Barbara Wielgus, age 81, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, while her dear children and grandchildren lovingly stood beside her bedside.

Barbara was one of three children born to Samuel and Ellen Johnson in Stoke-on-Trent, England. While she was growing up, the man she would one day marry, Stanly Wielgus, was growing up in Poland. Three times during World War II Stanley was captured by the German Army and forced into slave labor in the manufacturing of German Messerschmitt fighter planes. On his third attempt to escape, he fled to Italy where he joined with the Polish division of the British Army. After the war, Stanley moved to Barbara’s homeland in England where he found work as a coal miner and lived in a camp called a coal miner’s hostile. Stan loved to dance and his travels throughout Europe gave him plenty of opportunity to learn different languages. It was one night during a dance in the hostile that Barbara and Stanley’s paths first crossed. The story is told that she was initially struck by how handsome he looked in his suit! The handsome Polish man and the beautiful English woman soon fell in love and eventually married on May 30, 1952 in Cobridge, one of five towns which collectively made up Stoke-on-Trent.

After marriage, the newly-wedded couple purchased a home in Smalthorne and soon after, welcomed a beautiful baby girl which they named Veronica (Ronnie). Two years later they welcomed a son which they named Stan. Barbara embraced motherhood, providing a nurturing and loving atmosphere for Ronnie and Stan to grow up while their father Stanley worked hard to provide for them as a coal miner. Barbara and Stanley strove to model the virtues of hard work and saving, while doing their best to bless their kids with the little pleasures of life. Once, when they asked their mom for ice cream, Stanley made their wish come true by one day walking to work instead of taking the train so that the days train fare could be used for Barbara to buy the kids ice cream.

The family enjoyed many blessings in their lives living in England, but Barbara and Stanley wanted to give Ronnie and Stan better opportunities than they felt England offered. So in 1962, when Barbara was twenty-nine, she and Stanley and the kids boarded a ship to the U.S., initially settling in Passaic before moving into a second floor apartment of a house owned by Stanley’s brother Walter. Barbara quickly got a job at a factory in Passaic called Drico and in 1966, they were able to buy their own home in Garfield. Three years later, they were blessed with a great big surprise – a precious baby girl which they named Janine. 1969 brought one other surprise; Barbara had purchased some raffle tickets from Ronnie’s school. Assuming the attitude that she never won, she paid for the tickets but threw the stubs in the garbage. Without Barbara realizing it, Ronnie had fished the discarded tickets out of the trash and it’s a good thing she did! One of those tickets was the winning one for a brand new, 1969 Chevy Impala! The irony was that Barbara never had her driver’s license! Barbara and Stanley raised their three children in that home in Garfield and remained there for the rest of their lives. In 1982, Barbara left her job at Drico and began a new one as a mail processor with Merck-Medco in Elmwood Park. She remained there for thirteen years until retiring in 1995. Between her two jobs at Drico and Merck Medco, Barbara worked for approximately thirty years. She worked days and took care of the kids at night and Stanley worked nights and took care of the kids when they were home during the day.

For all of her life, Christmas was truly Barbara’s favorite holiday. She and Stanley did their best to see to it that their kids enjoyed the magic of Christmas! Back in England, Ronnie and Stan once saw a stagecoach in a store display while going to visit Santa. They asked Santa for that big stagecoach for Christmas! Barbara, who never drove but who always made sure Christmas wishes came true, took trains and busses all over England, looking for similar stagecoaches to fulfill their wish! On Christmas Eve, Dad carried on a tradition of pretending he was going to the pub as an excuse to change into his Santa suit to surprise the kids. Santa outfits were in short supply in those days and Stanley’s beard was cleverly fashioned from rope he brought home from the coal mines which Barbara bleached white and fashioned into a beard. Barbara loved to bake for Christmas. There was never any shortage of Christmas cookies in the house and she took great delight in preserving the unique Polish and English traditions of the holiday season.

Barbara also enjoyed knitting – especially sweaters, and she was an avid reader, typically of popular romance stories and New York Times best sellers. She felt that it was very important to be aware of current events so watching the news was a regular evening event. Barbara loved to cook and the food was typically meat and potatoes fare. Her children like to joke that they never knew what pasta was until they went for dinner to their friends house. Speaking of food, Barbara loved to finish off dinner with a delicious bowl of ice cream!

Barbara will be remembered for her loving devotion to her family. It was always said in her house that Stanley was the hands of the home and Barbara was the heart. She leaves behind a legacy of instilling a great sense of the importance of love, virtue, truthfulness and values, to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Surviving to mourn her loss are her three dear children: Veronica (Ronnie) Rose and husband Michael, Sr. of Woodland Park, Stan Wielgus and wife Maureen of Rochelle Park and Janine Hintz and husband Richard of Wayne; Five adored grandchildren: Michael, Jr., Nicole, Dana, Daniel, and Jaclyn Grace; four adored great-grandchildren: Michael, III, Jeremy, Vincenzo and Caeli; her sister Elaine Slade and her brother Stan Johnson and wife Sandra, both of England.

Barbara was predeceased by her beloved husband of 54 years, Stanley, in 2006.

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

Alice “Betty” Andre (Topp), age 89, of Wayne, left this world for heaven on Monday, December 16, 2013.

Betty was born in Passaic. While she had worked early on for Haband of Prospect Park and The Okonite Company of Passaic, her primary career was being a homemaker and mom and later, a long-time manager at the Stern Brothers Department Store at their Preakness location.

Betty was also an active member of the Preakness Reformed Church where she very much enjoyed the “K” group.

Betty was predeceased by her beloved husband George to whom she was married for 51 years, and five siblings. She is survived by her four sons: Don, Gerald, Randall and Timothy; her brother Warren; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Betty will be sorely missed in our world but greatly welcomed in His.

In honor of Betty’s understanding of the importance of ongoing education, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Cedar Crest College Scholarship Fund, 1 Cedar Crest Village Drive, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444, would be appreciated.

Marion B. (nee Tedeschi) Guida age 98 of Paterson died peacefully at home on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

She was born and raised in Paterson having graduated from Central High School with the Class of 1933. Out of high school Marion worked for the Barbizon Corporation in Paterson where she made lingerie. She later worked at a savings bank on Market Street before getting married and devoting herself to being a homemaker. Marion grew up at the intersection of Preakness Avenue and Chamberlain Avenue in a home that had an inside toilet and an outhouse. Her father's friends would come over to drink homemade wine and play cards under the grapevine. They all had to use the outhouse as the inside bathroom was only for immediate family.

Marion lived across the street from A. Michael Guida and he would often see her standing on the corner waiting for the bus. If he had time he would pick Marion up and drive her to work. Marion was a true "city girl" and would take the bus in by herself and wander New York City taking in all the sights, sounds, and could window shop for hours on end. Soon she convinced Michael to take her to the city where she would walk and he would talk. Once she realized that Michael liked to go into the city too she was smitten. One of their favorite places to go was Angelo's Restaurant in Little Italy. Marion and Michael married at Saint Mary's Church in Paterson and honeymooned in Bermuda. She never had a hair out of place and dressed impeccably. She was an easy going, caring person who never worried about the small stuff -unless the NY City bus was late, she hated that! While Michael worked Marion would go to New York and have lunch at the Plaza Hotel. Michael moved his parents' home up the block and built the apartments at the intersection of Preakness and Chamberlain Avenue in Paterson. When Michael retired they would venture into the city together and if more local dining was on their minds they could be found at Calico Kitchen on Route 46 for breakfast or Pappy's Diner on Union Boulevard in Totowa. They enjoyed over forty years of marriage before Michaels passing in 1999.

Marion was the loving wife of A. Michael Guida (1999); loving sister of the late Nathal and Louis Tedeschi; devoted aunt of Lois (Tedeschi) Nolan of Wayne, and Louis Tedeschi and his wife Patricia of Wall Township, Kenneth Tedeschi and his wife Gale of Lincoln Park; dear great-aunt of Tad Nolan of Wayne, Dena (Nolan) Klim and her husband John of Wayne, Brett Tedeschi and his wife Karina of Toms River; Blake Tedeschi of Spring Lake Heights, and Brant Tedeschi and his wife Leslie of Bloomfield; much loved great-great-aunt of Olivia Tedeschi.

Hilding R. Johnson, age 93 of Wayne, died peacefully on Saturday, December 14, 2013. He was a resident of Wayne since 1961.

Hilding was born in Halland, Sweden and came to America at the age of 10. He knew not a single word of English and was in awe at his new home. He realized his biggest issue was learning English and within two years he had it down. In a total of eight years he completed the equivalent of twelve years of American schooling and graduated from high school as class valedictorian in 1938. He later graduated from Clarkson College of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He pursued a career in chemistry and enjoyed a lengthy career with Tenneco Chemical. He retired as Director of Analytical Services. He had been a member of the American Chemical Society throughout his career.

Hilding met his wife Jeanne Colbert at a YMCA where she was having lunch. He struck up a conversation which led to a courtship and finally marriage in 1947. They loved each other very much and did most everything together. They traveled to Florida frequently, where Jeanne would collect seashells on Sanibel Island. Maine was also among their favorite places to visit, beachcombing and taking pictures. Hilding was an avid nature-photographer and was known to take a lot of pictures on their vacations. He had his own dark room for developing and belonged to a local photographers club. He and Jeanne enjoyed fifty seven years together before her passing in 2004.

Hilding is survived by one sister; Lilly Giosi of Riverhead, NY, two nieces: Ruth Johnson of Valhalla, NY, Nancy LaRocco of Mattituck, NY, two nephews: Alfred Giosi of Miller Place, NY and George Giosi of Mastic, NY, three grand-nieces and two grand-nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Stewart Johnson in 1954, sister Karin Johnson in 1994, brother Helge Johnson in 1998, and sister Bertha Johnson in 2007.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the charity of your choice.

Joan M. Parker (nee Schablik), age 74 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Thursday, December 12, 2013 after a four year battle with a recurrence of ovarian cancer. She had been listening to Christmas music with her loving husband and family gathered at her bedside.

Born in Passaic, Joan was the only child to Mary and John Schablik. Her childhood years were spent in Clifton. She attended Holy Trinity School and Pope Pius XII High School. She continued her education at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, graduating with a bachelor degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education. She was then employed by Esso Research and Engineering in Florham Park as an engineering assistant. She was a full-time mom for many years before beginning a second career in real estate. Initially she worked with Masters Real Estate, later with Century21-Casey, Schlott Realtors, and finally Coldwell Banker where she retired in 2010. Throughout her career, she received many sales awards for outstanding performance.

She met her husband, Edward Parker, on a double date back in 1955. As awkward as first dates usually are, things were compounded when Joan forgot his name part way through the evening. Nevertheless, Joan invited Ed to her 16th birthday party shortly thereafter and they hit it off. They married on September 30, 1961 and honeymooned on the island of Bermuda. They settled in Paterson for just a few years before moving to Wayne in 1963, raising three children there. Over the years, Joan and Ed were fortunate to travel extensively. They have visited Europe, including Rome, Greece, Spain, and cruised throughout the Mediterranean. They’ve been to Alaska, Hawaii, several family trips to Disney, and even the Riviera Maya in Mexico. She even enjoyed some unique experiences like hot air ballooning and scenic biplane rides. Together, they celebrated more than fifty two years of an exciting and loving marriage.

Joan was a parishioner of St. Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes. She and her husband volunteered at the food pantry and were honored to serve. Together, they received the Francis Medal for their efforts.

Joan is survived by her husband Edward of Wayne, her son David Parker and his wife Laura of Maryland, her daughter Lauren Parker formerly of Wayne, son-in-law Scott Wolfarth of Ridgefield, CT, and six grandchildren: Derek and Lisa Parker, Kyle Wolfarth, Timothy, Paige and Andrew Mazzie. Joan was predeceased by her daughter Renee M. Wolfarth in 2002.

Donations in Joan’s memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO BOX 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or to St. Mary’s Food Pantry, 17 Pompton Ave, Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442, or St. Barnabas Foundation-Cancer Center, 95 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange, NJ 07052, would be greatly appreciated.

Gregory L. Johnston age 67 of Ledgewood, formerly of Clifton, died suddenly and unexpectedly, on Thursday, December 12, 2013.

He was born in Orange, NJ and raised in Clifton having graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1965. After high school he worked as an apprentice electrician and in 1975 began a career of over forty years with Fairfield Maintenance in Fairfield.

Greg was a member of the Montclair Heights Reformed Church and served as a Deacon and Elder at the church. He donated a great deal of his time to maintaining the church and the gardens in front. He especially liked the Christmas Eve service where he could ring the church bell at midnight and wake the neighborhood.

He enjoyed gardening in his yard, having grown all kinds of vegetables and the most beautiful Dahlia’s. His family remembers him coming in with bags of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and bunches of beautiful flowers including huge Dahlia’s. He was a cat lover and would often rescue strays and give them a home. Another of his hobbies was a love of steam trains. He enjoyed their size, beauty, and the sound of their whistles. He had a surround sound system in his home and would play a video of steam trains that made you think a train was coming through the house. He was the kind of person who would help you with any project he could and expect nothing in return. Greg was also a car enthusiast who loved Mustangs.

He was the loving husband of the late Virginia (nee Sisco) Johnston (2004); cherished father of Kristina “Kristi” Johnston of Ledgewood; much loved brother-in-law of Edward Sisco and his wife Irene of Wayne, Madelyn Alexander of Fair Lawn, and Peggy Sisco of Ringwood; he was the devoted uncle of many nieces and nephews.

Ellen M. Priolo, age 83 of Wayne and formerly of Pompton Lakes, died peacefully on Tuesday, December 10, 2013.

Eileen, as she was known by all, was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a young woman in her twenties, she left her family, including her nine siblings and emigrated to the United States with a girlfriend, both in search of the American dream! Upon her arrival, she took a job as a nanny for a doctor in Garden City, NY.

Eileen took a great interest and liking to dancing and one night she went to a singles dance where she met the man who quickly became the love of her life! His name was Michael Priolo and they married in 1983, eventually settling in Pompton Lakes.

After marriage, Eileen took a job at Wayne Valley High School as a breakfast server. She loved this job and it suited her warm, friendly, outgoing personality perfectly. Eileen made friends easily and over the twenty-six years that she served as “the breakfast lady”, she did make many friends indeed! She retired in 2009 and, following her beloved husband Michael’s passing in 2006, she moved to Siena Village. Here, too, she quickly endeared herself to those who she would soon refer to as her “Siena Village friends.”

Eileen is survived by three of her nine brothers and sisters: Ann and husband Dan Smith; Mary and husband Terry McKewon; Jimmy Russell, along with many nieces and nephews, all of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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

Thomas L. Voelkner age 78, of Naples, FL, a forty-three year resident of Wayne, died peacefully on Sunday, December 8, 2013.

His first job was working the grill and counter at The Coral in Paterson where he met his future wife Ms. Jean Budnik. Tom was working and Jean was sitting, as a customer, at the counter. They soon started dating and fell in love. They married on October 23, 1960 in Clifton and honeymooned in Washington, DC. Later in 1960 they bought their first home in Wayne and spent the next forty-three years in the township before moving to Naples Florida in 2003.

Tom and his wife Jean were founding parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne.

He was active within his community and was a longstanding member of the Wayne Rotary, and served on the Wayne Board of Adjustment for many years.

When Tom was just five years old he lost his father in a truck accident. He had an older brother Herman and his mom was nine months pregnant with his brother William. His mother never remarried and they all worked to support the family. Just out of high school Tom found a job with the Beechnut Foods Company as a candy and gum salesman. With this job he had a company car that was loaded with goodies and was always getting broken into. During his restocking of many and varied locations a man from State Farm Insurance Company recognized how hard Tom was working and asked for his contact information. Soon Tom owned his own State Farm Insurance Agency in Wayne where he worked for thirty-eight years before retiring in 1999.

Tom was an honest, generous, and friendly person. He was known to have a special place in his heart for anyone he heard was trying to further their education.

He was the loving husband of fifty-three years to Jean; devoted father of Robert and his wife Sharon, Karen, and Marianne and her husband Greg; cherished grandfather of nine grandchildren; brother of Herman and William.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne Rotary, PO Box 2022, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated

Mei-Wan Huang age 89 passed peacefully at home in Wayne, N.J. on Friday, December 6, 2013 with three of her children at her side. Mei-Wan was born and raised in Ximen, China. At the age of 20 she married Kuo-Liang who worked in his family tire business. The couple had their first child, a daughter. Then after the end of World War II they moved with her to Taiwan where Kuo-Liang started his own import/export business. The couple had five more children between 1947 and 1954, two sons and three more daughters.

The oldest daughter was accepted at the University of Tennessee and after graduation moved to New York where her mother visited her in 1972. Mei-Wan then began to travel back and forth with her husband between the U.S. and Taiwan to be with the different members of their family. In 1976 Mei-Wan and Kuo-Liang immigrated to the U.S. as did the other children shortly thereafter. They initially settled in North Bellmore, N.Y. In 1987 the couple moved to Bloomingdale, N.J. and then in 2011 to Wayne, N.J. In 2004 Mei-Wan was widowed by the death of her husband Kuo Liang.

A very independent woman, Mei-Wan was an excellent homemaker all her life and a loving and devoted wife to the late Kuo-Liang. She created unique recipes which delighted her family, as well as making beautiful curtains and other useful items for her home. In addition to sewing and cooking she enjoyed long walks, but most of all she loved to be surrounded by her family members. She was very proud of the accomplishments of all her children and grandchildren and cherished her great granddaughter. One of the saddest experiences of her life was the death of her young grandson, Jack Ming at age of 16.

Mei-Wan was the devoted mother of her six children and their families: Wayne residents Koli (Eddie) Huang and his wife Wendy; Kocheng (Kurt) Huang and his wife Ling-Long; Yet-Fang (Judy) and her husband Peter Han, as well as Yet-Chun (Debbie) and her husband Edward Ming of East Brunswick and Yet-Chi and her husband Benny Terng of Baltimore, Md., and Yet-Feng and her husband George Yu of Wantagh, L.I.; and grandchildren Steve and Tony Huang, Raymond Han, Felix and Jennifer Yu, Frederick and Cynthia Huang and great granddaughter Ava. Mei-Wan is also survived by a sister, Christina, and her husband W. H. Ko, and by her late husband brother, Ho Huang, and his wife, Hedy.

