sharing his appreciation for Ayn Rand’s work with his friends and family, including his favorite quote, “The world you desire can be won. It exists…it is real…it is possible…it’s yours.”

Dan continued his years of education by attending Columbia University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, in 1975 and 1976, respectively. Dan rekindled his involvement with the school later in life when his daughter attended for her Master’s Degree, serving as an Alumni Representative Committee regional chairperson, a Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Industry Advisory Committee member, and a Columbia Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA) Board Member and Secretary. He was also a past President of CEAA and ex-officio member of the Columbia Engineering Board of Visitors. Dan greatly cherished his Columbia experiences, mentorships, and friendships.  He was among the recipients of the 2011 Columbia Alumni Medal and was the keynote speaker for numerous Columbia graduation and alumni events.

Dan began his engineering career with Burns and Roe Enterprises of New York City.  In 1980, he started his own company – Desktop Engineering Int’l Inc, a Computer Aided Engineering software development and consulting firm responsible for analyses of large structures, industrial equipment, satellites, power plants, and mechanical systems. Dan originated the concept of the computerized version of American Iron and Steel Institute’s “Automotive Design Manual” and the Aluminum Association’s “Aluminum Design Manual”, and directed the development of “The Desktop Engineer”, the world’s largest known compilation of solutions to structural/mechanical engineering applications.

In 2000, Dan formed a subsidiary, Minerva Health Technologies Inc., named after Columbia’s Alma Mater sculpture, the goddess of wisdom and medicine. The company developed Health Risk Assessment Models and “Minerva Health Manager”, a software product that allowed individuals to manage their personal health records, enhance communication with healthcare providers, and save lives. After retiring in 2014, Dan enjoyed working as a consultant for Formyula Solutions, Inc.

Dan’s daughter Kira and son Steven were the greatest joys in his entire life. They were his number one priority and he treated his love and responsibility for them with unprecedented dedication.  In addition to his fondness for being overprotective, laughably controversial, and “always right”, their happiness was Dan’s mantra, and it was in the little ways that he showed his love best - like when he would pretend to dislike his nice dinner of lobster or steak, as a trade for his young son’s “kids meal”, knowing it would bring out a smile.

The desire to be engaged in Kira and Steven’s life was one of Dan’s primary motivations for going into his own business, as it afforded him the opportunity to be there for every special event in their lives. Dan was the entertainment at countless birthday parties as the magician, showing off a unique hobby of his that he loved to share with his kids. He coached many childhood sports, and never missed one of Steven’s wrestling events or Kira’s tennis matches in high school. One of Dan’s greatest pleasures was sailing on his 28-foot MacGregor, affectionately named Laissez-Faire. He loved spending this time with his kids, sailing along Greenwood Lake, Haverstraw, and eventually Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Sailing was such a positive activity in Dan’s life that he used to say that for every day he sailed, he added another day to his life.  Other key hobbies Dan enjoyed with his family (when we wasn’t watching Fox News), were going to the shooting range, and playing golf.  Dan particularly loved reminding his son-in-law that he should be allowed to win their next round of golf, after he mistakenly thought Preston would let him win on the day he asked permission to marry his daughter.

The only match for the love of his own daughter and son was Dan’s adoration for his adorable little granddaughter, Kaylen. He was obsessed with her and, although she moved to Texas just a year ago, Dan had already visited twice and was making arrangements to move permanently to Texas in the next few weeks. Dan and little Kaylen had a special bond and they loved to tell each other, “I love you infinity times around the world and back again!” He did magic tricks for Kaylen, too – just like he had done for his own children. He loved to compliment Kaylen for her “best hugs”, and he’d always say, “Kaylen, your hugs heal me.”

Dan had so many memorable qualities, one of which was being the “king” negotiator. He often joked that he had probably saved more than a million dollars thanks to his shrewd negotiation skills. Sometimes it paid off in a big way and other times it was merely just a bit of a sport for him. Like the time he and Kira had purchased some fresh fruit that looked good on the outside, but wasn’t so good upon first bite. Asking her if she dared him to return the half-eaten piece of fruit, he proceeded to unashamedly get his refund, a victory he laughed about for years.

Dan’s sense of humor was also just a joy to behold, and even in the worst times of his illness, he found ways to bring smiles to those around him.  Just this past summer, he had been unexpectedly rushed to the hospital and scheduled for emergency surgery to remove a tumor from his brain. His brain function status had to be monitored around the clock, which included a nurse coming in to ask basic questions every hour through the night. One night the nurse came into his room at 3:00 AM, had Dan perform some physical tests and asked him, “What year is it?”  Dan was lying in bed half-asleep and weakly replied, “1918”.  He paused just long enough for his daughter and the nurse to look at each other wide-eyed and begin to panic, before adding with a smile on his face, “Plus 100!”

Whether using his great sense of humor to charm you, challenging you to always do your best, or offering sage advice as he loved so much to do, Dan touched the lives of many and made a huge impact on those he knew and met. His personality was so magnetic and the impression he left was so great, that many who met him only once have commented that they will never forget him.

Dan always said that he would want anyone who knew and loved him to answer this one question…..”Who is John Galt?” As a tribute to Dan, look up the answer!

Dan was the loving father of Kira and husband Preston Larson of McKinney, Texas, and Steven Schiavello of Ramsey; adored grandfather of Kaylen Larson; dear son of Shirley Milardo of Ansonia, CT and Gabriel Schiavello of Seymour, CT; dear brother of Angela and husband Kevin Killeen of Orange, and Diana Todd and husband Michael Fischetti of Seymour, CT; and loved uncle of Kasey Killeen, Kristen Killeen, Lauren Todd, and Danielle Todd.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dan’s name are asked to consider a gift in his memory to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which will go to support cancer research and patient care:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

P.O. Box 849168

Boston, MA 02284

or via www.dana-farber.org/gift.

Lori S. Williams (nee Main) age 57 of Wayne passed away peacefully on November 14, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Lori was born and raised in Brooklyn and was one of several children to John and Joan Main.  She attended Edward R. Murrow High School in New York and graduated with the class of 1978.  While in high school, Lori excelled in Gymnastics.

Following graduation from high school, Lori was accepted at NYU and was working toward a degree in Law.  Her education was needed to be put on hold and Lori took a position at an insurance company writing insurance policies for various agents.  Since Lori was a young teenager, she had a certain group of friends, who were neighbors, that she always palled around with.  Within this group of friends was a young man named Robert Williams.  In 1983, Robert and Lori made innocent plans to go see Tina Turner at the Ritz in New York City.  When they arrived at the theatre they found that there was a protest, (one of many at that time) being held against the South African Government.  Robert and Lori went in to see the show as friends and left as more than friends.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married on March 9, 1984.  They were supposed to be married on the eighth of March, however their minister was unable to attend the ceremony due to a large snow storm that hit the city that day.  So Lori and Robert were married at city hall on the ninth.

The couple stayed in Brooklyn for many years, living at Ocean Parkway and Avenue X, and later on Brags St and Avenue W.  It wasn’t long after the couple was married in November of 1984 when they welcomed their first daughter Jennifer.  Later in 1991 Lori and Robert welcomed their second daughter Lauren.  Immediately after getting married and starting her family, Lori devoted her life to being a homemaker.  Lori and her family moved to Parlin, New Jersey and then to Keensburg in 2001.  In 2014 they moved to Wayne where they have lived ever since.  Lori and Robert cherished thirty-four years of loving and loyal marriage together.

Lori enjoyed puzzle books, crossword puzzles, the board game Scrabble, as well as card games particularly Gin Rummy.  She was a fan of Lucille Ball and most of all Godzilla.  She relished in watching Godzilla movies as well as other “Atomic Age” Sci-Fi films.  Above all, Lori’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing meant more to Lori than spending time with her family.  She was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone who knew her.

Lori is survived by her husband Robert Williams of Wayne, her two daughters Jennifer Williams of Bloomfield, and Lauren Williams of Wayne.

Lori S. Williams (nee Main) age 57 of Wayne passed away peacefully on November 14, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Lori was born and raised in Brooklyn and was one of several children to John and Joan Main.  She attended Edward R. Murrow High School in New York and graduated with the class of 1978.  While in high school, Lori excelled in Gymnastics.

Following graduation from high school, Lori was accepted at NYU and was working toward a degree in Law.  Her education was needed to be put on hold and Lori took a position at an insurance company writing insurance policies for various agents.  Since Lori was a young teenager, she had a certain group of friends, who were neighbors, that she always palled around with.  Within this group of friends was a young man named Robert Williams.  In 1983, Robert and Lori made innocent plans to go see Tina Turner at the Ritz in New York City.  When they arrived at the theatre they found that there was a protest, (one of many at that time) being held against the South African Government.  Robert and Lori went in to see the show as friends and left as more than friends.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married on March 9, 1984.  They were supposed to be married on the eighth of March, however their minister was unable to attend the ceremony due to a large snow storm that hit the city that day.  So Lori and Robert were married at city hall on the ninth.

The couple stayed in Brooklyn for many years, living at Ocean Parkway and Avenue X, and later on Brags St and Avenue W.  It wasn’t long after the couple was married in November of 1984 when they welcomed their first daughter Jennifer.  Later in 1991 Lori and Robert welcomed their second daughter Lauren.  Immediately after getting married and starting her family, Lori devoted her life to being a homemaker.  Lori and her family moved to Parlin, New Jersey and then to Keensburg in 2001.  In 2014 they moved to Wayne where they have lived ever since.  Lori and Robert cherished thirty-four years of loving and loyal marriage together.

Lori enjoyed puzzle books, crossword puzzles, the board game Scrabble, as well as card games particularly Gin Rummy.  She was a fan of Lucille Ball and most of all Godzilla.  She relished in watching Godzilla movies as well as other “Atomic Age” Sci-Fi films.  Above all, Lori’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing meant more to Lori than spending time with her family.  She was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone who knew her.

Lori is survived by her husband Robert Williams of Wayne, her two daughters Jennifer Williams of Bloomfield, and Lauren Williams of Wayne.

Jerry Busko, age 89, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

He was born in January of 1929 in Bialystok, Poland to Constantine and Antoinina Busko. At age eleven German forces invaded Poland.  His parents told him to hide in the woods as young boys were being taken and sent to slave labor camps. After 2 weeks, missing his parents he returned home and unfortunately was captured and sent to a German slave labor camp.  Jerry lived in this camp for close to five years.  He befriended a guard who would share extra rations with him.  This same guard would eventually confide to Jerry that the camp was going to be liberated and they will most likely be killed over the next few days as the Allied forces were closing in.  Jerry shared this information with a few other captives he believed he could trust and that night they dug a tunnel with their hands under the fence and escaped.  They scavenged for food and safe hiding that night. They eventually made a campfire and fell asleep.  They awoke to find United States military forces around them.  Jerry was sent to a camp for displaced people in Middendorf, Germany.  At the camp, all nationalities were placed together. His town had been bombed and he believed his parents were dead and conversely they assumed Jerry was dead.  With the assumption that he had no family left and knowing the destruction of his hometown of Nowy ogrod, Jerry had no desire to return there.

He was selected and offered passage to the United States. On July 27, 1946, by himself, he boarded the S/S Marine Perch for a nine day voyage to the United States at the age of 16. When he first arrived he was placed in an orphanage in Lodi, New Jersey.  A Polish couple, Frank and Stephania Lustyk, were looking for a young child to adopt and a nun at the orphanage said they should consider a nice young man named Jerry.  They took Jerry into their home at 42 East Main Street in Paterson where they lived above their butcher shop. He went to school for a year to assist in learning English. He read the paper every day to learn English, which he continued to do so up into is final day.  He worked in the family butcher shop as a young man and also found work as a Dying Machine Tender at Kramer & King. He quickly was promoted to an elevated position.

On February 6, 1951 he was drafted into the United States Army.  He received training as a “Crawler and Wheel Tractor Operator” in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  Due to his employment experience he was first placed into the position of Quarter Master and soon after was promoted to a Sergeant. He was deployed to Osan Korea, where they built the first and largest military plane landing strip which is still in operation today. Jerry was honorably discharged from the Army on February 21, 1953 and received the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal for his service.

After returning home, Jerry’s military heavy equipment training became his lifetime career. He loved his job and was extremely appreciative of the skills he learned while with the Army. He felt strongly indebted to the Army for shaping his future and life. When he returned home he secured a job at DKF. Jerry would meet his future wife, M. Edith “Tootie” Wicky through his connection with her father and a close friend through employment. He was a talented dancer and loved to dance. This lead to an introduction to Tootie, the love of his life at a local dance club.  He proposed and they married at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Prospect Park on June 30, 1956.  They honeymooned in Niagara Falls, New York and enjoyed a devoted marriage of fifty-one years before her passing on September 26, 2007.

In 1956, he became employed with his brother-in-law’s company, PT& L Construction in Paramus as a heavy equipment operator for close to 25 years. Later he was employed with J. Fletcher Creamer Company in Hackensack, for about fifteen years before retiring in 1994. Jerry had an unmatched work ethic never missing one day of work and never used an alarm clock.

At the age of thirty-six Jerry would find that his parents had survived the war and were living in Poland.  The Russians controlled Poland at this time and travel was difficult at best and the worst case scenario was if you did get in you may not be able to leave. Since his capture at the age of eleven Jerry never saw his parents again and corresponded via letters that were often censored.

Jerry will be lovingly remembered as a Mr. Fix It.  He was naturally mechanically inclined and if it broke you brought it to Jerry.  If you gave him something to fix he would tinker with it in his basement workshop and with a few spare parts and some choice words he could repair just about anything. He was meticulous and extremely organized. He was particularly focused on his personal appearance as well.  His hair had to be combed just so, and he never left the house without dress slacks and a shirt.

In his retired years, he enjoyed watching his favorite sports teams the New York Giants, New York Red Bulls, New Jersey Devils, Brooklyn Nets and old classic movies. Jerry was also passionate about politics and just this past Tuesday his daughter arrived at his home to find he was dressed and ready to go vote. He most loved the time he was able to spend with his children, grandchildren and extended family for holidays, picnics, vacations and other occasions.

Jerry was the devoted father of Jerry Busko and his wife Kathy of Windham, NH, Susan Bennett of Butler, and Lori Lindstrom and her husband Howard of Wayne; he was the foster-brother of Christina Galino of Ojai, CA, brother-in-law of Phyllis and Tony Laganella of Ramsey and the cherished grandfather of eight grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Hudson Valley Honor Flight -click on blue text to donate or mail donations to: Hudson Valley Honor Flight Attn: Donations, PO Box 375, Walden, NY 12586.  Jerry participated in an honor extended to Veteran’s to be flown to and tour memorials in Washington DC, through the Hudson Valley Honor Flight in early 2017. Memorial donations in his honor would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry Busko, age 89, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

He was born in January of 1929 in Bialystok, Poland to Constantine and Antoinina Busko. At age eleven German forces invaded Poland.  His parents told him to hide in the woods as young boys were being taken and sent to slave labor camps. After 2 weeks, missing his parents he returned home and unfortunately was captured and sent to a German slave labor camp.  Jerry lived in this camp for close to five years.  He befriended a guard who would share extra rations with him.  This same guard would eventually confide to Jerry that the camp was going to be liberated and they will most likely be killed over the next few days as the Allied forces were closing in.  Jerry shared this information with a few other captives he believed he could trust and that night they dug a tunnel with their hands under the fence and escaped.  They scavenged for food and safe hiding that night. They eventually made a campfire and fell asleep.  They awoke to find United States military forces around them.  Jerry was sent to a camp for displaced people in Middendorf, Germany.  At the camp, all nationalities were placed together. His town had been bombed and he believed his parents were dead and conversely they assumed Jerry was dead.  With the assumption that he had no family left and knowing the destruction of his hometown of Nowy ogrod, Jerry had no desire to return there.

He was selected and offered passage to the United States. On July 27, 1946, by himself, he boarded the S/S Marine Perch for a nine day voyage to the United States at the age of 16. When he first arrived he was placed in an orphanage in Lodi, New Jersey.  A Polish couple, Frank and Stephania Lustyk, were looking for a young child to adopt and a nun at the orphanage said they should consider a nice young man named Jerry.  They took Jerry into their home at 42 East Main Street in Paterson where they lived above their butcher shop. He went to school for a year to assist in learning English. He read the paper every day to learn English, which he continued to do so up into is final day.  He worked in the family butcher shop as a young man and also found work as a Dying Machine Tender at Kramer & King. He quickly was promoted to an elevated position.

On February 6, 1951 he was drafted into the United States Army.  He received training as a “Crawler and Wheel Tractor Operator” in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  Due to his employment experience he was first placed into the position of Quarter Master and soon after was promoted to a Sergeant. He was deployed to Osan Korea, where they built the first and largest military plane landing strip which is still in operation today. Jerry was honorably discharged from the Army on February 21, 1953 and received the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal for his service.

After returning home, Jerry’s military heavy equipment training became his lifetime career. He loved his job and was extremely appreciative of the skills he learned while with the Army. He felt strongly indebted to the Army for shaping his future and life. When he returned home he secured a job at DKF. Jerry would meet his future wife, M. Edith “Tootie” Wicky through his connection with her father and a close friend through employment. He was a talented dancer and loved to dance. This lead to an introduction to Tootie, the love of his life at a local dance club.  He proposed and they married at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Prospect Park on June 30, 1956.  They honeymooned in Niagara Falls, New York and enjoyed a devoted marriage of fifty-one years before her passing on September 26, 2007.

In 1956, he became employed with his brother-in-law’s company, PT& L Construction in Paramus as a heavy equipment operator for close to 25 years. Later he was employed with J. Fletcher Creamer Company in Hackensack, for about fifteen years before retiring in 1994. Jerry had an unmatched work ethic never missing one day of work and never used an alarm clock.

At the age of thirty-six Jerry would find that his parents had survived the war and were living in Poland.  The Russians controlled Poland at this time and travel was difficult at best and the worst case scenario was if you did get in you may not be able to leave. Since his capture at the age of eleven Jerry never saw his parents again and corresponded via letters that were often censored.

Jerry will be lovingly remembered as a Mr. Fix It.  He was naturally mechanically inclined and if it broke you brought it to Jerry.  If you gave him something to fix he would tinker with it in his basement workshop and with a few spare parts and some choice words he could repair just about anything. He was meticulous and extremely organized. He was particularly focused on his personal appearance as well.  His hair had to be combed just so, and he never left the house without dress slacks and a shirt.

In his retired years, he enjoyed watching his favorite sports teams the New York Giants, New York Red Bulls, New Jersey Devils, Brooklyn Nets and old classic movies. Jerry was also passionate about politics and just this past Tuesday his daughter arrived at his home to find he was dressed and ready to go vote. He most loved the time he was able to spend with his children, grandchildren and extended family for holidays, picnics, vacations and other occasions.

Jerry was the devoted father of Jerry Busko and his wife Kathy of Windham, NH, Susan Bennett of Butler, and Lori Lindstrom and her husband Howard of Wayne; he was the foster-brother of Christina Galino of Ojai, CA, brother-in-law of Phyllis and Tony Laganella of Ramsey and the cherished grandfather of eight grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Hudson Valley Honor Flight -click on blue text to donate or mail donations to: Hudson Valley Honor Flight Attn: Donations, PO Box 375, Walden, NY 12586.  Jerry participated in an honor extended to Veteran’s to be flown to and tour memorials in Washington DC, through the Hudson Valley Honor Flight in early 2017. Memorial donations in his honor would be greatly appreciated.

Christine Jaeger (McGetrick), age 85 of Pompton Plains, died at home on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

She owned Christine Models & Casting, a company she operated for nearly forty years. Prior to that she was a Stylist with Fashion Productions in New York.  After moving to New Jersey, Chris became a model and subsequently purchased the agency she worked for.  She chose the name Christine Models in honor of her mother, Christine McGetrick.  The adventures were many during her long career but the highlight came on her 70th birthday.  She was doing a fashion show in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria and a cake was wheeled out onto the stage as the audience of 2,000 people sang Happy Birthday to her.  As Chris would often times say; "there aren't many people who get that honor bestowed on them".

Christine’s childhood was spent in Brooklyn, where she was raised in the Prospect Park section.  She earned a full scholarship to Bishop McDonnell High School where she graduated in 1951.  She began working at the local V.A. Hospital where she met Dick Jaeger, a young soldier returning from a tour in Korea.  After courting for a few years, they were married on June 25, 1960 at St. Therese of Lisieux Church in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. They honeymooned in Miami Beach before settling into an apartment on Kermit Pl. in Brooklyn.  Dick’s mother owned the building and all of the apartments were occupied by family members.  Christine never had to worry about finding a babysitter as long as she lived there!  Several years later, they moved across town to Schenectady Ave., just a few doors away from Christine’s parents.  Once again, she never had to search for a babysitter with her parents living so close by.  In 1972, with a growing family, Christine and Dick moved to Wayne, NJ.  They enjoyed thirty-four years of marriage before Dick passed away in 1994.

Christine was a very social person.  Wherever she went, she quickly made many friends and found plenty of fun things to do.  She maintained a large group of friends in Brooklyn, Packanack Lake in Wayne, at Lake Wallkill in Sussex, NJ and more recently at Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains.  She often stepped right in and became the ringleader of sorts; organizing gatherings, card games, and even a fashion show!  In Wayne, she became very involved at Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church.  A lector, Eucharistic minister, and communicant for many years, she loved her church home and enjoyed being involved.  She also volunteered at DePaul High School, where her children attended.

Christine is survived by her four children; Christina Russell and her husband David of Lincoln Park, Susan Ardrey and her husband Ken of Kinnelon, Richard Jaeger of Wayne, and Glen Jaeger and his girlfriend Gina of Chester, NY, five grandchildren; Richard, Gregory, Erin, Austin, and Savanah, and one brother; James McGetrick.  She was predeceased by her brother Jerry in 1982, and by her sister Catherine Walsh in 2015.

Christine Jaeger (McGetrick), age 85 of Pompton Plains, died at home on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

She owned Christine Models & Casting, a company she operated for nearly forty years. Prior to that she was a Stylist with Fashion Productions in New York.  After moving to New Jersey, Chris became a model and subsequently purchased the agency she worked for.  She chose the name Christine Models in honor of her mother, Christine McGetrick.  The adventures were many during her long career but the highlight came on her 70th birthday.  She was doing a fashion show in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria and a cake was wheeled out onto the stage as the audience of 2,000 people sang Happy Birthday to her.  As Chris would often times say; "there aren't many people who get that honor bestowed on them".

Christine’s childhood was spent in Brooklyn, where she was raised in the Prospect Park section.  She earned a full scholarship to Bishop McDonnell High School where she graduated in 1951.  She began working at the local V.A. Hospital where she met Dick Jaeger, a young soldier returning from a tour in Korea.  After courting for a few years, they were married on June 25, 1960 at St. Therese of Lisieux Church in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. They honeymooned in Miami Beach before settling into an apartment on Kermit Pl. in Brooklyn.  Dick’s mother owned the building and all of the apartments were occupied by family members.  Christine never had to worry about finding a babysitter as long as she lived there!  Several years later, they moved across town to Schenectady Ave., just a few doors away from Christine’s parents.  Once again, she never had to search for a babysitter with her parents living so close by.  In 1972, with a growing family, Christine and Dick moved to Wayne, NJ.  They enjoyed thirty-four years of marriage before Dick passed away in 1994.

Christine was a very social person.  Wherever she went, she quickly made many friends and found plenty of fun things to do.  She maintained a large group of friends in Brooklyn, Packanack Lake in Wayne, at Lake Wallkill in Sussex, NJ and more recently at Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains.  She often stepped right in and became the ringleader of sorts; organizing gatherings, card games, and even a fashion show!  In Wayne, she became very involved at Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church.  A lector, Eucharistic minister, and communicant for many years, she loved her church home and enjoyed being involved.  She also volunteered at DePaul High School, where her children attended.

Christine is survived by her four children; Christina Russell and her husband David of Lincoln Park, Susan Ardrey and her husband Ken of Kinnelon, Richard Jaeger of Wayne, and Glen Jaeger and his girlfriend Gina of Chester, NY, five grandchildren; Richard, Gregory, Erin, Austin, and Savanah, and one brother; James McGetrick.  She was predeceased by her brother Jerry in 1982, and by her sister Catherine Walsh in 2015.

William J. Callan, age 91 of Wayne, died peacefully on Saturday, November 10, 2018.  He had lived in Wayne since 1961.

Bill was born and raised in the Bronx.  In 1944, he was anxious to join the war effort, and with his parent’s consent, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of seventeen.  During his time with the Navy, he crossed the equator twice and circled the globe twice!  His ship arrived in Hiroshima, Japan just weeks after the atom bomb was dropped and he was able to tour the destruction first hand on a motorcycle he found.  He was honorably discharged in May of 1946 and returned to civilian life.

Even before joining the Navy, Bill was drawn to the sea.  He also had family members that were employed as longshoremen or with tug boat companies, so he was no stranger to the water.  This led him to take a job with McCallister Towing and he became a deckhand onboard a tug in the NY harbor.  Bill was never one to say “no” to an opportunity and his bosses liked that about him.  He worked very hard, attended the Maritime Academy, and eventually became a tug boat captain.  He starred in a commercial for Good Morning America which earned him his fifteen minutes of fame and a bit of celebrity in the 1980’s.  His wheelhouse was like his second home, and Captain Bill loved every day on the job.

While in the Navy, Bill had met Barbara Furlong.  It was a chance encounter, of sorts, when Bill was invited by a fellow sailor to have dinner with his family.  Upon arriving at the Furlong residence in Brooklyn, Bill’s heart skipped a beat; he fell head over heels for Barbara Furlong at first sight.  The feelings were mutual and they were married on July 24, 1948 in Barbara’s home, the place they had first met.  After a brief honeymoon in Washington, D.C., they settled in Brooklyn and started their family.  By 1961, they were ready for a move and found their home in Wayne.  Bill and Barbara were married for sixty-eight years and for their fortieth anniversary, they enjoyed a trip to Ireland for a full month.  Bill brought his bagpipes with him and crowds gathered at every place he played.  He never thought of himself as a very good player, although he practiced often right in his back yard.  He was also talented trumpet player and organist.  Bill was crazy about Barbara though, and they each would have been lost without the other.  When Barbara became ill, Bill was devoted to taking care of her.  Once he could no longer care for her at home by himself, he would visit her each and every day at the nursing home.  They had dinner together every day without fail, and in the years since she passed away, Bill has missed her terribly.  Surely they are enjoying a reunion in Heaven today.

Bill is survived by two children; William F. Callan and his wife Jo Ellyn of W. Springfield, MA, and Barbara K. Callan of Haskell, NJ, two grandsons; Shawn P. Callan of W. Springfield, MA, and Corey R. Callan of Hackettstown, NJ, and his daughter in law; Laura Callan of Brandon, FL. He was predeceased by his wife Barbara and his son James P. Callan, both in 2016.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Bill’s memory are asked to consider the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS  66675, www.WoundedWarriorProject.org.

William J. Callan, age 91 of Wayne, died peacefully on Saturday, November 10, 2018.  He had lived in Wayne since 1961.

Bill was born and raised in the Bronx.  In 1944, he was anxious to join the war effort, and with his parent’s consent, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of seventeen.  During his time with the Navy, he crossed the equator twice and circled the globe twice!  His ship arrived in Hiroshima, Japan just weeks after the atom bomb was dropped and he was able to tour the destruction first hand on a motorcycle he found.  He was honorably discharged in May of 1946 and returned to civilian life.

Even before joining the Navy, Bill was drawn to the sea.  He also had family members that were employed as longshoremen or with tug boat companies, so he was no stranger to the water.  This led him to take a job with McCallister Towing and he became a deckhand onboard a tug in the NY harbor.  Bill was never one to say “no” to an opportunity and his bosses liked that about him.  He worked very hard, attended the Maritime Academy, and eventually became a tug boat captain.  He starred in a commercial for Good Morning America which earned him his fifteen minutes of fame and a bit of celebrity in the 1980’s.  His wheelhouse was like his second home, and Captain Bill loved every day on the job.

While in the Navy, Bill had met Barbara Furlong.  It was a chance encounter, of sorts, when Bill was invited by a fellow sailor to have dinner with his family.  Upon arriving at the Furlong residence in Brooklyn, Bill’s heart skipped a beat; he fell head over heels for Barbara Furlong at first sight.  The feelings were mutual and they were married on July 24, 1948 in Barbara’s home, the place they had first met.  After a brief honeymoon in Washington, D.C., they settled in Brooklyn and started their family.  By 1961, they were ready for a move and found their home in Wayne.  Bill and Barbara were married for sixty-eight years and for their fortieth anniversary, they enjoyed a trip to Ireland for a full month.  Bill brought his bagpipes with him and crowds gathered at every place he played.  He never thought of himself as a very good player, although he practiced often right in his back yard.  He was also talented trumpet player and organist.  Bill was crazy about Barbara though, and they each would have been lost without the other.  When Barbara became ill, Bill was devoted to taking care of her.  Once he could no longer care for her at home by himself, he would visit her each and every day at the nursing home.  They had dinner together every day without fail, and in the years since she passed away, Bill has missed her terribly.  Surely they are enjoying a reunion in Heaven today.

Bill is survived by two children; William F. Callan and his wife Jo Ellyn of W. Springfield, MA, and Barbara K. Callan of Haskell, NJ, two grandsons; Shawn P. Callan of W. Springfield, MA, and Corey R. Callan of Hackettstown, NJ, and his daughter in law; Laura Callan of Brandon, FL. He was predeceased by his wife Barbara and his son James P. Callan, both in 2016.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Bill’s memory are asked to consider the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS  66675, www.WoundedWarriorProject.org.

Catherine “Kay” Hutcheson (nee Burgett) passed away November 10, 2018.

She was born November 18, 1927 to Floyd and Margaret Burgett in Hebron, Illinois. Her husband Edgar pre-deceased her on November 17, 2012.  Catherine and Edgar married on September 15, 1951 in Genoa City, Wisconsin and moved to Wayne, New Jersey in 1963 from Wheaton, Illinois.  Catherine was a Vice-President of U.S. Banknote in New York City where she was employed for forty-seven years until she retired.

Her sister and three brothers pre-deceased her.  Although Catherine never had children she was blessed with the closest friends that she loved and embraced as her own.

Catherine “Kay” Hutcheson (nee Burgett) passed away November 10, 2018.