Anne Drake, age 87, entered peacefully into eternal rest on Friday, December 6, 2013.

Born in Passaic Anne grew up in Wallington. She graduated from Lodi High School in 1944.

Following high school, Anne worked for several years as a secretary for American Colortype in Clifton. Anne and Robert married on June 10, 1950 and had three children. Anne settled into full-time motherhood, serving as an assistant Brownie and Girl Scout leader and being her son Bob’s biggest fan at his Wayne Hills High School wrestling and track meets and soccer games. She made their home in Wayne a loving place for her children to grow up and return to, and a welcoming place for her husband for the rest of his and her own life.

Anne’s Christian faith was dear to her, and, as a long-time member of Preakness Reformed Church of Wayne, she helped with various church endeavors including the annual antique show and as a volunteer spreading holiday cheer through the church’s outreach ministry to the residents of the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa.

She enjoyed the Jersey shore, especially Wildwood Crest.

Anne will be forever remembered and adored for her gentle, quiet and selfless spirit. She was most happy when the needs and wants of everyone she loved were taken care of. She was kind, living by her faith. Anne’s grandchildren were her greatest joy.

Anne is survived by her two dear daughters: Patricia A. Drake and Donna Wichot, as well as by Donna’s husband Zachary Wichot, both of Wayne; her daughter-in-law Asuncion Drake of San Diego, CA; and her two adored grandchildren: Kelly Wichot and Paul Drake. Anne was predeceased by her beloved husband Robert R. Drake, Jr. in 1982, her dear son Robert W. Drake in 2006, and her dear brother John Babyak, Jr. in 1981.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Anne’s name are asked to consider the Preakness Reformed Church Memorial Fund, 131 Church Lane, Wayne, NJ 07470. For more information and a photo, visit www.vandermay.com.

James H. Vieldhouse, Jr. age 76 of Wantage passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, December 4, 2013.

He was born in Paterson having been raised in Prospect Park and lived in Hawthorne and Wayne before moving to Wantage six years ago.

James was a United States Navy Veteran of the Korean War having served from 1953 – 1957. For a majority of his service he was aboard the USS Mount McKinley, an amphibious force command ship. He was personally involved with Operation Wigwam and Operation Redwing - both nuclear bomb tests. From his ship he was an eye witness to the testing of a hydrogen bomb on Bikini Island and later walked the beach. He remembers being called topside and instructed to “face away from the blast and cover your eyes.” He received the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Medal.

He graduated from William Paterson University in Wayne with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Safety with the Class of 1979.

James was a Detective Sergeant and Commander of the Youth Bureau for the Wayne Township Police Department where he worked for thirty years before retiring in 2002.

He loved his family and enjoyed the accomplishments of his grandchildren. James also enjoyed his many annual trips deer hunting, fishing, traveling all around the country with his camper, long visits to the Florida Keys, and he was always watching FOX News.

James was the loving husband of Beverly (VanWyck); devoted father of Deborah L. Vieldhouse of Coco Beach, FL, Detective Sergeant of the NJ State Police Kevin Vieldhouse and his wife Caprice of Wayne, and Jodi Zaccone and her husband Michael of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Stephanie Shepard, Makana Kaluiokalana, Kevin, Korey, Carli Vieldhouse, and Michael, Corinne, and Giovanna Zaccone; and five great-grandchildren; loved step-father of Eddie Minchin, Tina Hadjissa and her husband Tambe, and Heather Minchin all of Wantage; much loved step-grandfather of Tyler, Hailie, Kaitlynn, and Adam Hadjissa, and Ava Torres; dear brother of William Vieldhouse and his wife Janet of Warwick, NY.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarrriorproject.com would be appreciated.

Barbara Joan Chetirkin (nee Dodson), age 78 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.

Barbara was raised in the Totowa section of Paterson and graduated from Central High School with the class of 1953. She moved to Pompton Lakes with her family when she was eighteen.

Barbara met and married her husband, Bob Chetirkin, in 1956. They settled into a small place in Totowa, before purchasing their first home in Pompton Lakes, and later settling in their Wayne home. Barbara was a resident of Wayne since 1966. She and Bob enjoyed nearly fifty-three years of marriage before Bob passed away in 2009. Barbara had a passion for dancing. At any party that she attended, she could always be found on the dance floor.

Barbara was an active member of the Preakness Reformed Church in Wayne. She organized many funeral repasts that were hosted in the church parlor, and often worked in the kitchen during fund raising events. She also taught Sunday school and provided snacks for Vacation Bible School kids in the summer. She loved her church and Preakness Reformed was an integral part of her life.

Barbara raised her three children in Wayne. She was a tough mom who was known to never mince words. Her children always knew where they stood. She loved her children and was always there to support, comfort, and care for them.

Her six grandchildren were special and brought her great joy. She made time for each of them, whether it was sitting for them while their parents were out or watching their sporting, dance, school performances, and many extracurricular activities. She loved each grandchild and they will all miss her dearly.

Barbara is survived by her three children: Nancy Olsson and her husband Robert of Princeton Junction, Barbara Devine and her husband Richard of Totowa, and Robert L. Chetirkin and his wife Marcie of Wayne, six grandchildren; Lindsey and Gregory Olsson of Princeton Junction, Sarah and Emma Devine of Totowa, and Robert H. and Matthew Chetirkin of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Preakness Reformed Church, 131 Church Lane, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Bernadette A. Wiltshire, age 92, died peacefully with loving family by her side on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.

Bernadette was born and raised in New York City. Following graduation from high school, she moved to Virginia where she met her husband William “Bucky” Wiltshire who was working for the same company. They fell in love and returned to the northeast getting married on June 15, 1946 at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Wayne. After their honeymoon, they settled in Wayne remaining in the same home for the rest of their lives.

As a young married woman Bernadette worked for Bell Telephone Company. She left the workplace in 1954 when she and Bucky welcomed their firstborn, a son who they named William, II. Eighteen months later, they were blessed with the birth of their daughter who they named Bernadette. She dedicated herself to raising William and Bernadette, returning to work as an order fulfiller for Western Publishing of Wayne only after her youngest began high school.

Bernadette was completely devoted to her family. When her husband Bucky was named Secretary of the Wayne Firemen’s Relief Association, it was Bernadette who quietly supported him behind the scenes, and during the summer, the whole family enjoyed spending time together visiting many destinations in their travel trailer. Bernadette was skilled at crocheting and she enjoyed sharing her creations, including afghans, hats, mittens, and scarves, almost as much as she liked crocheting them. She also had an extensive teddy bear collection which everyone loved to add to. One of Bernadette’s favorite pastime activities was watching game shows on television. Her favorites included $100,000 Pyramid and Jeopardy. So great was her love for Jeopardy, she was always disappointed when she couldn’t find it on the weekends.

Bernadette’s faith was a central part of her life. She enjoyed attending Mass at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church where she was a devoted parishioner ever since she moved to Wayne in 1946.

Surviving are her dear daughter Bernadette Wiltshire of Wayne; her dear son William, II and wife Lang of Hawaii; four step-grandchildren: Joelynn, J.R., Alexandria and Kristie-Ann; seven great-grandsons; her niece Lenore Dillon; her great-nephew Kevin and wife Arleen Dillon; and her great-great nephews Ryan and Jake and great-great niece Alyssa.

Bernadette was predeceased by her beloved husband William “Bucky” Wiltshire in 2000 and her brother Leo Brown and sister Mary Brooks.

Frances E. Von Glahn (nee Templin), age 80 of Wayne, died peacefully on Sunday, December 1, 2013. She had been a Wayne resident since 1957.

Fran was born in Hackensack and graduated from Lodi High School with the class of 1951. She worked as a nurse practitioner at a local hospital upon graduating. She met Henry (Hank) Von Glahn on a triple blind date back in 1955. They went bowling with two other couples and hit it off during that first date. They married just a few months later, on June 30, 1956. Once they began their family, Fran chose to be a stay at home mother and homemaker. Fran and Hank had a great marriage and loved being together. They were members of the “Spinning Wheels of Wayne”, a square dancing group with which they would go dancing every Monday night. Fran was a golfer too, after Hank encouraged her to learn the game when he retired. This allowed them to spend even more quality time with one another. They enjoyed fifty two years together before Hank passed in 2008.

Fran was a good cook and her Swedish meatballs are renowned amongst her family and friends, and she was a wonderful baker. Celebrating birthdays was one of her specialties and she always made a fuss around anyone’s birthday. Within her immediate family, she would always plan a family meal and party for your birthday, even if it was weeks later; birthdays were to be celebrated no matter what. Fran also loved sewing, knitting, crocheting and doing all sorts of arts and crafts projects.

Fran was active with the Preakness Reformed Church Women’s Club and she knitted countless items over the years to be donated through the Helping Hands program there. She was excellent at making quilts, prayer blankets and shawls, hats, gloves, and scarves. Just one year ago she asked all of her grandchildren what their favorite colors were. She proceeded to knit each of them a quilt in their chosen color scheme. Those gifts will surely be treasured throughout their lifetimes.

Fran is survived by her four children; Hank and his wife Sandra of Hackettstown, NJ, Linda Laidlaw and her husband Tom of Parsippany, NJ, Janet Dean of Wayne, and Willa Kippert and her husband Rick of St. Petersburg, FL, five grandchildren; Lynne and Carl Von Glahn of Hackettstown, Shawn Laidlaw of Parsippany, and Jonathan and Karla Kippert of St. Petersburg, FL, and one sister; Ann Ferguson of St. Cloud, FL.

As expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Fran’s memory to “Multiple Sclerosis Swim-In,” c/o Barbara Lightbody, 31 Margie Ave, Cresskill NJ 07626.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of John E. Butler on Thursday, November 28, 2013 at the age of 81 years. John passed away peacefully at his home in Westminster, Colorado surrounded by his loving family.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years, Ginny. As a loving father and grandfather, he leaves behind his children, Doug, Patty, Nancy, and RJ. His grandchildren: Jesse, Justin, Erin, Kristen, Nicole, Jacob, and Evan. In addition, he is survived by his brother Billy and family.

John’s life…

Once out of high school, John joined the United States Air Force and served for over 8 ½ years including an overseas tour of duty in Japan. As a surgical technician, he proudly delivered over 300 babies(!) and cared for many others during his term of service.

In the following years, John settled in the community of Packanack Lake, where he raised his first three children. As a career, he ran a real estate business and was proudly elected President of the Board of Realtors. For over 20 years during this time, he was a volunteer of the Wayne First Aid Squad, holding the position of Director of Safety and Training. He also was a member of the National Ski Patrol and regularly provided assistance to people on the slopes of the Craigmeur Ski Area.

Rolling back a few years, John joined the civilian auxiliary arm of US Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol, at the young age of 14 where he proudly served for over 43 years. During his tenure, not only did he achieve the respectable rank of Lt. Colonel, he received many awards. The members counted on him for superb training to conduct missions flown over the Rocky Mountains. He provided valuable advice from his deep knowledge of the rules governing the auxiliary. John was a treasured and very dedicated member who made himself available on a weekly basis for further training whenever needed. He created the much-used “Gridded Sectional Chart” for use in mission searches around the state. In the Civil Air Patrol, John donated thousands of hours of his time to the CAP and has flown over 600 hundred hours as a Master Mission Observer/Scanner. He was a respected leader, a sincere friend and a valued trainer/mentor in the Jeffco squadron, number 136.

In addition to all his time in the Civil Air Patrol, he dedicated many hours of his days with his grandchildren. He also loved to cook with a special expertise in Chinese cuisine. More recently, he and his family enjoyed many cruises in the Caribbean, Hawaii and of special note, The Panama Canal.

As a transplanted citizen of New Jersey, John, with Ginny at his side, lived a full and active life in the “colorful” state of Colorado. Here, they raised their son RJ and eventually three grandchildren. John loved everything to do with his newly adopted state, especially the Rocky Mountains. If you ever called his home and got the answering machine, you would hear him say, “…and have a nice Colorado day!”

John can best be described as a caregiver, teacher and mentor to all. He had keen sense of humor! By whatever name we may have called him, John, Dad, Grampa, Lt. Col. Butler, Brother or friend, let it be known that he will be sadly missed by everyone who’s lives he touched.

May his spirit forever soar over the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the great state of Colorado.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

The Wayne First Aid Squad

Attn: Memorial Bequest

PO Box 291

Wayne, NJ 07474

and/or

Jeffco Squadron, Civil Air Patrol

Attn: Donation on behalf of John Butler

10675 Airport Way

Broomfield, CO 80021

Checks can be payable to “CAP / Jeffco”.

Dolores “Chippie” Carr was an amazing, loving woman. But make no mistake about it; she was as tough as they come. She was a Jersey Girl born in Paterson in 1943.

She was born to Dolores “Gee” and Harry “Pie” Ball shortly before Pie left for World War II. After his return she was joined by her baby sister, Katherine Belmont, born 3 years and a day after her. They grew up doing everything together. They attended St. Mary’s High School, hung out at Netzer’s and laughed often. Mom’s love of family had already begun. Gee had 5 siblings, who all lived in the area, so the cousins became a huge part of her life. One of her favorite traditions was the “cousin’s” party, held the day after Thanksgiving hosted by Aunt Carmen. She even continued the tradition in recent years and hosted her own “cousin’s” parties. She was happiest when surrounded by family!

Chippie and Tom Carr married in 1965. They raised four wonderful, amazing, intelligent and humble children. Throughout the years, no matter the budget, they always took summer vacation, which included tents, pop up campers, hotels or the floors of generous family and friends. They enjoyed retirement to the fullest. They took motorcycle trips on Dad’s Honda and visited friends and family. They drove across the country and stopped at every capital, which was Chippie’s goal. They also got a place in Islamorada, Florida where they spent their winters enjoying friends and warm weather. However, they were always anxious to get home to resume family dinner and be home for Mother’s Day! They were married for almost 50 years and taught us how a marriage and family should be.

She was always a “rebel” at heart. Despite her mother’s disapproval, mom insisted on horseback riding, getting on a motorcycle, going “away” to college and challenging just about anyone who thought they had authority over her. We have vivid memories of Mom bringing us and her signs to the courthouse to protest the closing of our local elementary school. That type of passion continued throughout her whole life. On several occasions she would march into our schools to fight for us and always began with, “Make no mistake, these are my children and I am biased!!” Even just two years ago, she fought for women’s rights at the local Moose Lodge in Islamorada. She raised us to question authority and always stand up for ourselves. She always said, “I didn’t realize that to my children, I was also the authority and therefore questioned…often”. However, she welcomed it and was sometimes even happy to have it.

Mom’s passion for children, education and Math led her to become a third generation Paterson teacher. She taught Math in both the High School and Elementary school. She believed in children and had many philosophies about teaching math. She often wrote curriculum. Her classroom was always filled with respect and patience. She went on to work in the Bilingual Program which she loved. I believe her Spanish heritage, which she was very proud of played a part in that. She then worked for Special Programs but ended her 25 year career back in the classroom at Great Falls Academy.

The Jersey Shore was one of her favorite places. Her love of the shore began as a child and continued throughout her life. For several years now she has been taking us all to the shore and some of our best memories with Mom are there! But it wasn’t about the location; it was about family and spending time together. Her grandchildren total 10 to date and she enjoyed each and every one of them in her special way. She had the ability to honor and nurture all of their strengths. She prided herself on treating us and her grandchildren fairly not equally. She stopped buying gifts for birthdays and instead would take each of us out to dinner. These special times are cherished by all. Mom had family dinner for us every Wednesday at her house so we could chat, laugh and stay tuned in to each other’s lives. Thanksgiving was “her holiday” because it wasn’t about gifts or toys or stress, it was about family and being thankful!

In honor of mom’s wishes, please, please, please NO FLOWERS. She believed in helping people on a personal level when in need. Altruism is a virtue that she not only possessed, but exercised regularly Please do not send flowers, as she would have thought it senseless. In lieu of flowers, we only ask that you perform a selfless act on her behalf. We know this is not traditional but we are providing a basket at the funeral home with cards for you to send back to us. Although Mom believed that helping was private, we would love to have this collection of your kind acts in honor of Mom. So if you choose please take a card or click on the link below to send a private condolence to the family.

If you are reading this, know that you were special in her life and we THANK YOU!!!!

Matilda “Til” Dunning (Ackershoek), age 90 of Pompton Plains, passed peacefully on Sunday November 24, 2013.

She was born in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1942. She lived in Lake Iosco for 38 years before moving to Pompton Plains 9 years ago.

Til was a secretary at the Prudential Insurance Company of Newark, later the Prudential Insurance Company in Paterson, Cooper Laboratories in Wayne and an Executive Secretary at the Trends Newspaper in Butler before retiring in 1988.

She was a member of the People’s Park Reformed Church of Paterson where she taught Sunday School and served as Treasurer of the Sunday School. She was currently head usher of the Cedar Crest Protestant Community. Til loved her family and prayed for them daily by name. She was reading through the Bible this year up until November 9, when she became ill. Just this past weekend, Til was fortunate to FaceTime with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Til met her late husband Cornelius “Neal” Dunning as both attended People’s Park Reformed Church in Paterson. They married March 27, 1948 at the church where Til carried a Callalily bouquet and had a life-long love of that flower. They honeymooned in Pottstown, PA and then to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms. They enjoyed fifty-seven years of loving marriage before Neal’s passing on November 14, 2005.

Surviving are her two daughters, Dr. Carol Hanse of Clifton and her husband John, and Grace and Tom Schwanda of Wheaton IL, her grandchildren John, Deborah, Rebecca and Steve, and 10 great grandchildren and her brother Tunis Ackershoek of Wayne and sister in law, Irma Ackershoek, also of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Eastern Christian Children’s Retreat, 700 Mountain Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481.

Gail Wilkinson Juster, age 71 of Wayne, died peacefully on Sunday, November 24, 2013 after a courageous two-year battle with cancer.

Gail was born in Brooklyn, NY. After World War II, her parents joined the wave of people moving to the suburbs, settling into a new house in Fair Lawn. Nine-year old Gail enrolled in Warren Point Elementary School right down the street from her house on 31st Street. Living so close to school, Gail was able to come home every day for a nice lunch prepared by her grandma. Grandma was also a talented seamstress who loved to make beautiful clothes for her little granddaughter, so it was not uncommon for Gail to change into a new outfit and maybe have her hair restyled before she returned to school for afternoon classes.