She was born November 18, 1927 to Floyd and Margaret Burgett in Hebron, Illinois. Her husband Edgar pre-deceased her on November 17, 2012.  Catherine and Edgar married on September 15, 1951 in Genoa City, Wisconsin and moved to Wayne, New Jersey in 1963 from Wheaton, Illinois.  Catherine was a Vice-President of U.S. Banknote in New York City where she was employed for forty-seven years until she retired.

Her sister and three brothers pre-deceased her.  Although Catherine never had children she was blessed with the closest friends that she loved and embraced as her own.

Kathleen Susan Warren, age 58 of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 9, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Kathy’s brother Michael was friends with a guy named Rick Warren.  While Kathy was attending Wayne Valley High School, Mike and his friend Rick were both students at DePaul High School where they were on the wrestling team. Kathy came to DePaul one day to watch her brother’s wrestling match and she and Rick met for the first time after the match.  Kathy was just a fifteen year old sophomore so her father was not crazy about letting her go out with the older Rick.  Nevertheless, their first date happened in December of 1975.  It was to a high school sporting event and was followed by numerous other dates.  One day, Rick went to see Kathy’s parents to ask for their permission to marry their daughter.  With their blessing secured, Kathy and Rick exchanged their vows before God, family and friends on Sunday, November 11, 1979 at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.  A reception followed at the Wayne Elks Lodge where, back then, the cost per plate was a mere $12.00.  Everyone partied to the sounds of a live band which Rick just happened to be a member of.  Their honeymoon followed at Coki Beach in St. Thomas.  After their first two days on their getaway, Kathy and Rick were so extremely sunburned, they weren’t able to move for the rest of the trip.

In their first home together, an apartment in a three-family home in Clifton, Kathy and Rick welcomed their first daughter Christine.  Two years later they purchased a home on Elizabeth Place in Totowa.  There they were blessed with daughter number two, Kimberly.  In 1991, they moved to Wayne and have been residents of the town ever since.

Kathy saw her primary role as being the best mother she could be, so during their formative years, she stayed home with Christine and Kim.  She was determined to give them a head start on their education.  With the help of a magnetic board with numbers and letters, she had the girls counting and reading words before they even entered preschool.  She loved her role as “Mommy” and had fun making all of their Halloween costumes and attending all their Wayne PAL softball and basketball games.

Once the girls were old enough, Kathleen started working nights, part time as a waitress at various places including the Sheraton near Willowbrook Mall, the Barnyard in Wayne, and the Calico Kitchen in Totowa.  In 1995 she started working full time for various companies including Mark Seven Transport in Riverdale, L&B Warehousing in Totowa, Haband of Oakland, Decker Transport in Riverdale, and Pacer Global in East Rutherford.  As each company closed, she moved onto the next.  She was presently working as a customer service representative in logistics and warehousing for Ram Medical of Wayne.

A bit of a fashionista, looking at photos throughout Kathleen’s life would give you a good indication of what the hairstyle of the decade was.  She captured all the looks – permed, shaved, mullet, Farrah Fawcett look, big 80’s hair, etc. To Kathleen, shopping was considered a hobby and her favorite place was Kohl’s.  She couldn’t wait to get the Kohl’s flyer in the mail to peel back the label to see if she could get 15, 20, or 30% off her next purchase.  Macy’s was close second.  Kathleen was also a big fan of the Lifetime television channel.  With its programming primarily geared toward women some of her favorite shows included Woman on Patrol, Unsolved Mysteries, Grey’s Anatomy, and Married at First Sight.  She just loved the drama.

Above all, Kathleen’s family was the most important part of her life.  As a little girl, she had the privilege of seeing much of the USA while traveling for four months with her parents and siblings using their travel trailer.  While growing up she also developed a great love for beach life, spending summers living with her grandparents in Seaside Heights.  In addition to many summer weekends, visiting the shore became a yearly tradition with her husband Rick and their two daughters spending the last two weeks of every August in Seaside Park.  This tradition went on for years and was still presently going on.  Kathy liked everything about the shore, going to the bars restaurants right off the beach, and playing games with her family on the boardwalk.  While not a huge NASCAR fan herself, Kathleen happily went to the races twice a year just so she could be with her family.

Kathleen lived to take care of her family and friends and to make them happy.  If you were planning to throw a party, Kathy was the girl to call and pull it off.  She’d roll up her sleeves and get right in there organizing whatever needed to be done to make it a success.  Very detailed oriented, she always knew exactly how much food to prepare and exactly when to serve it so it was nice and hot.  She was one of the most caring people you’ll ever meet.  

Kathy was the beloved wife of Richard, blessed in marriage for thirty nine years; loving mother of Christine and husband Jeff DeFranzo of Watertown, CT, and Kimberly and husband Andrew Chernack of Rockaway; adored grandmother of Domenic and Vincent; loving daughter of Tom and Fran Shaw of Wayne; and dear sister of: Mike and wife Loretta Ward of Pompton Lakes, Tom and wife Lis Shaw of Wayne; Fran and husband Dana Kamp of Germantown, TN; Susan and husband David Levine of Wayne, Timothy Shaw of Wayne, and sisters-in-law; Karen Shadwell and Denise Turkmany Hofbauer, the late Billy Hofbauer, the late Chuck Ward, and the late Bobby Casey.

In lieu of flowers those panning an expression of sympathy in Kathleen’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

Kathleen Susan Warren, age 58 of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 9, 2018 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Kathy’s brother Michael was friends with a guy named Rick Warren.  While Kathy was attending Wayne Valley High School, Mike and his friend Rick were both students at DePaul High School where they were on the wrestling team. Kathy came to DePaul one day to watch her brother’s wrestling match and she and Rick met for the first time after the match.  Kathy was just a fifteen year old sophomore so her father was not crazy about letting her go out with the older Rick.  Nevertheless, their first date happened in December of 1975.  It was to a high school sporting event and was followed by numerous other dates.  One day, Rick went to see Kathy’s parents to ask for their permission to marry their daughter.  With their blessing secured, Kathy and Rick exchanged their vows before God, family and friends on Sunday, November 11, 1979 at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.  A reception followed at the Wayne Elks Lodge where, back then, the cost per plate was a mere $12.00.  Everyone partied to the sounds of a live band which Rick just happened to be a member of.  Their honeymoon followed at Coki Beach in St. Thomas.  After their first two days on their getaway, Kathy and Rick were so extremely sunburned, they weren’t able to move for the rest of the trip.

In their first home together, an apartment in a three-family home in Clifton, Kathy and Rick welcomed their first daughter Christine.  Two years later they purchased a home on Elizabeth Place in Totowa.  There they were blessed with daughter number two, Kimberly.  In 1991, they moved to Wayne and have been residents of the town ever since.

Kathy saw her primary role as being the best mother she could be, so during their formative years, she stayed home with Christine and Kim.  She was determined to give them a head start on their education.  With the help of a magnetic board with numbers and letters, she had the girls counting and reading words before they even entered preschool.  She loved her role as “Mommy” and had fun making all of their Halloween costumes and attending all their Wayne PAL softball and basketball games.

Once the girls were old enough, Kathleen started working nights, part time as a waitress at various places including the Sheraton near Willowbrook Mall, the Barnyard in Wayne, and the Calico Kitchen in Totowa.  In 1995 she started working full time for various companies including Mark Seven Transport in Riverdale, L&B Warehousing in Totowa, Haband of Oakland, Decker Transport in Riverdale, and Pacer Global in East Rutherford.  As each company closed, she moved onto the next.  She was presently working as a customer service representative in logistics and warehousing for Ram Medical of Wayne.

A bit of a fashionista, looking at photos throughout Kathleen’s life would give you a good indication of what the hairstyle of the decade was.  She captured all the looks – permed, shaved, mullet, Farrah Fawcett look, big 80’s hair, etc. To Kathleen, shopping was considered a hobby and her favorite place was Kohl’s.  She couldn’t wait to get the Kohl’s flyer in the mail to peel back the label to see if she could get 15, 20, or 30% off her next purchase.  Macy’s was close second.  Kathleen was also a big fan of the Lifetime television channel.  With its programming primarily geared toward women some of her favorite shows included Woman on Patrol, Unsolved Mysteries, Grey’s Anatomy, and Married at First Sight.  She just loved the drama.

Above all, Kathleen’s family was the most important part of her life.  As a little girl, she had the privilege of seeing much of the USA while traveling for four months with her parents and siblings using their travel trailer.  While growing up she also developed a great love for beach life, spending summers living with her grandparents in Seaside Heights.  In addition to many summer weekends, visiting the shore became a yearly tradition with her husband Rick and their two daughters spending the last two weeks of every August in Seaside Park.  This tradition went on for years and was still presently going on.  Kathy liked everything about the shore, going to the bars restaurants right off the beach, and playing games with her family on the boardwalk.  While not a huge NASCAR fan herself, Kathleen happily went to the races twice a year just so she could be with her family.

Kathleen lived to take care of her family and friends and to make them happy.  If you were planning to throw a party, Kathy was the girl to call and pull it off.  She’d roll up her sleeves and get right in there organizing whatever needed to be done to make it a success.  Very detailed oriented, she always knew exactly how much food to prepare and exactly when to serve it so it was nice and hot.  She was one of the most caring people you’ll ever meet.  

Kathy was the beloved wife of Richard, blessed in marriage for thirty nine years; loving mother of Christine and husband Jeff DeFranzo of Watertown, CT, and Kimberly and husband Andrew Chernack of Rockaway; adored grandmother of Domenic and Vincent; loving daughter of Tom and Fran Shaw of Wayne; and dear sister of: Mike and wife Loretta Ward of Pompton Lakes, Tom and wife Lis Shaw of Wayne; Fran and husband Dana Kamp of Germantown, TN; Susan and husband David Levine of Wayne, Timothy Shaw of Wayne, and sisters-in-law; Karen Shadwell and Denise Turkmany Hofbauer, the late Billy Hofbauer, the late Chuck Ward, and the late Bobby Casey.

In lieu of flowers those panning an expression of sympathy in Kathleen’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

Rose McKay (nee Weber) age 105 of Pompton Lakes passed away peacefully on Wednesday November 7, 2018 at Lakeview Rehabilitation in Wayne, NJ.  Born August 13, 1913 in Coplay, PA, she was a longtime resident of Saddle Brook and Bridgewater, NJ.  Loving mother of eight, she is survived by her son Edward and his wife Elaine of Fletcher, NC, her daughter Debra Sparagoski and her husband Richard of Pompton Lakes, and a daughter-in-law Deborah McKay of Newman, GA.  She was the loving grandmother of twenty-five, great grandmother of forty-eight, and great-great grandmother of thirteen.  She is predeceased by her daughters Rose Jandrositz (Frank), Barbara Keller (Skippy), and Lorraine Cupo, she was predeceased by her sons George (Beatrice), Richard (Lorraine), and Russell.  She was also predeceased by her mother, father, and seven siblings.

Adrian Van Zweden, age 99, of North Haledon, passed Wednesday, November 7, 2018.

He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and lived in Passaic, New Jersey, Wallington, Wayne, and West Milford before moving to North Haledon sixteen years ago. He was a graduate of the Passaic High School’s Class of 1937.

A few years after he graduated high school the United States became involved in World War II, and in 1941 Adrian joined the United States Navy.  He was Honorably Discharged on January 11, 1946, from the Navy having attained the rank of Chief Yeoman.  He was awarded the European Theatre Medal, the American Defense Medal, WWII Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the American Theatre Medal for his service.

Adrian continued his education, under the G.I. Bill, at Newark State College where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with the Class of 1949. He would go on to achieve his Masters Degree in Education from New York University in New York City in 1952 and his Certificate of Administration from Rutgers University.  He first taught for the Montclair Board of Education for six years and moved to the Wayne Board of Education where he taught for eleven years and served an additional eighteen years as an administrator for the Wayne Township Board of Education before retiring in 1984.

After retirement Adrian remained involved in the field of education by his volunteer activities.  After the passing of his wife of 61 years, Adrian’s life brightened when he met his beloved companion of the rest of his years, Eunice Broersma, on an outing in 2004.  They loved to travel and took several trips to Alaska, the Panama Canal and the Canadian Rockies.  On these trips, Adrian would play his harmonica for anyone who would listen.  With Eunice as his assistant, Adrian began visiting elementary schools to teach students about rocks and minerals, magnetism and electricity.  In 2012, Adrian was presented with the Daughters of American Revolution Community Service Award for his volunteer teaching at the Eastern Christian Elementary.  Eunice and her daughter Beverly surprised Adrian with a 95th birthday party attended by his family, grandchildren, and over 100 of his friends including six teachers he hired in 1966.  In his later years, Adrian enjoyed painting floral and boating scenes.

Adrian was a member and former Deacon of the Ebenezer Netherland Reformed Church in Franklin Lakes.  He served as President of the New Jersey Industrial Arts Association and as Director of the Wayne Chamber of Commerce for eight years.

He was the loving husband of the late Audrey (Lendick) Van Zweden (d. 2003); devoted father of John Van Zweden (Mary Lee) of Ormond Beach, FL, Robert Van Zweden (Karen) of West Milford; loved brother of the late Jacob Van Zweden and his late wife Alice, the late Joseph Van Zweden and his surviving wife Marrie of Sioux Center, IA, Jackie Rozeboom and her surviving husband William of Inwood, IA, the late Kees Van Zweden and his late wife Mabel, and the late Jane Friesema and her late husband John; much loved grandfather of Patty Kulenski and her husband Art, Cheryl Van Zweden, Christina Hockenberry and  her husband Nathan, John Van Zweden, and Janelle Van Zweden, and devoted companion to Eunice Broersma.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Netherlands Reformed Church Benevolent Fund, 875 Ewing Avenue, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 would be appreciated.

Michael P. Hancock, age 66 of Haskell died on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.

Mike was a Paterson native and graduated from Don Bosco Tech. High School in 1969.  A standout athlete in baseball and basketball, Mike went on to play basketball for William Paterson College as well.  He started his career in Passaic County with the Park Police and later became a detective with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.  In 1984, he joined the Paterson Fire Department which led to a twenty-year career.  Mike loved being a firefighter.  He was very active in the men’s fast-pitch softball league, playing with many of the firefighters, and we was on several teams over the years, including his favorite; the “Italian Circle.”  He loved sports and everything athletic, and he remained highly competitive throughout the years.  He was a big NY YANKEES fan, and all-around sports fan.  In 2001, he had was diagnosed with Leukemia which eventually led him into early retirement from the fire department.  He was a tough guy, though, and he fought hard against his illness in the years since.

Mike met his wife Karen at the Netzler’s Sweet Shop on Union Ave. in Paterson.  They were just teenagers then, and Mike asked her out.  They went to see “Summer of ‘42” at the local drive-in theatre which soon led to their engagement.  They were married on April 22, 1973 and honeymooned at Lake George later that summer.  They settled to a home on Redwood Ave. in Paterson before eventually moving to Haskell in 1986.  During their marriage, Mike and Karen traveled extensively and had visited Ireland, Scotland, Spain, London, Rome, and many more wonderful destinations.  Among Mike’s favorite places to visit though, was YANKEE Stadium in the Bronx.  There was no better place in his opinion!  He and Karen have enjoyed forty-five years together, raising their three children, and she will miss him dearly.

Mike is survived by his wife Karen of Haskell, by his three children; Tara Hancock of Montclair, Kyle Hancock of Ringwood, and Jason Hancock of Montclair, one granddaughter; Bianca, two brothers; Neil Hancock and his wife Linda of Fair Lawn, NJ, and David Hancock of Paterson, and his mother-in-law; Mary Louise De Blasio of Oakland, NJ.

Jeffrey L. Britton, age 61, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, November 1, 2018.

The second oldest of his parents Samuel and Dorothy Britton’s eight children, Jeff was raised in Nutley where he graduated from Nutley High School with the Class of 1975.

Jeff and his sweet wife Katina met one night while Jeff was out for drinks with his friends and Katina was out with hers. Their paths crossed and a mutual spark took place that night, so soon after, they went out on their first official date to the Grand Saloon in Clifton. Jeff’s wedding proposal came, with Katina’s parents blessing, on Christmas Eve, 1985. He bought Katina red roses and had the engagement ring set into the beautiful bouquet of flowers. The funny thing was, Katina didn’t even notice the ring at first, mistaking it instead for a piece of ice. The following year, they pledged their love to one another before God, family and friends on Sunday, November 16, 1986 at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne. This was followed by a great reception at The Manor in West Orange and a honeymoon to Hawaii.

Jeff and Katina’s first home as husband and wife was an apartment in Wayne. After a couple of years, they moved into a townhouse in the Deer Run Community in Lincoln Park. While in Deer Run, their lives changed forever as they happily welcomed their son Michael “Mikey” into this world in June, 1997.  Five years later, they moved to their home in Wayne where they have remained to this present day.

Soon after their marriage, Jeff began his own construction business – J. Britton Construction which he built from the ground up and proudly managed for more than thirty years. He was primarily involved in commercial construction and he took great pride in the work he did. Jeff’s abilities and creativity were endless.

Throughout their lives together, Jeff and Katina were blessed with the opportunity to travel a lot. There were trips out west to California and Arizona, and ski trips to Lake Tahoe and Utah. They also went on vacations all over the entire east coast, together and with their son Mikey, including numerous trips to Disney. When they felt like escaping to a warmer place, Jeff enjoyed relaxing in Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and their favorite destination of Aruba where they have a timeshare. They considered Aruba their home away from home and one of Jeff’s favorite pastimes while there was playing golf. In fact, golf was truly one of Jeff’s greatest regular pastimes. He enjoyed playing golf with his son Mikey in Aruba and, over the years, Jeff played golf with family and friends at a lot of other places too, including courses all over New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He also had a lot of fun playing in Myrtle Beach with the guys from the Packanack Firehouse.

Without a doubt, Jeff’s happiest times were being with his family and working in his business. Whether he was just chilling and grilling at home, helping to coach Mikey’s flag football league when he was young, going to all of Mikey’s football and lacrosse games at Wayne Valley High School, or using his construction skills to fix up his home in Wayne and make it the best it could be, Jeff loved being with his family.

If you needed help with something, Jeff was always someone you could call upon. He could fix anything. For many years he also ran his own snowplowing business. As a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, son-in-law, friend and neighbor, Jeff’s kind, approachable, loving, generous, willing-to-help personality and demeanor will be truly missed.

Jeff was the beloved husband of Katina Britton (Chirichella), blest in marriage for almost thirty-two years; dear father of Michael Britton; loving son of Dorothy Britton of Nutley and the late Samuel Britton, Sr. who passed in 1993; dear brother of: Samuel Britton, Jr. of Essex Fells, Scott Britton of Nutley, Barbara Matloff and partner Michael Scott of Roseland, Kerry and husband Steve Garrett of Pennsylvania, Drew Britton of Nutley, Lee and wife Maryann Britton of Nutley, and William and wife Allison Britton of Nutley; dear uncle of Adam Matloff, Breanne Matloff, Danielle Britton, Jessica Britton, and Amanda Britton; dear son-in-law of John and Catherine Chirichella of Wayne; and best friend of his loyal dog Buster.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jeff’s name are asked to consider a donation to the GoFundMe Account established to help offset Jeff’s son Michael’s college expenses. Please click here to donate to Mikey’s College Fund.

Felix “Phil” Makus, age 98 of Wayne, died on Thursday, November 29, 2018.  He had lived in Clifton since 1957 and moved to Wayne just a few years ago.

Phil grew up in Passaic during the Great Depression.  He left school as a young teenager to find employment and ended up joining the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They shipped him off to Colorado where he worked on various heavy construction projects as a laborer.  He learned to drive trucks at a very young age, and had some incredible experiences.  On one occasion, he was instructed to drive up a steep mountain and load a bulldozer onto his trailer, and then bring it down the mountain and deliver it to another job site.  He didn’t secure the bulldozer properly and it slid of the trailer on the way down the mountain, tumbling over!  Lucky for him, it landed right side up and he was able to get the damaged machine back onto the trailer and he delivered it, as instructed.  When his supervisor questioned all the damage on the machine, he feigned ignorance and said “that’s how it was when I picked it up.”

Phil joined the U.S. Army during World War II, fighting with the 137th Infantry throughout Europe.  A combat Infantryman and Heavy Machine Gunner, he earned three bronze stars along with the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal.  Discharged in 1945, he returned to civilian life and once again began driving trucks.

Phil’s early career was with “Grand Rapids” furniture in Passaic.  He made deliveries, and he was also skilled at repairs and touch-up.  He later began delivering for Sears Roebuck and spent the better part of his career delivering for them.

Phil wasn’t afraid to tackle any challenge and he taught himself how to do just about everything.  He rebuilt an entire house after tearing it down to the studs, including the electric and plumbing!  If he was unsure of how to do something, he’d read a book to learn more.  He would pester electricians and plumbers, asking them tons of questions in order to learn how to do something he was trying to accomplish.  He even did all of his own car repairs, including body work!  He was amazing and could literally do just about anything.  As an Elder at Faith Gospel Church in Clifton, he was nominated to act as General Contractor when they decided to build a new church.  He had never been a General Contractor before, but he had all the knowledge to get the job done.

Phil met his wife Helen when they were kids living in the same neighborhood.  No one is really sure when their first date might have been, because they simply knew each other as long as they could recall.  On April 5, 1941, they were married in Clifton and thus began a wonderful marriage that would last sixty-four years!   They were like best friends and except for when Phil went to work, they were inseparable; going everywhere and doing everything together.  They were very close and loving.  Their vacations always included road trips, since Phil loved to drive so much, and they visited friends often in Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and all over the place.  They even traveled to California once!  When Helen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Phil took care of her himself, day in and day out.  He was devoted to her care and never left her side.  When she passed away in 2005, he was devastated and never truly recovered from his grief.  He has missed her dearly.

Phil is survived by one son; Paul Makus and his wife Jeanette of Wayne, grandchildren; Bryan Makus and his wife Jean of Pompton Lakes, Jennifer Bubenik and her husband Andrew of Balston Lake, NY, and six great-grandchildren; Amelia, Bryanne, Sophie, Helen, Sara, and Kaitlyn. He was predeceased by his wife Helen in 2005, and by his three brothers; Frank, Chester, and Walter.

Felix “Phil” Makus, age 98 of Wayne, died on Thursday, November 29, 2018.  He had lived in Clifton since 1957 and moved to Wayne just a few years ago.

Phil grew up in Passaic during the Great Depression.  He left school as a young teenager to find employment and ended up joining the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They shipped him off to Colorado where he worked on various heavy construction projects as a laborer.  He learned to drive trucks at a very young age, and had some incredible experiences.  On one occasion, he was instructed to drive up a steep mountain and load a bulldozer onto his trailer, and then bring it down the mountain and deliver it to another job site.  He didn’t secure the bulldozer properly and it slid of the trailer on the way down the mountain, tumbling over!  Lucky for him, it landed right side up and he was able to get the damaged machine back onto the trailer and he delivered it, as instructed.  When his supervisor questioned all the damage on the machine, he feigned ignorance and said “that’s how it was when I picked it up.”

Phil joined the U.S. Army during World War II, fighting with the 137th Infantry throughout Europe.  A combat Infantryman and Heavy Machine Gunner, he earned three bronze stars along with the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal.  Discharged in 1945, he returned to civilian life and once again began driving trucks.

Phil’s early career was with “Grand Rapids” furniture in Passaic.  He made deliveries, and he was also skilled at repairs and touch-up.  He later began delivering for Sears Roebuck and spent the better part of his career delivering for them.

Phil wasn’t afraid to tackle any challenge and he taught himself how to do just about everything.  He rebuilt an entire house after tearing it down to the studs, including the electric and plumbing!  If he was unsure of how to do something, he’d read a book to learn more.  He would pester electricians and plumbers, asking them tons of questions in order to learn how to do something he was trying to accomplish.  He even did all of his own car repairs, including body work!  He was amazing and could literally do just about anything.  As an Elder at Faith Gospel Church in Clifton, he was nominated to act as General Contractor when they decided to build a new church.  He had never been a General Contractor before, but he had all the knowledge to get the job done.

Phil met his wife Helen when they were kids living in the same neighborhood.  No one is really sure when their first date might have been, because they simply knew each other as long as they could recall.  On April 5, 1941, they were married in Clifton and thus began a wonderful marriage that would last sixty-four years!   They were like best friends and except for when Phil went to work, they were inseparable; going everywhere and doing everything together.  They were very close and loving.  Their vacations always included road trips, since Phil loved to drive so much, and they visited friends often in Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and all over the place.  They even traveled to California once!  When Helen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Phil took care of her himself, day in and day out.  He was devoted to her care and never left her side.  When she passed away in 2005, he was devastated and never truly recovered from his grief.  He has missed her dearly.

Phil is survived by one son; Paul Makus and his wife Jeanette of Wayne, grandchildren; Bryan Makus and his wife Jean of Pompton Lakes, Jennifer Bubenik and her husband Andrew of Balston Lake, NY, and six great-grandchildren; Amelia, Bryanne, Sophie, Helen, Sara, and Kaitlyn. He was predeceased by his wife Helen in 2005, and by his three brothers; Frank, Chester, and Walter.

Ruth Nikithser, a sixty-three year resident of Clifton, passed Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

She was born in Newark to Eugene and Louisa Ensslin.  She was raised in Bloomfield and graduated from Bloomfield High School where she was a twirler with the Class of 1948.

Just out of high school Ruth worked at the Prudential Insurance Company in Newark.  As a young lady Ruth was walking on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights when a young man approached and said “hello Ann” to which Ruth responded “you have the wrong girl.”  Well this pick-up line of John Nikithser’s worked pretty well and they fell in love.  Ruth and John married on July 25, 1953 at Holy Trinity Church in Passaic, the day he was discharged from the Army. They attempted to honeymoon in Florida but as they drove down John became ill with Malaria he contracted during his service in Korea. Actually it deserves mentioning that he was a gunner in a tank and at 6’5” he just about fit in the thing. They admitted him to Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda Maryland and Ruth’s mom came to stay with her until John was released.  They returned to New Jersey and soon headed for Florida once again. Ruth and John truly loved each-other and that love deepened with the loss of their seven year old son to Leukemia in 1970.  Their marriage of fifty-six years, which is best characterized by the term soul-mates, ended with John’s passing in 2009.

Ruth will be fondly remembered for her off-color, inappropriate remarks and sense of humor. She had the best laugh, was loving and generous, enjoyed the beach, and loved trips to Wildwood Crest in June and September. She was fastidious about housework, did not like to fly, was terrified of cats, and wouldn’t go on a cruise for fear that sharks would eat her. Most of all she will be remembered for being a loving mom and devoted grandmother.

Ruth was the loving wife of the late John Nikithser (d.2009); devoted mother of Nancy Carluccio and her husband Art of Wayne, and the late Kenny Nikithser (d.1970); cherished grandmother of Kenny Carluccio of Little Falls and Ali Carluccio of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 14 Commerce Drive, Suite 301, Cranford, NJ 07016 would be appreciated.

Eva Hoffner (nee Dzamba) died on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 in East Brunswick, NJ.  She had previously lived in Toms River, Wayne, and Clifton.

Eva was a member of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Wayne.  She was predeceased by her husband Charles in 2004.

Doris Sager (Nee Kaufer) age 88 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday October 31, 2018 with her family by her side.

Doris was born in Jersey City and was raised in Rutherford, she was the oldest of two children to Harold and Elsa Kaufer.  Doris graduated from high school in Rutherford with the class of 1946.  She then attended a school in New York City where she received certification as a Medical Assistant.  Doris was offered a position in Passaic, NJ at a Doctor’s office where she worked for many years and alongside several physicians.

Once while attending a dance that was held every Friday night at the Passaic YMCA, Doris caught the eye of a handsome young man by the name of Albert Sager.  The young man asked her to dance with him and she said yes.  They danced together for the rest of the evening.  They hit it off great and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on November 29, 1952.

Shortly after getting married, Al and Doris moved to Passaic where they spent the next fifteen years.  While in Passaic, Doris held various board member positions on the Passaic PTA.  Then in 1966 they moved to Wayne where they would spend the rest of their lives and raise their two children Barbara and Albert.  After moving to Wayne, Doris and Albert became longtime members of St Timothy’s Lutheran Church.  Over the years while their children were young the family vacationed regularly in Seaside Park, NJ.  Later after the children had grown, the family would get together in Florida where Al and Doris owned a home, and also vacation in California where her daughter Barbara and her family lives.  Doris and Al enjoyed cruising to different destinations in the Caribbean and a most memorable trip they took to Alaska in 2001.

Doris enjoyed cooking, baking, and needlework.  She was also a talented Gardener growing many kinds vegetables and flowers almost all year round.  Doris was a warm and caring person, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.  Aside from all of her talents, Doris’ greatest passion was for her family.  She cherished nearly sixty-one years of loving and loyal marriage to her husband Albert until his passing in 2013.  Doris touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by her family and friends alike.

Doris is survived by her daughter Barbara Coleman and her husband Colin of Rolling Hills Estates, CA, her son Albert Sager of Wayne, two grandchildren Kristin Coleman and Jennifer Coleman both of Rolling Hills Estates, CA, one brother Harold Kaufer of Nokomis, FL, and one niece Cindy Krabill of Bel Air, MD.  She was predeceased by her husband Albert Sager in 2013.

Mary “Mitzi” Maksuta (nee Schweitzer), age 90, of Wayne Passed away peacefully while in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Mary was born and raised in Bronx, NY and was the only child to Thomas and Mary Schweitzer. Mary graduated Evanda Childs high school in the Bronx with the class of 1944.  She was hired immediately after high school as a model for Helena Rubenstein.  She also worked as a model being a  “Human Toy Doll” (helping advertise popular dolls being sold at the time) for various department stores in NYC.

Mary was an avid ice skater when she was a teenager and could be seen quite often at the Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink in Manhattan.  Being fond of sports and activities that require balance and grace, it was no surprise that Mary was an extremely talented Ballroom Dancer.  Mary was out Ballroom Dancing one evening at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City when she met a handsome young man by the name of Raymond V. Maksuta.  He too also seemed to be extremely light on his feet and an excellent dancer.  Mary and Raymond hit it off great, dancing together, and entering themselves in the Harvest Moon Dance contest.  Although they didn’t win the contest, they finished high in the rankings.  As fate would have it they fell love and were married on December 2, 1952.  

Mary and Ray settled in West New York, NJ where they lived for several years.  Mary and Ray later moved to West Milford, they remained there for three years until moving to Wayne in 1956.  The couple remained in Wayne for the rest of their lives together and would raise their two children there.  Immediately after getting married Mary devoted herself to being a homemaker, nurturing and caring for her family.  Mary and Ray cherished fifty-seven years of loving and loyal marriage together until Ray’s passing in 2009.  In 1994 tragedy struck Mary’s life when her only son Raymond T Maksuta passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.  Mary, being strong in mind and in faith, found the will to go on.  

Although Mary seemed to be a pillar of strength, she was also a lot of fun to be around, one of her favorite pastimes, was frequenting Atlantic City, Las Vegas and other casino hot spots.  She was a fan of the slots and her family remembers her being quite lucky most of the time.  Mary was an avid bowler and competed in various women’s leagues in the area including the “Breakfast Club League” in Wayne.  Mary was devoted to her Catholic Faith and was a founding member of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne.  She was a devoted wife and mother, Mary touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew her.  

Mary is survived by her daughter Sue Maksuta and her fiancé Tommy Osestad of Wayne.  Mary was predeceased by her husband Raymond V. Maksuta in 2009, and her son Raymond T. Maksuta in 1994.

Roger Mauiri, 85, of Forked River, formerly of Wayne and Sparta, passed Sunday, October 28, 2018. He was born in Paterson and raised in the family home that was above Angelo’s Market (his brother’s market) on 3rd Avenue in Paterson. Roger married and moved a half a block away to River Street in Paterson. He and his wife Rachel later lived in Prospect Park, Wayne for twelve years, and Sparta for nineteen years, before moving to Forked River twenty-two years ago.

As a young man who graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson he found work as a laborer at the Passaic County Golf Club in Wayne.  His first job would lead to a lifelong love of turf management and working outdoors. Roger worked his way from laborer to superintendent of the course. Passaic County was very good to Roger, sent him to Rutgers University where he received a BS in Agronomy-Turf Management. He later worked for the Brayburn Country Club (now Brooklake CC) as a superintendent. and was given a gold 1968 Mustang Convertible he picked out – and even sent him on a trip anywhere he (actually his wife) wanted to go.  Rachel chose to go to Hawaii because Roger had never flown so she figured once she got him on a plane she wanted to go as far as she could imagine. If he didn’t like flying she would at least get to go to Hawaii.  Well he loved the trip, didn’t mind flying, and they had a wonderful time.  This trip to Hawaii opened the door to many other future trips and more importantly was the honeymoon they never had.  For a time Roger also worked at the Cedar Hill CC in Livingston while part-time running his own landscaping business, R. Mauiri Landscaping in Wayne. His son Roger remembers the first truck his dad bought for the landscaping business was a green 1956 Ford F100 pickup truck with no tailgate.  Eventually Roger would run the landscaping business full time before retiring in 1994.

Roger will be lovingly remembered for loving people and people loving him.  He was always teasing and loved to work on his property making his shrubs into topiaries that were the talk of the neighborhood.  For several years he was a member of the Old Guard of Forked River. Over the years Roger had several dogs and his buddy Taco, an Apple Headed Chihuahua, was always by his side and misses him terribly. No story of Roger would be complete without his favorite words often spoken at the Hot Grill in Clifton “Hot Dog all the Way.”

Roger met his wife Rachel Gulino while on a double date. A few days later Roger was on the phone asking Rachel out on a date.  Rachel’s mom wasn’t too thrilled with Roger.  He was driving around Paterson with a huge black 1958 Cadillac convertible and Rachel’s mom figured he had girlfriends all over town. They dated and Rachel remembers driving around in that black Cadillac.  They would fall in love with Roger proposing marriage, in the big black Cadillac, while in Rachel’s driveway in North Haledon. They married in Saint Anthony’s Church in Paterson on November 18, 1958 and had a two day honeymoon in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  They always talked about having a proper honeymoon but that didn’t happen until Roger’s work sent him to Hawaii.  It took a little while but Rachel’s mom grew to love Roger very much.  Rachel and Roger enjoyed a strong, loving partnership just three weeks shy of sixty years.

He was the devoted father of Roger W. Mauiri and his wife Victoria of Clifton; cherished grandfather of Jessika Margaret Mauiri of Denville; dear brother of Vincent Mauiri of Ocean Gate and was predeceased by his parents Ruggiero and Alphonsina Mauiri, two brothers and four sisters.  He will be dearly missed by his sister-in-law Mary Palmisano of Wayne and his many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Dave Martin, age 79, of Green Pond, NJ passed away peacefully at home on October 28, 2018 after a long battle with many health issues with his loving wife, Diane, by his side.

Dave was born on November 19, 1938 in Passaic, NJ. He was raised in Ridgewood by his parents, Harold (Ice) and Janet Martin. Upon graduating from Ridgewood High School he attended Fairleigh Dickinson University. Following his passion to become a master technican in the optical field he completed his apprenticeship program through Bausch & Lomb.  Deuchler's Optician in Summit employed him for many years. As Dave is always up for a challenge he embarked on his own by purchasing Felter Optician's in Wyckoff, NJ. He loved his career and treated his customers like family for the 35 years that he was in business. Dave could often be found helping neighbors and residence of a local nursing home with their optical needs.

He met his lovely wife thru his father in law, Joseph Fredericks, while employed at Bausch & Lomb. They married in the United Methodist Church in Wayne, NJ on October 14, 1967. Their first home was on Pleasant Lane in Green Pond where they enjoyed twenty years raising their daughters, Holly Beth and Heather Leigh. Dave's dream was to reside on Lake End Road, where the beautiful lake of Green Pond was at your footsteps, so they moved to 116 Lake End Road in 1987, where they lived for twenty years. He spent the last remaining years in the village on Orchard Lane near to his childhood summer bungalow built by his grandfather.  Dave & Diane had a devoted marriage for 51 years before his passing.

Dave is survived by his wife, Diane, and their two children, Holly and her husband Glen Campbell, and Heather and her husband Phil Touw. Dave cherished his eight grandchildren:  Payton (21), Parker (19), and Paige (11) Campbell and Kaylee (17), Jacob Miller (15), Renee (11), Brett (10) and Erica (7) Touw. PopPop supported his grandchildren in all their activities. They were always excited to see him cheering in the stands.  His words of encouragement and wonderful sense of humor will be missed by all.

An important part of Dave's life was attending services at Green Pond Chapel. He loved to support the church by creating and building sets for the Cantata; he even built the large cross located on the pulpit. Dave and his wife Diane liked to sing in the choir.  Dave was also an active member of the First Aid Squad for 35 years serving the community.  He was a member of the Green Pond Yacht Club where his parents were involved in starting the Comet Sailing races. Other ways he contributed to making Green Pond the wonderful place it is was by serving as an officer of Lake End Coorporation and as a member of the Environmental Lake Study Committee.

His hobbies include cars, both old and new, and home refurbishment. Need a job done? Dave was the man to call! He would drop everything to help out.  Some things he built over the years include roofs, bathrooms, decks, and even rabbit cages. Dave was a jack of all trades. Disney was considered our home away from home. He loved creating magical family memories which will last forever.

We will remember our loving husband, dad and PopPop by his wonderful sense of humor, positive outlook on life and selflessness. He will be dearly missed by all, but we know he is in heaven with his Lord. The following verse reminds us of him:

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be sent to either:

Green Pond First Aid, PO Box 251, Newfoundland, NJ 07435 or

Green Pond Bible Chapel, 1083 Green Pond Rd., PO Box 99, Newfoundland, NJ 07435

Martha Van Sweden (nee Admerand), age 89 of Hamburg, died on Saturday, October 27, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne for thirty-six years before moving to Hamburg in 1999.

Martha grew up in Wallington, NJ and graduated from Wallington High School in 1947.  She later lived in Rutherford before moving to Wayne in 1963.  After her husband John passed away in 1999, she moved to Hamburg, NJ to live with her daughter.  Martha was a lifetime member of the Netherland Reformed Church, Clifton, NJ.

Martha is survived by her six children; Marlene Dob and her husband Kenneth of Hamburg, NJ, John Van Sweden and his wife Sandra of Blairstown, NJ, Janet Olson and her husband Scott of Vernon, NJ, Kenneth Van Sweden and his wife Leah of Ozark, Missouri, Robert Van Sweden and his wife Jane of Vernon, NJ, and Richard Van Sweden and his wife Caryn of Lincoln Park, NJ, twenty-one grandchildren and twenty-nine great-grandchildren. Martha was predeceased by her husband John in 1999, by her two sisters; Leona Van Houten and Joan Verblaauw.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to the Netherland Reformed Christian School, 164 Jacksonville Rd., Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

Joseph “Joe” A. Masiak, age 88 of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains, formerly of the Pines Lake section of Wayne(48 years), passed Saturday, October 27, 2018.

He was born to Gustave and Estelle Masiak. He was raised in the Stony Road Section of Paterson and graduated from Saint Bonaventure’s High School in Paterson where he played on the basketball team.  For many years he was involved with high school reunions for Saint Bonaventure’s.  He moved to Wayne in 1968 where he lived before moving to Pompton Plains two years ago.

Joe met his wife, Joan Leonard while in high school.  They fell in love and married on January 3, 1953 at Saint Bonaventure’s Church in Paterson when Joseph was on leave from the Army.  They had a brief honeymoon in New York City before he had to return to duty.  He was discharged from the Army in November of 1953.  Joe and Joan had a loving and devoted marriage of forty-two years before her passing in May of 1995.

He will be lovingly remembered for his dry wit, as a people person, and his love of music and food.  Joe loved Frank Sinatra and even has a picture of him and Joan on their way to one of his concerts.  His love of food was measured on his “this is no Justin’s” meter. Justin’s in Hawthorne was his favorite restaurant and the benchmark for his assessment of food and service.

Joseph served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict and was awarded a commendation medal for Meritorious Service in May of 1953. In his citation it was stated “Sergeant Masiak was responsible for the maintenance and preparation of General Orders, Special Orders and Letter Orders.  His great concern for his work led to revision of the orders section which enabled this Personnel Office to perform duties in an expeditious and accurate manner.  His devotion to duty was an inspiration to his associates and superiors.” He attained the rank of Sergeant and was a member of the Headquarters Special Troops Personnel Section.  

He retired from the Gas Department of Public Service Electric & Gas Company as a District Office Administrator in 1987 and later worked for the Union Camp Corp. in Wayne for 13 years.

Joseph was a member of the Pompton Lakes Elks Lodge 1895, the Pines Lake Seniors, and the American Gas Association.

His wife Joan Leonard Masiak predeceased him in 1995.  He is survived by his son Joseph Masiak, Jr. and his wife Janet of Hawthorne and daughter Laurie Azzara and her husband Ronald of West Milford.  Joe was youngest and lone survivor of nine children having been predeceased by his 4 sisters and 4 brothers. He was the much loved "Uncle Joe" to his many nieces and nephews for whom he cared deeply.

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

Kevin James Hess, age 30, of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, has passed away all too soon.  Kevin leaves behind a grieving extended family and numerous friends with whom he shared an active, loving life with many beautiful memories.  Kevin wanted to be good, live a good life, and do well. Like too many before him, and after his own tireless fight, Kevin ultimately succumbed to the terrible affliction of substance addiction.

Kevin was born in Ridgewood and raised in Packanack Lake. From the time he was just a little kid, he took a great liking to sports of all kinds. He was skiing by the age of five and for Kevin and the rest of his family, the best place to ski was at Sugarbush, Vermont. The family has many great memories from summer and winter trips there.  Kevin was also a student and athlete at DePaul Catholic High School.  He excelled in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse.  He graduated with the Class of 2006 and after graduation attended St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Kevin had a huge personality and the boundless energy to go along with it. His family meant the world to him and he enjoyed many memorable family trips including Hawaii, the Caribbean and California.  The summertime trips to Stowe and Sugarbush Vermont held favorite pastime destinations to play golf and go mountain biking.  Sometimes when the weather was right family jaunts to one of the local swimming holes was a perfect wrap to the active days. Kevin delighted in fearlessly climbing the rocks and cliffs and jumping into the pools below.  He also spent good times at the ocean down the Jersey shore in Manasquan and on the south shore beaches of Long Island.

If you asked those that knew him how they would describe Kevin, you would hear words like, “charming”, “high energy” and “he had a great smile!” And all those things were true. In some ways, Kevin was larger than life. He was fun to be around because he just made life interesting.  His family meant the world to him and he loved to live life with them. He delighted in the times spent with his little nephew and niece, Luke and Penelope.  They couldn’t have asked for a more loving uncle, happy to get down on the floor to play with them with their toys. And he could spoil them too, bringing them gifts – one of the best being the “Hess” trucks that he gave them at Christmastime.

Kevin was also a very giving person, and he combined his God-given charm and beautiful smile with his high energy to get to know and encourage others that he met along the way. Even as he was battling substance addiction, Kevin poured boundless and determined energy into helping others who lived with the same struggles. One way he did this was by training and running in the 2015 New York City Marathon.  Kevin ran and raised $5,000 in all which he gave to the Caron Treatment Center – an organization that describes itself as “pushing the boundaries of innovative addiction treatment to provide those struggling with addiction a lifetime of uncompromising care.” Having received care from this organization himself, his heart was so touched that he just wanted to give back. His family teased him about his questionable marathon training methods, but the bottom line was that he finished the race having run all 26+ miles. Many of his family members came to cheer him on. Kevin’s sister Katie held up a poster with pictures of his niece and nephew because he loved them so very much and she know that this would encourage him as he ran by.  His mom took a taxi cab three times to see him in three different locations along the marathon’s route.

Despite his struggles, Kevin’s acute sensitivity to the feelings of those he served made him very effective and successful in those compassionate endeavors. A couple of his most meaningful experiences included working one summer at a camp for kids with special needs.  He also very much enjoyed the two years that he worked for Serenity Sober Living in New York City as a Sober Companion, simply loving on those with struggles and helping them through the daily challenges they faced.

Kevin is survived by his dear parents Stephen and Jeanne Hess of Wayne; his much-loved sister Katie and husband Scott Schnipper of Ridgewood; his loving paternal grandparents Walter and Paula Hess of Pompton Plains; his loving maternal grandmother Marjorie Kayser of Bayshore, NY; his cherished nephew and niece Luke Henry and Penelope Rose Schnipper; many loving aunts and uncles including: Alice and husband Roddy Donnelly, Chris and wife Sandy Hess, Joe and wife Lisa Hess, Mary and husband Art Livingston, David and wife Dana Hess, Liza and husband Joe Grainda, Paula and husband Joe Faustini, Chris and wife Cheryl Kayser, and Theressa and husband Rick Moran; and his 25 dear cousins. He was predeceased by his brother Stephen W. Hess, Jr. in 1992 and his maternal grandfather James Kayser in 2016.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Kevin’s name are asked to consider the Richard J. Caron Foundation, P.O. Box 150, Wernersville, PA 19565, or online at www.caron.org/donate

Onelio “Neil” Socarras, age 58 of Wanaque, died on Thursday, October 25, 2018.

Neil was born in Havana, Cuba during the earliest years of the Castro regime.  Some of his family had already emigrated from Cuba to the United States, and in 1969, when he was just eight years old, his family was permitted to join them.  They settled in Hoboken, NJ and Neil went on to graduate from Hoboken High School.  He was an active kid who just couldn’t sit still.  Living in Hoboken suited him just fine and being so close to the Hudson River allowed him to go fishing often; his favorite pastime.  After high school, Neil began working at St. Mary’s Hospital in Hoboken, and he never left.  Now known as the Hoboken University Medical Center, Neil has been there for forty years and worked his way up to management.

It was at the hospital in Hoboken that Neil met a nurse named Judy Hahn.  They discovered their mutual love of the Jersey Shore and this ultimately brought them together.  Of course, Judy loved the beach, and Neil loved the fishing!  Nonetheless, they began dating and after a rather lengthy courtship, Neil proposed and they were married in 1996.  They settled in Wanaque and traveled all over, including the Florida Keys, Cayman Islands, St. Maarten, Costa Rica, Cape Cod, Napa Valley, and Lake George.  Neil particularly liked visiting places where he could fish, and he took several salmon trips up to Canada, went deep-sea fishing off of New Jersey, and he loved fishing at Lake George.  Safe to say, their freezer was never lacking for fish.  They have enjoyed twenty-two years together and Judy will miss him dearly.

Neil is survived by his beloved wife Judy of Wanaque, his parents; Jose and Delfina Socarras of Hialeah, Florida, his sister; Mary Quintero and her husband Benny of Hialeah, Florida, his sister-in-law; Betty Ann Schenck and her husband Art of Pompton Lakes, nieces; Kimberly and Kaitlin Quintero of Hialeah, FL, niece Justine Schenck of Philadelphia, PA, and nephew Kyle Schenck of Pompton Lakes.

Neil was a true animal lover, especially of his toy poodle; Holly.  Donations in his memory would be greatly appreciated to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, PO Box 159, 575 Woodland Ave., Madison, NJ 07940, www.sthuberts.org, or to the Humane Society, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037, www.humanesociety.org, or any animal-rescue related charity that is dear to you.

Louis F. Brandt “Lou” age 45, of Boonton Township and formerly of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 22, 2018, with his wife by his side.

Born in Paterson and raised in Vernon, in 1985 Lou’s family moved to Wayne where he spent the latter part of his childhood. A graduate of Wayne Hills High School, Class of 1991, Lou was a gifted athlete who played both baseball and football. The Wayne Hills High School Patriots fielded some of the greatest football teams in the school’s history during Lou’s time there from 1987 to 1990, and Lou was one of the defining reasons those teams were so successful. In his senior year, Lou was honored to play in the North versus South All-Star Game at Giants Stadium.

Lou was recruited to play football for several colleges. He accepted a full scholarship from the University of Massachusetts where he played offensive lineman for the U-Mass Minutemen from 1991 to 1995 and was a two time letter winner in 1993 and 1995. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1996.

Lou accepted his first job out of college working as Commercial Property Manager with the Heller Group of Madison, NJ. He then took a job with Gallo Wine as an Outside Sales Representative before entering the field of finance, first working as a financial adviser with a small company called First Investors in New York City before taking on a similar position with MetLife in New York City. Wanting to be a little closer to home, Lou went to work for the ADP Corporation in Florham Park as a Simple IRA Specialist and then as a Retirement Plan Consultant. In 2015 he took a job as a Senior 401K Internal Wholesaler with Axa Financial in Jersey City, which is where he was currently employed.

In 2006, it took a little dose of destiny and some work from a small host of different characters to bring Lou and his beloved wife Kathleen together. They were engaged on December 25, 2007 after an intimate and thoughtful proposal.

They exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at the Rockleigh Country Club on Friday, September 5, 2008. This was followed by a romantic and beautiful honeymoon for two-and-a-half weeks in Hawaii. After the honeymoon, Lou and Kathleen lived in Montville, and for a short stint back in his hometown of Wayne, before moving to Boonton Township just last year.

Besides being a Yankees and Giants fan, Lou played a lot a golf on courses all over the area with friends and his Uncle George. He also loved to play poker any chance he could. Poker was a family tradition, often on Christmas, and Lou was also a member of the Lake Parsippany Poker Club where he regularly played with friends. He enjoyed playing in Texas Hold’Em tournaments in local casinos and had dreamed of one day playing in the World Series of Poker.

Above all else, Lou’s family brought him his greatest joy and was the most important part of his life. Adding to the blessing of his dear wife Kathleen, Lou considered it to be one of the greatest privileges to be the father of his two sons Louie (9), Max (7), and his beautiful daughter Angelina (3). He considered weekends to be family fun time and he wanted to spend every minute with them.

As great a football fan as Lou was, if his children were awake, the game was turned off and Lou was playing with them. He adored them! Traditions were important to Lou and he worked to create so many for his children, from weekly “Pancake Sunday” to popping popcorn on Fridays for family movie night, to summer trips to the Warwick Drive-In, to cutting down Christmas trees, and yearly trips to Avalon every August. He created incredible memories for his family filled with love, laughter security and stability. Just this past August, he took his whole family to Niagara Falls visiting both the New York and Canadian side, creating a whole new experience and leaving them with a forever memory.

Lou was a fun, loving, kind and gentle giant who loved unconditionally and was always there to help. Everywhere Lou went, he just made people feel special. His presence would light up a room. He had a great sense of humor and brought laughter to everyone he met.

Lou was the most precious husband of Kathleen (nee Howe); awesome and adoring father of Louis “Louie”, Max, and Angelina Brandt; loving son of Louis F. Brandt of Wayne and the late Patricia Brandt who passed away just this past April, 2018; dear brother of Jennifer and husband Joe DiPompeo of Mountain Lakes, and Michael Brandt of West Milford; and beloved uncle of Jack, Joey and Jordan DiPompeo.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Lou’s name are asked to consider Make a Wish Foundation. Please make check payable to Make-A-Wish and send it to Make-A-Wish America, Gift Processing, 1702 East Highland Ave., Suite 400, Phoenix, AZ 85016. You can also donate online by clicking on the following link: Make-a-Wish

Rose T. Weinpel, age 90, of Wayne passed on Saturday, October 20, 2018.

She was born in Paterson to the late John and Pauline Morozewicz and raised at the family home in South Paterson. She graduated from Central High School in Paterson with the Class of 1945.

Just out of high school, Rose worked at Grant’s Department Store in Paterson. She then went to school to be trained in typing and clerical work before marrying Charles Weinpel in 1951. Her first son Charles Jr. was born in 1952 and her second son Philip was born in 1961. Oh, how she loved her two boys and four grandchildren! She returned to work for the Wayne Township Board of Health years later as their Registrar of Vital Statistics. She worked there for seventeen years before retiring in 1992.

Rose was married to and divorced Charles Weinpel, the loving mother of Charles Jr. Weinpel / (Maria) of Wanaque and Philip Weinpel / (Diane) of Succasunna; cherished grandmother of Jason, Kevin, Victor, and Emily Weinpel; loved sister of the late John Morrow, Frances McGee, Pauline “Pinky” Morozewicz, and Edward “Eddie” Morozewicz; much loved aunt of Pat Hornby, Priscilla Restaino, Lorraine Poltarak, Bob Morrow and John Morrow; and an adored aunt and great aunt to many more.

She especially loved doing things with her family. She loved family holidays, birthday parties and BBQs. She also liked going with her family to Dorney Park, Radio City Music Hall Christmas shows, Cub and Boy Scout events, Sesame Place, or simply to watch her kids and grandchildren play one of their sports or go to see them in whatever they were involved in at the time.

Rose was always on the move going somewhere doing something. Her friends and all the other residents at Edward Sisco Village in Wayne (where she lived for over 25 years) were amazed by how she never seemed to stop. So much so that they nicknamed her “Go-Go Rosie!” She used to love to go for walks around her local, beloved Packanack Lake, go line dancing up until a few years ago, vacation at Eddy Farms in New York with friends for years. And when she was in The Atrium in Wayne (her nursing home for about one year) she amazed everyone there too with her nonstop energy and activity. When she wasn’t zipping around the halls with her walker not only did she go for her scheduled therapy sessions, but she also went down to the therapy department to exercise on a stationary bicycle or worked on stretching out her arms and shoulders that were tight and injured from a fall. And when she wasn’t exercising her body she was busy furiously writing letter after letter to all of her friends and family.

One thing Rose was extremely proud of was that her mind was always sharp as a tack even up to the day of her passing. For years she was famous for saying, “At least I still have all of my marbles!” Another one of her favorite expressions was, “Age is a number and mine is unlisted.” She said these things countless times with a big smile on her face because she knew that both of them were 100% true and she was extremely proud of them. Rose was an extremely caring and generous person. She loved being a mother, grandmother, aunt, great aunt and friend to many. She always gave her grandchildren little treats and goodies and would also “slip them a few bucks”, as she put it, to buy whatever they wanted. And when they were older she would say “to put it towards a little gas for your car.” She was deeply grateful for any little thing you did for her and was a master at the lost art of sending thank you notes. You were guaranteed to receive a beautiful thank you note from her within a few days if you did even the littlest thing for her. She would sometimes include a scratch-off lottery ticket with them and a scratch-off was guaranteed to come with your birthday card and check. She also loved to make and send handwritten cards and letters to the troops overseas, especially during the holidays. Another special relationship Rose had was being a pen pal with the granddaughter of one of her best friends after her friend passed away nine years ago. Rose and the granddaughter had been pen pals ever since. The granddaughter tells us that Rose helped her tremendously in grieving for her grandmother. And when she had a son seven years ago something really special began. At first Rose sent her son little notes and treats since he was born. And then, about three years ago, when he was old enough she included or began pen paling with him too. Rose used to sign her letters to him, “Rose, Grandma up in Heaven’s Best Friend.” Oh, how Rose treasured all the letters, pictures, and projects little Calvin made and sent to her along with all the photos of him through the years!

Years ago when her sons had friends over she used to love to cook for them. Her sons and friends still reminisce on how she used to cook the most delicious meatball sandwiches for them during their all-night marathon Risk games. Rose was known for her brownies that she would sometimes sprinkle with a bunch of Andes mints for an added treat! She was also known for baking THE BEST chocolate chip cookies. Hers were the most amazing crunchy, coffee-dunking kind! Her family so looked forward each year to when she baked them for Christmas and also for their birthdays. She also used to ship a batch of them to her grandsons when they were in college as part of her care packages to them. Shipping home-baked cookies was something that she and her sisters also used to do many years ago to her brother Eddie when he was serving in World War II.

When Rose was only sixteen years old she and her family were devastated by the loss of her brother Edward “Eddie” Morozewicz. Eddie was a Combat Medic with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in WWII. He was a member of the first wave in the D-Day invasion or the infamous “Big Red One” on Omaha Beach in Normandy France. Eddie was killed in battle on the June 6, 1944. Rose and her family longed many years for details on how Eddie was killed and if he suffered much or died on the battlefield all alone. Rose was the only one in her family to live long enough to finally find out exactly how Eddie was killed and to thankfully hear that he did not suffer much or die all alone thanks to an amazing man named Charles Norman Shay. Charles was a fellow Army medic and Eddie’s best buddy during the war. Charles told Rose that he himself was with Eddie right before he died and that he personally gave him a shot of Morphine to help ease the pain when they finally spoke with each other for the first time. Rose was extremely relieved and happy to finally hear these things. She only wished that the rest of her family could have heard them too before they died.

Rose has always said, “Eddie’s death was the first of three tragedies for my family.” Her young family went through an unimaginable time back in the 40’s. Four years after Eddie was killed on D-Day in 1944 her older sister “Pinky” passed away of Lobar Pneumonia in 1948. And then only two months later “Pops”, or her father, also passed away. The doctors told her family that the cause of his death was “Broken Heart Syndrome.” Her beautiful family of seven that was once so happy was now suddenly a family of only four leaving just Rose, her mother, her younger sister Fran and oldest brother John. As Rose used to say, “They had each other and they made the best of it.”

Rose was literally on Cloud 9 ever since she met Charles Norman Shay in September of 2016. She was so excited and proud! She told everyone that meeting him was, “The Highlight of Her Life!” She was extremely proud of being Eddie’s little sister and for all the “history”, as she put it, that she and Eddie were making because of their connection to Charles. How Rose and Charles miraculously met in 2016 (73 years after Eddie’s death) and all the amazing things that have happened since then not only with Charles, but also with The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Chicago, IL, Marie-Pascale LEGRAND, Didier GLADIEUX and his family, Russ Butler and all the other members of “The 2017 Charles Norman Shay Delegation” and Isabelle, Florent PLANO and many others since that day is what Rose and many others refer to it as “an amazing story!” How does one begin to explain or best summarize it all?

The last time Charles saw Eddie was many years ago on the D-Day battlefield in 1944 when he, as an Army medic, gave him a shot of Morphine to help ease his pain because there was unfortunately nothing he could do to save his life. Charles says that he has never forgotten Eddie, his fellow Army medic and best buddy, all these years and felt very strongly that he deserved the same 70th Anniversary D-Day medals that he received back in 2014. He asked the First Division Museum to help him find us, Eddie’s family, so he could honor Eddie by getting his medals to us. How they found us was an amazing story. A story that was made possible thanks to the ancestry.com website and a totally amazing chain of events. Rose’s daughter-in-law Diane has a cousin named Artiste Parsons and Artiste has a very dear friend named Mary Ann Man. Mary Ann did an amazing thing for Artiste with her expertise using the ancestry.com website. She made Artiste’s family or the “Parsons Family Tree” on the website documenting over, would you believe, 1700 relatives for her. At first Rose was only documented as being Diane’s husband’s mother including only her married name. But thankfully her grandson Jason needed to have more of his paternal side on his family tree for a class project in college. That’s when Rose’s maiden name of “Morozewicz” and a lot of her family, most importantly her brother Eddie, was added to the Parsons’ family tree. If it wasn’t for that and the museum’s research historian named Andrew Woods who never gave up trying to find us Charles and the museum never would have found us. Luckily Andrew searched for us that one last time after Rose’s family information was added. When he did he finally got a “hit”, as they refer to it on the website, he was looking for because Rose was now documented with her maiden name and as Edward Morozewicz’s sister. Charles and the museum were so excited! So much so that after Rose and Charles spoke on the phone Charles, at the age of 93, drove himself from his Penobscot Indian Reservation on Indian Island in Maine all the way to Boston, Massachusetts where he met up with his good friend Russ Butler. It’s also an amazing story how Russ and Charles met, but much too long to explain. Russ then rode the rest of the way with him to where Rose lived with her family in New Jersey for a medal ceremony that was posthumously held for Eddie on September 16, 2016. The First Division Museum in Chicago flew two representatives named Laura Sears and Ana Myers to the medal ceremony. Charles and Laura both spoke and presented the medals and Ana helped photograph and videotaped it and the rest of the events that weekend to officially document everything. Laura and Ana also interviewed Rose.

Marie and Didier have both vowed to flourish, or put flowers and decorate, Eddie’s grave in The Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France for the rest of their lives. They are two amazing French citizens who continually do so much to show their appreciation to all the American solders that risked their lives and, in many cases, paid the ultimate price like Eddie many years ago fighting for the freedom their country. And can you believe that when they pass away both their families have vowed to carry on their tradition? That’s Didier’s wife Nicole and their two daughters Sarah and Laura and Marie’s nephew Antione and niece Alice. Oh, how that comforted Rose! To know that Eddie’s grave would always be visited and not forgotten, especially since it’s so far away in France so she and her family and friends here in the US cannot.