Gail went on to attend Fair Lawn High School where she was a Majorette. She graduated in 1959 and pursued further studies at Trenton State College, graduating in 1963 with a BA in Elementary Education. During her teaching career she took graduate courses at William Paterson College in teaching the handicapped and early childhood education. Her first teaching position came from the principal at Packanack Elementary School who liked hiring graduates of Trenton State College. She taught third grade for two years before taking a position, at her mother’s urging, as a fourth grade teacher at Radburn Elementary School back in her hometown of Fair Lawn. During her two years at Radburn School, Gail married Robert Juster on April 16, 1966 at Saint Ann’s R.C. Church in Fair Lawn.

After a long break from teaching to raise her two daughters (Cathie and Suzanne), Gail eased back into teaching in 1976 in the Wayne schools as a part-time substitute and as a bedside instructor. In 1980, she began to teach basic skills at John F. Kennedy and Pines Lake Elementary School, George Washington Middle School, and Wayne Valley High School. She was awarded the 1988-1989 prestigious state Teacher of the Year award for Wayne Schools. Finally, Gail settled into a long and rewarding career of nineteen years as a first grade teacher at Wayne’s Lafayette Elementary School. Throughout her career, Gail was known as many students’ favorite teacher. When children received their teacher assignments in late summer, they felt like they won the lottery if the letter stated that Mrs. Juster was going to be their teacher. Gail took such pride in her job that she rarely missed a day of school. She retired in 2009, beloved by her students and respected by her colleagues.

The influence of Gail’s grandmother, making her all those beautiful clothes during her childhood, made an indelible impression. As a result, Gail was fastidious about the way she looked. She loved her weekly hair and nail appointments, developing lifelong friendships with the people she met over the years. Even throughout her months of chemo, she almost never missed a nail appointment. It was one of her favorite outings with some of her favorite people. Another outing she loved was shopping, especially for clothing. In recent years, when it was too difficult to get to the store, she was delighted to discover QVC and HSN. Gail also had a passion for food and loved to try new restaurants, especially with her family.

As a young couple, Bob and Gail loved to vacation at the Jersey Shore. When their daughters were growing up, the family continued to vacation down the shore and also took camping vacations to another favorite spot, Cape Cod. In 2000, she and Bob realized their dream and purchased a home on Long Beach Island where they enjoyed many wonderful summers with their daughters and their husbands, and their grandchildren.

Gail adored her four grandchildren and she had a special relationship with each one of them. She was so proud of them and loved to see her grandchildren in their school programs and concerts. After retiring she sometimes volunteered to read to the first and second grade classes at Packanack School. Her grandson Matthew was in one of the classes and later, when Gail became ill, he would give Grandma “Matthew medicine” to make her better. She loved to sit with her granddaughters Brooke, Grace, and Katie and comment on TV shows, fashion magazines, and everything that was going on in their lives.

Gail will always be remembered and adored for her many acts of thoughtfulness and generosity. She took care of her cherished mother who lived with her and Bob for many years. Gail felt like her daughters were her greatest accomplishments. She spoke to them every day on the phone, wanting to hear every detail of their days and always offering advice to them. Even while in the hospital, she made sure that all of her family would have a special gift she selected for them for this coming Christmas and she made sure a visiting friend received her birthday gift. Gail was a great listener who displayed a genuine and loving interest in each person she met. Her amazing knack for remembering details made everyone feel special and important and everyone felt an attraction to her warm and outgoing personality and her wonderful hugs and kisses. Gail treasured all of her friends who visited nearly every day while she was in hospice.

Surviving are her beloved husband of 47 years, Robert; her two dear daughters: Catherine and husband Vincent Przybylinski of Wayne, and Suzanne and husband Joshua Shapiro of Wayne; and four adored grandchildren: Brooke and Grace Przybylinski and Katie and Matthew Shapiro. Gail was predeceased by her loving brother William “Liam” Wilkinson in 2012.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Gail’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 (www.stjude.org).

Robert “Bob” M. Pokrywa age 62 of Pompton Lakes passed, after a courageous battle with Leukemia on Saturday, November 23, 2013.

He was born and raised in Wallington having lived in Pompton Lakes for the past thirty-four years. He graduated from Bergen Vo-Tech High School with the Class of 1968 and continued his education at Fairleigh Dickinson University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business with the Class of 1976.

Bob’s first job was as a deli clerk in Wallington and he would talk about the tears he had in his eyes while grinding up fresh horseradish. After graduating from college he worked for Hoffman LaRoche in Nutley for seventeen years as a records management manager. He then worked as a Sales Manager for Grecco Lincoln Mercury in Denville before taking a position as a Utility Mechanic for PSE&G of Jersey City where he worked for the past five years. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 102 and Local 94.

He had a fun loving way about him, was a hard worker, dedicated family man who was caring, always worried about his family, and at times downright stubborn. He had a “MacGyver” ability to fix just about anything with whatever pieces, parts, popsicle sticks, duct tape, or Fun-Tak he had around. He was an animal lover who had five dogs – “Daisy” and “Tinky” were his favorites. He also had a Canary he adored named “Frankie” that passed away this July.

Bob met a cute girl named Valerie Longo when a friend of his went to get him a part for his motorcycle and Valerie tagged along. He asked if he could call Valerie and she said “sure”. They soon fell in love and on Christmas Eve Bob got down on his knee to propose and Valerie said “you don’t have to do that…just give me the ring.” They married on March 23, 1974 at St. Marys Church in Pompton Lakes and honeymooned in Hawaii. They enjoyed a loving marriage of thirty-nine years.

Robert was the loving husband of Valerie (Longo) Pokrywa; devoted father of Robert C. Pokrywa and his wife Nicole of Kinnelon, and Stephen M. Pokrywa of Pompton Lakes; cherished grandfather of Isabella and Joseph Pokrywa; loved brother of Michael Pokrywa and his wife Mindy of Sayreville, Lawrence Pokrywa and his wife Ann Marie of Sayreville, Julian Pokrywa and his wife Marie of Totowa, and the late Ronald Pokrywa (2004) and Barbara Pokrywa (1997); he was the adored uncle of  Larry, Michael, Christopher, Mitchell, Brian, Mia, Kelly, Courtney, and Alicia.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Pompton Lakes-Riverdale First Aid Squad, 700 Ramapo Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 or the St. Josephs Hospital Foundation, 703 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07503 be considered.

Rose Grace Rolleri, age 83 of Wayne, died peacefully at home with her loving family by her side on Tuesday evening, November 19, 2013.

Rose was born in Montella, Italy, the younger of Ferdinando and Assunta Sesso's two children. For the first nine years of her life she was almost exclusively raised by her mother while her father worked as a mason in the United States, sending money back home to his family in Italy while establishing a permanent home in the U.S. where Rose, her mother, and brother Michael could one day join him. In 1939, the Sesso's were all together at last, settling into a new home that Rose's father built in Paterson. Rose quickly learned to speak English, mostly from the friends she made in school. Following graduation from Paterson's Central High School with the class of 1949, she went to work for First National Bank of Paterson in the mortgage department. Throughout her whole life, Rose always fell back on that banking experience, taking care of family finances by adding and subtracting numbers and coming up with the answer in her head before verifying her calculations with a calculator.

One time Rose's brother Michael was looking for someone to go on vacation with, so Rose's friend Dorothy Rolleri offered to ask her brother Norman if he would be willing to go with Michael. Norman obliged and when he arrived at Michael's house to leave for that vacation, there he saw Rose. Rose was wearing a beautiful white blouse and, as Norm put it, for him, love at first sight was the understatement of the century. Norman couldn't wait to get back from vacation so he could ask Rose out! She accepted and their first date was to the Windbeam Club off of Route 23. They spent the night dancing to live music and soon their love was mutual. Future dates included trips to New York City to see Broadway shows like Guys and Dolls and The King and I. One day, Norm and Rose were out for a drive. Feeling like he could wait no longer, he just pulled over and asked Rose for her hand in marriage. She eagerly accepted and, with the approval of Rose's parents, they became engaged on Valentine's Day and married the following Halloween, October 31, 1953. The wedding was celebrated at Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Paterson. Following a romantic honeymoon to Florida, the newlyweds settled into an upstairs apartment in the house Rose grew up in.

She continued working at First National Bank until God blessed them with their first child, a beautiful daughter which they named Patricia. Upon the impending arrival of their second-born, another dear girl which they named Norma Jean, the family moved out of that apartment in Paterson, into their brand new home in Wayne, NJ. By now Rose had completely embraced her role as a full-time super homemaker and she quickly made that new house a home where everyone wanted to be. Soon after the move, the family grew to five when they welcomed that son they had been waiting for and they named him Robert. Few things brought greater joy to Rose than spending time caring for her lawn and gardens. In the spring and summer, the curb appeal was undeniable thanks to the explosion of color brought on by the abundant flowers she had planted, pruned and cared for. To compliment those flowers, the grass was always manicured as if she was expecting Better Homes and Garden Magazine to show up any minute to use her home for a cover article. For some, such hard work might seem like just that...hard work, but not to Rose. She sincerely took great delight in pushing that lawn mower, a delight probably only eclipsed by her love for raking leaves in the fall. She loved the fall! Rose took good care of herself too. For over twenty years she and her best friend Jean started every day with a brisk two-mile walk and sometimes Diamond, the family's beagle, would come with. When it came to cooking, another one of Rose's better gifts, she always balanced yummyness with nutritiousness. For example, if a recipe called for two sticks of butter, Rose would substitute one stick with margarine.

One of the primary impetuses for Rose's love of home was her greater love for her family. She loved her family so much that she saw it as her calling and responsibility to nurture a place and atmosphere where Norm, the kids and grandkids would want to gather. This is not to say that Rose exclusively believed that an emotionally healthy family could only be realized with a nice house. Family was equally celebrated for many years in a rented house in Long Beach Island. For many summers the family gathered in LBI for a week or maybe two if Norm got a bonus that year. Rose loved the beauty of the ocean and that passion lives on to this day in her children and grandchildren. The bottom line is that Rose preferred staying home over traveling and that love of home was especially highlighted on a trip she took with Norm to Puerto Rico. A storm ensued on the way causing the airplane to rock violently. So scared was Rose that she asked Norm if they could forgo the airplane trip back home and take the train instead! Having said that, she and Norman did enjoy cruising to Bermuda and their 30th anniversary was celebrated with a trip to Hawaii. But in the end, family was everything! Her love for her children was incredible and when all three of them married, she never viewed their spouses, Matt, Robert and Gail, as in-laws. Oh no! Her reality was that she just went from being blessed with three kids to being blessed with six. She genuinely loved them that much! Her love for the kids may only have been rivaled by the joy she received and gave to her seven grandchildren. Her face would literally light up when Matthew, Stephanie, Michelle, Meghan, Melissa, Lucas or Rachel came to visit and, being the great cook that she was, she knew each one of their personal favorite recipes and would derive great joy from watching them eat it. Everyone loved Grandma's chocolate cookies made from, of course, one stick of butter and one stick of margarine! Her love was unconditional too. She understood that sometimes as kids grew, they loose their way and make some mistakes. She displayed steady patience and prayed for them to her Lord, the God who taught her all she ever knew about unconditional love. Rose was a woman of great faith and she loved God and being a parishioner of Holy Cross Parish in Wayne for 55 years where she was also a member of the Rosary Society. As her one son-in-law said, "if she isn't in heaven, I don't have a chance!" What a beautiful tribute!

Surviving this wonderful woman are her beloved husband of 60 years, Norman; her three dear children: Patricia and husband Matthew Dox of Wayne, Norma Jean and husband Robert Falcone of Warren Township, and Robert and wife Gail Rolleri of Cary, NC; seven adored grandchildren: Matthew, Stephanie, Michelle, Meghan, Melissa, Lucas and Rachel; and her niece and nephews: Fred, Ernie and Susie. Rose was predeceased by her brother Michael Sesso in 2004.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rose's name are asked to consider Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church or the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), 14 Mitchell Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94903.

Lee John Stuart, age 75 of Ringwood, NJ passed away November 14, 2013.

Born in Passaic NJ, Lee was a US Navy Veteran, member of the Riverdale Police Pistol Team, owned Town Hall Deli in Riverdale for 10 years, employed at Decker Transport for 20 years, and owner of Maverick Transport.

Lee is survived by his son, John Stuart, daughter-in-law, Lori Stuart, grandchildren, Nicole & John Anthony Stuart, brother, Craig Stuart, nephew, Bob Stuart and companion, Patricia Smith.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The American Diabetes Association.

Frank M. Orapello age 82 of Wanaque passed peacefully on Thursday, November 14, 2013.

He was born in New York City having been raised on 119th Street & Pleasant Avenue in Harlem, NY. He graduated from Ben Franklin High School with the Class of 1949 and attended Holy Rosary RC Church in Harlem.

Frank was always a sports fan having played stickball for years on 119th Street and eventually he umpired for baseball games in Central Park and Woodland Park in New York. He also was a high school basketball Referee having worked a game where he was very impressed by one player named Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar). He would later serve as an umpire, coach, and eventually for some twelve years, President of the Pompton Lakes New Jersey Little League Association. He also helped found the Pompton Lakes-Riverdale Women’s Softball League in the early 1980’s. He was a dedicated season ticket holder and NY Giants Fan for many years.

In 1950 Frank found employment with the US Postal Service as a Letter Carrier in New York City. In 1951 he was drafted in the US Army where her served during the Korean War. He would talk about his service, which was mostly in Japan, and how he liked it there so much that if he had known his girlfriend back in the States had been engaged to be married he would have never come back.

Upon his return from military service in 1952 he resumed his career as a letter carrier. He worked at the US Post Office for fifty-six years first as a letter carrier whose last route included the United Nations and then served as recording secretary, treasurer, vice-president, and president for fifteen years of the National Association of Letter Carriers Union Branch 36 before fully retiring in 2006. During the 1970’s he bought R&S Postal Service Courier’s. He would finish his route and after work go building to building in the city picking up packages.

Rosemary and Frank met on a trip to Massachusetts where Rosemary won a swimming contest and the smitten Frank simply said “give me your number”. Their first date was to Rye Beach in New York where they played miniature golf. They married on October 23, 1960 at Saint Francis Xavier Church in Bronx, NY and they honeymooned at the Algiers Hotel in Miami Florida. While on their honeymoon they met up with another couple who suggested they all go deep sea fishing. Rosemary was sick from the moment she got on the boat and for a few days after. They enjoyed a loving marriage of fifty-three years.

Frank enjoyed gambling, playing Pinochle, and watching football. He liked to travel and has been to many places including Puerto Rico, Lake Shasta, CA, Lake George, NY, Virginia Beach, VA, San Francisco, CA and especially the 50th Anniversary cruise where fifteen family members accompanied them.

He was the loving husband of fifty-three years to Rosemary (Charles) Orapello; loved father of MaryAnne Orapello and her husband Guy Raspantini of Wayne, AnnMarie Buzzelli and her husband Pat of Wayne, and James Orapello and his wife Joan of Wayne; cherished grandfather of James and Patrick Orapello, Vincent, Andrew, and Christopher Buzzelli; dear brother of the late Marie Aiello (2011); brother-in-law of Lorraine Anderson and husband Bob; loved uncle of  Rick and Philip Cosentino, and Rosemarie Aiello.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the HPH Hospice Foundation, 12242 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL, 34613 or the Wayne Animal Shelter, 201 Pompton Plains Crossroads, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Florence “Flossie” Sanford (nee Spatz), age 96, died suddenly at home on Tuesday, November 12, 2013.

Flossie was born and raised in Nutley. In 1941 she married Jack Sanford and a year later, they moved to their new home in Pompton Lakes. Florence enjoyed living in that home these past 72 years.

A gifted seamstress, Mrs. Sanford taught sewing for Pompton Lakes Adult Education for twenty years. She was a free-lance lecturer for Armo Underlining in Stern’s, Gimbels and Macy’s Department Stores in New York and she taught sewing in Stern’s, Paramus and in many of the local women’s clubs. Florence herself was a member of the Pompton Lakes Women’s Club and the Riverdale Women’s Club. She was also past president of the Passaic County Extension Service and, with her husband Jack, she was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star #205.

Flossie maintained beautiful gardens around her home. Every spring 2000 red and yellow tulips burst forth in a blaze of beauty. She had gorgeous rose bushes and on one trip to France, she brought back Poppy seeds which, to her dismay, took over much of the yard.

Florence had an extensive collection of porcelain dolls, many of which she made herself. With her seamstress skills, she made most of the clothing for them too. Her doll-making skills were so great and many of her dolls were so incredibly life-like that the story is told of one hot summer day when she went shopping. Florence came out of a store and, approaching her car, she was startled by the sight of police officers who were just about to break her car window with their billy-clubs. With a gasp of astonishment, she yelled “what are you doing to my car?” The officers explained that they had received an anonymous call that someone had left a baby in a closed car on a hot summer day. They were about to break into the car and rescue the baby from heat exhaustion and possible death. They were greatly humbled when Florence explained to them that the baby they were trying to save was one of here porcelain dolls creations.

With her husband Jack, Florence got to see much of the world. Most of their trips were through the Holland American Line and over the years, they logged over 150,000 miles of travel to such destinations as the Caribbean, most of South America and all of Europe. One time on a trip to England, Florence purchased a copper kettle while in Windsor. As she and Jack came out of the store, she asked Jack to carry the pot. He said he wouldn’t, so, just to embarrass him, she put the kettle on her head and wore it around like a hat.

Florence was an extremely generous and giving person. If you came to her house and expressed admiration for something she had, she would often-times just give it to you. She had a great love for animals – especially down-and-out cats. Throughout her lifetime she took in many strays. She always paid to have them spayed or neutered and if she couldn’t find a permanent home for them, they would just stay with her. Some of her favorite feline friends were Rocky, Simon and Miss Kitty. She also gave to many charitable organizations including numerous local animal shelters and Little Sisters of the Poor.

Florence was preceded in death by her husband Jack, her mother Elizabeth and her brother Clarence.

Florence will be forever grateful to some special friends who lovingly cared for her in recent years. Those dear people include Dave and Beth Verblaauw and their daughters, Dorothy Enright, Sandy DeSantis, and Keith Orotosky.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Florence’s name are asked to consider the St. Mary’s Food Pantry, 37 Pompton Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442.