Another amazing honor Rose received was being interviewed by a very dedicated French historian named Florent Plano. Florent came to the United States in 2014 to begin working on an amazing project called “The World War II Veterans’ Memories Project”. For his project he traveled around the United States for months interviewing World War II veterans. His mission was to document “the untold stories” or personal experiences of the soldiers that are not usually included in the history books. While he interviewed many veterans when he was here in 2014, he knew that there were also many more veterans that he could/should interview. He worried that one day soon it would be impossible or too late to interview them since all the WWII veterans are now in their 80s and 90s. He returned to the United States this past year and continued working on his project by interviewing even more veterans. Rose was extremely honored to be the only woman included in his project. Her “story” was sharing the experiences that she and her family went through on a day-to-day basis having a family member serve overseas during the war and especially sharing how totally devastated they all were when they received the telegram informing them that Eddie was killed on D-Day. While it was very emotional for her to do she was extremely proud to represent not only her family, but also many other American families that unfortunately experienced it too. When he interviews them he also takes a very powerful black and white portrait of them holding a framed photo of their deceased serviceperson’s framed picture or another pose. Rose was again honored for having her photo chosen to be part of Florent’s Black & White WWII Portrait Exhibition that was on display in the Ste Mère Église Museum in France this past summer. And as an added honor, her photo was hung right next to Charles’!

Everything somehow miraculously came together to form the most amazing and unique bond between Eddie, Rose and Charles many years after Eddie’s horrific death. One in which Rose and Charles lovingly referred to each other as their “adopted brother or sister!”

Rest in peace with Eddie and the rest of your family, Rose. God bless you all until we meet again! Resurgam or “I will rise again”.

In lieu of flowers a memorial donation to the First Division Museum at

Cantigny would be greatly appreciated. Please make checks out to:

The Cantigny Foundation with the note

“IMO Rose Morozewicz Weinpel” and mail to:

The First Division Museum at Cantigny

1s151 Winfield Road

Wheaton, IL 60189

Jean Ryan Kardux, age 84 of Wayne, died unexpectedly on Thursday, October 18, 2018 with her loving family at her bedside.  She had been a resident of Wayne since 1963.

Jean was born in Clifton on July 25, 1934 (or 1989, which would make her 29, which she so often claimed she was) to Sophie (nee Hazelman) and Edward Ryan.

She worked briefly at Jersey Carpet where she met the love of her life – Kenneth Kardux.  Jean and ken married in May of 1955 and had 60 incredible years of undeniable devotion and love for each other.

Jean was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.  She was named “Unsung Hero” for creating the adopt-a-grandparent program at Llanfair House in Wayne.  This program provided visitation to nursing home residents who had no visitors.

She was a 30 year volunteer for Hospice, which she continued to be dedicated to until the last days of her life.  She was an extremely active member (and former Deacon) of Wayne Presbyterian Church, and enjoyed her weekly lunches with “The Lunch Bunch” after worship.

She was a self-appointed visitor to family, friends, and acquaintances when they needed a friend or had been hospitalized.  She never wanted them to feel forgotten.

Jean loved to travel with her beloved husband.  They spent time in all 50 states and they visited the 7 continents.

She adored her family and was so proud of her grandchildren.  Jean and Ken treasured their adventures with the grandkids on their annual “no parents allowed” vacations.  Teaching the children the joys of just spending time together was priceless.

Jean is predeceased by her husband of more than 60 years; Kenneth Kardux.  She is survived by her son; Kenneth Kardux II and his wife Joyce of Wayne, her daughters; Karen Stefanski and husband Michael of Syracuse, NY, and Kathleen Grenoble and her husband Glenn of Dauphin, PA.  Her five grandchildren; K.C. and Ryan Kardux, Rachel and drew Stefanski, and Abigail Grenoble as well as her nephews and niece and SO MANY COUSINS!  Pasta night will never be the same without her.

She not only will be missed by her family and friends, but also by the tremendous amount of wildlife in her yard that she enjoyed feeding and observing multiple times a day.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Alzheimer’s New Jersey, 425 Eagle Rock Ave, Suite 203, Roseland, NJ 07068 or visit www.alznj.org, in memory of her beloved husband Ken.  Jean was also a true ‘animal lover,’ so donations to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge would be appreciated; 2 Shelter Lane, Oakland, NJ 07436 or visit www.rbari.org.

There are no words to express the deep sadness our family is feeling as we mourn the loss of our beloved Mom, Nani, Sister and Aunt. Connie Gruters, 77, of Lincoln Park, passed away on October 18, 2018, after an unrelenting fight with metastatic breast cancer. Our special lady pushed her limits every day in order to create more memories with her cherished family.

Connie was married to her sweetheart, Ed, for 52 years, and although she lost him in 2015, recently reminded us that on October 9th, they would have been going steady for 64 years. Together, they were extremely proud of their three children, Cheri, Eddie and Bobby, and created a home full of love, laughter, integrity, kindness and generosity. Always a team, they were ecstatic when each of their eight grandchildren was born.

Connie was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and lived in Lincoln Park for over 50 years. Many will remember her artistic ability and her award-winning Christmas displays on Parsons Road, or the Christmas cookies she shared with holiday carolers who stopped by. Connie was a volunteer with the Lincoln Park First Aid Squad for many years and was an extraordinary bowler. But, her favorite thing by far was Atlantic City, where she loved her slot machines, her black card status at the Borgata, and staying up all night, vodka gimlet in hand.

An elementary school teacher for just a few short years, Connie loved working with her brother, Doug, at his salons. Her personality behind the desk made everyone feel welcome and turned clients into friends. She told it like it was, and she was a firecracker until her last breath. She was a unique mix of brutal honesty, warm hugs, and snacks, not meals.

She leaves behind an incredible legacy that includes her daughter, Cheri, her son, Eddie, and his wife, Annika, her son, Bobby, and his wife, Barbara. Also, her grandchildren, Christopher, and his wife, Kathy, Sammi, Richard, Evan, Stuart, Grace, Matthew and Ryan.

For those lucky enough to know her, life will never be the same, for our amazing firecracker is now a feisty angel.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you kindly consider donating to METAvivor.  Click to follow the link, or send your donation by mail: METAvivor, 1783 Forest Dr., #184 Annapolis, MD 21401

Lewis “Lew” Cirignano, age 85 of Totowa, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, into the grace of God. Lew was born and raised in Passaic and was one of two children to Erminio and Marianna Cirignano. Lew loved sports and while attending Passaic High School he was the captain of the football team.  After graduating in the class of 1951, Lew went to Seton Hall University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting.

In 1957 he served his country in the United States Army until his honorable discharge in 1960, however, Lew remained in the Army Reserves until 1963.  After his service in the Armed Forces, Lew worked at Singer Kearfott in Totowa as an accountant for the next thirty plus years.

While in high school, a good friend introduced Lew to Theresa “Terry” Piela.  By chance, they both attended a local dance and as fate happens they fell in love and wed on July 6, 1957. Lew and Terry lived in Garfield for several years until calling Totowa their forever home.  There, the couple raised their two beautiful daughters Patty and Susan.  Lew and Terry celebrated sixty-one years of a loving marriage.

Lew had a love for many things, from his 442 Cutlass Supreme to his favorite teams, the New York Giants and New York Yankees.  He never missed an opportunity to ‘talk Yankees’ with his grandson Anthony.  Lew had the privilege of meeting the world-famous Jackie Robinson on a TV Show when he was in high school.  He enjoyed golfing and playing cards, especially 500 Rummy with his family.  He had a green thumb and loved gardening. Gardening in the sun brought him to his italian roots and made him sing “O Sol, O Mio,” “My Sun.” He especially enjoyed having his little helper Gianna care for his greenhouse plants and roses. He loved to cook up anything and held the title “Poppy Lewis: best meatball maker ever.”  Every year his family enjoyed the Jersey shore and the yearly vacation to Wildwood.  Lew was a kind and caring man who always made an impression on people with his smile and warm personality.  He was extremely devoted to his Catholic faith and was a parishioner of Our Lady of Holy Angels Church in Little Falls.  Lew’s greatest pride and passion was for his family.  Nothing meant more to Lew than spending time with his family.

Lew is survived by his wife Terry of Totowa, two daughters, Patricia Cirignano of Mahwah, and Susan Stirone and her husband Joe of Totowa, two grandchildren Gianna and Anthony Stirone, nephews Bill Buckley and Stanly Piela, and nieces Joan Pakenham, Diane DiStefano, Michelle Haidacher, Kathy Ostrowe, Carrie Ann Piela, Susan Dale Piela, and Michelle Piela. He was predeceased by his sister Rose Buckley in 2011 and nephew Alan Hepp.

He believed and told everyone ~ “Life is beautiful, Enjoy Life.”  He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and will be missed by all who knew him.

Claire M. Ganz, age 88, of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

She was born in Middletown, New York and raised in Matamoras, Pennsylvania and graduated from the Matamoras High School.

As a young lady Claire met Russell Ganz while roller-skating and they soon fell in love. They married on September 14, 1947 at Saint Agnes Church in Paterson and had a reception at the VFW Hall in Hawthorne.  They honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York having drove the first car Russ had ever bought, a black Plymouth.  They had a loving marriage of sixty-seven years before Russell’s passing in May of 2014.

After Claire and Russell were married they moved to Straight Street in Paterson and she worked in the cafeteria at Saint Josephs Hospital in Paterson for several years.  They young couple moved to a duplex on Edmund Avenue in Totowa where their marriage was blessed with their first son Gerald.  They purchased property in Wayne for twelve hundred dollars and had their dream home built.  Their marriage was once again blessed with their second son Russell.

Claire will be lovingly remembered as being easy going, generous to a fault, always upbeat, and an all-around great mom.  The family melded into the neighborhood seamlessly with the boys playing all kinds of sports together and the parents often getting together to play cards. She was a devoted New York Mets, New York Giants, and Notre Dame fan.  When the boys were young she was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Wayne Little League.

Claire was the loving wife of the late Russell J. Ganz (d.2014); loving mother of Gerald Ganz of Long Beach, CA, and Russell Ganz and his wife Celeste of Pompton Lakes; cherished grandmother of Kelly Orofino and her husband Thomas of New York City, Lindsay Goebel and her husband Nick of Long Beach, CA; dearly loved great-grandmother of Colin Orofino, Olivia Orofino and Teagan Goebel.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad would be greatly appreciated.

Byron Richard Miller, age 75, of Shohola, PA and formerly of West Paterson, passed away peacefully at his home while his loving family stood by his side on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

Byron was born in the Ridgewood Private Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. He grew up in West Paterson (known today as Woodland Park). After high school, at the some-what tender age of 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and faithfully served stateside during peacetime. He returned home and embarked upon a life-long career with Pathmark Grocery Stores. Starting in the store in West Paterson, NJ, Byron worked in various other locations during the span of his career before retiring as the Non-Foods Department Manager in the Kinnelon Store in 2007. In all, his career with Pathmark Stores spanned more than 40 years.

While working at Pathmark, Byron met the love of his life. She was the Bakery Manager in the Kinnelon store and her name was Patricia Duffy. Byron and Pat dated for two years and one night, while out to dinner, Byron asked Pat for her hand in marriage. They married at the Golden Age Hall in Wanaque on March 17, 1990, which also happened to be St. Patrick’s Day, and took a honeymoon trip to Canada. Their first home together was at the Waterfall Village in Bloomingdale. They later moved to the Brookside Heights community in Wanaque, then to the Forest Hill Lake community in West Milford before moving to the Twin Lakes community in Shohola, Pennsylvania after Byron’s retirement in 2007. It’s interesting to note that, in all four of their residences during the course of their marriage, Byron and Patricia always lived in a community with some form of aquatic-themed name.

Byron kept busy after retirement in a myriad of ways. He served for a number of years on the Twin Lakes Community Board. In between, he liked to tinker around the house, cutting the grass, planting beautiful flowers and fixing whatever needed attention. He also liked to sneak away to the Twin Lakes to go fishing. Every fish Byron caught, he released back into the lake and he also loved taking his grandchildren fishing. In fact, Byron and Pat loved doing lots of things with their grandchildren so, having them live in fairly close proximity was a great blessing. Together they enjoyed fun and educational adventures to learn about the art of glass blowing, trips to the nearby Milford Museum, and fun days at the local amusement park. Sometimes they just did simple things together like having a sleepover and watching stuff together on TV. One of Byron’s own favorite television networks was the History Channel.

Byron was a big NASCAR racing fan and a huge fan of Jeff Gordon. While usually content to watch the race on television, one time, he and Pat took a trip to Florida to watch the Daytona race live! It was so hot that Pat almost passed out from the heat. She found refuge in an air-conditioned place and Byron got to enjoy the experience of a life-time. Byron remained a big fan all of his life and was even watching NASCAR right up to the time of his passing. It’s a pretty safe bet that if you love NASCAR, you probably love country music too. Well, Byron was no exception to that rule. He loved watching the Country Western Channel on cable television. He especially liked the reruns of He-Haw and he even found a station on Sirius XM satellite radio that played old, vintage country western music by the likes of Gene Autry and other artist of that era. Byron also had an endless collection of country music CD’s.

Byron and Pat didn’t travel a lot during their life together but, they did take a couple of trips. One was a cruise on the Caribbean but their trip to Jamaica was the most memorable. They just happened to be in Jamaica during a presidential uprising. It was a chaotic time and they ended up being evacuated a day before they were supposed to leave.    

Byron’s greatest devotion was to his family and they will miss him dearly. Part of his family included his faithful dogs, Lady, and most recently, Bambi, who always faithfully stood by his side and provided a lot of enjoyment and companionship.

Byron was the beloved husband of Patricia (nee Duffy); dear step-father of Karyn and husband Scott LoCicero and Sandra and husband Stephen Kolinsky, both of Ringwood; cherished grandfather of Wyatt and Dakotah LoCicero, and Evan and Jacob Kolinsky. He will also be dearly missed by his faithful dog Bambi.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Byron’s name are asked to consider a contribution to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 99 Sparta Avenue, Newton, NJ 07860.

Cornelius “Neil” J. Van Koppen, age 81, of Wayne passed Tuesday, October 16, 2018.

Neil was born in the family home at 79 Jefferson Street in Paterson to the late Tice and Catherine Van Koppen.  He was raised in Hawthorne and graduated from Hawthorne High School with the Class of 1956.

In 1957 he enlisted in the United States Navy and served aboard the USS Hazelwood and was stationed in Newport, Rhode Island for much of his service.  He served during peacetime and was honorably discharged in 1959.  When on leave, he would come home, and Judy’s mother, who treated him like a son, would wash and iron his Navy Whites.

Judy and Neil met in high school when he was a senior and she was a freshman.  Neil’s attraction to Judy was instant and her attraction to him needed to be coaxed a little bit as she thought he was a pain in the neck. Neil befriended Judy’s brother Bob and this helped him have steady access to Judy. Neil won her heart and proposed marriage, when she was sixteen years old, at the stock car races in Middletown, New York.   They married on September 12, 1959 at Saint Anthonys Church in Hawthorne and after a reception at Club 17 in Ramsey, they honeymooned at Neil’s friend’s home in Davies, Florida.  They have enjoyed fifty-nine years of a loving and devoted marriage.

As a young man he worked as a short order cook at the Vans Restaurant on East 13th Street in Paterson.  He bought the luncheonette, and eventually sold it and went into business as Van Koppen Cafeterias. He expanded his business, and operated the cafeteria in Berlex Laboratories in Wayne, as well as Fisher Scientific in Fair Lawn. He formally retired in 1995.

Neil will be lovingly remembered for his energetic, funny way, and his one liner jokes. He was the kind of guy that would do anything for you.  He was always willing to help, was caring, considerate, and never had a bad word to say about anyone. Many great family memories were made camping in their motor home as they traveled all around the East Coast. For many years Neil also loved to go fishing. He has been fishing with his son Scott in such places as the Thousand Islands, New York and the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. He also enjoyed attending his grandchildren's sporting events, whether it be soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, or football. Some of Neil's favorite activities included enjoying Jets games, watching golf, and spending time with his dog, Tucker.

Neil loved to stay busy and for many years he devoted his time and talents, to P.O.L. Fire Company #2 in Wayne. He joined the department in 1961,  served as the treasurer at the fire house and worked his way through the ranks to serve as chief in 1972-1973.

Neil was the loving husband of Judith (Weaver) Van Koppen; devoted father of Scott Van Koppen and his wife Lisa of Montville, and Christine Vecere and her husband John of Wayne; he was the cherished grandfather of Marissa Van Koppen, Michael Van Koppen, Andrew Vecere, Brandon Vecere, and Brian Van Koppen;  he was the dear brother of Joseph Van Koppen and his wife Jill of Toms River; much loved brother-in-law to Janet O’Donnell of Wayne and Mary Ellen Weaver of Greensboro, NC and her late husband Robert.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to P.O.L. Fire Company #2 in Wayne or the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad would be greatly appreciated.

Novak Bijelonic age 72 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Sunday October 14, 2018 in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of his family.

Novak was born and raised in Velika Ilova, Yugoslavia and was one of six children to Djuradj and Stojanka Bijelonic.  Growing up in Yugoslavia after the Second World War was not easy under the stronghold of its communist government.  Novak had married his young bride Milenka Repic, after their first son Jerry was born, Novak decided to make his escape from communist Yugoslavia and ran the border on foot.  Novak was caught and placed in a refugee camp in Austria.  After being there for six months, the Austrian government worked out a passage with the Yugoslavian government for Milenka and Jerry to join Novak at the refugee camp.  After the family was reunited, they remained in the camp for another six months.  During that time was when their second child Gordon was conceived.  Novak and Milenka often recalled Gordon was conceived during their greatest pain and struggle and during their harshest time of their lives at the refugee camp.  Novak’s goal was not only to escape from the turmoil of communism, but to find a better life and pursue the American dream in the United States of America.  While in Austria the Serbian Orthodox Church in New York City sponsored safe passage and guaranteed a place to live for Novak and his family so that the US Government would allow their entry in the USA.  The tickets for the entire family to the United States were paid for by the church and the family immigrated to the USA on September 11, 1969.  Thus, the terrorism events of September 11, 2001 struck a devastating blow to the Bijelonic family, as they celebrated the same day as their first day of freedom.

When arriving in the United States, Novak and his family were assisted by the church and settled in the city of Paterson.  Novak found work quickly at a Dye House in Paterson and continued to work there for the next twenty years.  In 1986 Novak started his own company named BNK Restoration.  It was then Novak and his family moved to Wayne and where he and his wife would spend the rest of their lives together.   He ran his business with great success until 1992 when he then went to work with his son Jerry at JR Contracting in Wayne.  He would work there with his son for the next twenty years until his retirement in 2011.   Novak was a man of great drive and discipline, and an outstanding work ethic.  He was also devoted to his Orthodox faith.  He and his family were parishioners of St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in New York City and also of St John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church in Paterson for many years.  Novak also devoted much of his time in helping the Holy Ascension Serbian Orthodox Church in Elizabeth.

Novak was a strong, humble man known for his honesty and loved by many people in his community and his church.  His wife and son’s recall the many family trips to the Jersey Shore and Shepherd’s Lake throughout their years together.  Only three months ago, tragedy struck the Bijelonic family when Novak and Milenka’s son Pavle passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  Although Novak was brokenhearted on the inside, he kept a strong and “pillar of strength” exterior and attitude for his wife and children.  To say the least, Novak was a devoted father and husband and his greatest passion was for his family.  Novak also remained devoted to his brothers and sisters.  Over the years he assisted his two brothers and two of his sisters to immigrate to the United States.  He aided them in getting settled and finding employment so that they might acquire the same “American Dream” that he was so fortunate enough to attain.  After the breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s, Novak and his family frequented yearly to their homeland visiting friends and relatives.  Novak and Milenka cherished more than fifty years of loving and loyal marriage together.  He was an extraordinary person and will be missed by his family and friends alike.

Novak is survived by his wife Milenka (nee Repic), two sons Jerry Bijelonic and his wife Gina of Kinnelon, and Gordon Bijelonic of Beverly Hills, CA, three sisters; Veselinka Gunjevic of Germany, Vinka Radisic of Florida, and Jela Vukovic of Pennsylvania, two brothers; Ljubomir Bijelonic of Wayne, and Nedeljko Bijelonic of Paterson, and two grandchildren; Angelina and Giorgio Bijelonic.

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

Richard “Chuck” Graniere age 82 of Lakewood passed away peacefully on Saturday October 13, 2018 with his family by his side.

Richard was born in Brooklyn, he was one of two children to Peter and Lena Graniere.  When he was about eight years old, his family moved to Newark.  While in Central High School in Newark, Richard excelled in Basketball.  He graduated from Central High School with the class of 1953.   Following graduation, Richard heard the call to serve his country and began serving in the United States Army.  During his time in the US Army, Richard was stationed in Germany and was an Intercept Operator.  Because of his position and his skills, Richard was granted some of the highest security clearance.  Richard served proudly and honorably with the US Army from 1956 until his discharge in 1962.  During that time he was awarded the Good Conduct Medal.

Subsequent to his discharge from the military, Richard began furthering his education and attended Farleigh Dickenson University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree.  Later, Richard would attend Stevens Technical Institute where he would earn his Master’s Degree.  One of the first positions that Richard landed was as an Electrical Engineer with Lockheed Martin.  He worked there for a time, then was offered a position at a large company called Sweda.  Here Richard worked his way up through a variety of high profile engineering roles.  When Esselte Meto acquired various components of Sweda he was offered a position of Senior Vice President and Engineering.  He held this position until his retirement in the mid 1990's even as the company was purchased by another.

In late 1960, Richard attended the Lockheed Martin annual Christmas party with some of his co-workers.  While at the party, Richard noticed a young attractive girl sitting across from him at his table.  Her name was Janet Messenger and she was on a blind date (with someone else).  At the end of the night, Richard asked her for her phone number and bragged that he didn’t have a pen, nor needed one, because he would remember her number.  He did in fact remember it and wrote it down later that night.  Janet and Richard dated for about two years and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on June 17, 1962 at Our Lady of Victory RC Church in Paterson.

Richard and Janet first settled in Clifton after getting married.  Their two children were born there in Clifton, and in the early 1970’s the family together moved to Wayne.  Richard and Janet spent the next thirty eight years in Wayne until moving to Lakewood, NJ about fifteen years ago.

Richard was extremely devoted to his Catholic Faith.  He and his wife Janet were parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne for many years and also of St Dominic’s RC Church in Brick Twp. after leaving the Wayne area.  During his time as a parishioner, Richard was a Eucharistic Minister for both churches.  Richard was also deeply involved in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).  In St. Dominic’s in Brick Twp. he would give four to six presentations a year.  While in Wayne, he would spend time at several different nursing homes during the week administering the sacraments of the Holy Communion to those who were ill and unable to attend mass.

Richard was a fan of Basketball at a young age although he did not have a favorite team.  He was also a New York Giants and New York Mets fan.  During his career, Richard got the chance to travel to just about every corner of the globe and often times he took his wife Janet with him.  Together there were not many places in the world they haven’t been to.  Richard had a wonderful sense of humor, he was loving, kind and a person you couldn’t help but like being around.  Richard’s greatest passion though was for his family.  Nothing meant more to Richard than providing for and spending time with his family.  He and his wife Janet cherished fifty-six years of loving and loyal marriage.  Richard touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Richard is survived by his wife Janet (Messenger) of Lakewood, one daughter Rene' Graniere of Tinton Falls, one son Richard and his wife Ann Marie of Wayne, four grandchildren; Brooke, Richie, Anthony, and Jake.  He was predeceased by his brother Nicholas Graniere.

In lieu of flowers donations in Richard’s name can be made to Several Sources Foundation, 300 Airmount Ave, Ramsey, NJ 07446. www.severalsources.org

Patricia Spardel (nee Little), 79 of Wayne, passed away on Friday, October 12, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne since 1973.

Pat had been a Mental Health Consultant for the Center for Family Resources in Ringwood, NJ for many years, and was still currently a consultant there.  She had a sewing business, a private counseling business, and also taught Latin and English at Pompton Lakes High School for 2 years.

Born in Glasgow, Montana, Pat moved often as a child, due to her father’s military career.  She attended three different high schools before graduating from Messina High School in Messina, NY.  She went on to graduate from Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1960 and began teaching English and Latin at North Marshall H.S. in Calvert City, Kentucky.  After moving to New Jersey, she earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Montclair State University in 1991.

In October of 1960, Pat went on a blind date with Bernie Spardel and the two of them fell in love.  They were married on April 1, 1961 in Calvert City, followed by a honeymoon to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains. They moved to New Jersey soon thereafter and ultimately settled in Wayne in 1973.  Bernie describes their fifty-seven years of marriage as “wonderful” and credits Pat’s love and strength to its longevity.  They were able to travel extensively in their later years and enjoyed watching their children and grandchildren grow up.

Pat was a talented seamstress.  Her other talents included knitting, needlepoint, crocheting, and embroidery. She was a prolific quilter and Bernie became accustomed to driving her from Maine to Maryland to attend quilting conventions and quilting groups.  If there was a quilt shop, she needed to visit it, and Bernie would drive her there.  She was an active member of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Wayne, participating in Outreach, Book Worms, Council, Bible Study, Prime Timers, & WELCA.  She was an active member of the Wayne Alliance.  Pat was also an avid reader.

Pat is survived by her loving husband; Bernard of Wayne, four children; Steven Spardel and his wife Lisa of Verona, Karen Sajban and her husband Thomas of West Milford, Michael Spardel of Wayne, and Kurt Spardel of Pennsylvania, seven grandchildren; Samantha, Eric, Claire, Mary, Jane, Jaclyn, and Douglas, one great-grandchild; Aubrey, a sister; Susan Teed and her husband Daryl of Greenwood, Indiana, and her cherished nieces and nephews.

Donations may be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 986 S Springfield Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081, or St. Timothy Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 395 Valley Rd, Wayne, 07470.

Ethan W. Van Bochoven, 22 of Pompton Plains, died tragically in an automobile accident on October 12, 2018, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  He was traveling home for the weekend to join his family at the Phil Collins concert on Saturday night.

Ethan graduated from Pequannock High School with the class of 2015, where he had played lacrosse.  He loved hunting and was an incredible cook, able to grill anything to perfection.  Ethan especially loved helping others, no doubt abiding by the guidance of his savior, Jesus Christ.  After attending summer camp at Summer’s Best Two Weeks in Boswell, PA, he began counseling there each summer, mentoring young campers, and he absolutely loved it.  It was at SB2W that he met his girlfriend, Julia, and the two of them had been talking about getting married.  She was injured in the accident as well, but fortunate to survive.

Ethan was currently a senior at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, studying music.  An incredibly talented violin and fiddle player, he had been playing since he was four years old.  Ethan loved playing and often joined the worship musicians at The Chapel in Lincoln Park, NJ, his home church.  He was recently accepted into a program that would have brought him to Music City; Nashville, Tennessee.  He could hardly contain his excitement and was fired up about being immersed in the Nashville music scene.

Ethan was a very kind and loving soul.  He made friends easily, and he truly cared about them.  More than 500 people attended a memorial for him on Saturday at Messiah College, a testament to his character.  He was extremely close to his family as well, and he shared a “best friends” bond with his two brothers.  They had vowed to serve as “Best Man” at each other’s weddings, and Ethan was able to fulfill that vow at his brother Ryan’s wedding just one month ago.  They loved each other dearly and losing Ethan is an immeasurable heartbreak for everyone.  He rests now in the arms of Jesus.

Ethan is survived by his loving parents; Michael and Nancy (nee Brupbacher) Van Bochoven of Pompton Plains, his two brothers; Ryan and his wife Mallory of Lyndhurst, NJ, and Tyler of Pompton Plains, NJ, his maternal grandmother; Patricia Brupbacher of Little Falls, NJ, his aunt; Dinah Krenitski of Towaco, NJ, and his uncle; Bill Brupbacher and his wife Arlene of Charlotte, NC.  He was predeceased by both grandfathers; Samuel Van Bochaoven and Bill Bruphacher, and by his grandmother; Tina Van Bochoven.

Jean Marchant (nee Adams) age 76 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday October 9, 2018 with her family by her side after a long and courageous battle with ALS.

Jean was born and raised in Sussex, NJ.  She was one of four children to Elsworth and Ethel Adams.  While in high school, Jean excelled in the school band, she was a cheerleader and was on the girl’s school basketball team.  She graduated from High Point High School, formerly known as Sussex High School with the class of 1959.  Immediately after graduating, she was accepted to and attended Gordon College in Providence RI where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in 1963.

Jean’s first job was as a teacher, she taught different elementary school grades, fourth grade being her favorite.  She taught in public school system in the Plainfield area of NJ for about four or five years.  Jean left teaching eventually and went on to work part time, first at the Wall Street Journal, then as a Newspaper Carrier Supervisor for the Herald News as well as the Wayne Today Newspaper.  Jean was then employed as a Telemarketer at Dial America in Wayne for ten years until retirement about ten years ago.

Late in 1971, Jean met a young man named Paul Marchant.  Paul and Jean were introduced by a mutual friend.  Their first date was to a local New Jersey Society dance.  Jean and Paul dated for about a year and as fate would have it, they fell in love and were married on August 26, 1972.  Jean and Paul first settled in Highland Park, they lived there for about two years, then in 1974 moved to Wayne.  Jean and Paul called Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together, it is also where they would raise their two sons.

Jean was a big fan of Bingo and enjoyed frequenting Atlantic City with her friends and family.  She also enjoyed playing Mahjong. She met once a week on Mondays with her friends she affectionately name the Mahjong Madams.  They would play together every Monday for more than twenty years.  Jean was an avid bowler and played golf, she was active in the Women’s PAL Auxillary and also played in Women’s Bowling leagues for many years.  

Jean was an unselfish person, always putting others needs before her own.  She was a devoted mother and was always there for her boys, including being a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts for several years.  Her family has fond memories of their yearly winter skiing vacations to Vermont and their summer family vacations to Wildwood.  Jean was a very special person who touched the lives of many people.  She will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew her.

Jean is survived by her husband Paul Marchant of Wayne, two sons; Daniel Marchant of Wayne, and Timothy Marchant and his wife Amy of Wayne, two grandchildren; Amelie Jeanne Marchant, and Owen Linden Marchant, three nephews; Robert, William, and Thomas, one niece Barbara, and one cousin Patricia.  She was predeceased by her sisters; Joyce Adams, Dorothy Boyce, and Betty Friedrichs.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jean’s name may be made to The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter, 42 Broadway, Suite 1724, New York, NY 10004.

Carol Jane Blum, age 75, of San Diego, CA and formerly of Kinnelon, NJ, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 6, 2018.

Born and raised in Totowa Carol graduated from Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls with the Class of 1960, then went on for further education to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). She initially worked for Barnert Hospital in Paterson before going on to enjoy a career as a nurse at Newton Hospital in Newton, NJ. Carol loved being a nurse. Her warm and genuinely caring heart was an immense blessing to her patients and it wasn’t unusual for her to give them a call to see how they were doing, even after they were discharged to go home. Unfortunately in 1984, her nursing days were cut short by an electrical accident with a hospital machine that caused an irreversible injury. She continued to work as a secretary, first for Good Humor Ice Cream and later with Kings Supermarkets.

In the ensuing years – 1986 and 1987, Carol experienced more health challenges resulting in prolonged stays in the hospital for 36 weeks and 18 weeks respectively.

Carol found love once again and she and Adrian “Ed” Blum were married on Saturday, June 30, 1984 at church in Lafayette, NJ. After celebrating their honeymoon on a motorhome trip down the Jersey shore, together with Ed’s daughter and son, they initially settled in Wantage and later in Kinnelon. In 1991they moved all the way across the country to San Diego, CA because Carol’s doctors felt that the warm, dry air would be better for her health.

Carol’s talent for lovingly making their new house into a wonderful home went a long way in helping her and Ed settle into the rhythm of their new life on the west coast. Ed ran his HVAC business close to their house which afforded him the ability to frequently come home for lunch. Carol liked that very much. Being the fastidious housekeeper that she was, their home was like a resort and she loved spending time with Ed in their pool and hot tub in the back yard which backed right up to a beautiful canyon view. Carol also kept active and enjoyed creating floral arrangements which she used to decorate her own house and the homes of others. Eventually, she and Ed got a chance to travel a bit so they bought a timeshare and spent a couple of weeks every year in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a gorgeous vacation destination located at the most southerly tip of the Baja Peninsula. Through Ed’s involvement in the heating and air conditioning industry, they also traveled together to work conventions all over the U.S.A.

Above all else, the most important aspect of Carol’s life was her family. The distance was great but, as long as her health allowed, she and Ed made two annual trips back to the east coast per year so that they could enjoy their children and grandchildren. There was the family reunion in the Poconos and then the trip over Christmas and New Year’s. In-between those trips, much time was spent on the phone with loved ones back east. Carol was very loving and caring and her desire to be loved was always outweighed by her desire to be loving to others. In phone conversations, you could be assured that Carol would always end the call with a heartfelt “I love you.”  

Carol faced many battles with her health, especially in the latter years of her life, but through it all, her strong faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior was thee foremost sustaining encouragement through all the tough times. She was grateful for the brotherly and sisterly fellowship of her church family at United Methodist Church and, when she could no longer attend, her heart was warmed and encouraged by the faithful visits from Pastor Licht who would always bring communion and spend some time with her in prayer.

Carol was the beloved wife of Adrian “Ed” Blum, blessed in marriage for 34 happy years. She was the loving mother of Kenneth L. and wife Dorothy Witte of Sussex, and Kevin A. and wife Mary Witte of Chatham; dear step-mother of Suzanne H. and husband John Meredith of Rochester, NY, and Steven E. and wife Lauren Blum of Tampa, FL; cherished grandmother of Valerie Ann Van Horn, Kenneth L. Witte, Jr., the late Tyler E. Witte, Michael J. Witte, Christopher A. Witte, Katherine A. Witte, and Cora E. Meredith; adoring great-grandmother of Amber Rose, Alena Joy, and Teighlor Ann Van Horn; dear sister of Frances W. and husband Robert Richardson of Totowa, and Donald P. and wife Danielle P. DeVries of Lake Worth, FL.

Audrey Van Der Wende, age 84 of Wayne, formerly of Clifton, passed on Saturday, October 6, 2018.

She was born in Passaic and lived in Clifton for sixty years before moving to Wayne ten years ago.  Audrey was a Past President of the National Secretaries of America in Passaic and loved to travel. She attended the Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Clifton.

Pietro “Peter” De Novellis, age 79, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 30, 2018.

Peter was born and raised in Alberobello which means “Beautiful Tree” – a province of Bari, Italy. As a teenager he learned the furniture making trade and in his early twenties he moved to the northern part of the country to Novara, Italy. He later moved to Switzerland in search of work and, while there, Peter developed an interest in cooking which he would turn into a life-long passion and career.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Peter’s uncle was finding success in the restaurant business as owner of Colucci’s Ristorante in Haledon. Needing help in his growing business, Peter’s uncle asked him to come work with him. This was Peter’s initial entry into his new life in the United States. He worked with his uncle as a chef for a few years before opening his own pizzeria and restaurant in Lincoln Park. After selling the business in Lincoln Park, he joined another uncle who had taken over the Piedmont Restaurant – a historic Italian eatery which originally was a boarding house for Italian citizens that moved to America and worked in the Paterson silk mills in the late 1800’s. The restaurant was named after immigrants who came from the Piedmont region of Italy and it was located on Barbour Street in Haledon.

During the time Peter was working at the Piedmont Restaurant, he met his future wife, Lina – an Italian immigrant herself who was living with her family in the Bronx, NY. Shortly after getting married, they moved to Wayne and welcomed a baby boy who they named Leonardo “Lenny”.  Peter continued working at the Piedmont Restaurant for a few years until he eventually sold it and went to work as a chef at the Italian Circle Club in Paterson. He missed being his own boss so when the opportunity arose, he opened his last restaurant – Leonardo’s Restaurant in the Mountain View section of Wayne. Throughout his entire career and numerous endeavors as a chef and restaurant owner, Peter always did his best to give his customers the highest level of service he possibly could. The hours were long and included all weekends and most holidays but, to Peter, the customer was king. If it was closing time and a group came in, he’d often stay open if asked. He made many friends along the way and enjoyed the visits to his kitchen by patrons.

Many nights, after working late into the evening, Peter would come home and, to unwind before going to sleep, he’d catch a good western on television. Bonanza, Gun Smoke, and any western movie with John Wayne or Clint Eastwood were his favorites. He enjoyed vacations in Florida with family and friends. In more recent years, Peter also took a liking to testing his good fortune with lady luck at casinos in Atlantic City as well as the Mount Airy Casino and Resort in Pennsylvania.

Peter was a loving man and hard worker who enjoyed the company of everyone – family, friends, and people he would meet along life’s pathway. In his retirement, he enjoyed taking long walks in his neighborhood, striking up conversations along the way with familiar folks as well as total strangers.    

Peter was the beloved husband of Lina, blessed in marriage for 42 years. He was the loving father of Lenny of Wayne; dear brother of Anna of Fair Lawn; and dear uncle of three nieces and two nephews. Peter was predeceased by his sister Maria and his two brothers-in-law.

Jeanne Griffin (nee Kapitan), age 64 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Sunday, September 30, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne since 1981.

Jeanne grew up in the Mt. Hope section of the Bronx, NY, and graduated from Cathedral High School in Manhattan with the class of 1971.  Her Catholic faith grew stronger over the years and she was a devoted parishioner at Our Lady of Consolation in Wayne.  She was a selfless and philanthropic volunteer, active with the church Amity Club.

A dedicated mother to her children, Jeanne was always attentive and supportive of their activities.  She was always there for field hockey games, soccer games, and she didn’t know much about ice hockey, but she tried hard to learn while attending her son’s games.  She certainly loved the excitement!  She also loved being a Girl Scout leader, even after her daughter was no longer involved, and she stayed on for many years.  Jeanne also maintained her mother’s tradition of hosting Thanksgiving dinner for many years.  She made a big spread and loved having everyone over.  In her free time, she enjoyed reading novels (especially Harry Potter!), scrapbooking, and she was very crafty.  Her kids used to dread being dragged off to another craft fair, but Jeanne loved it!

Jeanne met her husband Michael while they were in high school.  Their first date was to her senior prom and they had such a good time that they decided to see more of each other.  Jeanne had never been to Staten Island, so Mike took her there on the Staten Island Ferry to enjoy the day.  After a lengthy engagement, they married on August 14, 1976 at Our Lady of Angels in the Bronx, followed by a honeymoon to the Poconos.  They settle in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx before moving to Wayne in 1981.  Throughout their years together, they traveled extensively to destinations such as Hawaii, London, Canada, Italy, and Niagara Falls was among her favorite places to visit.  Michael describes their forty seven years together as nothing short of “terrific,” and he will miss her dearly.

Jeanne is survived by her loving husband; Michael of Wayne, two children; Kimberly Hamilton and her husband Michael of Wayne, Bobby Griffin of Wayne, one grandson; Brendan Hamilton, her sister; Carol Kollar, brother-in-law; John Griffin and his wife Marie of Yonkers, sister-in-law; Eileen Pastor of the Bronx, nephews; Anthony Kollar of Wayne, John and Anthony Griffin of Yonkers, and nieces; Christina and Michele Pastor of the Bronx.  She was predeceased by her father; Richard Kapitan in 2014, by her mother; Claire (Iaria) in 1992, and by her brother-in-law; Michael Kollar in 2003.

Donations in Jeanne’s memory would be appreciated to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312, www.diabetes.org, or to her church; Our Lady of Consolation, 1799 Hamburg Trpk, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Charles Thomas age 83 of Wanaque passed away peacefully on Friday September 28, 2018 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Charles was born in Newark and was raised in Hawthorne.  He was an only child to Felix and Helen Thomas.  Charles graduated with the class of 1952 from Hawthorne High School.  After his graduation he immediately enlisted into the United States Navy and was stationed in the Philippines.  Charles served proudly from 1954 until his discharge in 1956.  Following his graduation, Charles was accepted at Farleigh Dickenson University and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business graduating with the class of 1960.

His first employment was with Fairbanks Morse located in Fairlawn where he worked in the sales department.  Charles worked there for about ten years.  He then earned a position with American Cyanamid in Wayne where he was hired as a Purchasing Agent.  He Stayed with American Cyanamid for sixteen years.  Charles then continued his career as a Purchasing Agent with Hoffman LaRoche in Nutley for the next ten years until his retirement in 2010.

Not long after Charles was honorably discharged from the US Navy, he started dating a young woman by the name of Dawn.  Dawn knew that Charles was not the guy for her, but she thought he would be a great match for her roommate Helen Tirri.  Dawn set the two of them up and they went out on their first date to midnight mass on Christmas Eve.  As fate would have it, exactly one year later at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, Charles proposed to her and they were married on June 1, 1958 and honeymooned at Mount Airy Lodge in the Poconos.  Charles and Helen settled in Paterson after first getting married and then moved to Syracuse, NY.  They lived in Syracuse for about five years or so then moved back to New Jersey to the Pines Lake section of Wayne.  They would call Wayne their home for the next fifty years and would raise their children there.  In 2013 Helen and Charles moved to Wanaque.

Helen and Charles cherished nearly sixty years of loving and loyal marriage.  Charles enjoyed woodworking and built all types of furniture including rocking chairs, Adirondack Chairs and various other types of furniture.  He was an avid fisherman of salt and freshwater.  He made his own custom flies for fly fishing and one of his favorite fishing spots was at the Flatbrook River in Sussex in a spot called the “Wagon Wheel Hole.”  Charles also had many memorable trips to the Caribbean where he would fish for Bonefish.  He was an avid sports fan especially of College Football, and the New York Giants and Jets.  He was a Boy Scout Leader for Troop 107 in Wayne for many years and he and his wife Helen were parishioners of St Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes for many years as well.  He was extremely generous, had a great sense of humor and was the kind of person you couldn’t help but like.  But of all of Charles’ hobbies, talents and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.  Charles took great pride in providing for his family and nothing in the world meant more to him.  Charles was an extraordinary person who will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Charles is survived by his wife Helen (nee Tirri) of Wanaque, two daughters; Lisa Jo Cimorelli and her husband Emil of Highland Lakes, and Mary Ellen Niatas and her husband Jason of Morris Township, one son Chuck Thomas and his wife Kim of Parsippany, six grandchildren; Matthew and Daniel Cimorelli, Christopher and Amanda Thomas, and Katie and Rachel Niatas, and many devoted nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charles’ name to St. Mary’s RC Church, 17 Pompton Ave, Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442.

Stanley Joseph Kopacz, age 98 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday September 26, 2018 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Stanley was born and raised in Bayonne, NJ and was one of eight children to Walter and Anna Kopacz.  Stanley was part of a group in our society that has become known of late as “The Greatest Generation.”  People of the Greatest Generation are people who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression and later as young adults bore witness to, fought in, and worked the country through the Second World War.

After graduating from high school with the class of 1938, Stanley worked for a couple of different companies over a period of a year or so.  Stanley then got a lead on a job at Western Electric in Kearny.  He landed a position there as a sheet metal worker and worked his way up to the title of foreman over his career there.  Stanley did not serve in the US Armed forces during the Second World War because of the work his company (Western Electric) was doing in coordination with US Military.  Stanley worked at Western Electric for more than the next forty-five years until his retirement in 1984.

During the early days of his career, Stanley would ask around his neighborhood about anyone knowing a nice Polish girl who would be interested in meeting a nice young Polish man.  Eventually, one of Stanley’s friends introduced him to a young, attractive woman named Caroline.  Stanley and Caroline dated only for a short time and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on May 3, 1940 at Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church.  After getting married Stanley and Caroline settled in Bayonne where four of their ten children were born.  They then moved to Staten Island and lived there until 1969 when they moved to Wayne.  They would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together.  Stanley and Caroline cherished more than fifty-six years of loving and loyal marriage together until Caroline’s passing in February of 1997.

Stanley had an amazing work ethic throughout his entire life.  He was much too busy with his work and providing for his family to dedicate his time to any clubs or organizations.  This was something that Stanley took great pride in.  One thing in particular that Stanley was also proud of over the years was something that one of his High School teachers told his fellow classmates.  This teacher said, “If you want to know the answer to anything, just ask Stanley Kopacz!”  Stanley had a reputation for reading, educating himself, and figuring things out on his own.  Stanley enjoyed photography and had a dedicated “Dark Room” constructed in his home.  During the time he lived in Staten Island, Stanley also raised Parakeets.  He was a longtime parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church in Wayne.  Stanley was an extraordinary man who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew him.

Stanley is survived by eight daughters; Joan Deodato and her husband Guy of Pequannock, Patricia Decker and her husband Richard of Staten Island, Nancy Salzer and her husband Kenneth of Flemington, Deborah Dilkes of Carlstadt, Annette Smith of Denver, CO,  Margaret Papageorge and her husband Nicholas of Lake Hopatcong, Janet Holland and her husband Kenneth of Flemington, and Jacqueline Collins and her husband David of Sparta, thirty three grandchildren; Audra Deodato, Nicole Deodato, Christine Foster, Wayne Cameron, Heather Cameron, Rachel Waymen, Jonathon Cameron, Kevin Decker, Michael Decker, Michele Hogan, Andrew Decker, Scott Decker, Deborah Kopacz, Stanley Kopacz, Kenneth Salzer, Steven Salzer, Daniel Salzer, Eric Salzer, Austin Dilkes, Kendall Smith, Nolan Doyle, Ava Papageorge, Katelyn Domingues-Santo, Erika Domingues, Cory Holland, Jenna Holland, Caleigh Holland, Christa Holland, Tyler Collins, Justine Collins, Ethan Collins, Mallory Collins, fourteen great-grandchildren; Sophie Foster, Julia Foster, Kaleb Cameron, Victoria Decker, Corinne Hogan, Andrew Decker, Katelyn Decker, Makayla Decker, Jesse Decker, Ian Bryce Kopacz, Tobin Oliver Kopacz, Avery Salzer, and Natalie Salzer, and one sister Regina Plahita.  Stanley was predeceased by his wife Caroline in 1997, his son Stanley Kopacz in 2011, his daughter Carol Kopacz in 2013 and his grandson Richard Decker, Jr. in 2013, as well as his brothers John and Theodore Kopacz, and his sisters; Stephanie Yurek, Mary Dziedzic, Adele Najdzin, and Sophie Zebrowski.

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In lieu of Flowers friend may make donations to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454 Alexandria, VA 22312.  www.diabetes.org/donate

Valerie Ann Brain (nee Wondergem), age 51, of North Haledon, went home to be with her Lord, on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. She spent her final moments at home surrounded with love by her family and friends.

Raised in Wayne by her parents Clarence and Anna Wondergem along with her three brothers, Valerie attended Eastern Christian High School where she graduated with the Class of 1984. While in school she enjoyed being a cheerleader for the boys’ soccer and basketball teams. Following graduation, she worked in the family’s auto dealership – Borough Jeep, formerly of Prospect Park and later located in Wayne. She ultimately retired as one of the co-owners, so that she could concentrate her efforts on being a great mom.

It was at Borough Jeep that Valerie met the love of her life, David Brain. Dave was one of the dealerships mechanics and they started off as friends taking a ride up to High Point State Park in Sussex on Dave’s Kawasaki 900 Ninja. Dave recalled that their first “official date” was to a pizza parlor somewhere up Route 23, but being too love-struck at the time, that was all he could recall. The love was mutual and so Christmas Eve, 1996 seemed like the perfect time for Dave to ask Val for her hand in marriage. She said yes and ten months later, on Saturday, October 11, 1997, they exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at the Preakness Reformed Church in Wayne. After a beautiful honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica – a place they would come to love and visit frequently over the ensuing years – they settled into their home in North Haledon where Val remained to the present.

One of the most blessed events of Val and Dave’s life together was the birth of their daughter Tara Ann in 2002. Valerie lovingly and enthusiastically dedicated herself to being the best mom she could be. She must have done a great job because Tara considered her mom to be her best friend and she’s rightly convinced that her mom always had her best interest at heart. Valerie and Tara did all kinds of things together. When Tara was a Girl Scout, Valerie became a Girl Scout mom. When Tara played town softball, Val was her best cheerleader. In fact, she was Tara’s whole team’s best cheerleader. Valerie always gave Tara the best advice and she was her greatest encourager. For example, when Tara was going to start first grade, she was feeling a little scared and apprehensive as first graders typically will do. So, on Tara’s first day of school, Valerie took a black sharpie pen and drew a heart on the palm of Tara’s hand. Then she told Tara, “There! Now I’ll be with you all day long. If you miss me, just look at this heart on your hand and I’ll be right there.” This really touched Tara and it became a tradition that went through ninth grade when Val was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. On the day of the diagnosis, Tara took that Sharpie pen and began a new tradition - drawing a heart on Valerie’s palm to remind her that Tara was always there for her through her illness.

If you asked Valerie about favorite pastimes, she’d more than likely mention shopping as an activity near the top of her list. Favorite stores included Marshalls in Wyckoff and Target in Riverdale. She also loved to shop in Lancaster, PA when she, Dave and Tara would go for a family getaway weekend and while there, Val loved catching a show at the Sight and Sound Theatre. In the early years of their marriage, they enjoyed summer vacations in Myrtle Beach South Carolina and, of course, there were those memorable repeat trips to Negril Jamaica.

The Brain family was a family of animal lovers but Valerie was probably the greatest of all. She gave new meaning to the term “kitten rescue”. The whole family got in on this humanitarian effort and with Valerie leading the way, they rescued over 70 kittens. After trapping the stray felines in the remote-controlled traps that Dave designed and built, the kittens were quarantined, brought into their home, bathed, brought to the vet for exams, and then socialized. When they were ready for a good and loving home, Tara photographed the kittens and the local shelters used her excellent photos to advertise online. The kittens that Valerie and company offered for adoption through the shelters were the predominant favorites for over four years in a row.

Early in their marriage, Valerie and Dave attended Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park. Under the pastoral care of Reverend Earl Comfort, Valerie truly grew in her walk with God and, for Pastor Earl’s teaching and shepherding influence in her life, Valerie was eternally grateful. In 2003, Valerie, Dave and Tara joined the faithful family at Cornerstone Christian Church in Wyckoff so that they could be there for Dave’s mom. Val and Dave served and supported Cornerstone’s ministry by volunteering as weekly Sunday school registration and security coordinators.

In all of her life’s pursuits, Valerie had a gift for making friends along the way. She could easily befriend complete strangers. For example, one night, while out for dinner in Jamaica, Val spotted a couple with a daughter around her own daughter’s age. The father had a bandage on his finger. As they were leaving the restaurant, Val struck up a conversation with the family which led to a long-lasting relationship. The family was from Nebraska and they and the Brains coordinated future vacations together. Val also made friends with many of the hospitality workers in Jamaica. Getting to know them on a first-name basis, she loved to bring books and other things for them to enjoy. It was the same way with the families that adopted their rescued kittens. Val would establish friendships and, through the beauty of Facebook, she kept in touch with the kittens and the families that adopted them. She even made friends with the health workers at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, at the chemo center in Basking Ridge, and at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ where she received hospice care.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister and great friend, Val was a lot of fun to be with. Always ready and willing to help, she was a great example of what it means to have a servant heart and her dry and sort-of odd sense of humor often gave family and friends a good laugh. Life in North Haledon won’t be the same without seeing a maroon colored Jeep Wrangler with “Valerie” vanity license plates riding around and knowing it was Val behind the wheel.

Valerie is survived by her beloved husband David; her beautiful daughter Tara Ann Brain of North Haledon; loving mother Anna Wondergem of North Haledon; dear siblings: Wayne Wondergem of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Kenneth and wife Carrie Wondergem of Tallahassee, Florida; and brothers-in law and sister-in-law: Robert and Anna Brain of St. Augustine, FL, Bill and Donna (nee Brain) Babb of Suwanee, GA, James and Maureen Brain of Pompton Plains, and Jane Wondergem of Mahwah. She was predeceased by her loving father Clarence Henry Wondergem, and her dear brother Douglas Wondergem.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Valerie’s name are asked to consider Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center, PO Box 227, Hawthorne, NJ 07507 (online at FriendsofLighthousePRC.org/donate), or Eastern Christian School Association, The Foundation for Eastern Christian School, 50 Oakwood Ave., North Haledon, NJ 07508-2449 (online at easternchristian.org/support).

June I. Wackwitz, age 91, of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed peacefully at home with the comfort of her family by her side.

June was born in Passaic and raised in Lyndhurst.  She first lived in a duplex on Livingston Avenue and later lived at 169 Page Avenue in Lyndhurst.  She graduated from Lyndhurst High School with the class of 1945.

June met the love of her life William "Bill" H. Wackwitz through a neighborhood friend, Walter Gleason.  Walter owned a print shop where friends would meet and this is where June and Bill met as Bill was also a friend of Walter and had experience as a printer as he worked for the Commercial Leader.  After Bill's service in the Army in WWII, Bill and his brother helped Walter expand his printing business by building an addition to the print shop.  During June and Bill's dating, one of their favorite spots was Rutt's Hut in Clifton and during this time Bill thought to himself that this girl June is for me.  After Bill secured a good job at the Nutley Sun newspaper, he had marriage on his mind and asked June to marry him while standing in the street in front of his house on Weart Avenue in Lyndhurst. They married on November 29, 1947 in the rectory of Sacred Heart Church in Lyndhurst, had a wedding reception at the American Legion Hall in Lyndhurst and honeymooned in Washington, D.C. and enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of seventy one years.

Out of high school, June worked for the Lombardi Company on Stuyvesant Avenue in Lyndhurst sewing.  She did this work sewing into her married years until she stopped to raise her children.  June was very involved with the Girl Scouts of America while living in Lyndhurst.  In 1963 June and Bill moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne where June was involved with the Woman's Club of Packanack Lake.  When Willowbrook Shopping Center opened, June became a merchandise receiving clerk in the new Sears store placing price tags on all types of conceivable merchandise, then in the business office, until she retired in 1989.

June will be lovingly remembered as someone everyone loved.  She was quick with a laugh or smile, loving, easy-going, caring and loved jigsaw puzzles and reading.

June was the loving wife of William H. Wackwitz; devoted mother of Judith (George) Gerasimenko of Kinnelon and William D. (Cathy) Wackwitz of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Lauren Hout (Charlie LaMantia), Christine McDevitt (Dan), Michael Gerasimenko (Geralanne Maglione), William D. Wackwitz, Jr. (Michelle), and Brian Wackwitz; much loved great-grandmother of Brendan Hout and Paige Erekat.  She was predeceased by her sister Gladys Fondy, and brothers Walter and Richard Davies.

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

Arthur Udland, 91, of Wayne, passed away on September 22, 2018, peacefully and surrounded by his family. Born in Brooklyn, NY, on June 18, 1927, Art had been a resident of Wayne since 1953.

Art is survived by Dolores (nee Gallo) - his beloved wife of 68 years; four children: Richard, Kenneth (Rosemary), Carol, and Susan; three younger sisters: Evelyn, Betty, and Peggy; eight grandchildren: Vic, Marcy, Kelly, Nicole, Myles, AJ, Tyler, and Blake; and eight great-grandchildren.

Art and Dee met on New Year’s Eve 1947 at a party Dee insists she had no interest in attending. The two marked the first day of 1948 by talking all day on the telephone. Married on April 9, 1950, Art and Dee moved to Wayne in 1953 and have lived in the home built by Art, Dee, and their fathers ever since. A caring, devoted, and loving husband for nearly seven decades, Art and Dee’s marriage was the kind of romance that people will have the privilege of being around but a few times in their life.

Art joined the Navy in June 1945, just days after his eighteenth birthday, serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II before an honorable discharge in August 1946. Art was awarded with an American Theater Medal and Victory Medal for his service.

A sheet metal expert by trade, in 1956 Art co-founded Bonland Sheet Metal and ran the business until selling his interest to co-founder Ernie Boniface in 1976. After his retirement from the sheet metal business, Art was a substance abuse counselor at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, from the early ‘80s until the mid- ‘90s.

Anyone who knew Art will never forget his love of food and the famous appetite that reflected this passion. Entire quarts of ice cream, three-pound bags of Peanut M&Ms, and seafood platters for two, had a way of disappearing in his presence. A famous Udland family rule endures to this day: order whatever you want off the menu as long as you eat it all. The final part of this rule was but a formality for Art.

An avid Giants and Yankees fan, Art instilled a love of sports in his children and grandchildren and is remembered for his talents assembling an excellent tailgate.

Art was an active member of Preakness Reformed Church in Wayne, serving as a church elder, a deacon, and superintendent of Sunday School through the decades. Art also led the Church’s expansion project in 1958 and oversaw the construction of Berdan Hall, completed in 1960 and a space which hosts Church and community events to this day.

Art’s family will remember his 24-hour drives to Florida in the ‘70s, his overwhelming poison ivy allergy, driving too fast in his 1986 Nissan Z, spontaneous singing of the Norwegian national anthem (in Norwegian), and daily breakfasts at Brian’s Waffle House in Avalon, N.J.

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

Suzanne “Sue” Holzli, age 45, of Lincoln Park passed Friday, September 21, 2018.

She was raised in Wayne having attended Immaculate Heart of Mary grade school and Wayne Hills High School where she graduated with the Class of 1991.  After high school she continued her education at Rutgers University’s Cook College where she graduated with the Class of 1995 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Service Administration.

During high school and college years Suzanne worked at the CVS in Wayne’s Preakness Shopping Center as a manger.  Once out of college she managed an Au Bon Pain restaurant in New York City before returning to Wayne as the opening manager at the Panera Bread on Route 23. Suzanne loved her work at Panera’s and even won their Mother Bread Award. For several years she worked as a District Director for the Pomptonian Food Service Company where she assisted the Dumont Public Schools with their food service needs. She returned to school to pursue an Occupational Therapy degree at Eastwick College.

Suzanne will be remembered for her love of cooking and baking, beach vacations to Ocean City, MD and Florida to visit her sister.  She had a huge place in her heart for animals and especially loved her late dog “Happy.” She loved her family dearly and enjoyed reading, hiking and watching her favorite teams the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys. She also enjoyed growing her own herbs and vegetables and accompanying her mom to Barry Manilow concerts.  

Suzanne was the loving daughter of Felix and Carol Holzli; devoted sister of Tim Holzli and his wife Lynn of Mullica Hill, and of twin sister Lori Schultz of North Redington Beach, FL and her late husband Johnnie (9/2018); dearly loved niece of Edward Adamcik and his wife Barbara of Paramus, Joe Holzli and his wife Marlene, and Mary Holzli of Clifton.  She will be dearly missed by her cousins, extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Montville Animal Shelter, 7 Church Lane, Montville NJ 07045 or St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

Peter Nouri, age 31 of Wayne, died on Friday, September 21, 2018 after a massive stroke. He’s been a resident of Wayne his entire life.

Peter graduated from Wayne Valley High School, class of 2005.  He cut hair since he was nine years old, so after high school he graduated from Christine Valmy Beauty School and was licenced in cosmetology. He began working as a barber.  He was amazingly artistic and very professional.  He absolutely loved his job.  Over the past ten years, he’s developed a reputation throughout Northern New Jersey while working at several shops, most notably working and managing Pequannock Barber Shop.

Peter was also a health nut!  He knew everything about eating right and he frequented most of the area juice bars and smoothie shops.  He encouraged others to eat well, and if he saw you eating something unhealthy, he would educate you.  He was incredibly fit and strong, complete with six pack abs. His weakness, however, was sweets.  He treated himself to candy every once in a while, and if a MMA fight was on TV, he would spoil himself with ice cream.  Peter didn’t just have a few scoops though; he would eat the whole half gallon in one sitting!  But he burned it off with his intense exercise routines, which included MMA, boxing, and lifting weights.  Peter was also an excellent writer, impressing his teachers as early as grade school.  He’s filled notebooks with his writings and became philosophical on many subjects.

Peter loved his family and was very close with his four brothers.  They describe him as one of the most sensitive and empathetic people you could have known.  Peter was particularly fond of his two nephews, Johnny and Dylan, who he often looked after.  He adored those little guys and taught them how to wrestle on the living room floor.