Pamela S. “Pam” Poff, Esq., age 62 of Savannah, Georgia and Wayne, New Jersey, died on November 9, 2013 at the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah.

Ms. Poff received her B.A. degree in history, magna cum laude, from Upsala College and a juris doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law. She also earned a degree from the SMG program of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Ms. Poff was the first female director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, having been appointed by Governor Kean. She was also an advisor for several years to Justice Clarence Thomas on “excellence in agency case processing,” while he was chairman on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Prior to creating her own business, Ms. Poff served as deputy general counsel/senior vice president at UBS Financial Services, Inc. (formerly Paine Webber). Ms. Poff was also a partner with the national law firm of Jackson Lewis.

Ms. Poff was a long-term adjunct faculty member of Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations. She was also a member of the American Corporate Counsel Association (ACCA), a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Committee, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Labor and Employment Law Committee, the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, the National Corporate Counsel Association, the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, and the American Arbitration Association.

Pam was a brilliant attorney with a storied career, but that amazing law career almost didn’t happen. As a young woman, she was an outstanding bowler and she even holds a place in the Junior Bowlers Hall of Fame. Before deciding on law school, she considered becoming a professional bowler. She was very proud of her bowling skill and ultimately enjoyed her chosen career and continued bowling throughout her life. Pam had vast knowledge of many subjects and her interests were broad. She was a big baseball fan, especially the Mets & Yankees. She had attended too many games to count and had been to several World Series. She particularly enjoyed her visit to Candlestick Park before they tore it down, and had been to Chicago's Wrigley field as well. Her knowledge of wines was fascinating. She knew wines inside and out, especially California and Conga's; everyone always came to her for suggestions, everyone! She had traveled all over the world, including New Zealand, Spain, the UK, Italy, and had visited each of the fifty states in the US. She loved Broadway shows and along with her daughter Cori, they shared many special times in New York going to shows. Summer vacations to LBI and Provincetown, MA every summer made for some great memories with wonderful friends. Her friends will surely cherish those memories dearly.

Pam is survived by her partner of 28 years; Martha Lawson of Wayne, her daughter; Cori Poff of New Jersey, and her sister Kathleen Lawson of New Jersey.

Memorial donations in Pam's honor would be greatly appreciated. Please consider the "Kent Place Development Fund", Kent Place School, 42 Norwood Ave., Summit, NJ 07901.

David P. Savastano, age 66 of Wayne, died peacefully after a long illness on Saturday, November 9, 2013.

David was a journeymen/foreman union sprinkler fitter with FDC Fire Protection, Inc. of Howell Township. He was skilled at his trade and respected by those in his company, working with FDC for seventeen years until retirement in 2009 where he retired from the local 696.

He was drafted into the United States Army, faithfully and bravely serving his country in Vietnam during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1972.

David met his beloved wife Nancy one night in 1992 while attending a Parents Without Partners meeting. They developed a very nice friendship, frequently attending many of the organization-sponsored dances. As that friendship grew, they often watched each other’s back by cleverly cutting in to dance with each other if one of them got to dancing with someone they weren’t interested in. A year into this friendship they went on their first official date and, from that point on, they never looked back! David and Nancy eventually decided to elope, going to Las Vegas, where they spent the day at the casinos followed by a lovely dinner together. At 3:00 AM the next morning, they filed for a marriage license and got married the next day, October 8, 2000 at the Monte Carlo Chapel. They honeymooned in…..you guessed it…..Las Vegas and enjoyed thirteen happy years together as husband and wife.

David loved to dine with Nancy at Ossy’s Café in Hawthorne where Mike was always their top-notch waiter. While they also enjoyed nice dinners at Leggio’s, in Hawthorne, they were just as content to stay in and spend the night enjoying a home-cooked meal followed by a movie, cuddled together on the couch. When they were visiting their son’s family in Florida, they also enjoyed a night at the dog track.

Dave was a tremendous sports enthusiast. He had his own softball team called the Savvy Sluggers which, over the course of his twenty-five years, played every Sunday morning. In the earlier years, Dave played 1st base and loved to hit, but as the aches and pains of aging set in, he eventually focused his attention exclusively on the management of the team. The Savvy Sluggers recently won the championship and his players honored their beloved manager, presenting David with a plaque and a softball signed by every team member. Dave also liked to watch sports, especially the Yankees, New York Giants and any college football game he could catch on television.

Dave was a man with somewhat of an entrepreneurial spirit and one of his hobbies was dabbling in the stock market. A self-taught stock investor Dave learned everything he knew from books like “Investing for Dummies” and “Options for Dummies,” and he supplemented his investment knowledge, often tuning into to get tips from the famously fiery Jim Cramer, host of MSNBC’s “Mad Money.” While his wife and kids didn’t particularly enjoy when Jim Cramer was on TV, they did enjoy the fruits of Dave’s success.

Dave loved it when his son and daughter blessed him with grandchildren. When Anthony, Josephine, Angelique and Kaelyn called for “Pa Pa” or “Poppy”, he was enthusiastically ready to play! Like any doting grandfather, he let those kids do whatever they wanted, leaving disciplining them to their parents. “You want cake, candy or ice cream before dinner? No problem!” His granddaughter Angelique particularly enjoyed playing “Fort” under the dining room table with Pa Pa. To all of them, he was larger than life!

David will be forever remembered for his wonderful outlook on life. To him, life was a party. He had an infectious sense of humor and he did anything to keep the peace often saying to his wife and children “huddle up” when he felt an argument developing.

David is survived and will be dearly missed by his beloved wife Nancy; his dear son Anthony Hopper and wife Robin; his dear daughter Dena Morris and husband Michael; and his four adored grandchildren: Anthony Louis Hopper, Jr., Josephine Hopper, Angelique Morris, and Kaelyn Morris.

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

Stephen Dancko

Chief Warrant Officer, Retired United States Navy

Stephen Dancko age 94 of Towaco passed away peacefully on Friday, November 8, 2013.

He was born in Pine Hill, Pennsylvania and raised in Passaic, New Jersey where he attended Passaic High School.

In October of 1937 at the age of seventeen he enlisted in the United States Navy where he served his country for over twenty-one years. In March of 1938 he was assigned to the West Coast of the United States and the Turret Gun Crew of the heavy cruiser the USS Minneapolis CA-36. The ship was assigned to a Hawaiian Task Force and was given a new home port in the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On December 6, 1941 the USS Minneapolis put out to sea to conduct night gunnery exercises. On the morning of the 7th of December at 7:55 AM, the USS Minneapolis was at the entrance of Pearl Harbor when the first flight of enemy aircraft were sighted. The ship’s general alarm sounded for crew members to man their battle stations to take on the Japanese aircraft. The enemy swooped down on prize targets bunched defensively on the Naval Base in Pearl Harbor. The USS Minneapolis was ordered to stay clear of the harbor but to protect the entrance from enemy forces at sea. A second wave of Japanese appeared and within two hours eight battleships, three cruisers, and four other vessels of the Pacific fleet were demolished. Casualties were extremely high and twenty-two year old Stephen Dancko was forever changed. Three days later the USS Minneapolis entered the harbor to take on survivors and to make up a war time compliment of crew members. That evening they put out to sea to rendezvous with the Australian Navy in the Coral Sea. From 1941 through 1945 Stephen earned numerous campaign awards including the Asiatic-Pacific Medal with 12 stars, each star denoting a major engagement against the enemy. From August of 1943 through December of 1944 he was assigned to the USS Fremont APA-44 as Head Maintenance Electrician. On September 2, 1945 (VJ Day) he personally witnessed the signing of the complete surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay. He was again reassigned to the USS Pamina AKA-34 as Electrical Officer “E” Division Officer, and Engineering Watch Officer. From January 1946 through July of 1946 he was assigned to the New York Naval Shipyard as Electrical Repair Officer and Assistant to Ship Repair Superintendent; from July 1947 through June of 1948 he was the Head Maintenance Electrician for the USS Midway CVB-41; from June 1948 through June 1949 he was a Gyro Compass School Instructor; from July 1949 to May 1951 he served aboard the USS Eberle DD-430 as Head Maintenance Electrician; from May of 1951 to April of 1952 he served on the USS Wasp CV-18 again as Head Maintenance Electrician; from April 1952 to May 1953 he served aboard the USS Taconic GC-17 as Elecrical Officer “E” Division Officer, Engineering Watch Officer; June 153 to October 195 MSTSLant, Electrical Member of Maintenance Procedure Board, Junior Staff Watch Officer; and from November 1955 through 1958 he served aboard the USS Mississippi EAG-128, as Station Officer, and Engineering Watch Officer; and finally aboard the USS Albany CA-123, Unit of the Sixth Fleet as Ships Electrician. He was Honorably discharged on July 31, 1958 after twenty-one years of service.

Battles

Battle of Pearl Harbor, Battle of Bouganville, Battle of Salamaua, Battle of Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Expedition of Tulagi and Guadalcanal, Occupation of Ellice Islands, Battle of Tassafaronga, Occupation of Saipan, Okinawa, Leyte, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands, and Japan.

Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded

Navy Good Conduct Medal w/2 stars, American Defense Service Medal w/1 star, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/12 stars, Victory Medal (WWII), Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal.

Received citations from the President of the United States, President Harry S. Truman, the Navy Department and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. The Governor of the State of New Jersey, Governor Thomas Kean, declared his deep gratitude.

After his service in the US Navy he found employment with the McKiernan and Terry, Kearfott and Electrotech Company in Caldwell, NJ and produced parts for the United States Space Program.

He was extremely family oriented, always gave of himself for others, loved reading, the Jersey Shore, and being on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico, and Naples, Florida. He was quiet, reserved, methodical, and very proud to service his country. A devoted member of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Wayne, he loved attending church and looked forward to socializing with his friends at church. He also enjoyed his daily trips for breakfast with his son-in-law Pat.

Stephen was the loving husband of sixty-one years to the late Margaret Dancko (2002) whom he married on July 5, 1942, while on leave from the Navy as Margaret’s mom was very ill and she so wanted to see her daughter get married; devoted father of Lani Curcio and her husband Patrick of Towaco; cherished grandfather of Jason Curcio and his wife Danielle; much loved great-grandfather of Makayla Ilyse and Juliana Rose Curcio; dear brother of the late John and George Dancko.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, 285 French HIll Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

James Henry Conroy, Jr., age 89, son of the late James H. Conroy and Ellen Pewtner.

A native of Paterson, NJ, Mr. Conroy was predeceased by his beloved wife of sixty years, Nancy Grant Berghorn. Mr. Conroy raised his family in Wayne, NJ, where he was a parishioner of Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church.

A World War II Navy Veteran, he was a "plank owner" and served on the USS Iowa throughout the war.  The Iowa famously served as a secret transport for President Roosevelt during WWII. Jim recalled seeing the President aboard ship when they brought him to meet with Churchill and Stalin at the Tehran Conference.  The intriguing story of the Battleship, including Jim's personal story about his time aboard ship, can be found at www.ussiowa.org, or click here

EditSign to link directly to the newsletter which contains Jim's story.

He worked as a driver/salesman for Bordens’ Ice Cream for most of his career, and later obtained a job driving a bus for the New Jersey Transit. After retiring from the New Jersey Transit, he was offered a part-time position with Bergen County, NJ. He ultimately retired at the age of 72.

Friends and family remember him as generous and self-sacrificing. He was a Good Samaritan, always putting others first. He enjoyed surprising each of his six children with birthday trips to the zoo or amusement park. He loved the ocean and the many family vacations that were spent at the Jersey Shore. He enjoyed visits with his family at Sunrise Bed & Breakfast in Salem. He loved music. On Sunday mornings, the house would fill with soundtracks, especially his favorite, The Sound of Music. He was a helping hand to the residents of Memory Care at his assisted living home. He was loved by many.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Conroy was predeceased by a brother, William, and a sister, Carrie Ann.

He will be missed by his daughters: Patricia Conroy (Larry Dietrich) of Salem, Kathryn Zeugin of Highland Lakes, NJ, Margaret Conroy (Richard Spielman) of Oxford, NJ, and Frances (Andrew) Pinto of Little Silver, NJ; sons: James (Brenda) Conroy of Wayne, NJ, Thomas (Joan) Conroy of Lake Stockholm, NJ; his eight grandchildren: Christopher, Michaella, Patricia, Matthew, Cassandra, Caitlin, Thomas, and Anthony; and great-grandchildren: Aubrie and Colton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Oconee Hospice of the Foothills, ATTN: Foundation Office, 298 Memorial Drive, Seneca, SC 29672, or Celtic Charms Therapeutic Horsemanship, 671 Fort Plains Road, Howell, NJ 07731.

Frank Greco age 84 of Wayne passed peacefully on Wednesday, November 6, 2013.

He was born and raised in Paterson having graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson with the class of 1946.

At the age of eleven and for the next seventy-three years he worked at the family business, Maiella Furniture in Paterson. The showroom moved from Paterson to Haledon before settling in Hawthorne 30 years ago. Frank worked there up until June of this year.

Frank met his wife, Rosemarie Vitale, while doing the Saturday collections of furniture purchases people had made on credit. One of the families he was collecting from urged him to meet Rosemarie. Their first date was to Coney Island in Frank’s blue Ford. The married on February 13, 1955 at Blessed Sacrament RC Church in Paterson and they honeymooned in Mexico City and Acapulco. This was the first and only time Frank took a two week vacation from work. Frank and Rosemarie enjoyed fifty-eight years of loving marriage.

Frank was dedicated to his work and his community. He was a member for fifty four years and was a Past Exalted Ruler of the Passaic Valley Elks Lodge 2111; Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 11943 at Annunciation RC Church in Wayne; served as Treasurer of the Passaic County Elks Cerebral Palsy Center until his passing; and was a Committee Chairman of the Wayne Boy Scouts of America Troop 127; member of the Italian American Club of Totowa; a member of the Fidelians of North Haledon; and a member of the Furniture Manufacturers Association.

He was a founding parishioner of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC Church in Wayne and served as an Usher for many years.

Frank was the loving husband of fifty-eight years to Rosemarie (Vitale) Greco; loving father of Frank Greco, Jr. of Clifton, Dana Hampson and her husband Bill of Hawthorne, Melissa Greco and her partner Lisa Rapone of Union, and David Greco and his wife Lisa Szegedi of Hawthorne; cherished grandfather of Stephanie Greco, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Danielle and Jacquelyn Hampson; loved brother of the late Joseph Greco and his surviving wife Yolanda of Brick, and the late Bernadette Zaloom; much loved brother-in-law of Joseph and Elinore Vitale; adored uncle of Stephen and Thomas Vitale, Yolanda Sisco, Adrianna Scott, Donna Feil, and the late Elyse Zaloom.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Passaic County Elks Cerebral Palsy Center, 1481 Main Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011 would be appreciated.

Ewald Schloesser, age 82 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. He had been a resident of Wayne since 1962.

Ewald was born in Wischtyten, Lithuania in 1931. The events of World War II forced his family off their farm, out of Lithuania, and into Poland. Later, when the Germans invaded Russia, his family was able to return to Lithuania but found their farm claimed by others and they had to settle elsewhere. As the War progressed, his entire family found themselves captives of Russia, separated and deported to various labor camps. Sadly, he lost his father Heinrich, his sister Ida, and his brother Helmut during the war. Ewald survived, along with his other sister Erna and brother Gustav, and together, with their mother Auguste, they earned sponsorship to America. They sailed to New York, arriving on November 6, 1951. They boarded a train and traveled to Factoryville, Pennsylvania where they went to work on a farm. Tragically, about a year later, Ewald was severely injured when the farm tractor he was driving rolled over and crushed his pelvis. He endured months in the hospital during his difficult recovery. Needless to say, his days of laboring on a farm had come to an end. He moved east, to Paterson, NJ where he found work in a machine shop as an apprentice machinist.

Ewald was a very fast learner and poured himself into his work. He was very fortunate to have a skilled German machinist as a mentor and this man taught him a great deal. Ewald quickly realized the importance of mathematics in his career and he taught himself trigonometry, having had no more than an eighth grade education before World War II interrupted his childhood. He mastered the skills of his trade and was naturally brilliant at problem solving. He became highly respected in his field and regarded as one of the best at what he did. His family recalls a funny story where Ewald found himself in a meeting with many highly educated engineers, all specialists in their fields. They were each introducing themselves and describing their educational credentials – which were all very impressive. When they asked Ewald if he was also an engineer, he proudly stated "No, not me, I'm a farmer", earning a good laugh and even more respect among his professional peers.

Ewald earned the respect of his employers at Ken-Mar Machine Mfg. Corp. too, and when they were ready to retire, he became part owner of the business in 1974. Recognizing that plastics were becoming used more frequently in manufacturing and machine work, he developed unique methods for machining plastics. Ewald laid claim to a U.S. patent for replacement hip components and he pioneered the manufacture of medical implants and components for replacement human joints. He was no stranger to hard work and you could often find him at the kitchen table, with a hip joint in hand, studying it intently and deep in thought. He was most proud to have his sons take over at the shop to carry on the legacy. Ewald truly epitomized the American Dream.

His ability to design and create such intricate components without any formal education was a testament to his intellect. His sons, both educated engineers, would often seek his help with their most difficult problems. Ewald could get down to the fundamentals very easily and then build up to a solution, making it look simple. His daughter recalls his offer to help with her high school trigonometry homework by producing a small booklet saying “Here Carol, I don't know if this will help you but it helped me when I taught myself." She realized right then what a true genius her father was.

Back in the early 1950’s, after moving to Paterson, Ewald followed the advice of an uncle who once said "If you want to meet a nice German girl you go to Passaic." There he met the love of his life, Mary Schmidt, at a German dance hall. During their courtship they learned how close their paths came to nearly crossing a few years earlier; they had both come to America on the same ship, one voyage apart, in 1951. While dating, Ewald often stated "whoever marries me is going to get a good husband." They married on October 29, 1955. And proving himself right, they enjoyed fifty eight years together, devoted to one another, in a caring and loving marriage. They called each other “mom” and “dad”, always held hands, and he would open every door for her. They first settled in Paterson before moving to Wayne in 1962. Though their honeymoon consisted of painting their house, after their first 25 years of marriage, they were finally able to begin traveling to many places including a trip to Hawaii with friends to celebrate their 25th anniversary and a trip to the Bahamas with family to celebrate their 50th anniversary. More recently they enjoyed visiting Atlantic City to play the slots. As much as Ewald enjoyed the slots, his family knows that he was subconsciously trying to figure out how those machines worked! The gears in his mind never stopped turning.

Ewald was a very selfless man and he discreetly cared for a great many people. Many members of his family, dear friends, his church community, and countless others can attest to his generosity and kindness.

Ewald is survived by his loving wife Mary of Wayne, his three children: Rudy and his wife Debora of Randoph, Eddy and his wife Marcia of Montville, and Carol Gabel and her husband Douglas of Pompton Plains, six grandchildren; Christine Schloesser and her husband Kyle Hendrickson of Succasunna, Joshua Schloesser of San Diego, CA, Tiffany Schloesser of New York, NY, Brittany Schloesser of New York, NY, Madison Schloesser of Montville, Kaila Hope Mary Gabel of Pompton Plains, and two great-grandchildren; Brayden and Evelyn Hendrickson both of Succasunna, his sister Erna Frank of Pompton Plains, his brother Gustav and wife Eleanor of Franklin Lakes, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Ida and his brother Helmut.

Ewald loved flowers, but was also a very practical man. His family would greatly appreciate donations to the "St. Timothy Lutheran Church Memorial Fund", 395 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470.

It is with heavy hearts, but joyful spirits that we of Living Water Tabernacle inform you that a true mighty woman of God, Elder Margaret Heck, went home to be with our Lord and Savior this past weekend. Margaret Heck graduated to Glory at the age of 84, on November 3, 2013.

Although our flesh cries out, we rejoice knowing that she is in victory and walking hand in hand on streets of gold with her Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, Praise the Lord, King of Kings and Lord of Lords! These are not just mere words we say; we are assured with a profound Wisdom and Knowledge that Elder Marge is in Glory, where our souls belong. She is truly home, in the arms of our Father! For to be absent from the body is to be present of The Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

A woman who was not only a beloved and cherished Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt, Sister and friend, but a woman who was an unwavering warrior of the Lord!

Elder Marge was born on November 14th, 1928, and is survived by her daughter Pastor Denise Lanno, her sons and daughter-in-laws, Edward and Carol Heck, James and Bonnie Heck; her loving grandchildren, Robert, Danielle, and Jaclyn, and great grandchildren Ethan, Alex, Breeanna and James.

A powerful woman of God who was all too often under-estimated for her petite frame, her intercessory prayer alone had hell shaking in its boots! She was a woman who saw the task before her and raised a mighty Prophet of God, our Pastor, Pastor Denise Lanno, in spite of what life tried to throw at her. Her resilience, her devotion, her humor, her character, her integrity, her smile, and the love she shared with all those around her is a priceless gift! Those of us who were blessed enough to cross her path are forever grateful for the indelible imprint she has made on our lives. It is with the utmost respect that we honor this great woman of God, and we humble ourselves before the Lord thanking Him for enriching our lives and blessing us for the time we had Elder Marge. We are forever changed for the better, having been a witness to this extraordinary woman, and her “legacy of faith”. Her love and devotion live on; she has indeed made an impact on each of us!

In lieu of flowers, donations to Living Water Tabernacle in memory of Elder Margaret Heck will be appreciated in accordance with her wishes.

Living Water Tabernacle PO Box 247, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

For more information visit lwtnj.org and on Facebook at Living Water Tabernacle NJ/NY

Madeline Craparo, age 84 of Wayne died peacefully on Sunday, November 3, 2013. She had been a resident of Wayne since 1956.

Madeline was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from the Central High School of Needle Trades, located in Manhattan. The historic high school was founded in 1941 and operates today as the High School of Fashion Industries. Upon her graduation, Madeline quickly found employment in the New York garment district, manufacturing clothing. Her close friends and coworkers made her wedding gown for her and they were all very skilled, expert seamstresses. Madeline’s supervisor Marie, introduced her to a cousin named Vincent Craparo. They began dating but could only see each other on weekends, since she worked days and he worked nights. Their first date was to the Cameo Theatre in Brooklyn, NY to see a movie. Vincent proposed to Madeline in the front hall of her home saying “you got me Maddie…let’s get married”. On October 7, 1951 at Our Lady of Lorreto in Brooklyn, they tied the knot and honeymooned at the Merry Hill Resort in the Poconos. Madeline and Vince initially lived at his mother's on St. Johns Place, Brooklyn, until their daughter Camille was born. They then moved to Lodi, NJ in 1953 and finally to Wayne in 1956. Their marriage spanned nearly sixty years before Vincent passed in 2010. Madeline was angry with him when he passed because he had promised to never leave her and they had always agreed that she would go first. Perhaps today they are reunited, walking hand-in-hand, and loving each other once again.

Madeline became a full-time mom after her daughter was born, but she never stopped sewing. She was a ‘crafting queen’, making just about anything you can imagine out of stitchery. From clothing and curtains to tissue box covers and Christmas ornaments, she did it all. Many of you reading this have surely been gifted one of her handmade items and maybe even have some ornaments from her dangling on your Christmas tree during the season. She even became entrepreneurial; setting up at area craft fairs to sell her crafts and stitched items. She sold a lot of her pieces to many people over the years. She was also a fantastic cook and her stew was like nothing you’ve ever had.

Becoming a grandmother was probably the single greatest joy of her life; she loved being a grandmother more than anything. Together with her husband, they relished the time they enjoyed helping to raise their two granddaughters. Madeline taught them how to sew, make crafts, and cook. She also loved to collect Beanie-Babies with the girls and they have a collection to remember her by for many years. They will miss her dearly.

Madeline is survived by her devoted daughter; Camille Mueller and her husband Robert of Riverdale, two granddaughters; Carly Bedoe and her husband Craig of Wayne, and Stephanie Mueller of Riverdale. She was predeceased by her husband Vincent in 2010, her sister Mary Maier in 1989, her brother James Carbone in 1999, her brother Angelo Carbone in 1992, and many years ago by her nine year old brother, Frank Carbone, who tragically contracted Tetanus after stepping on a rusty nail.

In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make a memorial donation in Madeline’s honor to National Shrine of St. Jude, 205 W. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60606 www.shrineofstjude.org, or to the Franciscan Friars of Atonement, 1350 Route 9, PO Box 300, Garrison, NY 10524-0301, www.atonementfriars.org.

James Carlon age 82, a fifty-one year resident of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Sunday, November 3, 2013.

He was born and raised in Totowa having graduated from Passaic Valley High School, Little Falls with the Class of 1948. He continued his education at Farleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford for two years and then served in the United States Army during the Korean War. After returning from his service he continued his education at Farleigh Dickinson University graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with the Class of 1962.

During his service in the United States Army he trained German Shepherd dogs in Germany. He was awarded the Occupation Medal (Germany) and the National Defense Service Medal for his service.

James work history includes a job at the Passaic County Jail, a buyer for Singer-Kearfot Corporation in Clifton, and as a salesman for G.I. Haerer Printing in New York City. In 1978 he started his own company J. E. Carlon Company Inc. in Wayne where he was a printing broker for thirty four years before retiring in 2012.

James met the love of his life Mary Schauder during the summer in Belmar, NJ. Their first date was to a movie and a restaurant in Cedar Grove. On Easter Sunday the couple left Mary’s home and he proposed to her in a blue Ford convertible. They married at Sacred Heart RC Church in Bloomfield on November 26, 1955 and drove to Florida for their honeymoon. They have enjoyed fifty-eight years of a loving and devoted marriage.

He was dedicated to his Catholic faith and was a founding parishioner of Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne. James sang in the church choir, and was devoted to the church’s mission of saint Pablo Ecuador. He also dedicated himself to DePaul High School in Wayne where he was the voice of DePaul Football for twenty-five years and an inaugural member of the DePaul Athletic Hall of Fame.

James was a friend to everyone and would give you the shirt off his back. He was a member of the Ridgewood Cavaliers of Harmony for many years. He was a dedicated NY Giants and NY Mets fan who loved annual, August, trips to Hilton Head Island.

He was the loving husband of fifty-eight years to Mary (Schauder) Carlon; loving father of Kathleen Bionde and her husband Jim, Ann Feeney and her husband Kevin, Patti Ringen and her husband Jeff, Liz Stockinger, Michael Carlon and his wife Joanne, Mary Thomas and her husband Ben, and John Carlon and his wife Jenene all of Pompton Plains, and James Carlon, Jr. and his wife Dawn of Allentown, PA; cherished grandfather of twenty-six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; loved brother of Elisabeth Brady of York, ME.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Our Lady of Consolation Legacy Foundation or the Ecuador Quilt Inc. both c/o 1799 Hamburg Tpk., Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Monsignor Stanley E. Schinski, age 85 of Wayne passed peacefully on Thursday, October 31, 2013. He was born in Hackensack, the son of the late Rose and John Schinski, and lived most of his life in Wayne.

Father Schinski received his formal education at Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic graduating with the class of 1944, he then went on to Saint Mary’s College in Orchard Lake, Michigan graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. He then went to Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, NJ and graduated with the class of 1951. He was ordained on May 19, 1951 as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church.

His first assignment was as the assistant priest at Saint Stephen’s RC Church on Martin Street in Paterson where he served from 1951 to 1963. He then was transferred to Saint Joseph’s RC Church on Monroe Street in Passaic where he served from 1963 to 1966. He also taught at DePaul High School in Wayne and at the same time was assistant priest at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wayne under Father Ducas who was the founding priest of the Annunciation Parish. At Father Ducas’ passing Father Schinski became the parish priest at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish where he served for forty-one years. In 1970 he was elevated to Monsignor Stanley E. Schinski.

When asked what brought him to the priesthood he would say that it came within him, as an inner dream from the age of fourteen that he wanted to be a priest. Anyone who knew him over the years would agree that he was a very gifted and loving priest.

For many years he was the Moderator for the Nocturnal Adoration Society for all parishes in Wayne.

He was the loving brother of the late Leonard, Martin, and Joseph Schinski; loved uncle of Cecelia Van Emburg and her husband John of Delanco, NJ, Judith Fulton and her husband David of Delanco, NJ, the late Steven Schinski and his surviving wife Ann of NY State. He was the loving friend of many years to Robert and Mary Ann Scharf and their daughter Stacy.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 45 Urban Club Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Patrick J. Boyle, age 67 of Pompton Lakes, died suddenly on Wednesday, October 30, 2013.

Patrick was born in Paterson and had lived his whole life in Pompton Lakes. He graduated from Pompton Lakes High School with the class of 1966. He briefly worked as a custodian at the high school before becoming a Pompton Lakes police officer. He retired after twenty five years as a detective.

On July 1, 1969, Officer Pat’s first day on the job, he ordered a black & white ice cream soda at a local eatery. The young waitress, Nancy Roscoe, thought he was kidding around and just being funny. She had never heard of such a thing. They struck up a conversation and he taught her how to make it. They became friends, then courted for a couple of years before marrying on May 13, 1972. Nancy was the most important thing to Pat and he loved her dearly. If he wasn’t working, which he most often was, then you could find him fixing up their home or working on a project to make his dear Nancy’s life a little easier. He was always worried about Nancy and his daughter Tracie. He was a wonderful husband and great provider for his family. Pat and Nancy have enjoyed forty two years of a very loving marriage together and she will miss him dearly.

During retirement, Pat and Nancy enjoyed trips to Atlantic City where Pat would play the slots for hours. They would stroll on the boardwalk and along the beach. He simply loved getting away for a few days. He recently mentioned he was wishing to get back to Atlantic City again soon. He was a selfless person, concerned about everyone else to the point of neglecting his own wellbeing, and he was certainly generous to a fault. Even when he could least afford it, he would make his annual donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to Boys Town. He was always generous of himself and wanting to help others. Countless people, who he has never met, have surely benefited from his kindness and generosity over the years.

Pat is survived by his loving wife Nancy of Pompton Lakes, his daughter Tracie Boyle and her boyfriend David Lawson of Butler, his two sisters; Kathy Franco and Marlene Bardi, his brother John Boyle, his dear sister-in-law; Cheryl Roscoe of Butler, his brother-in-law; Mark Roscoe and his wife Grace of Florida, and four nieces; Danielle Roscoe of Florida, Nicole Roscoe of Butler, Tiffany Roscoe of Butler, and Brittany Roscoe of Florida. He was predeceased by his brother James Boyle many years ago.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat’s memory would be greatly appreciated. Please consider the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Boys Town, 200 Flanagan Boulevard, PO Box 8000, Boys Town, NE 68010.

Josephine J. Dowd (nee Tedesco) age 95 of Wayne passed peacefully on Wednesday, October 30, 2013.

She was born in Washington, PA and lived in Paterson, NJ, Stone Mountain, GA, and Absecon, NJ before moving to Wayne fourteen years ago.

She was the loving wife of Daniel Dowd; devoted mother of Patricia Falato and her husband Richard of Wayne, Daniel Dowd and his wife Lynne of Lawrenceville, GA, and Thomas Dowd and his wife Rae Anne of Paterson; cherished grandmother of Danette Woods and her husband Bobby of Georgia, Brian Dowd of Georgia, Joshua Falato of Hoboken, Bree Falato and her husband Terry Kelly of Hoboken, Jason Dowd of Garfield, and Erin Dowd of Paterson; dear great-grandmother of Melissa Wood of Cartersville, GA, Samantha, Dean and Vincent Falato of Wayne, Shane and Damon Kelly of Hoboken, and Jaydyn Dowd of Garfield.

Joan Elyn Brand, age 60 of Pompton Lakes, died on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Joan was raised in Midland Park and attended Eastern Christian High School. She lived in Haledon before moving to Wayne in 1982 and then to Pompton Lakes in 1989.

During her career, Joan worked ten years at Alloy Stainless Products in Totowa and most recently had been working at A&A Oil Recovery of Wayne. She was a workaholic, often carrying at least two jobs at a time. She enjoyed waitressing and had served countless people at many local eateries including The French Hill Inn, The Balcony, Wayne Hills Diner, Preakness Luncheonette, Skyline Diner, and Timbers just to name a few. She was very handy around the house, doing much of her own home improvement. She liked making crafts, miniatures, Christmas ornaments, floral decorations, and she was a very good seamstress. She even reupholstered her own couch. She was very organized and things had to be done just so, which earned her the nickname “Supervisor Mom.” She always had a hand in everything. Joan loved the Christmas season and baking loads of Christmas cookies was an annual tradition. She typically started baking around this time, November 1, and would make huge batches, stuffing them into the freezer. Those of you who were lucky enough to receive some of her cookies know just how delicious they were.

Joan was a bit talkative too. If she got ahold of your ear, there was usually no escape. Her personality allowed her to make friends wherever she went. She had a big heart which she also shared with her pets over the years. At one point she had four dogs, five cats and a bird living in her home.

Joan’s greatest devotion of all was being a grandmother. She adored her two grandsons; Anthony and Dominick, and she was always involved with them. She played an integral role during their childhood; grandma was always there for them. They will miss her dearly.

Joan is survived by her two children; Jennifer Panzino and her husband Peter of Wayne, Christopher Brand and his girlfriend Patricia Patzi of Bloomfield, two grandsons; Anthony and Dominick of Wayne, and two sisters; Marie Brand of California and Patricia Brand of Washington.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 would be appreciated.

Shari Ann Harrington (nee Pfisterer) age 71 of Pompton Lakes passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Monday, October 28, 2013.

She was born and raised in Springfield having graduated from Springfield High School with the Class of 1960.

Shari graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, NJ with the Class of 1964.

She worked as a retail sales clerk at Bamberger’s Department Store in Newark, where she met her boss and future husband James J. Harrington. They were both transferred to the Macy’s at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne. They soon fell in love and married on September 11, 1971 at Holy Cross Church in Wayne and honeymooned in Cape Cod. Shari had worked as an office administrator for Health South which later changed to Kessler Rehabilitation Center in Midland Park for the past fifteen years.

A warm, friendly, and private person, she was the loving wife of twenty-three years to the late James J. Harrington (1994); loved niece of Edna Howard of Clinton; dear step-daughter of the late Gertrude Pfisterer (2013); cherished sister-in-law of: Mary Sisco, Kevin Harrington and his devoted friend Colleen, John J. Harrington and his late wife Linda Harrington (2007) of Suwanee, GA, and the late Thomas E. Harrington (1998); beloved aunt of William T. Sisco, the late Laura Sisco (2008), Brian Sisco, Sean J. Harrington, Andrea Sisco, and Tiffany Sisco.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Luke’s Displacement Fund, PO Box 416, Long Valley, NJ 07853 would be appreciated.

Robert P. "Mousey" Martello age 73 of Wayne died peacefully on Sunday, October 27, 2013. He was born and raised in Paterson having graduated from Paterson Technical High School, Paterson with the Class of 1958.

During high school he trained to be a draftsman and was soon working for the Bendix Corporation as a draftsman. He worked there for thirty years before retiring in 1989. He was also a partner at Johnny & Hanges on River Street in Paterson for over ten years.

Robert was a member for more than fifty years of the Skyliners Drum & Bugle Corps where he played the French horn. For many years he took dance instruction and was accomplished in many styles of dance including Soft-shoe, Tap, and Ballroom. He also loved trips to Atlantic City where he would play Blackjack for hours on end. Blackjack was a game he taught his grandchildren. Annual family vacations to the Jersey Shore in Lavallette with trips to the beach, and salt water fishing are at the core of those cherished memories. A witty, very likable, kind person he will be remembered most for his devotion to his grandchildren. He made it to every game and followed all of their accomplishments with great pride. Many will remember his astounding ability to repair most anything with duct tape. He passed a scrutinizing motor vehicle inspection with an artful application of red to his car’s taillight, hung his car’s dangling muffler, and recently adapted his heart monitor, all with his favorite fix-all. He also enjoyed volunteering time to assist the Bloomingdale Fire Dept. with their many beefsteaks and ziti dinner fund raisers.

He was the loving father of Patricia Smith and her husband Thomas of Bloomingdale, Robert W. Martello and his wife Carolann of Wayne,, Debra Duncan and her husband Joseph of Wayne, Tina Parr and her husband John of Wayne, and their mother Carole Walther; cherished Pop-Pop of Joseph and Ryan Smith, Kayla and Kristina Martello, Joseph, Anthony, Nicholas, and Alexis Duncan, JP, Shane, Macie and Gracin Parr; dear brother of Marie Elwood and her husband John of Micco, FL; and will be missed by many loving nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne Twp. Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474 would be appreciated.