Peter is survived by his devoted parents; John and Gladys Nouri of Wayne, grandmother; Yvette, four brothers; John and his wife Debbie of Wayne, Mark of Wayne, Paul of Woodland Park, and Andrew of Morristown, two nephews; Johnny and Dylan Nouri of Wayne, aunts and uncles; Stanley and Emelda, Elias and Rita, Zaka and George, Abed and Maha, Fred, Fayez and Amal, and Jimi and Sandi, cousins; George and his wife Jackie, Joey, Ann Marie, Lee, Nicole, Anthony and his wife Danielle, Mary and her husband Johnny, Ritta, Christine, Carol, Mary, George, Maria and her husband Peter, Freddie and his wife Tina, Bobby, Mirna, Karen, Natalie, Anthony, Alex, Gabby, and Joey.  

Donations in Peter’s memory would be greatly appreciated.  Please consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, or visit www.stjude.org.

Elaine J. Trama (nee Clark), age 60 of Clifton, died after a ten month battle with breast cancer.  She lost her mother to breast cancer thirty eight years ago.

Elaine had worked in banking, starting out many years ago with First Fidelity, then at First Union, and most recently with Financial Services Inc. in Glen Rock, NJ.

Elaine grew up in Pequannock and graduated from Pequannock High School with the class of 1976.  She played flute in the marching band.  It was around this time that Elaine met Joel Trama at a club in Clifton.  The two of them hit it off and wedding bells followed on September 7, 1980.  They were married at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Wayne, followed by a honeymoon to Atlantic City.  They have enjoyed thirty eight years of marriage together.

Elaine was an avid reader and particularly liked Steven King and Mary Higgins Clark novels.  She had vacationed with her family a few times in Wildwood, and loved spending time with her boys.  She was a great mom who could be stubborn at times, but she was always there for them.  Elaine also loved her dogs and she had many over the years.  Her favorite was a miniature collie named “Lucy” who she lost just a few years ago, and she’s missed Lucy very much ever since.

Elaine is survived by her loving husband Joel of Clifton, two sons; Marc and Jared of Clifton, her sister; Corrine Vara and her husband Anthony of New Hampton, NY, two nieces; Jocelyn and Julie Vara and a nephew; Anthony Bryan.  She was predeceased by her mother; Janet Clark in 1980, and by her father; Ralph Clark in 2017.

Went home to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on September 20, 2018. Emily was born November 27, 1921 to Arthur and Emily Madeline Hopkins in their home on Chestnut Street in Nutley, NJ.  Early in her life Emily’s family moved to Conover Avenue, a neighborhood she loved.  Emily always shared the countless stories of her years growing up there.  An important place in Emily’s teen life was the roller rink.  This is where she met the love of her life, Charles McQuaid.  During World War ll, at the young age of 21, Emily travelled by train to the west coast to marry her sweetheart. Together, they raised three children.

Emily loved her many grandchildren. She was blessed to live close to five of them. When her daughter Nancy moved to Alaska and started a family, Emily, who had never been on an airplane and was now in her 60’s began many years of flying to Fairbanks to visit and be a wonderful hands-on grandmother to her two Alaskan grandchildren.

The most important thing to Emily was her faith in Jesus Christ. She spent many years teaching her children, grandchildren and many others about the love of Jesus.  For much of her life, Emily taught Sunday School, Pioneer Girls and Good News Clubs.  She even volunteered as a camp counselor when in her 50’s. Emily’s favorite hobbies were bowling and exploring nature. She enjoyed many years bowling for teams in both New Jersey and Alaska. Countless hours were spent sharing her love of nature with family.  Emily was always up and ready for a camping trip. Sewing and crocheting were also favored pastimes.  Her family always appreciated her hand made gifts.

Loved ones that passed on before: her father, Arthur Hopkins, mother and best friend, Emily Madeline Hopkins, loving husband, Charles McQuaid, brother Arthur C. Hopkins, Sr., sister, Ruth Semenas, and daughter-in-law, Lynda McQuaid.

Loved ones that will miss her until they meet again are her three children; Dennis McQuaid, Arthur McQuaid and wife Susan, daughter, Nancy-Carol Green and husband Richard, brother Ronald Hopkins and wife Sharon; grandchildren Tim (Rosalie), Denise, Shawn (Laura), Melissa (Lou), Chuck (Liz), Christopher, and Kim (Caleb) and 15 great grandchildren.

Jeanne Elia, age 84, of Riverdale and formerly of Cliffside Park, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. With tears in their eyes her loving daughters stood by her side, wanting Jeanne to stay but knowing they needed to let her go.

Jeanne was born and raised in Jersey City where she grew up in a house on Palisades Avenue. She attended Dickinson High School where she was a majorette. After high school she married the love of her life Peter and started her family. Blessed with two baby girls, they became Jeanne’s life-long devotion. Nothing was more important than Denise and Valerie and from day one to their final moments with Mommy Jeanne, they always knew they were the most loved and cherished part of her life.

When the girls were old enough to attend school all day, Jeanne took a job with the telephone company. She was the kind friendly voice on the other end of the phone line that would provide the information you requested.    

In 1963, Jeanne and the girls moved to Cliffside Park. She would remain there for the next 52 years before moving to Riverdale in 2015 to be closer to her daughter Denise. Living in Cliffside Park during the 60’s and 70’s meant that you did all your shopping downtown. Unlike today’s impersonal online shopping experience, buying things at local merchants meant that you got to know them on a personal basis. Jeanne herself worked for Cliffside Park’s own McDermott’s Cards and Bookstore and so she got to know a lot of great people through the Cliffside Park chamber of commerce. Consequently, with her second husband Rusty, she enjoyed dressing up and attending many Chamber dinner dance parties and charity fundraisers.

Jeanne liked keeping life simple. She was a television advertiser’s dream because she watched a lot of shows including favorites like classic movies, Judge Judy, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and crime investigation shows like CSI and NCIS. Going out to dinner was great for two reasons – Jeanne loved good food and she loved to enjoy it with family and friends. Favorite dining venues included Outback Steakhouse in Wayne, House of Thai in Kinnelon, The Little Food Inn in Pompton Plains, David’s Restaurant in Cliffside Park, Café Tivoli in Ridgefield, and The Crow’s Nest in Hasbrouck Heights. Jeanne was quite the cook herself. In fact, despite failing health, she was still cooking as recently as three weeks ago. Family favorites included her eggplant parmigiana, escarole and beans, and her homemade sauce with meatballs. Above all else, Jeanne’s life could be summed up as a loving devotion to her family. If you asked Jeanne if she had any hobbies, her face would light up and she would excitedly tell you that her favorite hobby was spending time with her daughters Denise and Valerie. When Valerie would come for visits from Florida, Jeanne would always say, “I’m so glad you’re here Valerie!” In fact she would tell everybody how glad she was.

Jeanne was a love! Her smile could light up a room in a power outage and she always fussed over others while insisting no one ever fussed over her. She was the epitome of hospitality who loved hosting backyard barbeques and always had a nice fresh cake to serve if you just decided to show up for coffee. If you couldn’t remember when someone’s birthday was, ask Jeanne! She knew everyone’s birthday and she was always there with a card to wish them well. Having worked for a Hallmark card store, you could bet it was a Hallmark and the greatest compliment you could pay would be to give her a Hallmark card on her birthday. Jeanne loved to hug Barney, her daughter Denise’s long-haired Dachshund. Even as sick as she recently was, if you asked Jeanne how she was feeling, with a big smile on her face, she’d exclaim, “I fine!” In those rare times when she needed encouragement, her daughter Denise’s partner Charlene would encourage her and lovingly refer to Jeanne as “Jeannie Beanie.”

Jeanne was the loving mother of Denise Gerrold and partner Charlene Nassaney of Riverdale, and Valerie and husband Thomas Camlet of Stuart, FL; dear sister of William and wife Josephine Schellack of Jackson, NJ and the late Richard and wife Joyce Shellack; special Nana to Jolene and Samantha; dear aunt of several nieces and nephews. Jeanne was widow of the late Rusty Elia.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jeanne’s name may consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (stjude.org).

Ruth Scheetz age 90 of Wayne passed away peacefully in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of her family.  Ruth was born and raised in Paterson.  She was one of three children to Joseph and hazel Newbold.  Growing up in Paterson she went to Passaic Valley High School graduating with the class of 1945.

Ruth was part of a group in our society that has become known of late as “The Greatest Generation.”  People of the Greatest Generation are people who grew up during he depravation of the Great Depression and later as young adults bore witness to the Second World War.

Ruth was seventeen or eighteen years old when she was introduces to a handsome young man by the name of Donald Kane.  The two of them dated for a short time and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on June twenty first in 1946.  After getting married Donald and Ruth settled in Totowa New Jersey.  They stayed in Totowa for about eight or nine years then moved to Wayne in 1957.  During the early years of Ruth’s marriage, she continued her education at Montclair Teachers College, which is now known as Montclair State University.  There she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree.  Also during that time in her life she supplemented her education with the daunting but rewarding task of being a homemaker.

Ruth was offered a position as a Guidance Counselor in Oakland in 1958.  Ruth worked there for the next ten years and in 1968 she and her family moved to Cape May where she continued her career as a Guidance Counselor for Richard Titleman School.   Ruth was employed there until her retirement in 1987.  Ruth and Donald cherished 36 years of loving and loyal marriage until Donald’s sudden and unexpected passing in 1982.  Several years after moving to Cape May Donald and Ruth bought a restaurant together named the Washington Inn.  They later sold that business and together bought a Bed and Breakfast called The Albert Hughes House.  They owned this establishment for about one year when Donald passed away.  Ruth tried to maintain and run the Bed and Breakfast for about five years or so but eventually sold it.  Although Ruth was heartbroken when Donald died, years later she was able to find love again and married Robert Scheetz.  Ruth cherished another twenty years of marriage to Robert until his passing in 2009.

Ruth was quite talented and enjoyed singing and acting.  She was a long time member of the first Presbyterian Church in Cape May where she also sang in the choir.  Ruth also put her acting and singing skills to work in her local community theatre.  She was a master gardener, she was always happy and upbeat and was always known to have a smile one her face.  She was cultured and was the kind of person that was always sweet and polite to everyone she knew and met.  Ruth was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed.

Ruth is survived by her two daughters; Donna Binder and her husband Roy of Wayne, and Leslie Marfani of Curtis Bay, MD, one brother Joseph Newbold of Greenacres, FL, and one sister Shirley Fagerlund of Greenacres, FL, seven grandchildren; Jenna Smith, Jared Taylor, Zeenat Timm, Zain Marfani, Zeeshan Marfani, Sarah Valenz, and Eric Binder, and six great grandchildren; Ryan Christopher, Addison, Jack, Ella, and Charlotte.  Ruth was predeceased by her first husband Donald Kane in 1982 and her second husband Robert Scheetz in 2009.

Helen R. Bailey age 89 of Stroudsburg, PA passed away peacefully in the presence of, and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Helen was born and raised in Clifton, NJ.  She was the second youngest of six children to Michael and Mary Rusyniak.  Helen was part of a group in our society that has become known as of late as “The Greatest Generation.”  People of the “The Greatest Generation” are people that grew up during the depravation of the Great Depression and later as young adults bore witness to the Second World War.

Like many young people her age, Helen left school during her teenage years to supplement income and help care for her immediate family.  As a young woman in the late 1940’s and while working as an assembly line worker, she took fancy to a young handsome coworker named Frank Bailey.  They dated for a couple of years and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on May 7, 1949 at the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church of Clifton.  After getting married they settled in Garfield where they lived for about two years.  Then in 1952, Frank and Helen moved to Wayne.  Wayne is where they would spend the next forty years and would raise their son Ernest and their daughter Donna.

For the first seven years after the birth of their first child, Helen was a homemaker.  During this time she took a variety of classes including typing and clerical classes.  She put the classes to good use and earned a position at South Paterson Trucking where she worked the second shift at night for more than five years.  Subsequent to her employment at South Paterson Trucking, Helen was offered a job at Union Camp where she worked in the Traffic Department.  There she handled all loss and damaged claims with the railroads and trucking industry.  She held this position for twenty and a half years until her retirement in 1991.  Following her retirement, Frank and Helen moved from Wayne to a retirement village in Buckingham, PA.

Throughout her life, Helen was extremely devoted to her faith and he family.  Helen and Frank were very active members of Saint Philip Orthodox Church in Souderton, PA.  They also attended mass at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Wayne.  In 2015 Helen moved closer to her daughter Donna in Stroudsburg, PA.  Helen then became a member of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Stroudsburg.  When Helen’s health diminished, she moved to Grace Park Assisted Living Facility in Stroudsburg.  There she was offered outstanding care until Jesus took her home on September 18, 2018.  Helen and Frank cherished years of loving and loyal marriage until Frank’s passing in 2005.  Helen loved to cook and bake.  Her family remembers her making a variety of delicious breads and Christmas cookies among man other things.  Helen always played by the rules, especially the “Golden Rule.”  She was always very proper and conservative.  Although she was strict with her children, she was always there for them whenever they needed her.  Helen’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Helen then providing for and spending time with her family.  She touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Helen is survived by her son Ernest Bailey and his wife Rosemary of Stockholm, NJ and her daughter Donna Burger and her husband Charles of Stroudsburg, PA, one sister, Martha Kowalczyk of Clifton, five grandchildren; Dana Valerio and her husband Woody, Jordon and his wife Jami, Cassie Burger, Emily Burger and her husband Nick Adams, and Matthew Burger, one great grandchild Xavier, and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband` Frank in 2005 and her sisters Florence Olko, Anna Schermock, Mildred Lacorte, and her brother John Rusyniak.    

Alexander Greenough, Jr., “Al” to all who loved him, passed away on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 with his family and close friends at his side.  He was 75 years old.

Al grew up in Paterson, the son of a police lieutenant, and graduated from Central High School with the class of 1960.  He was a baseball and basketball player.  After graduating from William Paterson Teacher’s College, he realized pretty quickly that a career in teaching wasn’t for him and he applied to the Paterson Police Department.  It had always been his dream to follow in his father’s footsteps and becoming a cop in Paterson launched that dream.  Al delivered two babies during his first week on the job!  In 1969, Al took a position with the Wayne Police Department where he served for the next twenty five years.  Al was a true ‘cop’ and he loved protecting the community and particularly enjoyed the camaraderie with his fellow officers.  He became head of the “A-Team” and the local SWAT team and retired as a Lieutenant in 1994.

Al became instrumental with the Wayne PAL and started the PAL soccer league and when it was time for his daughter to play PAL soccer, he started the girl’s league.  He was also an avid hunter and camper.  He kept a camper up at the Nickerson Park Campground in Gilboa, NY, where he made many friends from all over the area.  He even convinced a few of his New Jersey friends to get campers up there too, so they could all enjoy it together.  He particularly loved taking his grandchildren there, hiking, swimming, and making memories. He was known for cooking his fabulous 'Grease Breakfast' in the infamous 'Fred Flintstone Brontosaurus Pan'! He also acted as the MC for the Labor Day 'Yankee Swap' with his sidekick, Tom Deppa. Hunting was among his favorite pastimes and teaching his grandchildren to hunt warmed his heart.  He loved taking them to NY State and Pennsylvania during deer and bird season and teaching them everything he knew. He had so very many hunting, shooting and card playing buddies - Mike, Guy, Ron, Joe, John (Ginzo), Tony, Jim, Rich and many, many more.  His family also had a home at Seaside Park, NJ, which wasn’t exactly Al’s favorite place to spend time, although he tolerated it because he had so many great friends there!  One regular stop was the local Army Navy store with his two youngest grandchildren. He loved his friends at the Shore, and they were, quite honestly, the only reason he would go there. They affectionately referred to him as Big Al and Alexander.  But he would rather have been camping in Upstate New York.

Al adored his grandchildren and each one held a special place in his heart.  Teaching them to hunt, taking them hiking and camping, or singing his favorite “Meatloaf” songs with them all made him happy.  His signature line; “it don’t get no better than this” was surely something they have all heard many times over.  He was a wonderful Grandpa and Big Papa to each of them and they will all miss him dearly.  Al also had a very special relationship with fellow Wayne Police Officer Tommy Deppa.  Tommy passed away in 2007 and Al stepped in to help Tommy’s children in every way that he could.  Al loves Tommy’s kids as if they were his own and they each have meant so much to him.  Surely they too will miss their “Uncle Al” with heavy hearts. Al was blessed with many close friends who became part of the extended Greenough Family. They loved all of his one liners, which he was famous for. Due to his friendly and outgoing personality, he inevitably knew someone every place he went - whether it was NJ, NY, Pennsylvania, Maine, or Alaska! His friends often teased him that he could talk to a wall and the wall would talk back. And he didn't just talk to people he knew, he was known for starting up random conversations with pure strangers.

Al was blessed more than thirty years ago to meet Carol Shipman.  She had been the General Manager at Edelman’s Sporting Goods, where many of the area cops would work part time and also where they would buy their guns and equipment.  Al and Carol married on June 14, 1987 and enjoyed a honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii.  Their honeymoon has lasted for thirty one years and their love for each other has grown stronger and stronger throughout all of those years - they were inseparable.  She was with him every moment during his last health crisis, caring for him from the time she was allowed in until the moment they kicked her out. They loved each other fiercely and she will sorely miss his smile, his laugh, his great sense of humor and his abounding love.

Al is survived by his devoted wife Carol of Totowa, four children; Janet Seabold of Ridgefield, NJ, Jeff Greenough of Bloomfield, NJ, Trisha Turken and her husband Jason of Cedar Grove, NJ, and Rob Traill of Los Angeles, CA. He also has eight cherished grandchildren; Kyle, Shane and Evan Seabold , Alyse, Alexander III, and Raymond Greenough, and Zachary and Rylie Turken of Cedar Grove. He also leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews.

Donations in Al’s memory would be appreciated to the Shriners Hospital for Children, Attn: Office of Development, 2900 N. Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607, or visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org, and also to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Violet Teng (nee Dong), age 71, of Brooklyn, NY, tragically passed away on Friday, September 14, 2018, after a courageous and defiant 3-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Violet fought valiantly for herself and her family, and at the end of her journey, was in the loving presence of her children and beloved sister.

Violet was born in New York City and was raised on the west side of Midtown Manhattan in the famously named section, Hell’s Kitchen. She was one of six children to Bing and Kay Dong. Growing up, Violet and her brothers and sisters, were instilled with a strong sense of family and an ever-present work ethic. These were central tenets of Violet’s life that never diminished. After graduating from James Madison High School in Brooklyn with the class of 1964, Violet began her career as an administrative assistant, working for several different companies, before landing at the accounting firm of Shandling & Landsman in New York City, where she worked for over 25 years until her retirement in 2002.

In 1971, Violet was introduced by a mutual friend to a handsome young man by the name of Johnny Teng. Without Johnny speaking a word of English and without Violet speaking a word of Chinese, as fate would have it, they fell in love and were married on April 9, 1972. After getting married, they settled in Brooklyn where they raised their three children. Unfortunately over time, Violet and Johnny split up, but years later when Johnny fell ill, Violet held steadfast to her “family above all else” ideals  and remained devoted to Johnny, assuming full care of him until his passing in 2008.  

Violet enjoyed collecting Precious Moments figurines and was a devout New York Yankee fan, Derek Jeter being her favorite player (if you don’t count her grandsons, Tyler and Cody!). One of her favorite pastimes was watching reality TV, particularly murder mysteries, and investigative and true crimes programming. She loved cleaning, gardening, and (ever the unique individual) shoveling snow. She enjoyed the latter so much that one particular snow storm, Violet ran out so quickly to dig her daughter’s car out of the snow, that when she had finished, she found out it wasn’t her daughter’s car after all - she had, in fact, dug a complete stranger’s car out of the snow.

Her children recall taking a very memorable and meaningful family vacation to Crystal Springs in New Jersey before her passing. She was the epitome of strength and independence, and represented a bygone era of true Brooklyn grit: she was opinionated, honest, and expressed herself with no filter. She was ferociously loyal and fiercely protective of her family and Violet passed on these strong family values, morals, and work ethic to her children, as well as her grandchildren. Aside from all of Violet’s hobbies, talents, and interests, her greatest, unparalleled passion was for her family. Nothing meant more to Violet than the happiness, and well-being of her children and grandchildren. Violet was an extraordinary woman who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Violet is survived by her two daughters: Melissa Lui and her husband Sammy of Wayne, Kristina Teng and her husband Vincent of Brooklyn, NY, and her only son, Erik Teng and his wife Serena of West Hempstead, NY; three sisters: Rose Sontag of Maspeth, NY, Pansy Dong of Brooklyn, NY, and Peony Dong also of Brooklyn; two brothers: Jack Dong and his wife Helen of Kissimmee, FL, and Irwin Dong of Brooklyn, NY; six grandchildren: Tyler, Jake, Cody, Austin, Avery, and Aiden, and four very special and good friends; Lilly, Sam, Jonathan, and Kristina. She was predeceased by her former husband Johnny Teng in 2008.

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Those wishing to make donations in Violet’s name are asked to consider the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. https://www.pancan.org

Andrew Robert Abbate affectionately known as “Red”, age 84, of West Caldwell entered into eternal life on Thursday, September 13, 2018 with his family by his side.  He was a very kind and gentle man of great faith and who loved everyone.  He was never envious or wanting of material things but he was very rich in family and friends.

Red was one of two children to Charles and Mary Abbate (nee Messina), he grew up in Irvington along with his loving sister MaryAnn.  While in high school, Andrew worked at Prudential and when he left the ladies he worked with, they gave him a Miraculous Medal which he wore his entire life.  Andrew was extremely devoted to his Catholic Faith and through rain, sleet, snow, or hail he never missed mass.  As a young man from 1954 to 1956, Andrew served honorably in the United States Army following the Korean War.

Following his graduation from high school, Andrew attended Fairleigh Dickinson University where he earned his Master’s Degree then subsequently worked as a purchasing manager. He was president of the purchasing association and he also held a position as a professor at Kean College.  When Red was twenty-seven, he married the love of his life Roselyn Amatelli.  Red and Roselyn cherished fifty-seven wonderful years of loving and loyal marriage. Andrew and Roselyn were blessed with a son Andrew and his girlfriend Angela Torres of Pompton Lakes.  They were also blessed with a daughter who adored him, Dorene Edie and her devoted husband W. Galen Edie of Wayne.   Andrew was blessed with four wonderful grandsons whom he was tremendously proud of and told everyone about. He is very affectionately known to them as “Popie” and they all adored each other.  Red also took great pride and treasured being the Godfather to his nephew Michael Van Dusen as well as his niece Jill Warning.  Throughout Red’s life and aside from all of his talents, hobbies, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Red than providing for, and spending time with his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.  Red was an extraordinary person who touched the lives many people.  He will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew him.

Andrew is survived by his much loved grandsons; W. Galen Edie II, Nicholas Andrew Edie, Christopher Michael Edie, and Sean Noah Edie, his loving sister MaryAnn Van Dusen, three loving nephews; Michael Van Dusen, John Juliano and his wife Sandy, and Glen Juliano and his wife Mindy, three cherished nieces; Laura Reilly and her husband Keith, Dana Warning, and Jill Warning, he was a cherished great uncle to Michael, Steven, Alex, & Jonathan Juliano and sweet Kate Reilly.  Andrew also cherished wonderful relationships with his brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws Ellen and Tom Warning, and Carol and John Juliano.

In Lieu of flowers donations in Andrew’s name may be made to St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Child Life Department, St Joseph’s Foundation, 703 Main Street Paterson New Jersey 07503.

Herman W. Baruth, Jr., “Chet” as he was known to most, died peacefully at home on September 12, 2018.  He was 85 years old and had previously lived in Wayne before moving to Vernon in 2004.

Chet grew up in West New York, NJ.  He proudly earned the “Good Citizenship” award in grammar school, and always conducted himself with integrity.  He was very patriotic and believed firmly in truth, justice, and kindness toward everyone.  After graduating from Memorial High School, he received a scholarship to New York University where he studied Pre-Med.

After one year at NYU, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy as a Corpsman and continued to learn about medicine.  The Navy transferred him to Bethesda Hospital, Maryland where He assisted in the Emergency Room.  Upon being discharged from active duty in 1954, he went to Wagner College on the G.I. bill and earned his BS in Biology with focus on PreMed.  Truly a scientist at heart, Chet enjoyed a lengthy career with Hoffman-LaRoche as a Senior Scientist, conducting research and developing new drugs.  He was proud to have two drugs named to his credit while working there, both of which are still in production today.

Chet was a quiet, simple and gentle man who always had a quick smile or a hug for anyone. He was very kind hearted and he never wanted to be the center of attention. He had many dear friends and lots of laughter at the Vernon Seniors Center, which he truly enjoyed. He was one of those helpful people who was never afraid to step in and lend a hand.  He made friends everywhere he went and often embarrassed his daughters when they were younger because he would strike up a conversation with total strangers, and make new friends in the process.  There is nothing Chet loved more than being outdoors, hiking and canoeing.  He had hiked in many of the National Parks, including Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Grand Tetons.  His favorite was Arches National Park in Utah.  Chet had been canoeing in the Adirondacks many times and on the Black River.  As would be expected, he always made friends with the park rangers and other hikers he met along the way.  He leaves behind more friends than anyone could count, and they will all miss him dearly.

Chet is survived by his two daughters; Marilena Flynn and her husband Edward of Golden, Colorado, and Colette Baruth of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, one granddaughter; Kelsey Flynn of Los Angeles, California, a sister; Joan Baruth of Wayne, and a brother; Fred Baruth of Toms River.

Please consider a donation to the following organizations which were near and dear to his :

New York/New Jersey Trail conference – my dad volunteered here for several years and is the place where he met his best friend when he was in his 70s!

https://www.nynjtc.org/

Appalachian mountain Club;  He loved to talk to the backpackers hiking the trail near his home:

https://www.outdoors.org/

Rails to Trails Conservancy- takes old railroad tracks and converts them into biking trails for the public to enjoy.

https://www.railstotrails.org/about/

We hope you can join us to celebrate the life of this very special man. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.

Lynn Krikorian, aged 71 of Riverdale, passed away on Monday, September 10, 2018, after more than a two and a half year brave battle with multiple myeloma.  Lynn was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the daughter of George and Elsie Schwarz.

Lynn was a cheerleader for Warren Harding High School and graduated with the Class of 1965.  She went on to Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1969. She was also a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She continued her education at William Paterson University where she proudly received her Master of Science in Nursing Education in 2007.

In her early working years in Connecticut, Lynn became a Registered Nurse and worked in the Bridgeport Hospital emergency room and pediatrics unit, as well as a visiting nurse.  She began working on the teaching side of nursing at the Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York and fell in love with that profession.  After moving to New Jersey, she became a nursing lab coordinator and instructor at Passaic County Community College and taught there for 27 years. After she reluctantly retired in 2016, she continued to teach part-time in order to mentor students, which was her passion.

Lynn loved to travel and was always ready for a new adventure…anywhere, anytime. She was a true animal lover who had a dog by her side since childhood but more recently adopted a cat. Her happy place was sitting on the beach, reading a book, and going for a swim in the ocean. Lynn was always active and enjoyed going to a Broadway play in NYC, a movie or concert and meals out with friends or family.  She always left room for a chocolate dessert, coffee and popcorn.

Lynn was survived by two daughters: Kristen Krikorian of South Boston, MA, and Lauren Erickson and her husband Trevor of West Milford, NJ; and one granddaughter: Amber Erickson. She also leaves behind many loving relatives, friends and colleagues.

Donations in Lynn’s name can be made to the American Red Cross  PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839, would be greatly appreciated.

Robert A. Gross, age 82, of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home with his loving family by his side, on Sunday, September 9, 2018.

Born in Paterson, Bob was raised there on Lily Street. An interesting character already at a young age and with a heart as big as his personality, he attended and ultimately graduated from Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson where he specialized in two things:  woodworking and seeing how many days he could cut by telling his parents that “There was no school today because of the religious holiday for ______________” (and he’d fill in the blank with whatever he saw on his Catholic school’s calendar – even if it wasn’t an official day off from school).

After high school, Bob got his first job at the A&P Grocery Store in Pompton Lakes where his father was a supervisor. It was there that he met the love of his life. Her name was Margaret Gilmartin and it was love at first sight. Marriage would have to wait while Bob went off to Germany where he proudly served for two years in the U.S. Army. Even before returning from service he had proposed to Marge long distance and had her ring sent to her from Germany. Soon after returning, he and Marge made their wedding vows to each other on Sunday, November 17, 1957 at St. Paul’s Church in Prospect Park. Right after the wedding festivities were over, Marge needed an emergency appendectomy so, while the honeymoon never happened, the sixty years of their marriage was pretty-much like a honeymoon! They moved to Wayne in 1967 where they had resided for the rest of Bob’s life.

Bob settled into adulthood by celebrating the arrival of two daughters and a son. He continued to work for the A&P - in fact, he worked exclusively for the company his entire career. For many years, like his father before him, he worked as a merchandiser for the tristate area stores. The job brought lots of perks in a day and age when it was lawful for companies to seek to entice guys like Bob to dedicate vast amount of shelf space to their products. Bob always enjoyed going to work and the benefits from vendors like free tickets to Broadway shows (he was going as much as twice a month), multiple free trips with Marge and the kids to Disney World, season tickets to the New York Mets, unending samples of food, and even a tour of the orange groves at Tropicana, made it even more rewarding and fun! As his working years were winding down, Bob worked the dairy department close to home in the former A&P store on the corner of Valley and Preakness Avenue.

Bob had a personality as big as Texas. He was happiest and most energized in the company of family and friends. Consequently, he loved a good party and the Gross residence was party central for all the major holidays. Of course, you can’t have a good gathering without good food. No problem! Bob had that angle covered too. You see, Bob was the resident cook. He loved cooking and it was a hobby he practiced constantly. Family favorites included his homemade tomato sauce and his chicken parmigiana with spaghetti, which was so delicious, it would have Italian chefs wondering how this Hungarian pulled it off so well! Bob had a couple of his own personal favorites including something he called Roly Poly’s and Nookle Soup, both of which his family considered to be just plain yucky. A man who embraced, as he would say, “TA-dition”…..every year for Halloween, he made something he simply called Casserole. As great a cook as he was, sometimes he was just as happy with a trip to Burger King for a Whopper, Jr. and, if he was in the mood for lobster, he’d think nothing of driving to Maine to get the best.