Ada L. Hauer (nee Cole), age 88 of Pompton Plains, passed peacefully into life eternal on Saturday, October 26, 2013.

Ada was born at home in Oakwood Heights, Staten Island, daughter of Herbert and Claire Cole and little sister of Claire and Herbert. Her family moved to Nutley when she was eleven years old and it was there that Ada graduated from Nutley High School.

Ada went on to additional studies at Berkley Secretarial School and, following graduation, she worked in the Graybar Building on Lexington Avenue, New York City for Union Asbestos Corporation.

Ada met her future husband William “Bill” Hauer, Jr. while in high school. They began dating each other after his return from military service in 1945 and they married on Saturday, October 7, 1950. They initially settled in the Allwood section of Clifton, then to Bellville for one year before moving with their growing family into their brand new home in Wayne in 1958 where Ada and Bill stayed until moving to Cedar Crest Village in 2005. Together they enjoyed sixty years in a loving and devoted marriage.

Ada and Bill were completely dedicated to doing what was best for their family. Their motto in life was “family first!” After Ada’s father Herbert Cole passed away, she took over his steel business – H.W. Cole Steel Company in Matawan, NJ. Her focus was sales and she remained dedicated to her job for approximately eight years providing the extra income needed to ensure that each of her and Bill’s three daughters were able to get a much-valued college education. After that, she stayed home for a time before deciding to work part-time as a cafeteria helper in the Wayne schools. In their retired years, Ada and Bill took advantage of their free time, providing a great support to their three daughters as they married and settled into their own homes. Like almost any home you move into, these needed a bit of work and Ada and Bill were right there with sleeves rolled up, ready to paint, clean, and fix anything that would make it easier for the girls and their son-in-laws. They also saw their grandchildren as one of life’s greatest joys and blessing and having them for the weekend or spending time with them taking them to Chuck E. Cheese’s, Wild West City, Sandy Hook or camping in their pop-up and RV was their delight! They even were happy to take their daughter Patty’s springer spaniels in to their home or camping for a few days if it was helpful! While it wasn’t one of her favorite things to do, Ada was an excellent cook! She figured it was necessary and as long as she was charged with that particular responsibility, she may as well do the best she could. Her family was the greatest benefactor of that philosophy and they especially loved her roasted green pepper salad, spaghetti sauce, pot roasts, sauerbraten and apple pie recipes. Unfortunately, those recipes will go with Ada as she never wrote any of them down.

Ada derived much enjoyment from music and her love was expressed through her membership and singing with the Harmony Singers of Wayne and the Preakness Women’s Club. She also loved gardening and she displayed a keen eye and intuitive ability to grow the right combination of flowers and bushes to enjoy colorful blooms all season long, even if, on rare occasions, a few of the flowers had to be of the plastic variety. She and Bill enjoyed going to flea markets and having coffee together at McDonald’s.

Surviving to mourn her passing are Ada’s three daughters: Ada Lee Williams and her husband Bill of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Patty Valente and her husband Bob of Stockton, NJ and Janice Paulussen and her husband David of Long Valley, NJ; five cherished grandchildren: Glenn Wonsettler, Anne Cole Robinson and her husband Nathan, Lindsay Valente-Posluszny and her husband Russ, Kimberly and Benjamin Paulussen; and her cherished great-granddaughter Eloise.

Ada was predeceased by her beloved husband William H. Hauer, Jr. in 2010 and her two siblings: Claire Cubbage and Herbert Cole.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Ada’s memory are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142,

www.stjude.org

Lula DiGiovanni (nee Raftopulous) age 91 of Wayne, formerly of North Bergen, died peacefully at the St Josephs Wayne Hospital on Tuesday, October 22, 2013.

She was born in Athens, Greece on May 25, 1922 and during WWII met a handsome Italian Navy Sailor named Clorindo DiGiovanni. They married on August 22, 1943 and soon had a son named Michael. Clorindo was taken as a Prisoner of War by the British. At this time Lula moved to Chianchetelle, Italy to live with her mother and father in law. Clorindo was released and they had three more children Joan, Madeline and John who were all born in Italy. In 1954 the family moved to the United States of America and came on a ship called the Christopher Columbus (a sister ship to the Andrea Doria). The family initially settled in Palisades Park, NJ, and lived in West New York,where they had their daughter Maria, and Weehawken, before moving to North Bergen, NJ just after the untimely passing of Clorindo in 1984.

Lula always worked in sales, first at the Schlesinger’s Men’s Clothing Store in West New York, and later at the Roberts Jewelry Store in West New York and finally at Rads Jewelers in Union City before retiring in 1989. Lula will be remembered as a loving mother who was extremely hard working, dedicated to raising her family, and who cherished hearing of the accomplishments of her grand and great-grandchildren. She was also a great cook whose special touch on pasta e fagioli will be greatly missed.

She was the loving wife of forty years to the late Clorindo DiGiovanni (1984); devoted mother of Michael DiGiovanni and his wife Linda of Woodland Park, Joan Isaacson and her husband Sheldon of Westport, CT, Madeline Caminiti and her husband Peter of Paramus, John DiGiovanni and his wife Patricia of Wayne, and Maria Stolba and her husband David of New Market, MD; cherished grandmother of fourteen grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren; loved sister of the late Vasilis, Christos, Apostoli, Elena and Aphroditi.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Tomorrows Children’s Fund, 30 Prospect Ave., Hackensack, NJ 07601 would be appreciated.

Brendan T. Mahon age 78 of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Saturday, October 19, 2013 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

He was the loving husband of Mary (Horan) Mahon; devoted father of Brendan Mahon and his wife Kanchan of Binghamton, NY, Patricia Mortensen and her husband Chris of Wayne, Theresa Nicoletti and her husband Frank of Toms River, Dr. James Mahon and his wife Robin of Sparta, and Francis Mahon and his wife Lauren Bloomfield Hills, Michigan ; cherished grandfather of Shalini, Leela, Asha, Alexander, Ashley, Kiara, Megan, and Owen Mahon.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Wayne Lions Club, 600 Valley Road, Suite 101, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Matteo Lagomarsino age 90 of Wayne died peacefully in the comfort of his home on Friday, October 18, 2013.

He was born in Uscio, Italy and raised in Sori, Italy. As a young boy in Italy, he assembled gas meters and worked in the Genoa Navy Yard. During World War II he joined the Italian Partisans as a pro-Allied rebel fighter. He was captured and escaped from the Germans on two different occasions. While fighting with the resistance he would recount how they lived in caves, and that his mother would hang a red handkerchief on the clothesline if it was not safe for him to come home.

When he was twenty-five years old he emigrated to the United States having settled in New Rochelle, NY. He also lived in the Bronx, and Union City, NJ. While in Union City he started a machine shop with his partner Vinnie Salzone. Vinnie invited Matteo over for dinner and set him up on a blind date with a cute girl named Irene Scala. He and Irene hit it off and had a first date to the movies. Irene couldn’t remember the name of the movie, perhaps she was pre-occupied. Matteo proposed while they were on a date to Coney Island and Irene said “yes”. They married on October 6, 1957 at St. Theresa of Lisieux Church in Brooklyn, NY and honeymooned on both the New York and Canadian side of Niagara Falls. They have enjoyed fifty six years of a loving and devoted marriage.

As time went on, Matteo opened a new Machine Shop in Woodbridge with a partner named Saul. Eventually the shop moved to Little Ferry and after several years Matteo and Saul found property in Ringwood, NJ. They bought the property, built the building, and established the Kori Corporation in Ringwood. He was very proud of the fact that he made parts for the Bulova Watch Company that their own engineers and machinists could not figure out how to make. He also made items that have been to the moon! Matteo formally retired in 1985.

After he retired, he was standing over Irene with his arms crossed in front of his chest as she made the bed. She eyed him and said, “get a hobby!” Soon Matteo had a full machine shop running in the basement from which he created a multitude of true artisan grade hand crafted items such as: baskets, beautiful shelves, grapes on a vine, candle stick holders, Intarsia wood art to hang on the wall, and an exact miniature duplicate of their home complete with working garage doors. His attention to detail, as he had worked with 1000’ths of an inch in his machine shop days, is clearly evident in his works of art. By using varying textures and colors of different woods, small slivers of stone from the yard, and his keen eye for the slightest detail, he was able to create simply beautiful things. Matteo had a quiet, conservative personality, but when asked about his days in Italy he was happy to share his memories for as long as you were willing to listen.

Matteo was the loving husband of fifty-six years to Irene Lagomarsino; cherished father of Joseph Lagomarsino and his wife Ann; cherished grandfather of Matthew and Nicole Lagomarsino; much loved master of his devoted Doberman Pinscher Aaron.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474 would be appreciated.

Cornelia Rose Van Norde (nee Mc Kinnon), age 91, of Wayne, died peacefully at her daughter’s home on Tuesday, October 15, 2013.

Cora was born in Bedminster, and raised in Rutherford. A graduate of Butler High School, as a very young woman, she married Rune Hultman, her “movie star husband” and “link to Hollywood.” Rune was in several movies made during World War II and he was even the star of one of them called Winged Victory.

Following her marriage to Rune, Cora attended business school in New York City, getting up each morning at 5:00 AM to catch the bus and then the train into Manhattan so she could make it to class on time. Perseverance and hard work paid off as, following graduation, she was offered a position in personnel with Curtis Wright Corporation. One of the duties she was charged with was interviewing prospective engineering candidates. This was quite unprecedented for a woman working in the early 1940’s but Cora was never one to shy away from a challenge.

One of the individuals Cora interviewed was a young aspiring engineer named Peter Van Norde. Although she wasn't certain he was the best prospect for the job, he got the job anyway. This was great for Peter in more ways than one, for, while it obviously gave him gainful employment in his chosen field, it also gave him the opportunity to see Cora as he took quite a liking to her. Peter asked the now-single Cora out several times and she eventually accepted. Long story short, they fell in love and were married on January 18, 1948. Following the wedding, they honeymooned in very cold Montreal, Canada – it was 30 degrees below zero!

In 1953, Cora gave birth to her beautiful baby girl which she and Peter named Linda. Soon after, in 1956, they settled into their brand new home which they had built in Wayne and where Cora remained right up to the present time. Cora always had a flair for style and one way she gave expression to that was through coordinating the color of the car she was presently driving with the color of her house. Consequently throughout the years, her house was repainted white, then gray, then tan, then mustard, always to match her car.

Peter eventually pursued a career in law, opening up his practice in Wayne. Following some part-time work in his law firm, Cora eventually settled into full-time homemaking, concentrating on raising Linda while pursuing other life passions. One of those passions was a great love for animals, especially the down and out ones, so Cora consequently volunteered countless hours actively seeking to rescue and give animals homes through numerous local shelters. She was also passionate about her own dogs - two Borzois (Russian Wolfhounds) she named Toshka and Tonka, and two French Bulldogs named Suzie and Smokey. She showed them at numerous dog competitions and, while Tonka ribboned once, Suzie and Smokey ribboned numerous times. Ribbons or not though, she loved all four of those dogs immensely!

When Cora was a young girl in eighth grade, she entered into an essay contest. The prize for the best essay was a trip to Ogunquit, ME. Cora was the victor and, in this case, to the victor went the trip! It was a trip that set the course for another one of Cora’s passions – spending countless summers in Ogunquit! In 1964, she and Peter purchased a cottage in Ogunquit, two-hundred yards from the ocean and Cora spent summers there ever since. Her yard was gracefully adorned with the beautiful flowers she grew herself, and the property was bordered by a very impressive ten-foot tall hedge that, every summer, took a whole week to trim. It was a great place where many family memories were made and, like northern NJ, there were plenty of unfortunate animals that needed shelter, rescue and adoption, so Cora volunteered in shelters in Maine too.

In the early 1980’s Cora took on a new challenge, getting her real estate license and serving as a realtor with Caldwell Banker in Wayne. It was a job that took great people skills and when it came to that, few were better than Cora at dealing with people. Known for her great story-telling skills (and everyone loves a good story), it was said that Cora could captivate a total stranger for hours with the stories she could tell. A true American and patriot, who only ever dated serviceman, many of her stories were about World War II and the impact that war had on our country. She loved politics and, until about a month ago, she kept CNN going on the television almost all day long to keep up with current political events.

Cora had great love and adoration for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “Nanny”, as she was known to all of them, was very generous. If they asked her for one of something, she would give them eight! She would proudly hand them the gift, although often saying, “sorry, I didn’t have time to wrap it.” It’s not that she didn’t have wrapping paper; she had a whole room full! It’s just that, when you were as active as Nanny, who had time to wrap? And, wasn’t giving the gift more important that what it was or the package it came in? In honor of Nanny, her family will be wrapping gifts this Christmas with all that vintage wrapping paper that she bought but never actually got around to using. What a fitting memorial!

Cora will always be remembered and admired for her perseverance, strength and principled approach to life. She will also be remembered for her patriotic spirit, great story-telling abilities and love for clocks which, ironically, she never set. Maybe she was trying to teach us all a lesson about the passing of time.

Cora is survived by her daughter Linda Benoski of Highland Lakes, three grandchildren: Corinne Benoski of Laguna, CA, Peter Benoski of Highland Lakes, and Alyssia Benoski of Ogunquit, ME; two great-grandchildren: Brielle Benoski and Jayden Benoski-Bowens; and five nieces and one nephew, all of Florida.

She was predeceased by her husband Peter in 2009 and her son-in-law Fred Benoski in 2008.

In Cora’s final days, a wonderful group of loving, selfless angels came to her aid. Some of those dear folks are the friends at Compassionate Care Hospice including, Noreen, Barbara, Robin, Christine, Abbey, and Pastor Danny. The others are the wonderful girls that cared for Nanny like she was their own grandma. Those girls are Chris M., Amanda, Jenny and Becky. Greatest appreciation is extended to all ten of you for going above and beyond and enriching the end of Nanny’s life!

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Cornelia’s name are asked to consider a donation to their local animal shelter or humane society.

Dana Lauren Smith (nee Urgo), age 41 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Monday, October 14, 2013. Her family was all gathered at her bedside when she passed. Dana had fought a courageous battle with breast cancer for nearly 2-1/2 years.

Dana has been a Wayne resident her entire life. She grew up in the Pancake Hollow neighborhood and graduated from Wayne Hills High School with the class of 1990. She later graduated from the University of Maryland in 1994 with a degree in biology.

Dana worked at the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center for nineteen years, currently as the Manager of Lab Information Systems. To say she loved her job would be an understatement; Dana loved her job and her coworkers. She often referred to the Englewood Hospital staff as her “second family” and she loved them all dearly. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the staff at Englewood embraced her like a daughter. One week after her initial diagnosis, they formed "Team Dana" which became the highest fundraising team at EHMC's Walk for Awareness~Our Fight Against Breast Cancer this year. They fawned over her and provided the best care anyone could have asked for. Her family will always be grateful for the love and support they all received during Dana’s treatment.

Dana was a very kind, considerate and caring person. As a child, her parents called her “Suzie Sunshine” because she was always happy and smiling, no matter what. She maintained that same disposition throughout her life and happily shared her sunshine with everyone she met, especially her children. Anthony and Taylor were the light of her life and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for them. She was a nurturing mother and poured herself into their lives. Whether it was soccer, dance, Girl Scouts, class mom, volunteering at their school, she did it all. Just one week ago she was in the bleachers at Anthony’s soccer game, cheering him on. Her children were her everything and she will be their guardian angel now.

Dana met her husband Brad in high school. They dated for several years before tying the knot on June 28, 1998. They enjoyed a lovely honeymoon at Disney World, followed by a few days in the Bahamas. Disney was always a favorite of Dana’s and they visited there regularly, every other year. She went with her family and mom just this past August and they had a wonderful time. They also vacationed together in the Outer Banks and on Lake Michigan. Together, she and Brad enjoyed a “wonderful” marriage for fifteen years.

Dana’s Catholic faith was strong throughout her life. She was raised at Annunciation RC Church in Wayne and has continued to attend Mass there. She was currently a member of the Pastoral Lay Council and also helped organize the youth group at Annunciation. Although her health made it difficult, she mustered the strength to attend the fiftieth anniversary Mass just last Sunday; a true testament to her faith and incredibly strong will. Surely she is enjoying her reward today.

Dana is survived by her devoted husband Brad of Wayne, her two children; Anthony and Taylor, her mother; Elaine Urgo of Wayne, two sisters; Danielle Lamothe and her husband Jamie of West Milford, and Michele Cassidy and her husband John of Frederick, Maryland, her mother-in-law Joan Vanderbush and her husband Dave of Ridgewood and her father-in-law Richard Smith of Pompton Lakes, two nieces; Sydney and Caroline Lamothe of West Milford, and one nephew; Nicholas Lamothe of West Milford, and many loving cousins and dear friends. Dana was predeceased by her father Anthony Urgo in 2000.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Dana Urgo Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund. Make checks payable to the “Wayne Scholarships and Honors Board”, c/o Ed Zambrano, Wayne Hills High School, 272 Berdan Avenue, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Frank Symon of Wayne passed away peacefully on October 12, 2013. He was 95 years old.

Frank was born in New York City on February 11, 1918 to Mary and Charles Symon. He was the second oldest of three brothers, Charlie, Robert and Wilbur. The family later moved to Irvington, New Jersey.

Frank graduated high school and attended some classes at Seton Hall. He met his sweetheart, Adele Duda, in high school and they were married on April 29, 1942.

When war broke out, Frank was drafted into the army. At the time, he was working at Western Electric Company as a wireman working from blueprints, so they assigned him to a MASH unit as an x-ray technician.  Frank went overseas as a member of the 46th General Hospital as a Technician 5th Grade. He was sent to France, Germany and Africa from 1942 to 1945. In that time he received the Distinguished Unit Badge, Good Conduct Medal , Victory Medal and the European African-Middle Eastern Service Medal. During that time he also played piano in the military band and dance orchestra to entertain the servicemen.

When he came home from the war, he had a daughter and son, Laurie and Frank. He then moved to Packanack Lake in Wayne, NJ and started his own business - Residential Floor Service. He also played the piano in a band on weekends and at one time, cut several albums.

He was definitely a family man who loved being with his wife and children. He also had a love for flying and obtained his pilot's permit and soared the skies whenever he could. He joined the Experimental Aircraft Association, became his Chapter's secretary and built his own Taylor Monoplane in his garage.

Frank was a wonderful husband and father. He always had time to take his children to their activities and build them play houses and fix their broken toys. Frank had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party. He liked his Rob Roy at cocktail hour and always had a full repertoire of jokes for everyone!

Frank and Adele celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this year.  Frank had a full and happy life and was well liked. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Frank is survived by his wife Adele (nee Duda) of 71 years of Wayne, one Daughter Laurie Kaczor and her husband Peter of Wharton, he was also pre-deceased by his son Frank Roger Symon in 1974.

Louis P. Salerno, age 85 of Wayne, died peacefully at home with his loving family gathered around him by his bedside, on Wednesday, October 9, 2013.

Lou was born in North Bergen but grew up with his two brothers and one sister in Danbury, CT where his parents had a small family-owned deli and grocery store. Even as a child Lou enjoyed working in his parents store. He graduated from Danbury High School and attended Tufts University in Massachusetts. Soon after, he enlisted in the United States Army where he served in the 88th infantry division in Italy during World War II from 1946 to 1948. For his loyal service to his country, Lou was the recipient of World War II Victory Medal.

Upon his discharge, Lou was surprised to find that his parent’s store was no longer in Danbury. He came to realize that they had moved to North Bergen, NJ where they opened a new grocery store. It was here in North Bergen that he met a sixteen year old Marie Criscione. Lou and Marie eventually began dating steadily. He asked for her hand in marriage on an Easter Sunday morning in Hudson County Park in North Bergen. They exchanged their wedding vows on April 13, 1952 at Lady of Libra R.C. Church in West New York and, following a honeymoon in beautiful Canada where they stayed in the Le Chateau Frontenac. Their marriage of sixty-one years could be best described as loving, respectful and devoted. Ultimately they built a beautiful new home in Wayne. There, they enjoyed many happy memories with children, grandchildren and friends. Lou called that house “home” for exactly 54 years to the day of his passing!

You could say that Lou had the grocery business in his blood. Working in the family business laid the foundation blocks on which he built a long and rewarding career of sixty plus years, most of those with Acme Markets as a Supermarket Specialist and later part-time with Herr’s Foods. Lou loved his calling in life, never missing a day of work and working until last year.

Lou will be remembered for being a dedicated and hardworking man who was devoted to his family and friends. Lou’s strong work ethic and endless energy and drive spilled right over into the way he approached his leisurely pursuits. He and Marie loved to travel to such destinations as Aruba and Bermuda and they loved good times at the Jersey shore, especially when shared with their children and eight grandchildren. Lou enjoyed a host of outdoor activities too, including annual freshwater fishing trips to Stokes State Forest with his son Mark, going crabbing and hunting – especially for deer and rabbit. He took great pride in the care of his yard, making it beautiful for all to enjoy. He grew gorgeous flowers and he also loved to work in his vegetable garden where he grew prize tomatoes, cucumbers and hot peppers. The vegetables he grew became delicious ingredients in the foods Lou prepared as he also loved to cook.

Lou was the quintessential family man and making memories for his children and grandchildren was something that was very important to him. The family enjoyed wonderful Christmas Eve and Easter feasts and celebrations and Lou derived pure joy by dressing up and playing Santa Claus! He was also always very proud of his grandchildren when watching them compete in various sports and activities.

Louis is survived by his beloved wife Marie (nee Criscione); his three children: Susan and husband Bob Palmarozza, Mark and wife Cindy Salerno, and Sandra and husband Russ Nastasi, all of Wayne; Eight grandchildren: Marie Salerno, Nicole Palmarozza, Mark Salerno, Jr., Rob Palmarozza, Katherine Salerno, Helene Salerno, Louis Nastasi, and Rachel Nastasi; and his sister Margaret and husband Bob of Danbury, CT. He was predeceased by his two brothers, Frank and Philip.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Louis’ name are asked to consider a donation to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-7106.

Helen F. Kill, age 95 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 8, 2013. She had been a lifelong resident of Wayne; born in a farmhouse on Ratzer Rd. in 1918.

Helen was one of six children and the first ever in her family to finish high school. Wayne didn’t have a high school in those days and she graduated from Pompton Lakes High in 1935. She earned a certificate for perfect attendance for the school year 1929-1930. She also played basketball for Pompton Lakes High, receiving a varsity letter. Helen often recanted the story that the school didn’t provide transportation for the basketball team to their away games. She and her teammates would each have to pitch in a nickel for gas and get a ride from one of their classmates. As a young woman, she and her friends would visit the Jersey Shore on the weekends and she really loved the beach. Going to Asbury Park was common and on a few occasions they ventured all the way to Wildwood. The Garden State Parkway didn’t exist back then, and a trip to Wildwood was truly a long distance adventure. She remembered those years fondly and really had a lot of fun.

After high school, she began working at Mack Moulding in Wayne, from 1935-1945. She took a few years off to raise her young girls before working again, this time at Bollinger & Butler Insurance from 1951-1975. She retired after 24 years there, but wasn’t quite ready to ‘retire’. She joined Business Service Agency and enjoyed another eighteen years of employment before finally, and officially, retiring in 1993.

Helen met David Tullo fifty two years ago and the two of them had a wonderful, loving relationship. They were the best of friends. Together they traveled all over the U.S., visiting every state except for Alaska, Maine and North Dakota. They made it to Hawaii twice. Among her favorite destinations were Branson, Missouri and Mackinac Island, Michigan. She and Dave spent many winters in Florida, visiting with old friends for a few days at a time. They would venture around the whole state for several weeks, staying with various friends and family along the way before returning up north.

Helen was a spry ninety five year old woman. One thing you could always count on with Helen was her smile, and spending time with her guaranteed you were going to be laughing too. She had a wonderful attitude about life and surely lived to the fullest. Although she will be missed dearly, she has left a legacy with her family and friends that none of them will soon forget.

Helen is survived by her two daughters; Sandra Connolly of Tuxedo Park, NY and Sherry Lawson of Haskell, three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by all of her siblings, and by David Tullo, her dear companion of over fifty years who passed away in March of this year.

Aloisia “Louise” Steininger, age 86, died suddenly at her home on Tuesday, October 8, 2013.

Louise was born and raised during World War II in Rossbach, Germany. She and her husband Johann and daughter Eva emigrated to the United States in 1953; first Johann came to get things settled and six months later, Louise and their little daughter Eva followed. They initially settled in Brooklyn where they enjoyed the company of many other German immigrants in this new place of opportunity.

The family later moved out of those cold water flats of Brooklyn into an apartment in Astoria-Queens where they welcomed their first son and brother John. Eventually they had an opportunity to build their own home in Little Neck Queens. It was here that they welcomed another son which they named Edward, and they called that house home for the next forty years.

Life for Louise, Johann and their three children was simple, but the family felt blessed to have each other and the sense of community with many friends who also came to the USA from Germany. Johann worked two jobs as Louise strived to make their house welcome for family and friends while caring for Eva, John and Edward. Her style of parenting was strict but her kids always knew that they were loved and cherished. In the home, Louise and Johann spoke in their native German Language and their kids typically answered in English. This was mutually beneficial as everyone had the opportunity to learn a second language.

Louise enjoyed many weekends camping with family and friends in Connecticut and Sunday afternoon walks as a family often took place in Central Park. Since Johann was employed by Pan American Airlines, airfare often cost next to nothing, if his family wanted to travel. Louise loved that company perk and the family would often take advantage of it by spending entire summers in Germany visiting family and friends.

Louise was a wonderful host and she enjoyed instilling a sense of the importance of tradition for her family by regularly hosting New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras parties with Johann in their home. She was an excellent cook who always had a warm, hearty meal on the table. She enjoyed sewing and knitting, and afghans were one of her favorite things to make. She also had a big soft spot in her heart for animals, especially the down-and-out varieties. Over the years in Queens, she took in numerous stray cats or injured birds, and when her son Edward died suddenly in 1989, she and Johann took in his dog which actually served as a comfort to them in the wake of the loss of their dear son.

In 2000, Louise husband Johann passed away and three years later, she herself suffered a brain hemorrhage which nearly took her life. She was actually blessed with an almost complete recovery and so she decided it was time to sell the house in Queens and move in with her son John who she later followed to Wayne in 2005. She remained a resident of Wayne for the rest of her life.

Louise will be fondly remembered for being a wonderful, loving and generous wife, mother, grandmother and friend to many. To her, caring for her family was her calling and family extended beyond blood lines. If someone was in need, Louise could always be counted on to step up in to help with a selfless and cheerful heart.

Louise is survived and will be dearly missed by her daughter Eva Ryan and husband Morgan of Greensboro, NC; her son John Steininger of Wayne; her precious granddaughter Caitlin; and her two brothers and one sister: Richard and Rudy Espertshuber and Erna Kestler, all of Germany.

Louise was predeceased by her beloved husband Johann in 2000 and her dear son Edward in 1989.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Louise’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142, www.stjude.org

Melvin W. Zintel “Mel”, age 80, of Riverdale and formerly of Wayne, died peacefully on Monday, October 7, 2013.

Mel was born in Waymart, PA. One of Wesley and Helen Zintel’s five children, when he was just a very young boy, his family moved to Kearny, NJ and Mel went on to graduate from Kearny High School.

As a young man, Mel took a keen interest in cars, and on weekends he could often be found working on the pit crew for one of his friends who had a car that they raced together at the racetrack in Jersey City. His love of cars was something he enjoyed throughout his life. At one time he even had an antique car of his own and he loved to check out what was showing at antique car shows.

Mel was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and he served in Korea during the Korean War.

One snowy, wintery day, he spotted a pretty girl struggling with an extremely large package. The girl’s name was Louise Reichers and she had just purchased a still-to-be-assembled red wagon that she planned to give to her cousin John Cruitt for Christmas. Mel pulled over and asked Louise if he could give her a hand to get the package home. She gratefully accepted his offer. A couple days later, Mel was back to Louise’s house to help her assemble the wagon and the two of them really hit it off! One of Mel’s favorite pastimes was going to see the big bands. His favorite band featured Joni James and he loved to take Louise to see Joni and other bands in Asbury Park and New York City. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, Mel returned to his hometown of Kearny. They eventually married on February 25, 1956 at Grace Methodist Church in Kearny. They honeymooned in Daytona Beach, FL, not just because of the sunny warm climate, but also because they could go to the auto races on the beach. After their honeymoon, they lived in Bellville, then Kearny before purchasing their first home in North Arlington where they stayed for the next twenty years raising their two daughters, Sheri and Dori. They moved again in 1984 to Wayne where they stayed until moving down to the Jersey shore to live in an adult community. They quickly learned that life down the shore was not for them because they missed their children and grandchildren way too much. Mel and Louise moved back to North Jersey, this time settling in Riverdale where they have remained to this day.

Mel was owner operator of his own 18-wheeler where he mostly contracted with William Cavill Trucking of Linden hauling sulfuric acid. Mel once entered a truck rodeo where he placed first in the New Jersey competition. He went on to compete in the National Trucking Association event where he placed seventh overall in the country!

He was a long-time member of Free Masons, most recently with the Adoniram Lodge No. 80 F&AM of Lyndhurst. While serving as a Free Mason, he was also former president of the Craftsman’s Club.

Mel was extremely devoted to his family and his favorite place to go with them was Cape Cod. Every summer, Mel’s whole family, including his daughters, their spouses and his grandchildren vacationed in Cape Cod. His grandchildren thought he was the best because he’d get right in there playing with them on the bumper boats, jumping on the trampolines, racing the go-carts, or participating in more tranquil activities like fishing, collecting sea shells or sometimes even going whale watching. He and his dear Louise loved to dine with family and friends at Cape Cod’s own Lobster Boat Restaurant as well as the Shrimp Box in Point Pleasant and Monica’s Restaurant closer to home in Pompton Lakes.

Mel was a notorious joke teller. No matter what the occasion or who the person was, Mel had a way of charming people through the jokes he could tell. Always smiling, he loved to make others happy with a quick joke or a little gift or in any way he could help.

Surviving are his beloved wife of 57 years, Louise (nee Reichers); two daughters; Sheri Guggiari and husband Bob of Pompton Lakes, and Dori Zintel of Totowa; 5 grandchildren: Brian, Shannon, Jamie, Jenny and James; two brothers and two sisters: Lanny Zintel of FL, Violet Todd of Budd Lake, Larry Zintel and wife Winnie of CO, and Doreen Stanfield of NC; his cousin John Cruitt of Jersey City; and his former son-in-law Douglas Marotti and wife Donna of Wayne.

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

Anton J. “Tony” Kerstner, age 76 of Wayne, died on Thursday, October 3, 2013. He had been a resident of Wayne since 1965.

Tony was raised in East Paterson and graduated from Lodi High School with the class of 1955. He attended Seton Hall University and ultimately received his Associates degree in accounting from Bergen Community College. He enjoyed a career with AT&T as an accountant, retiring in 1987.

As a teenager, Tony worked at a wholesale floral supply. It was there that he met his wife Margaret. Tony was charming and courted her with flowers. He was also a smart young man and he gave flowers to Margaret’s mother and grandmother too! He was trying to win her over from every angle. They married on July 29, 1962 and honeymooned in Bermuda. Upon their return, they settled into their home at Lions Head Lake in Wayne, where they have lived ever since. They had a ‘best friends’ marriage and loved to do things together. Day trips to New York City were among his favorite and he loved Broadway shows. They also visited public gardens, museums and just about any place that was wheelchair accessible. Cape Cod was high on his list too, and relaxing in Dennis Port with his family was the best part of his summers.

Tony was also a great cook. He took some cooking classes, with Mr. Bradley as the instructor, and remembered his lessons well. Tony could make wonderful Italian dinners and his sauce was world class. He also loved to eat and if you had ever enjoyed a meal with him, you know he was among the slowest of eaters – savoring every bite. Prime rib, Italian food, and any kind of dessert were his favorites. He seemed to be eating all the time, and often Margaret would barely be finished doing the dishes and he would be looking for a snack or something more to eat, and yet he always stayed fit.

Tony was a very sweet man, kind and compassionate. He was selfless to a fault and was dignified and graceful when dealing with his Multiple Sclerosis. He tried very hard not to let his ailment slow him down and his attitude was truly inspirational to his family and friends.

Tony is survived by his beloved wife of fifty one years; Margaret (nee Barnhart), two daugthers; Jacqueline Kerstner and her husband Doug Weeks of Malden, MA, and Cynthia Bede of Ringwood, NJ, three grandchildren; Jessica, Thomas and James Bede, one sister; Deborah Nowosielecki and her husband Wally of Elmwood Park, NJ, one brother; David Kerstner, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Robert, his sister Irene Kerstner, and his son-in-law Joseph Bede.

Maria del Carmen Perez Fontaiña of Wayne died peacefully on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 with her loving family gathered at her bedside. She was 87 years old.

Maria was born in Spain and grew up in Riveira La Coruna, on the Atlantic coast. She raised her children there until 1966 when they all moved to Fairview, NJ. Maria’s father had moved to America years earlier and she joined him here. She later lived in Lyndhurst before settling in Wayne in 1989.

Maria was devoted to her family and there was nothing more wonderful to her than grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was kind and lovable; simply the best, and forgiving to a fault. Without a doubt, her lifelong dedication to the Catholic Church played a large role in defining who she was, and her faith was her guiding light. She was a member for Our Lady of Consolation for many years while living in Wayne.

Cooking was also a passion for Maria. Homemade Rosca, sweetbread at Easter time, and her empanada’s were a huge favorite of the family. She made everything with love, which somehow made it all taste that much better. Her family and friends will surely miss her wonderful meals and holiday dinners.

Maria is survived by her daughter; Maria C. Ventoso and her husband Jose of Wayne, her son; Agustin A. Muniz and his wife Maria of Plantation, FL, four grandchildren; Angela Maria Muniz-Rutherford and her husband Christopher of Cummins, GA, Francisco J. Muniz and his wife Kelli of Sunrise, FL, Cristina Maria Ventoso of Bellville, NJ and Ana Maria Ventoso of Verona, NJ, two great-grandchildren; Christopher Francis Rutherford and Tristan Francis Muniz, and one sister; Oliva Fernandez and her husband Andres of Paramus, NJ. She was predeceased by her brother Antonio Perez, Jr.

Paul M. Herzog, age 44 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 after a prolonged illness. His sister Cathy had been at his bedside for nearly a month.

Paul grew up in Paterson and lived on Sherwood Avenue in the Hillcrest section. A graduate of Don Bosco Tech with the class of 1986, Paul went on to take classes at William Paterson College. The first sixteen years of his career was with First Fidelity Bank. He later joined the Oak Ridge Care Center in Wayne as a bookkeeper, handling payroll and general accounting.

Paul loved to watch old movies and really enjoyed the classics. He always appreciated quality antique furniture. Many will recall seeing him regularly as he walked around Packanack Lake or the Laurelwood Arboretum; he loved to go for his daily strolls. He was also a very good swimmer and his trips to the Jersey Shore were never complete without taking a dip. Over the years he was taken in by technology and playing with computers was a fascinating hobby for him. He was admittedly a ‘computer geek’ and spent a great deal of time on his computers. He was a good cook too and this skill came in handy when his mother began ailing and Paul took over as her primary caregiver. He could whip up a great casserole and traditional Italian dishes were also among his specialty. He took excellent care of his mother until her death in 2010, a loss he was never quite able to get passed. He had missed his mother dearly and surely they are now reunited once again.

Paul is survived by his sister Cathy Herzog of Clifton and a brother; Harold F. Herzog, Jr. of Passaic, and many cousins. He was predeceased by both of his parents.

Eugene T. Connell, age 84, of Wayne, died peacefully, with his loving family by his side, on Tuesday, October 1, 2013.

Gene was the second of four sons born to May and Jimmy Connell. He was raised in a cold water flat in “the Heights” section of Jersey City. He enjoyed telling stories about growing up there during the Great Depression and the many adventures he had with Bobbie, Ray and Jack.

As a child Gene was fascinated by airplanes. He could look in the sky and tell you what type of plane was flying overhead. He became a proficient model plane builder. We still have some examples of his handcut balsawood frames with painstakingly crafted paper wings in the basement.