The most important things in Bob’s life were loving and being with his entire family and having a good time. He had a great gift for combining these two loves and sometimes it made for some pretty interesting and humorous scenarios. In the early years, when his kids were growing up, the family gathered every summer in a home they rented down the shore on Joseph Street in Lavallette. Near this house was the Colonial Bakery which had a good customer in the Gross’s. The Lavallette tradition passed with time but Bob was always delighted in later years when his granddaughter Dawn would visit and bring him a crumb cake from that favorite bakery. Bob loved the ocean and times at the Jersey shore often included deep sea fishing trips in Point Pleasant with his son-in-law Dan. On these trips Bob gave new meaning to the concept of bringing his own chum. The chum came in the form of pickled pimento sandwiches which began as a delicious lunch which he thoroughly enjoyed. Eventually the waves of the ocean would make Bob sick enough to throw up over the side of the boat, attracting the fish for the catch of the day. Then there was the time he and Marge were vacationing in Aruba with his daughter Cathy and son-in-law Larry. Sitting on the beach one day, they all realized they were on a topless beach. Not wanting to be an obvious gawker, Bob ingeniously cut two peep holes in his newspaper and held it in front of his face pretending to read. He waited all day to see his first topless sun bather – an extremely elderly woman, prompting an exclamation Bob was known to use on many other occasions – “Why me?” After retiring from the A&P Bob and Marge took numerous cruises and got to travel through much of Europe including Austria, Germany, The Netherlands and other countries. He also took his whole family, including grandchildren, in a rented motor home, traveling together to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

Bob adored his grandchildren and it wasn’t uncommon for him to try to play practical jokes on them. For example, while taking care of his grandson Zach, he tried to engineer the old bucket-full-of water-over-the-door trick to get Zach soaked when he returned home from school. Unfortunately Zach saw the bucket. Determined to win though, Bob tried it again another time only to somehow become the wet recipient of his own shenanigans. He got such a kick out of his grandson Danny too who, as a little child, was always trying to help Grandpa but, as kids will do when they’re little, was actually making more work for Bob. And then there’s his granddaughter Leiha who Bob always claimed was his favorite grandchild. It was a standing joke within the family, but Bob never denied it.

Bob’s love of life and loving devotion to his family and friends alike was awesome! He lived a full life and in the process, filled the lives of those he knew with memories they will cherish and laugh about for the rest of their lives.

Bob was the beloved husband of Margaret – blessed in marriage for 60 years; loving father of Mary and husband Dan Meyer of Wayne, Cathy and husband Larry Burke of Sinking Springs, PA, and the late Robert Gross (2000); adored grandfather of Leiha and husband Mike, Dawn and husband Aaron, Daniel, and Zach; cherished great-grandfather of Dennis, Michael, Vanna, and Quinn; dear brother of Eleanor Gross of Hudson, FL, and Joseph and wife Susan Gross of Canton, GA; and dear uncle of Lisa and Christine.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS  66675 (www.WoundedWarriorProject.org).

Elsie A. Scelba (nee Mostardo), age 94 of Wayne, died on Saturday, September 1, 2018 after a brief illness.  Raised in Lyndhurst, she has lived in Wayne since 1964.

Elsie enjoyed a very traditional Italian lifestyle during her early years, where everything revolved around family and, of course, the church.  She was one of eight children, so there was always plenty of family around.  Shortly after high school, she took a job at the Leslie Machinery company in Lyndhurst where she met Sebastian “Charles” Scelba.  Charlie invited her to a hockey game for their first date, and she accepted.  She didn’t know the first thing about hockey, and still doesn’t, but the date was a success!  Their romance soon led to marriage and they exchanged vows on April 30, 1944 at Sacred Heart RC Church in Lyndhurst.  They went to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon before heading south to Florida for a few days, and visiting family and friends along the way.  They settled into a home in Passaic before eventually moving to Wayne in 1964.  They enjoyed a marriage that included lots of hard work, but made for a truly good life together.  Sadly, Charlie passed away in 2007 after sixty-three years together.

Elsie continued to live by those family values she learned as a young girl.  Keeping her family close was always a priority, and she was there for her children at every turn.  Becoming a grandmother was very natural for her, and she attended every sporting event and activity that she could with her grandchildren.  She took them all to Disney World several times, and her joy simply came from seeing each of them having fun.  Summers in LBI have been a tradition for many years and Elsie loved it when everyone gathered there too.

Elsie was also a devout Catholic since her earliest years.  Her faith was tested many times, but she always trusted God.  When her son was drafted and sent to Vietnam, she would carry Rosary beads in her hands perpetually, went to church every morning for mass, and then made her husband drive her around to evening Novena, wherever it was being held.  She never stopped carrying those Rosary beads, she never stopped praying, and never stopped going to mass.  She always kept the faith.

Elsie is survived by her three children; Charles “Chuck” Scelba and his wife Angela of Totowa, Janet Cooke and her husband Paul of Wayne, and Patricia Speidel of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, seven grandchildren; Dr. Paul Cooke and his wife Jennifer of Cranbury, NJ, Linda Wright and her husband David of N. Haledon, NJ, Lauren Cooke of Bellville, Kelly Speidel of Tappahannock, VA, Stephen Speidel and his wife Deanne of Vernon, Anthony Scelba and his wife Lynn of Wayne, and Ariana Adamo and her husband Thomas of Wayne, fifteen great-grandchildren; Paul, Grace, and Erin Cooke, Finley, Jack, and Owen Wright, Dominic and Damian Scelba, Christian and Austin Adamo, Stephen and Sean Speidel, and R.J., Kainen, and Garrison Speidel, three siblings; Arthur Mostardo, Marie Morrone of Brick, and Peter Mostardo.  She was predeceased by her beloved husband Charles in 2007, by her grandson Robert Speidel, by her son-in-law Robert Speidel, and by four siblings; August, Joseph, and Julian Mostardo and Ida Frangipane.

Donations in Elsie’s memory would be greatly appreciated.  Please consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or visit www.stjude.org.

Lillian E. Lougheed (nee Horchak), age 80 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on August 31, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne since 1964.

Lillian grew up in Passaic and graduated from Passaic High School with the class of 1956.  Shortly thereafter, she met Bob Lougheed on a blind date.  He took her to the Palisades Park that day, and they hit it off.  Bob soon proposed and they were married on July 9, 1960.  Four years later they moved to Wayne to raise their family.  Lillian began working as a teacher’s aid at the Theunis Dey elementary school and then as her children became older, she became a bank teller at the First National Bank in the Preakness Shopping Center.  This evolved into a lengthy banking career in which she rose to the rank of Manager.  Her employers included Wachovia Bank, Wells Fargo, and she even worked at the bank branch located within the American Cyanamid headquarters in Wayne.

Lillian’s interests were varied.  She loved bowling, and had became quite good at it.  She was in several leagues at the T-Bowl lanes throughout the years.  She loved reading murder mystery novels and watching British comedies on PBS.  Lillian’s dry sense of humor was right on par with those British shows.  She loved animals very much and typically had two cats and a dog in the house.  She even rescued a baby squirrel once, nursing it back to health and kept it as a house pet!  “Peanuts” was his name, and he would sit on Bob’s shoulder, eating from their hands.  Lillian was a huge baseball fan, devoted to the NY Mets right up until they committed an unforgivable sin by releasing Justin Turner.  This made her furious and she had no choice but to become a Dodgers fan the moment Justin Turner joined their roster.  She has followed him throughout his career and written to him on a few occasions.  Recently, Justin was kind enough to send her a personal video of encouragement which brought her immeasurable joy.  Knowing that he took time out of his busy schedule to do that for her meant so much, and she was very grateful to him.

Lillian was also a wonderful mother, always there for her kids.  She coached softball for years and was the score-keeper for all the PAL baseball games during the years her kids were involved.  More recently, she enjoyed traveling with her daughter and the two of them have had some great trips together.  Her children and grandchildren will all miss her dearly.

Lillian is survived by her three children; Wayne A. Lougheed of Wayne, Robert “Scott” Lougheed and his wife Deborah of Wayne, and Kathleen Mayer and her husband Joseph of Wayne, five grandchildren; Sean, Ryan, Christina, Nicole, and Scott, one sister; Joan Kelly of Passaic, and a brother; Andrew Dragwa of Toms River.  She was predeceased by her husband Robert in 2008, by her sister Rosie Fisher, and by her brother John Horchak.

Sydney Herschel Rodin passed away on Thursday, August 30, 2018 while in the loving presence of his wife and three of his children.

Born on October 23, 1926 in Sioux City, Iowa, he was a World War II veteran serving four years in the U.S. Merchant Marines from 1944 as a purser responsible for clerical work, payroll and supplies, as well as performing basic medical procedures onboard ship.

Sydney was a private pilot and a ham radio operator. During the Falls, PA flood in the 1970’s he facilitated communications using the radio while the phone lines were down.

In 1960, he met his lovely wife, Geri, at a business party. They created their own business, beginning with just two-and-a-half employees, including themselves. They grew their enterprise to 150 people working 24/7 to create and market New Year's Eve party favors. By going above and beyond the call of duty, Rodin Industries maintained an impeccable reputation for service and quality in the promotional products industry, earning many awards.

Syd and Geri eventually moved to Scottsdale, AZ and maintained a small portion of their original business working from home. They loved to travel and they hiked many miles together. Syd was an honest and courageous man, and had a warm sense of humor, even to the end.

Sydney was the son of the late Idell and David Rodin. He was the husband of Geraldine, and father of their three children: Michael Rodin (Renee), Nannette DiMascio (Ron), and David Rodin II (Elke); father of his three children: Irvin Rodin, Jennifer Seigner (Thomas), and the late Laurie Jane Rodin, from his previous wife Arlene Shwartz-Hockenberg; grandfather of Keyhaan Rodin, Aimee Rodin, David Rodin III and Andrew Seigner; and brother of Helen Novak and Ducky Milder.

Flowers may be sent to The Chapel at Cedar Crest or donations made to Cedar Crest Resident Care Fund, 1 Cedar Crest Drive, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

Steven Joseph Rosimini age 33 of Wayne passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday August 28, 2018.

Steven grew up in Wayne, one of three children to Roy and Shari Rosimini.  As a young boy, Steven enjoyed traveling to upstate New York near Utica where an uncle of his owned property.  He and his cousins, who looked to Steven as an older brother, would spend hours and days riding their dirt bikes and their quads.  It was at this young age when Steven developed his sort of Daredevil mentality and attitude.  He graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the class of 2002.  Following his graduation, Steven worked on an off in the irrigation industry, installing and repairing irrigation systems.  He enjoyed the work and was quite good at it.  He worked for Corner to Corner Irrigation in Fairlawn for most of his time in the industry.

When Steven was only six years old, his older sister Danielle, who was only ten years old, passed away after a courageous battle with Leukemia.  Although only being six years old at the time, this tragic event had a profound impact on Steven’s life.  Steven was the type of guy that was able to see a person for they’re worth and was a good judge of character.  Steven was a very spiritual person, was good hearted and forgiving. He was often thought by his family to be forgiving in situations when he did not need to be, or should not have been.

Steven had a great insight and could converse fluently about almost any sport.  He was an avid fan of the New York Yankees, the Miami Dolphins, and the New York Knicks.  He also loved animals, especially dogs, Boxers in particularly.  One of his Boxers, Nikko predeceased him, however another Boxer, Cami survives.  Cami was a deathly ill Bulldog that Steven helped foster and nurture back to health and with whom he developed a strong and special bond.

Life often requires people to have considerable amounts of mental and physical strengths to survive and get through life.  Steven often times encountered struggles in his life and did his very best to overcome them.  He faced many difficulties, adversities and extreme challenges in his life and it always seemed that Steven was trying and laboring to fix his situations, his problems, or “himself.” Steven was a special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by his family and his friends.

Steven is survived by his mother Shari D’Agostino of Wayne, his father Roy Romini of Wayne, one brother Roy Rosmini and his wife Kristen of Hardyston, his uncles; Joseph Devito and his wife Faith of Staten Island, Gary Rosimini and his wife Patricia of Brooklyn, his aunts; Judy Rosimini of West Hempstead, Rosemary Rosimini of Ravena, NY, and Kim Sebastiano and her husband Frank of Staten Island, fourteen cousins; Anthony Jr, Kenneth Jr, Gary Jr, Michael, Nicole, Annie, Joseph, Nicholas, Vincent, Michael, Emily, Sophie, Angelina, and Joseph Jr, one niece; Noelle, and one nephew; Cole, and his girlfriend Meghan.  Steven was predeceased by his sister Danielle Rosimini in 1992, as well as his uncles; Anthony and Kenneth Rosimini.

Mary “Betty” Bothe (nee Consoli) age 99 of Fairview passed away peacefully on Tuesday August 28, 2018 in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Betty was born in San Donato Di Ninea, Italy.  She was one of six children to John and Concetta  Consoli.  Betty’s family immigrated to the United States in 1928.  Betty was a part of a group in our society that has become known as of late as the Greatest Generation.  People of the Greatest Generation are people who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression and later as young adults bore witness to the Second World War.  Subsequent to arriving in the United States, Betty’s family settled in Cliffside Park and eventually moved to Fairview where Betty would call her home for the rest of her life.  During her time in high school, Betty took an interest in Basketball and played for their High School team.  After graduating from Cliffside High School with the class of 1936, Betty worked for a short time at various company’s doing various types of work.  In the early 1940’s Betty was introduced to a handsome young man by the name of Otto George Bothe by some mutual friends.  Their very first date was a night out on the town dancing.  As fate would have it, they fell in love and on June 10, 1945 they were married in Our Lady of Grace Church in Fairview.

Immediately after getting married, Betty devoted herself to being a homemaker.  She dedicated herself to caring and nurturing her family.  Betty was an outstanding cook, especially of Italian food and always had dinner ready for her husband and children at 4:30 every day like clockwork.  Sunday dinners were always a big event in the Bothe house, where Betty would cook up Thanksgiving caliber dinners weekly.  Needless to say that Holiday Dinners were always planned to be at Betty’s home.  She was very active in the PTA and Little League where her sons participated and was extremely involved in every aspect of her children’s lives as they grew up. Her family has very fond memories of their summer vacations and weekends at the Jersey Shore in Brick Township and Point Pleasant.  Later in Betty’s life she put her homemaking and motherly skills to good use, she took jobs as a babysitter for several children.

Betty was very dedicated to her Catholic Faith and was a parishioner for many years at Our Lady of Grace Church in Fairview where she also sang in the Church Choir.  Betty was very active in the senior’s clubs in her town and as an avid bowler, playing in her women’s leagues well into her nineties.  She was also a member of the VFW in Cliffside Park for many years.  Betty was gregarious and the kind of person who seemed to know everyone.  She made countless lifelong friendships with many of the people she met throughout her life.  She was blessed with good health throughout her life and longevity, however she tragically had to experience two of her sons passing, Robert John Bothe (2017), and John Otto Bothe (2001).  Aside from all of Betty’s talents and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing meant more to Betty than providing for, and spending time with (and feeding!) her family Betty was an extraordinary person who touched the lives of countless people, she was often considered the “glue that held her family together.”  Betty will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.  

Betty is survived by her daughter Janet Kissack and her husband Dana of West Milford, two grandchildren; Robert Bothe and his wife Lori of Hasbrouck Heights, and Michael Bothe and his wife Janice of Middletown, three great grandchildren; Jordan, Kate, and Joseph Bothe all of Hasbrouck Heights.  She was predeceased by her husband Otto Bothe as well as her two sons; Robert John Bothe, and John Otto Bothe.  She was also predeceased by her brothers Patrick Consoli, Sam Consoli, and Anthony Consoli, and her sisters Caroline Dambra and Adeline Consoli.

John “Chick” Choka, age 93 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday August 28, 2018 in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of his family.

Chick was born and raised in Jersey City.  While growing up and attending Dickenson High School in Jersey City, Chick excelled in Baseball at the position of Catcher.  He went on to play for his college team at Jersey City State College.

Following his graduation from high school with the class of 1942, World War II was at its peak.  Chick enlisted into the United States Army in 1943.  He was assigned to the Harbor Craft Division of the Navy but he was officially Army personnel.  Chick served honorably with the United States Army from 1943 until 1946.  Subsequent to his honorable discharge from the Army, Chick took advantage of the GI Bill and went to college to further his education.  Chick attended Jersey City State College and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education with the class of 1951.   Chick then received his Master’s Degree in Supervision and Administration from Teacher’s College, Columbia University in June of 1954.

Chick’s first job was as a teacher at the Roosevelt School where he taught fifth grade.  He held that position for about two years then earned another position as a teacher in Cherry Hill School in River Edge.  Later in 1957, Chick took over the duties of Teaching Principal of Hollie M. Davis.  In 1959 Chick was appointed Principal of Cherry Hill School.  Chick would hold this position for the rest of his career until his retirement nearly thirty years ago.  Chick was never able to shake the “Baseball Bug” from his youth.  He went on to be president of the Wayne Little League, and was active President when they won the Little League World Series in 1970 at Williamsport, PA.  One of the fields next to the next to the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne was named after him in his honor, “John Chick Choka Field.”

Chick served as Explorer Advisor for Post 95 with the Explorer Scouts in River Edge.  Chick was greatly involved with the Wayne Department of Parks and Recreation for many years.  He was a longtime member of the Wayne Elks #2181 as well as a member of the Jersey City AM Vets where he was also past Commander.  Chick was a longtime member of Packanack Community Church where he also served on the Christian Education Committee.

As a teenager, Chick could often be found down by the local “swimming hole” near the Hudson River where he grew up.  There were many young girls who were attracted to Chick because of his funny and witty personality, and later even more so because he owned a car (a yellow convertible to boot!).  But of all the girls that had their eyes on him, Chick asked out an attractive young girl by the name of Luby Halaska.  He asked her to go for a ride in his yellow convertible, as fate would have it they fell in love and following Chick’s honorable discharge from the military they were married at St Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church in Jersey City.  After getting married, John and Luby settled and stayed in Jersey City and started to raise a family.  Their first two children were born there, and in 1959 they family moved to Wayne where their next two children were born.  They would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together.  John and Luby would cherish over 70 years of loving and loyal marriage together.

Chick enjoyed sports, was a New York Yankee fan and had a knack for gardening.  Chick was a teacher at heart and loved to participate and volunteer for anything that benefited children.  Although, Chick’s greatest passion was for his family, nothing meant more to Chick than providing for and spending time with his family.  He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.  Between his volunteer work and his profession, Chick touched the lives of countless people and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew him.

Chick is survived by his wife Luby (nee Halaska), three sons; Gary and his wife Eileen of Wayne, Wayne and his wife Ann of Andover, and Christopher and his wife Liz of Charlotte, NC, one daughter Claudia Kelly and her husband Kevin of Bradenton, FL, nine grandchildren; Autumn, Christopher, Justin, Shawn, Ryan, Connor, Chasen, Gary, and Melissa.  He was predeceased by his brother George Choka and his sister Ann Ellerson.

In lieu of flowers donations in Chick’s name can be made to Wayne Little League, 11 Copley Ct. Wayne, NJ 07470.

Anthony “Buddy” Martone age 87 formerly of Wayne passed away peacefully at home on Monday August 27, 2018 in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of his family.

Anthony was born and raised in Passaic, NJ.  He remained there with his family until the late 1980’s when he and his wife Kathleen moved to Packanack Lake in Wayne.

After graduating Passaic High School, Anthony went on to William Paterson State University where he earned his Master’s Degree in Education, and continued his education until leaving college just nine credits shy of his doctorate degree.  Following his graduation, Anthony earned a position in the city of Newark as a School Teacher in a local high school.  He taught there for more than 10 years.  Anthony also started a small business named after his daughters called Darlyn Announcements, where he would sell door to door printed invitations for weddings, baptisms, etc.  Concurrent to his teaching career, Anthony earned his Real Estate License.  During the summers Anthony would sell Real Estate as a means to make extra money for his family.  Business got to be so good that Anthony left behind his teaching career and focused solely on Real Estate, eventually getting his Real Estate Broker’s License where he would buy and sell commercial properties.  He then started another company named Automated Agency Associates located in the city of Clifton, selling insurance.  Anthony would buy and sell property and insurance until his retirement in the late 1980’s.

As a young man in Passaic High School, Anthony met a young beautiful girl, Kathleen Massaro.  They dated all throughout high school and on June 22, 1952 they were married in Mt Carmel Church in Passaic.  They remained in Passaic and would raise their three daughters there until moving to Packanack Lake in Wayne.

Anthony was a big sports fan throughout his life, playing high school football at Passaic High School. He was also an avid skier, diver, and taught all of his children to ice skate and swim.  He enjoyed traveling and riding his Honda Goldwing Motorcycle.  He would take his family on many cross country trips throughout the years, also visiting the 1965 World’s Fair in New York.  Aside from all of Anthony’s talents and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing meant more to Anthony than providing for and spending time with his children and grandchildren.  Kathleen and Anthony cherished more than sixty-six years of loving marriage.  Anthony never lost the love of teaching, he was a teacher at heart.  He was also a wonderful caregiver to his entire family.  Anthony touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by all who knew him.

Anthony is survived by his wife Kathleen Massaro of Riverdale, three daughters; Debralyn Terranova and her husband Michael of Wayne, Darlene Moskal and her late husband Walter of Mahwah, and Kimberly Savvides and her husband Mario of Parrish, FL, one sister Carol DeBlasi and her husband Richard of Wylie, TX, seven grandchildren; Christopher and his wife Lauren, Lyndsay and her husband David, Jamie, Allie, Kelly, Tyler, and Eric, and two great grandchildren Madison and Jayden.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Anthony’s name may be made to Alzheimer’s New Jersey, 425 Eagle Rock Ave, Suite 203, Roseland, NJ 07068.

Edith Kueppers, age 91, of Wayne, passed on Sunday, August 26, 2018. She was born and raised in Paterson having graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1945. Edith has lived in Wayne for over sixty years.

Edith Kueppers, age 91, of Wayne, passed on Sunday, August 26, 2018. She was born and raised in Paterson having graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1945. Edith has lived in Wayne for over sixty years.

While driving in Paterson with the roof down in a convertible Bob spotted a classmate from high school named Edith Warren. They waved to each other and as fate would have it they fell in love. Bob and Edith married on May 8, 1948 at Saint Brendan’s RC Church in Clifton and honeymooned in Florida. They have enjoyed sixty-nine years of a loving and caring marriage until Bob’s passing on August 25, 2017.

Edith was the devoted mother of Lorrain Kueppers of Beachwood and the late Robert Kueppers; the beloved grandmother of Jeffrey and Jennifer Kueppers and cherished great-grandmother of Adrianna Kueppers.

Jacqueline A. Trombetta Aukamp, age 84 of West Milford and formerly of Henderson, NV, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 25, 2018.

Jackie was born and raised in Brooklyn where she attended the Fort Hamilton High School, graduating with the Class of 1951.

A couple of years after school, Jackie married and, with the blessed arrival of two sons and a daughter, she assumed her role as mother and homemaker at their home in Massapequa, Long Island. When the marriage ended, Jackie and her children moved to a log cabin in Lake Lenape in Andover, NJ. With grit and a whole bunch of determination, Jackie returned to the workplace and carved a path where she could provide for her kids while continuing to maintain her beautiful, God-given sense of humor and be the fun-loving, stabling presence in their young lives. She started as a waitress, eventually getting a job as a secretary for the Andover Sand and Gravel Company while simultaneously pursuing a license in real estate. She later settled into a position as a payroll administrator in Parsippany where she worked for many years.

When her sons and daughter were grown, Jackie found love again but it certainly wasn’t love at first sight. Set up on a blind date by mutual friends, Mr. Leroy “Sonny” Aukamp showed up in an outfit complete with white sneakers and black socks. Now Jackie fancied herself a fashionable woman which she was indeed! So Sonny’s choice of socks and shoes put doubts into her mind from the get-go. In spite of that bumpy start, Jackie and Sonny eventually realized that their personalities, strengths and weaknesses actually complimented each other quite nicely. They decided to make their relationship permanent and so they married before the justice of the peace at the Budd Lake Fire House where Sonny was a fire fighter. After the wedding, the newly married Mrs. Jacqueline Aukamp joined Sonny in his home in Budd Lake.

After they both retired, Jackie and Sonny moved to Henderson, Nevada, near Las Vegas. With so much to do in Vegas, they had a great retirement. Jackie loved playing cards and bingo at the local casinos and her house had an abundance of free gifts which the casinos offered to entice you to come play. She and Sonny also loved the casino’s plethora of shows with headline entertainers. Jackie was an avid traveler who enjoyed trips all over the U.S. including destinations like Hawaii and Italy, and she also vacationed in Bermuda with her sister Joan and daughter Susan.  

Good times were plenty in Jackie’s life. You could say that her fun disposition was like a good-times magnet and friends and family just loved to be in her company. She especially enjoyed trips to the beach, playing golf with Sonny and her son Michael in the Poconos, taking the camping trailer to the Poconos with Sonny and her grandchildren, and visiting with her son Stephen and his family in Colorado.

After Jackie’s beloved husband Sonny passed away in 1998, she decided to stay in Nevada where she enjoyed a large circle of friends and also found great satisfaction volunteering with the Catholic Charities organization, teaching many children of Spanish descent to read in the English language. Jackie would also visit Colorado and New Jersey where she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. While her role was that of being their grandmother, Jackie was more like a great friend. She loved teasing them in a good-natured way and she gave those grandkids complete license to tease her right back. Being an avid reader of the National Inquirer and the Star and always enjoying watching the latest musical entertainment shows on television, Jackie was just as current on her grandkids generation of music and entertainment as they were – sometimes even more current!. Those kids really adored their grandma and each of them had unique nicknames for her.

Above all else in Jackie’s life, her family was what she valued the most. Before moving to Nevada, Christmas Eve was always traditionally spent at Jackie’s house. When she moved, her kids continued the tradition and Jackie’s surprise visits at Christmas time were always a welcome treat. In 2013, she returned home to New Jersey to live for the rest of her life. Her children and grandchildren will always cherish great memories of a mother and grandmother who was just so darn funny. She leaves behind wonderful memories of crazy times like the pudding fight in the log cabin on Lenape Lake, but she also leaves behind a host of lessons for life that inspire. For example, when times were a little tough and money was not in great supply, Jackie taught her family that, just because money was tight, didn’t mean you had to show it. Consequently, she believed in dressing with class and always making sure that her hair looks stylish. Even recently, while living in the Milford Manor these past few years, the caregivers were so impressed by Jackie’s sharp looking clothes – especially her leather outfit. An avid movie watcher, Jackie gave each of her kids an appreciation for great cinema. She was a wonderful inspiration to all, to enjoy the good things of life, like a nice cocktail, a great movie, and the joys of seeing all that there is to offer in this great big world.

Jacqueline was the beloved wife of Leroy “Sonny” Aukamp, blessed in marriage until his passing in 1998. She was the loving mother of Stephen and wife Jana Trombetta of Edwards, CO, Michael Trombetta of Budd Lake, and Susan and husband Walter Siubis of Kinnelon; adored grandmother of: Samantha Askey, Matthew Siubis, Marissa Safer, Anthony Trombetta, Tyler Trombetta, Zach Trombetta, and Ana Trombetta; cherished great-grandmother of Julien and Beckham Siubis; dear sister of the late Joan Rulka; and dear aunt of Scott and Keith Rulka.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jacqueline’s name are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or online at www.alz.org

Rita Laubscher, age 90 of Wayne, passed away Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

She was born to Hugo and Henriette Raunecker in Patchogue, New York and raised in the Jamaica section of Queens, New York. She graduated from Jamaica High School in Queens, New York with the Class of 1946.

Rita met a handsome young man named George Robert Laubscher, Jr. as he was a friend of her brother Dick. Their first date was to a Broadway show in New York City. They married on May12, 1951 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hollis, NY and honeymooned in Virginia Beach, Virginia. When they married they lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, New Orleans, Louisiana, the Fayson Lakes section of Kinnelon, New Jersey and settled in Wayne, New Jersey in 1964. Rita and George enjoyed fifty-eight years of a loving and devoted marriage before his passing in 2009.

Rita entered the working world as a secretary with NBC in Rockefeller Center during the launch of color TV. She later spent several years as a reading tutor at Mt. View Elementary School in Wayne. For over 50 years, she was an active committee member / volunteer at her church: St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Wayne.

She will be lovingly remembered for being outgoing, personable, meticulous and for always having a positive outlook on life She always enjoyed sewing, quilting, crocheting, and picked up Counted Cross Stitch embroidery while the family lived in The Hague, Netherlands. She lived by the motto “do it right or don’t do it at all.” Her attention to detail was exemplified by the fact that her Counted Cross Stitch creations looked as good in the back as the front. Rita also was known for her green thumb with many various house plants but especially her collection of orchids.

Rita was the loving wife of the late George Robert Laubscher, Jr. (2009); devoted mother of Paul Laubscher and his wife Esme of South Salem, NY, Gail L. Laubscher-Summer of Hickory, NC, and David A. Laubscher and his wife Linda of Chapel Hill, NC; she was the cherished grandmother of Luke Laubscher, Mark Laubscher, Jessica Summer and her husband John Szewczyk, Melissa and her husband Robert Wells, Kevin Laubscher, and Kristen and her husband Alex Bellows; she was the loved sister of the late Richard Raunecker; dearly loved aunt of Sarah Raunecker and her husband Rob Alberts.

Dr. Michael Utidjian, age 87, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday August 22, 2018 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Michael was born in London, England in 1931. From an early age he was known for his inquisitive nature and love of science, particularly chemistry. A graduate of the Highgate School in London, his time there was notable for his evacuation with a group of his classmates to the English countryside at Hartland Abbey during the London Blitz. Like his father before him, he chose to pursue a career in medicine and earned his medical degree at University College London Medical School.

His clinical career saw him practice medicine in England as well as far flung locales such as Iraq and Trinidad before ultimately immigrating to the United States. As a foreign medical graduate, Michael was initially prevented from obtaining his medical license in the States for ten years. Undeterred, he embarked on a career in public health and occupational medicine, working first in academia and then the pharmaceutical industry, publishing dozens of papers and guidelines on the safety standards for occupational exposures. His final position as corporate medical director at American Cyanamid saw him overseeing the safety of the company’s workers across the country and internationally.

During his retirement, Michael continued to travel the world. He often spent his summers in England visiting his brother and sister, Leon and Rosemary, and reconnecting with lifelong friends. For many years he would join his high school classmates for reunions at Hartland Abbey, reminiscing about their school boy adventures in the countryside.

A beloved father, grandfather and friend, Michael will be remembered by those who knew him for his gregarious nature, his keen wit, and his endless curiosity about the world and its cultures.

He is survived by his five children, Dikran, David, Araxi, Lynn and Levon, and four grandsons, Austin, Colton, Parker and Connor. He is also survived by his sister, Rosemary. He was predeceased by his parents, Dr. Haigouni Dikran Absalom Utidjian and Edith Utidjian.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Michael’s name are asked to consider donations in memory or honor of Dr. Michael Utidjian to two charities:

The Children of Armenia Fund, https://www.coafkids.org/

Doctors without Borders, https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/.

Saundra “Sandi” (Storms) Putnam, formerly of Wanaque/West Milford, NJ (recently of Warsaw/Geneseo, NY), died peacefully of a brief illness on Monday, August 20, 2018, with her family near her side, in a Rochester (NY) hospital. She was 71.

Sandi is predeceased by her husband of 20 years, James E. Putnam, whom she wed in 1983. She is also predeceased by her parents, Bernard and Phyllis Storms.

Sandi was born in Paterson and lived in Pompton Lakes before moving at a young age to Haskell (Wanaque Borough). Sandi remained in the area most of her life.

She graduated from Lakeland Regional High School, Wanaque, in 1965. Sandi worked at A&P (Haskell) and Gelman’s (Pompton Lakes) while attending Paterson State Teachers College. She accepted a position right out of college teaching US History and Sociology at her high school alma mater, Lakeland, where she would spend the next 33 years. Mid-career, Sandi obtained a Master’s in Psychology by attending night classes at Montclair State College. This enabled her to teach Behavioral Studies for Lakeland.

Sandi was a dedicated teacher and, despite a perception of being strict, was beloved by many students. She gave freely of her own time to supervise many extracurricular activities, including co-founding of the highly successful and nationally recognized ERASE (End Racism and Sexism Everywhere) program. She was also a repeat Class Advisor, who chaperoned Proms and trips; coached Girls’ Basketball; announced Varsity Football; and helped found the Beautification Project that positively impacted both the school and the community (Addice Park). Sandi also spearheaded student conference days regarding Alcoholism and initially led the Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) movement at Lakeland. Sandi felt strongly about this topic and fostered open discussions about it with her students.

Apart from teaching, Sandi helped raise her husband’s two daughters as teenagers, retained a strong interest in politics and current events, and was a devoted daughter, sister, and aunt.

In her salad days, her friends saw her fun-loving side, during bowling league; weekends up to Hunter Mountain or summers at The Jersey Shore or in The Hamptons; and on memorable trips, including Hawaii and Myrtle Beach. Sandi also had fond memories of family reunions, trips, and picnics. Trips to Memphis and Florida with her husband as well as her one international trip to Toronto for ERASE figured prominently in her memories.

In addition, Sandi had creative flair, with an excellent eye for color and style. She was known among her friends and family as having exceptional taste in clothing and home décor. She enjoyed making special napkin rings and floral arrangements for family events. Also, she was known as an accomplished shopper who was generous with others to a fault.

Sandi was a very giving person and eventually became caregiver for her parents and husband, in spite of her own serious and chronic health conditions. After her “early” retirement from teaching and the family’s relocation to Western New York, Sandi continued to work tirelessly and selflessly for her parents and husband until their subsequent deaths.

Sandi is survived by two younger brothers, Stephen (Lee) Storms, of Warsaw, NY, and Jeffrey (Michele) Storms of Caldwell, ID; a younger sister, Stacy (Christopher) Dorland, of Rochester, NY; a step-daughter, Terry (David) Futcher of Highland Lakes, NJ; and two grown grandsons, David James and Corey Futcher, also of Highland Lakes. She leaves behind many bereaved nieces and nephews as well as many old and new friends.

Sandi loved flowers, but she was also very civic-minded. Honor her memory as you wish and as befits her legacy of generosity.

Lois Alicia Epper, age 83, of Paterson, passed into eternal rest and into the presence of God’s glory on Thursday, August 16, 2018.

Lois was born in Paterson and raised in Hackensack and Hillsdale. She was a graduate of Paterson’s Central High School, Class of 1954 and, after graduation, she went to work as a secretary for the Lotte Chemical Company in Paterson.

Lois met her husband Charles at a baseball game. After a happy time of courtship, they decided that love should lead to marriage and so on Saturday, August 21, 1954, they exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at the Paterson Avenue United Methodist Church. After their honeymoon, in Washington DC, they made their first home together in Paterson where, a couple of years later, they welcomed the blessing of a baby boy and Lois quickly settled into the role of mother and homemaker. Sadly, in 1961, Lois’ husband Charles passed away after only seven years of marriage.

Lois had to return to the workplace and, knowing that she would need a job of a primary bread winner, she attended nursing school at Passaic County Tech. After graduating as a licensed practical nurse, she took her first position at Barnert Hospital in Paterson working the day shift so she could get Jack off to school and making sure to be home when his classes were over. After some time at Barnert, she joined the staff of Dr. Charles Gold, Podiatrist in Fairlawn until ovarian cancer necessitated a leave of absence. By God’s grace, after a complete recovery, Lois went to work for NJ Carbonator Service – a soft drink distributor, until retirement in 1997.

Despite having to work full-time, Lois put as much love and passion as any great mom would into her God-given role as mother. She considered it to be the most important calling in her life and she was a top-notch mom. After a long day at work and school, she and her son Jack would spend quality time together going over his homework and in their spare time and summers, she shared her love of travel. Lois loved road trips and she and Jack took many of them – sometimes twice a summer up to Maine as well as trips to see family in West Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina. There were also trips in the car to Florida and flights to California to see San Francisco and Yosemite National Park.

Lois enjoyed spending time in her kitchen where a family favorite was her chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes and string beans. She considered cooking to be a hobby and even took classes at Adventures in Cooking in Wayne. A long-time member of the Wayne Presbyterian Church, she had a real heart of service and was always happy to offer a hand if she could. If you needed a meal or a ride to a doctor’s appointment, Lois was there, and when her son Jack was growing up and his friends would come over, Lois was always available to lend an ear and offer some sage advice. At church she served as a deacon and she enjoyed rolling up her sleeves to help out at church functions.

Lois was like a ray of warm sunshine on a chilly day. She was typically upbeat, cheerful and very outgoing. Her son Jack would say that his mom was like a mayor because she was always up to date on current events and loved to talk about them, she liked to fix situations, and she loved to engage in conversation and offer wise counsel. Lois touched the lives of many people and will be sorely missed by her family and friends alike.

Lois was the beloved wife of Charles, blessed in marriage for seven years until his untimely passing in 1961. She was the loving mother of John “Jack” Epper of Paterson; and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews. Lois was also predeceased by her dear brother Alfred Roberts.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Lois’ name are asked to consider the Wayne Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 1200 Alps Road, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Edith M. Restaino (nee Noce), age 98 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, August 15, 2018.  She had lived in Wayne since 1966.

Edith grew up in Newark, on Hartford St., in the heart of the city.  Her family owned several businesses there, including Noce Ice, Noce Fuel Oil, and the C&I Coal Company.  Edith was always good with numbers and served as the bookkeeper for all their businesses, and at the Newman Tannery in Newark, Bally’s Fitness in Wayne, and the Lakeland Healthcare Center in Wanaque, just to name a few.  Her children recall the neighborhood fondly, and they have many good memories of growing up there.  In 1966, she moved with her beloved husband, Nicholas and her family, to Wayne and she’s lived here ever since.

Edith was a devout Catholic who attended mass every day at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne.  Next to her faith in God was her loved for her family.  Everything seemed to revolve around family for her; she was like the hub of their family wheel.  Of course, her cooking was also responsible for drawing people to her home.  She was an absolutely incredible cook who made everything from scratch.  Her fresh pasta and homemade gnocchi were to die for, as was her pickled eggplant and roasted peppers.  Her ricotta cheesecake was second to none.  Anyone who broke bread in her home knows how she brought joy to everyone she met, and left them with a full stomach as well.

Edith is survived by her two children; Patricia Restaino of Wayne, and James Restaino and his wife Eileen of Wanaque, three grandchildren; Maryssa Geist of Wayne, Jesse and Tyler Restaino of Wanaque, and one sister; Fran LaSala.  She was predeceased by her beloved husband Nicholas in 2013, by her granddaughter; Nicole Geist in 1996, and by her five brothers and a sister.

Max A. Huber, age 88, long-time resident of Wayne, died on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.  He had been the owner of Max’s Deli in Wayne from 1981-1998.

Max was born and raised in Munich, Germany.  His childhood was defined by the events of World War II, and he experienced things that kids of today could hardly understand.  For example; there was an 88 mm gun emplacement outside of his home in Munich where Max and his young friends would lay on the ground.  Each time the gun fired, their bodies would bounce up into the air from the shockwave!  It was so much fun, they could hardly wait for the next blast!  After the war ended, the local airport was full of abandoned war planes, and no soldiers to guard them.  Max and his buddies would climb into the planes and play with the controls, pretending to be pilots!  His uncle towed one of the planes home with a horse and wagon, stashing it in his barn.  There was also an abandoned armory nearby Max’s home, full of unsecured weapons.  Max and his friends collected all sorts of “toys” from there, most of which no young boy should play with…but they did.  He brought home a sack full of hand grenades on one occasion, and they turned out to be rather useful for fishing.  In the post-war atmosphere that existed in Germany, there was simply no one around to stop them.  Eventually, Max apprenticed in a small restaurant in Munich, and became a cook for U.S. Army officers stationed there during the occupation.  He made a reputation for himself as being an excellent cook.  He went on to culinary school in Munich and worked at several different venues, including the Moulin Rouge in Paris, where he cooked a meal for Charles De Gaulle.

At twenty-seven years old, Max was able to secure a sponsor and he immigrated to the United States.  Settling in Port Jervis, he began cooking at a German restaurant there.  The location was a little too isolated for him, so he moved to Pequannock and began cooking at the Triangle Hofbrau Restaurant on Rt. 23.  He also worked at The Bethwood Restaurant where he was the executive chef for many years before opening Max’s Deli in 1981, at the Packanack Lake shopping center on Rt. 23.  He was such a personable guy and all the customers loved him.  He ran the deli for seventeen years before selling it and retiring in 1998.

In his leisure time, Max enjoyed the outdoors; hunting, fishing, and deep-sea fishing.  He had a home up in the Catskills where he loved to take care of the lawn and property.  He also had a place in Long Key, Florida for many years where he spent as much time as he could fishing.  He has visited every one of the contiguous United States, traveling around with his slide-on pickup camper.  It wasn’t exactly spacious, but he covered many, many miles with that rig.

Max is survived by his two children; Max J. Huber and his wife Carolle of Morristown, NJ, and his daughter; Christina Huber and her husband Darryl Eason of Valley Cottage, New York, and one granddaughter; Ruby Linden Huber of Los Angeles, California.

Martha D. Cook, age 93, of Wayne, passed away at her home with her loving family by her side, on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

Born and raised in Vandling, PA, Martha was the eighth-born of Ignatz and Emma Grum’s nine children. After graduating high school, Martha and two of her sisters moved to Brooklyn, NY in search of work.  Jobs in small town Vandling were scarce.  Her first job was an administrative position for E.R. Squibb & Sons Pharmaceuticals.  No one was happier that Martha came to work at Squibb than a young gentleman named, Albert Cook.  Al took one glance at Martha and he was smitten!  Their dates ultimately led to marriage on August 12, 1950.

The happy couple purchased their first home in Nanuet, NY where they started their family.  In 1963, Al was transferred by American Cyanamid and they moved into their newly built home in Wayne.  Martha continued her role of full-time mom and homemaker.  Life in the Cook home mirrored that popular TV series of the 1950’s and 60’s; “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett”.  

The Cook’s were some of the first parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Church.  Sunday mass was always followed by 2:00 PM family dinner. It was a predictable lifestyle but had the positive effect of bringing major stability to life that often lacks in our society today. Martha was the most loving and supportive mom any kid could ask for.

In 1973, Martha returned to the work place taking a job at the local Stern’s Department Store in Wayne’s Preakness Mall. She worked there until retirement in 1991.

One of Martha’s favorite pastimes was working in her yard. Thanks to Miracle Grow, her flowers & plants resembled the Botanical Gardens!  Later in life, after her husband Al passed away, Martha took Tai Chi classes at Chilton Hospital’s Collins Pavilion with her lady friends along with bus trips offered through Wayne’s Dept. of Parks & Recreation.  Above all, the most important part of life for Martha was always her family – close and extended.  In more recent years, she felt blessed to have many special times with her two grandchildren.

Faith, family, and friends were the cornerstones of Martha’s life – a life filled with blessings and certainly well-lived.  Martha touched the lives of many people and will be sorely missed by her family and friends alike.

Martha was the beloved wife of Albert Cook, blessed in marriage for 42 years until his passing in 1993. She was the loving mother of Donna Cook of Hawley, PA., Nancy & husband Robert Schultz of Wayne, and Gordon of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Allison and Gregory Schultz; dear sister of Vida Laurich of Edison, and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind her precious Pomeranian companion, Cookie. Martha was also predeceased by seven dear siblings: Ignatz Grum, Jr., Frank Grum, Henry Grum, Agnes Warchol, Emma Femc, Victor Grum and Mary Grum.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Martha’s name are asked to consider the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA. 02241-7005

Adeline “Addy” Pescatore (nee Cali) of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

Please Note: Visitation hours have changed to 2 - 6 PM.

Adeline “Addy” Pescatore (nee Cali) of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

She was born and raised in the Carol Gardens section of Brooklyn, New York and graduated from the New York Needles and Trade High School in New York City.  She worked as an office manager for the New York City Board of Education for twenty-five years before retiring in 1995.

Adeline married her childhood sweetheart Emilio "Googy" Pescatore on September 7, 1947 at Saint Mary Star of the Sea Church in Brooklyn. They lived, worked and retired while living in Brooklyn.  After their retirement they moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne. Addy and Emilio were all about being with their family.  They loved family trips to the Jersey Shore but in reality anywhere they could be with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  To Addy, her children were the center of her life.

She will be remembered for her huge loving heart, being full of energy, and always being there when you needed her. When it came to playing Rummikub she was the undisputed champion.  She was an excellent cook specializing in all types of Italian specialties.  The love she cooked into her meatballs, eggplant parmigiana and lasagna will never be forgotten.  Addy was very active in the senior Wayne community.  She was still driving, always on the go, and willing to help wherever she could. She enjoyed all kinds of trips with the seniors of Wayne, was active with the Golden Age Circle of Wayne and was the Secretary at the Golden Key and treasured the friends she made there.

She was predeceased by her husband of fifty-eight years Emilio Pescatore (2005); she was the devoted mother of Toni Ann Sileno and her husband Robert of Wayne, Louis Pescatore and his wife Maryanne of Manhasset, Long Island, and Steven Pescatore and his wife Lorraine of Wayne; she was the cherished grandmother of eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; dearly loved sister of Josephine D’Amico of Marathon, NY and the late Antoinette Rega, Fortunata Scotto, and Rocco Cali.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 would be greatly appreciated.

Edna May Hughes, 91, of Vernon and formerly of Paterson, NJ, passed peacefully at the Christian Health Care Center, Wyckoff on Monday, August 13, 2018.

Edna was a registered nurse who worked at Clara Maas and Barnert hospitals and at the Daughters of Miriam. But she was always first and foremost a loving wife, and dedicated and tireless mother of 7, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of 13 children who all adored her.

She’ll be remembered as the first on the dance floor, a voracious reader, an avid puzzle solver, and a warm lap for all her babies over the years. Edna had a can-do attitude, which served her well raising 7 kids while her husband Tom was away for days at a time as a Paterson fire fighter. Edna was always that perfect combination of strength and softness. No broken arm or near catastrophe could shake her and she was the one neighbors always ran to for help, which she gave with a smile.

She raised her children to be a strong family unit, bound together with unfailing love and loyalty—perhaps the greatest gift possible. To this day, they still believe that they together are all that’s needed for a party! And along with her husband Tom, she showed her children that a loving marriage could be fun and playful, as well as hard work.

For her girls, she was a role model of strong femininity and she applauded their independence. She was also their role model for all a mother should be and all a child could want.

She leaves behind endless happy memories and enduring life lessons shared with her sons: Thomas and his wife Betty Hughes of Wyckoff, James Hughes of Vernon, Brian Hughes of Scottsdale AZ, and son-in-law Manuel Ortega and her daughters: Deborah Hughes of Boonton Township, Sharon Hughes of Wayne, and Teresa Rusciano of Garfield. Her beloved daughter Colleen Ortega passed away in June, 2016 and is welcoming Edna in heaven, as is her devoted husband Thomas.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Colleen’s Corner, a non-profit set up in memory of Edna’s deceased daughter to increase childhood literacy by providing books to the underserved. (www.Colleenscorner.net).  Donations can also be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (www.stjude.org), which Edna always supported.

Dale A. Hanenberg, age 75 of West Milford passed Monday, August 13, 2018.

He was born in Passaic and raised in Wayne.  Dale attended Wayne Valley High School in Wayne.  As a young man of just ten years old his father passed away from cancer.  Dale was fortunate that his uncle Marty took him under his wing and was a father figure to him through the years. Uncle Marty’s son Adrian, was close in age to Dale and always treated him like a brother.

Just out of high school Dale worked at Magnetic Engineering in Paterson where he learned to repair magnetic recording equipment.  This job led to a lifelong career in the magnetic recording repair industry where he worked for the Ampex Corporation in Hackensack for many years before retiring in 2002.

Dale will be lovingly remembered as a quiet and shy man who had a huge heart.  He had a very mechanical mind, could fix just about anything and was always there to help anyone. He enjoyed following auto racing and was a devote New York Mets fan for many years.

Dale met Susan Plante through friends at work and had their first date at Chan’s Chinese Restaurant in Mahwah. They soon fell in love and he proposed marriage to Susan in her driveway. They were married on September 4, 1976 at Saint Johns Episcopal Church in Ramsey by Susan’s father Rev. Leon Plante.  They honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York and have had a loving marriage of forty-two years.

Dale is the devoted father of Sharon Hanenberg; loved brother of Madeline Crooks and her children Joan Beck and Thomas Crooks; loved great-uncle of Janice Harris and Jaclyn Beck.

James “Jim”  Pugliese, age 38 of Wayne, passed suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, August 10, 2018.

He was born in Ridgewood to the late James and Carol Pugliese.  He was raised in Wayne and graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1998 and continued his education at Berkley College where he earned an Associates Degree in Business.

Jim always had an entrepreneurial spirit.  He owned businesses in the telecom industry and then founded Pugliese Wholesale Kitchen & Bath in Totowa which he operated for the past ten years.

He will be lovingly remembered for his kind heart, lively spirit, and funny way.  He was always the life of the party.  When it came to the kitchen he loved to cook. He would make pasta, sausage bread, peperoni bread, fettuccini carbonara, and pizzas.  His daughter Juliana learned a love of cooking while by her father’s side and his son J.T. learned a love of eating whatever dad made.

Jim was the loving husband of Erica; devoted father of his son J.T. and daughter Juliana; his was the much loved brother of Carol Bryan, Darlene Pugliese, Michele Fiorillo, and Frank Pugliese; he will deeply missed by nieces, nephews, family and friends.

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

Dr. Stephen A. Moros, age 90, of White Plains, NY and formerly of Pine Brook, NJ, and Ft. Myers, FL, passed away on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

Stephen was born in New York City. His childhood was spent there and later in the Bronx. A graduate of Stuyvesant High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn Polytechnic University, master’s degree from Cornell University and Ph.D. from Brooklyn Polytechnic, all in the field of chemistry.

Stephen was drafted into the U.S. Army and served stateside during the Korean War from 1953 to 1955. For his honorable service, he was the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

After the war, Stephen returned to work and went on to enjoy a thirty-year career in the chemistry and pharmaceutical fields in New Jerseywith American Cyanamid in Bound Brook, Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley and later with Johnson & Johnson in Raritan, retiring in 1992.

Stephen was a well-studied man who could fix literally anything and who enjoyed a wide array of interests including, classical music, fishing, camping, photography, travel and tending to his vegetable garden. He was devoted to God’s service and was very active in Holy Resurrection Church, Wayne, where he served as junior and senior wardens on the parish council and also a faithful volunteer for the church’s fundraisers and picnics.

Stephen was the beloved husband of Vera (nee Kardash), blessed in marriage for 40 years until her passing in 1997. He was the loving father of Michael Moros of Brooklin, Maine, and Jennifer Moros of Elmsford, NY and her late husband Dag Aaman (2018); loving grandfather of Aksel and Anton Aaman; dear brother of Julia Pikulik of Trumbull, CT; dear uncle of the late Gregory Pikulik and his brother Mark Pikulik and his wife Janet Pikulik, all of Trubull, CT; and dear great-uncle of Katherine Pikulik.

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

Josephine Giurintano, age 96, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, she was a resident of Elmwood Park before moving to Wayne in 1993.

Josephine was a seamstress with the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) until retirement in 1982. For many years, she enjoyed trips to Atlantic City, wintering in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and meeting once a month with her girlfriends for good fun and fellowship in a group that they called the Jolly Girls.

Josephine was the devoted wife of Liborio “Ben” for 42 years until his passing in 1985. She is survived by her loving son and daughter: Philip and wife Teri Giurintano of Lebanon, PA, and Rosanne and husband Ron Gregilovich of Wayne; cherished grandchildren: Jason, Dana, Alison, Ashley and Jake; dear great-grandchildren: Jason, Jr., Augustus and Vinny; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her two sisters: Mary Sciortino and Millie Bellomo; and her nephew Matthew Sciortino.

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

John Chiocca, age 97 of Wayne, passed peacefully at the Christian Health Care Center, Wyckoff with the comfort of family by his side, on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

John was born and raised in Union City where he attended Emerson High School and graduated at the top of his class in 1939. He continued his education at Montclair State Teachers College, graduating in 1943 with his bachelor’s degree in chemistry. While there, he excelled as a member of the debate society and served as president of his class.

Shortly after graduating from college, John enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps where he entered officer’s training school, which included further educational course work at both Yale and Columbia Universities. With special training in communications and aeronautical navigation, John was ultimately able to put his training to good use when he was stationed in India where he oversaw the transport of cargo “Over the Hump” from India into China to resupply the Chinese war effort and the United States Army Air Forces.  At the conclusion of the War, John was fortunate to spend three months in Italy (at the expense of the military!) where he reconnected with many of his Italian relatives, for whom he harbored deep fondness.  Even in his final days, John was privileged to receive a visit from one of his young Italian cousins, Elisabetta Zerbo who came to NYC on business.   An active duty officer from 1944 to 1947, he remained in the Air Force Reserves until 1967, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel.  His last reserve position was serving as the Executive Officer of the Air Reserve Squadron based in Newark, N.J.  For his service to his country John was the recipient of the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Upon return from active duty service, John commenced a career as a sales representative first with National Cash Register (NCR), and then with Oneida Packaging Products, which years later evolved into Pacquet Oneida, Inc., a flexible packaging converter which primarily served the potato chip and snack food industry.   He had a successful and fulfilling career at Pacquet Oneida, retiring as its vice president of sales and marketing after 35 years.

John met his beloved wife Doris at an American Legion Hall in West Hoboken.  Doris, too, had served in the military during World War II.  This shared experience of service forever defined their mutual love of the armed forces and our great Country.  After John and Doris married, they bought a home in North Bergen, where they soon had their first two children (girls).  Shortly thereafter they began looking for a home in the area of Wayne and Oakland where Doris’ family had often spent weekends at the areas’ lakes. In 1955 they settled into the Pines Lake section of Wayne where they would raise their family, which subsequently included two boys, and live amongst their many cherished friends for almost sixty years.

John quickly embraced life in Pines Lake where he enthusiastically enjoyed teaching his daughters and sons the finer skills of fishing and boating. When his sons were young and involved in scouting, John served as a volunteer with the Cub Scouts.  He and Doris were of one accord in taking a keen interest in the development of their children. Knowing that it would benefit their family and other children, they were instrumental in helping to found the Wayne Hills Patriots Club, which helped raise money for Wayne Hills High School athletics programs. They spent their money wisely, saw little value in material things, and felt it was better to give the kids life experiences that they believed would help shape the lives of their children as they grew older. Those experiences were often in the form of travel to various parts of the world. Their trips included Bermuda, Mexico, the Canary Islands, and many European and Scandinavian countries including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium.  Even in their later years John and Doris traveled extensively, including a number of Elderhostels, enjoying all they could learn about this great world.

John never had trouble finding ways to serve or endeavors to explore. When the Pompton Reformed Church needed a person to undertake the time consuming task of serving as chairman of its building expansion project, they called on John and he was glad to assist. At home, he was an excellent gardener who could propagate new trees and shrubs from the cuttings of established ones. He transformed his own yard into a wooded paradise, which he and his family enjoyed for many years. Both John and Doris enjoyed working outside and enjoying beautiful woodland gardens, which led them to volunteer their time, well into their late eighties, at the Laurelwood Arboretum – a 30 acre botanical paradise with beautiful gardens, ponds and trails located in Wayne. In later years, John and Doris were active in the Pines Lake Seniors Club where John served as president.

John’s greatest devotion was to his family.  His grandchildren brought tremendous joy to him, particularly in recent years when he was so fortunate to see each of them achieve sought after goals.  From his woodworking shop in the basement of his home, he would make beautiful wooden keepsake Christmas presents for his sons and daughters.  These treasures will forever serve as a reminder of their father’s talents and love.

John was the loving husband of Doris who passed away in 2015. He was the devoted father of Lynne Chiocca and her husband Ron Riccardo of Poinciana, FL, Barbara Chiocca and her husband Henry Merriman of North Granby, CT, the Honorable Randal Chiocca and his wife Deborah of Wayne, and Douglas Chiocca and his wife Diane of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Kaitlin Prieto and her husband Mikhail Prieto, Nathaniel Merriman, Daniel Chiocca, Parker Merriman, Nicholas Chiocca, and Gianna Chiocca; dear brother of the late Elso Chiocca and his late wife Helen; loved uncle of Richard Chiocca and his wife Susan of Bedford, NH; loved brother-in-law of Kathleen Niziol and her husband Edward of West Milford; and dear brother-in-law of the late Adele Trenz and her late husband John of Westtown, NY.

Those inclined to send flowers are asked to instead consider a donation to a military charity of their choice.

Carmella “Millie” Burt (nee Frezzo), age 94, of Wayne passed away peacefully in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Millie was born and raised in the Little Italy section of New York City. She was the youngest of three children to Joseph and Mary Frezzo.  While Millie was growing up she took an early interest in the Arts particularly the Theater. She attended Our lady of Pompeii High School in New York City and landed a few of the lead roles in her school theater and musical productions.

Millie was part of a group in our society that has become know of late as “The Greatest Generation.”  People of “The Greatest Generation” are people who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression and later as young adults, bore witness, fought and helped work the United States through the Second World War.  As a young adult, and after graduating from Our lady of Pompeii with the class of 1941, Millie did her part to help the country through these times.  She was hired as a Secretary for the Chemical Warfare Division in New York City.  She worked there during the entire duration of the war.  Following her employment at the Chemical Warfare Division, Millie went to work for the Children’s Aide Society also in New York, she was employed there as an Art Director.  She worked there for several years, and during that time she met a young man who was a student teacher there by the name of Charles Burt.  Charles and Millie only dated for a short time and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on December 26, 1950 at Our Lady of Pompeii Church where Millie had originally gone to school.  They honeymooned in upstate New York and afterwards settled in Pensacola, FL.  Charles was in the Naval Reserves following WWII, and was called to duty again for the Korean Conflict.  Charles was stationed in the Caribbean when he got word that his first child, his daughter, had been born.  After Millie’s husband Charles returned from service, they moved back to New York where their second child Charles Jr was born.  In October of 1963 the entire family moved to Wayne.  Millie and Charles would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together.

Millie was a devoted wife and mother but throughout her life she always worked.  In 1966 she was offered a position as an Executive Secretary with the Bell Telephone Company located in Pompton Lakes.  She remained there until her retirement in 1989.

Millie’s love of the theater and musicals never diminished, she was a parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation in Wayne for many years and was part of the Amity group there which performed various musicals and plays.  She also performed in various productions in local community theaters.  Millie was also an avid Bridge Player and traveler.  She started a Bridge Club with several of her friends that would meet once or twice a week and which became very competitive over the years.  Millie and her family traveled to many different and exotic destinations throughout the years including St Marten, London, Alaska, and various parts of the Caribbean.  In her spare time, Millie volunteered and donated to local animal shelters where she also headed several committees.  Throughout her life she owned several dogs which she loved dearly.  Millie was a dedicated mom and did anything for her children, her greatest passion was for her family.  Millie touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by her family and friends alike.

Millie is survived by her husband Charles Burt Sr. of Wayne, her daughter Carol Burt of Greenwood Lake, NY, her son Charles Burt Jr. of Hewitt, her nephew; Richard Peschieri and his wife Mary Katherine and their children Ryan Peschieri and Heather Ann Valeao, and her nephew Anthony Peschieri of Ballston, Spa, NY.  She was predeceased by her brother Jimmy Frezzo and her sister Anna Carey.

John Giannino, age 78 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at the Christian Healthcare Center, in Wyckoff, NJ.

John’s entire professional career had been with Pathmark Supermarkets.  He managed stores in Wayne, Kinnelon, Clifton, and Nyack, NY before retiring in 2001.

John grew up in Hackensack and Totowa, graduating from Passaic Valley High School with the class of 1957.  He enjoyed himself as a bachelor for many years, taking a month-long tour of Europe, buying new sports cars every couple of years, and cheering on the NY Yankees from his season-ticket seats!  He was a huge NY Yankees fan and Mickey Mantle was his all-time favorite player.  He really loved his cars and no one is certain of how many he owned through the years, but his convertible BMW was his favorite ride.  He was also devoted to his Catholic faith and attended Saturday evening mass at St. Mary’s in Pompton Lakes.  Sadly, he was stricken with Dementia several years ago, which slowly took him from his loved ones.  He was a truly good person with a kind heart.

John is survived by his only daughter, Cari-Ann Giannino, one sister; Fay Donato of Madison, NJ, and two nephews; Michael and Christopher Donato.

Donations in John’s memory would be appreciated.  Please consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, www.stjude.org, or Alzheimer’s New Jersey, 425 Eagle Rock Ave, Suite 203, Roseland, NJ 07068, www.alznj.org.