In 1944 Gene enrolled as a freshman at Dickinson High School in Jersey City. There he met the two women who were later to become the great loves of his life.

After graduating from Dickinson in 1948 he began dating Marge Allen and in 1951 they were married. Over the next nine years Tom, Gene and Lauren were born. The growing family moved from a small apartment in Jersey City to their first home in Clifton in 1955, finally settling in Wayne in 1963. The following year Marge was diagnosed with cancer and she began a long struggle that ended with her death in 1981.

Terry (Papico) Thompson had been Marge’s best friend since high school. Their two families celebrated birthdays and holidays together and shared memorable vacation trips to Lake George, NY and Washington DC.

Following Marge’s death, Terry, who had been widowed herself six years earlier, made an effort to help Gene adjust. She rescued him from a lonely life of canned soup and an empty house by inviting him over for conversation and her wonderful home cooked meals. By 1983 they were married.

Over his 45-year career Gene worked as a machinist, tool and die maker, mechanical engineer and manufacturing plant manager. Retirement came in 1993. Reminders of his skills as a builder and a furniture maker can be found all over his home.

Gene and Terry very much enjoyed their trips to visit children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Minnesota. One time they even made a detour to see Tom in Denver. They also got great pleasure from hosting family gatherings at their home. These occasions were marked by good food and animated story telling.

Gene remained strong willed right up to the end. He told his doctors he was a “sore loser” and refused to give up. His family is relieved that he is finally at peace.

Gene is survived by his beloved wife Terry; two sons: Thomas Connell and partner Pedro Bernal, and Eugene J. Connell and wife Lisa; his daughter: Lauren Connell; three step-daughters: Kathy and husband Michael Franchino, Jacqueline and husband Kevin Cronin and Judith and husband Anthony Fontana; eight grandchildren: Angela, Dana, Michelle (husband Evan), Joseph, Laura, Gina, Christopher and Kelsey; four great-grandchildren: Alisa, Isabela, Austin and Emily; and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in memory of Eugene T. Connell to the Mayo Clinic and designated for cancer research. Memorials can be made online at www.mayoclinic.org/development or mailed to Department of Development, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

Dorothy Ann Orofino age 78 of Wayne passed peacefully on Monday, October 1, 2013.

She was born in Rochester, PA and lived in Clifton, NJ for thirty years before moving to Wayne seventeen years ago.

She was the loving wife of the late Frank Orofino (2002); cherished aunt of Glenn Parian and his wife Maria of Ringwood, Keith Parian and his wife Lynne of Butler, and Roy Parian, Jr. of Woodlawn Park.

Rose Capuano Handzo (nee Pollara) age 97 of Venice, Florida passed away on Monday, September 30, 2013 at the Tidewell Venice Hospice House in Venice, Florida.

She was born in Clifton, NJ and spent eighty-nine years in Clifton before moving to Venice, Florida to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jim Panke.

Rose was a parishioner of Saint Paul’s RC Church in Clifton, NJ for eighty-nine years and since her move to Florida she had been a member of Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church in Venice, Florida. Rose had a special dedication to our Blessed Mother and was a member of the Rosary Society at Saint Paul’s Church.

As a mother she was a loving and devoted member of her family and gave them the gift of Motherly love even into their adult years. As part of her family dedication she passed to her children her wonderful catholic faith. Anyone who ever knew Rose, had nothing but praise for her.

Surviving to mourn the loss of this wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are two sons Joseph Capuano and his wife Florence of Montville and Nicholas Capuano and his wife Sharon of Wayne; four daughters Jo-Ann Holmes and her husband Jack of Wantage, Rose Mary Benyo of Lincoln Park, Linda Panke and her husband James of Venice, Florida and Barbara Den Dulk of Kinnelon along with 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; and survived by her sister Matilda Tuzzolino of Passaic.  Rose also had a loving step-son Allen Handzo, wife Lois and family.

Rose was predeceased by her first husband Joseph Capuano and her second husband Edward Handzo.

Those planning an expression of Sympathy in Rose’s memory are asked to consider donating to Tidewell Hospice, Philanthropy Dept., 5595 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, Florida 34238, in lieu of flowers.

Marie Ryan, age 89 of Pompton Plains, died peacefully on Monday, September 30, 2013.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on April 30 1924, to Marguerite and Charles Lester Scouten, Marie had one younger sister, Joan Parliment.

As a long-time leader of the Campfire Girls, Marie enjoyed a certain measure of fame because of a picture which was painted of her dressed in her uniform. That painting was displayed in the United Nations for many years.

Marie graduated from Bay Ridge High School in Brooklyn and secretarial school at Scudder in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.

Marie met her husband-to-be, Jim Ryan in Brooklyn, N.Y. They grew up down the block from each other and knew each other casually. In Sept.1942 they started writing each other while Jim was in the Army, stationed at Camp Croft in South Carolina. In Feb. 1943, while Jim was on furlough, they had their first date. Five months later on July 14, 1943 they had their second date and, on that date, became official engaged!. The next day they exchanged engagement rings and married one month later, Aug. 14, 1943. It was the beginning of a beautiful 62-year-marriage.

At the end of World War II Marie and Jim lived on 47th Street in Brooklyn and Jim worked at Dupont while attending night school. Marie followed Jim as he attended and graduated from a 3-2 program at St. Lawrence University and MIT. While at St. Lawrence Marie was the secretary to the professor and she became friends of the secretary to the dean.

Marie and Jim’s first child, Randy was born in September 1944. They lived in St. Lawrence and after Jim graduated from college they moved to Mountain View, N.J. where Marie's grandparents had a home.

They welcomed their second son Steve in 1950 and their third child, Debbie, in March, 1955.

Marie and Jim moved to 12 Woodland Court in Pompton Plains in 1953. They lived in that beautiful home and called in “home-sweet-home” for over 60 years.

Together they became involved in the First Reformed Church in Pompton Plains while living in Mountain View and remained faithful members of the church all of the years they lived in Pompton Plains.

Marie owned the Lantern Shop in Pompton Plains, a gift and card shop for 38 years. She worked closely with the First Reformed Church where she was the Woman's Guild president and organized many pot-luck dinners. Marie worked closely with Stu Debow as the church expanded and she designed and helped to furnish Friendship Hall. She was also instrumental in starting the nursery school at the church.

After selling the Lantern Shop she managed the gift shop at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. Then in her seventies she started a flower business selling plants to Northern New Jersey hospitals until Jim's death in February, 2005.

Marie loved to cook and bake and she loved to travel. Jim and Marie went to many far-away places including Greece, Israel, Norway, Switzerland and Paris.

She loved to sew and, as the kids were growing up, she made many clothes for them. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles, bridge games and later in life she turned into a devoted Yankees fan.

Surviving are two sons: Randy and wife Sylvia of Collierville, TN, and Steven and wife Peggy of Greenville, SC; one daughter: Debbie and husband George King of Pompton Plains; six grandchildren: Chris, Suzanne, Matt, David, Jimmy, and Pam; and 15 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Jim and her sister Joan Parliment.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Marie’s name are asked to consider NewBridge Services, P.O. Box 336, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 or online at www.newbridge.org. NewBridge Services is a non-profit organization that helps bring balance to people’s lives through counseling, housing and education.

Robert “Sonny” Macrone, age 65 died peacefully on Friday, September 27, 2013.

Born in New York City, Bob spent his early childhood growing up in West Hempstead, Long Island before moving to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne where he resided for the past 52 years.

A 1966 graduate of Wayne Valley High School Bob went on to further studies at William Paterson College where in 1972, he earned a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in education. He did some teaching but, realizing quickly that this was not his calling, he eventually settled into a long career as a master carpenter. When old enough, his son Gabe joined him and Bob proudly taught him everything he knew about the trade. Most recently, he worked as sales representative with Jan Fence in Wayne where he earned the 2012 Salesperson of the Year award.

While in high school, Bob heard that there was this girl named Elizabeth “Jane” Meng that thought he was kinda cute, but who was just a little too shy to tell him herself. Jane got a friend to make sure that Bob knew she was interested. Their first date was to Preakness Theater where they saw The Pink Panther. Bob was cracking up throughout the whole movie and Jane got her first glimpse of this fun-loving, happy-go-lucky man. That night was the beginning of many years of happy times and the couple married in 1970, honeymooning in Cape Cod because they both loved the ocean and Bob enjoyed fishing for bluefish and surf casting.

For many years he played in the Waterfront and Wayne Sunday Softball Leagues where Bob usually chased down fly balls in left or center field. As a family, Bob, Jane and the kids loved to spend vacation time down at Long Beach Island, and one time, he and Jane enjoyed a wonderful two-week trip together to Switzerland where Bob served as best man in a friend’s wedding.

To Bob, life was a party! Always happy and optimistic, he loved good conversation and music, especially the sounds of Motown and jazz. He was always available for his children, and his grandchildren always knew he was just a call away. To all of them he was as much a friend as he was a father and grandfather. Bob absolutely loved being a grandfather and expressing the “big kid” side of himself. One time, just to be goofy, he put on a long-haired Rapunzel-like wig. While his grandkids got a huge kick out of that, it was even funnier when they asked “Pops” to go with them for a walk through town and Bob joined them with the wig still on his head, puffing on a nice fat cigar gripped between his teeth! They will also have many happy memories of “Pops” playing wiffle-ball games, writing crazy stuff with chalk on the driveway and street, and doing other things that would only prompt Bob to say “don’t tell your grandmother about this!”.

Bob is survived by his dearly-loved wife of forty-three years, Elizabeth “Jane” (nee Meng), his three dear children: Jessica Scarpa, Gabriel Macrone and wife Donna, and Marie Macrone, all of Wayne; his five adored grandchildren: Mia, Isabella, Emma, Gabriel and Olivia; and his brother Michael Macrone and wife Marisol of Pequannock. Bob was predeceased by his sister Wendy Coveney in 2009.

Also surviving to miss this affable man are his many friends who he’d do anything for, and his dear dog Annie.

William T. Mayerchak, “Bo” “Uncle Buck”, age 81 of Oak Ridge and formerly of Clifton and Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday, September 26, 2013.

Bill was formerly co-owner of People's Auto and owner of Premier Gas Station and Truck Rental, both of Clifton. Throughout his years as a business proprietor, he actively served in the New Jersey Gasoline Retailers Association and eventually, after divesting himself of his businesses, he worked for that association selling insurance and memberships in the association to fellow gas dealers. He continued in that roll until retiring in 2004.

Bill served in the National Guard and in the United States Army Reserves from 1953 to 1958. He was also a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus in Clifton. In his spare time he also loved to play basketball, play his harmonica and attend mass at St. Thomas the Apostle R.C. Church in Oak Ridge.

Surviving is his beloved wife Barbara (nee Rosol); his son Robert and wife Karen Mayerchak of Demorest, GA, his daughter Dawn and husband Shawn Ginter of Port St. Lucie, FL; his two grandchildren: Thomas Swartzel and Sean Ginter; his two brothers: George and wife Gail Mayerchak of Long Prairie, MN, and Joseph and wife Dorothy Mayerchak of Lyndhurst; and his sister Monica Lanza of West Milford. He was predeceased by his first wife, Bette (nee Hansen) in 1977.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in William’s name are asked to consider Paralyzed Veterans of America, P.O. Box 758532, Topeka, KS 66675-9910 or donating at www.pva.org.

Margaret Huizenga, age 90 of Totowa died peacefully on Thursday, September 26, 2013.

Margaret was born in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School. After getting married, she moved to the Huizenga Family Farm on Totowa Road in Totowa. There, she packed and delivered eggs and worked with her family running the operation. During the 1960’s, small family farms such as theirs struggled to compete with large grocery stores and her family eventually ended their farming operation. Margaret continued to live there until present day and loved to watch from her window as the wild turkey, deer and other local wildlife visited her yard.

Margaret was fond of all animals but had a special place in her heart for cats. She typically only kept one at a time, but has had many over the years. Almost all of them were ‘tuxedo’ cats; black with a white splash on their chest. She also enjoyed reading novels and sewing. She traveled to Maine many times and loved to visit the coastline there. She fell in love with the many lighthouses up and down the rocky shoreline. Music boxes were something she enjoyed collecting. She has many of them and “Edelweiss” could be heard throughout the house on many occasions.

Margaret is survived by her three children; Gail Flanagan of Riverdale, Curt Huizenga and his wife Susan of Wallingford, CT, and Judith Clark and her husband Ed of Tucson, AZ, six grandchildren; Valerie Glynn and her husband Paul of Vergennes, VT, Clifford Huizenga and his wife Jessica of Wallingford, CT, Heather Huizenga and her husband Brian Cusak of Sunderland, MA, Ken Clark and his wife Bonnie of Unionville, NY, Debbie Douglas of Mendham, NJ, and Josiah Houston of Brooklyn, NY, as well as eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sister Agnes Farr and two brothers; John Klein and William Klein.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wayne Animal Shelter, 201 Pompton Plains Crossroads, Wayne, NJ 07470 ((www.waynetownship.com/health-animalctrl-shelter.htm)) or “S.T.A.R.T.”, Save The Animal Rescue Team, PO Box 1098, Little Falls, NJ 07424 (www.startpets.net) would be greatly appreciated.

Rose Marie Cannatella, age 65 of Pompton Lakes and recently of Montville, died on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.

Rose was born in the Bronx and grew up in Fair Lawn, NJ. She graduated from Fair Lawn High School with the class of 1966 and moved to Pompton Lakes in 1978.

Rose was a strong woman and although she was born with developmental disabilities, she was able to accomplish a great deal throughout her life. Passing her driver’s test and receiving her license was among one of her greatest achievements. She was very good at crocheting, knitting, jigsaw puzzles, and was also an avid walker. While in Fair Lawn, Rose made many friends at the Opportunity Center there. She also loved the Fair Lawn Theatre Group where she helped to decorate and paint the sets.

She and her mother were lifelong companions and lived together until her mother passed in 2008. Over the years, Rose and her mother traveled extensively along with Rose’s aunt and uncle. She has been to Puerto Rico, California, Hawaii, and Las Vegas, just to name a few. Las Vegas was her favorite, hands down, and she loved to play the slot machines and go to the shows there. She was a big Elvis fan, loved to dance, and really enjoyed music from the 50’s.

Rose was a wonderful aunt to her three nieces and nephew.  She loved to spoil them and in return they all showered her with affection. Her family loved her dearly and they will all miss her a great deal.

Rose is survived by her sister Linda Chiodo of Bluffton, SC and her brother Joe Cannatella and his wife Donna of Wayne, her nieces; Kimberly Cerretta and her husband Billy of Riverdale, Christina Havens and her husband Christopher of Leonardo, NJ, and Aubrey Cannatella of Wayne, her nephew; Warren Chiodo and his wife Brook of Midland Park, great-nephew; Dylan Havens, great-nieces; Rosalia Cerretta and Mia Ann Chiodo, and her loving aunt and travel partner; Marlene Mercaldi. She was predeceased by her father Anthony Cannatella in 1973, her mother; Fannie Cannatella in 2008, and her great-niece Mia Angelina Cerretta.

Donations in lieu of flowers to the Foundation for the Handicapped would be greatly appreciated; 30 Woodridge Terrace, Wayne, NJ 07470

Mary Zangrilli (nee Mohlenpah) age 82 of Pompton Plains passed Wednesday, September 25, 2013 tragically in a car accident.

She was born and raised in Paterson having graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson with the Class of 1948. She married John P. Zangrilli at the age of eighteen and they lived in Passaic before moving to Pompton Plains over fifty-five years ago.

Mary’s first job was as a Switchboard Operator for NJ Bell Telephone for several years and later enjoyed a sales position at the Sporting Life store on Route 23 in Pompton Plains. She also worked as a bookkeeper for AJM Construction in Passaic and as a Hostess for the French Hill Inn in Wayne.

She enjoyed tennis, and was the second baseman for the Colfax Cuties softball team who had an undefeated season during the 1970’s. Most of all Mary was the life of the party. Her special spark and love of life could light up a room. She loved the friends she made at the Pompton Plains Senior Center where she did aerobics three days a week. Family gatherings, bus trips, UNICO, and Red Hats gatherings were also where Mary’s personality would shine. She was truly a people person who delighted in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren, kept her home meticulous, was super organized, decorated for all holidays, and loved her Golden Retriever - Sammy Dog, and her daughters Shih Tzu Rory Jane Macci.

Mary was the loving wife of fifty-six years to the late John P. Zangrilli (2005); devoted mother of Steven Zangrilli and his wife Judy of Hamburg, Suzanne Macci and her husband Tony of Wayne, Todd Zangrilli and his wife Luanne, and the late Scott Zangrilli (1993); dear sister of the late June Motta (2007); cherished grandmother of Justine and Jordan Macci, Michael, Scott, Toni, and Jonathan Zangrilli, Amanda Davis and Doug Mathers.

Antonia "Nina" Panzica (nee Granata) age 95 passed peacefully at home on Sunday, September 22, 2012.

She was born and raised in Bronx New York, lived in Ridgefield Park New Jersey for twenty years, Brick New Jersey for ten years, Pompton Lakes New Jersey and finally Pompton Plains New Jersey where she lived for the past eight years.

Antonia was the perfect mom, she was involved in all of her children’s activities like Dance Committee’s, Parent Teacher Associations…you name it – she was there. She was also mom to all the kids in the neighborhood as well. She loved to travel having been to Italy two times, all across the United States, and toured all over Europe. She also liked Bingo, belonged to a bowling league when living in Brick and loved to play the slot machines. Her special touch on Cucidati’s (Italian Fig Cookies) known by the family as “Woochies” will be greatly missed.

She met Anthony Panzica at a wedding. When Anthony saw her he said “some day I’m going to’ marry her.” Their first date was a drive in the Bronx where they went to dinner. They married on February 16, 1947 and enjoyed a wonderful fifty-five years of a loving marriage.

She was the loving wife of the late Anthony Panzica Sr.(2002); devoted mother of Catherine Prior and her husband William of Wayne, and Dr. Anthony J. Panzica and his wife Susan of Paramus; cherished grandmother of Billy Prior, A.J. Panzica, and Lauren Panzica; sister of Jean Adamo of Bronx, NY, and the late Jack Granata, Mary Marsala, Josephine Catanese, Thomas Granata, Joseph Granata.

Gordon P. Sanders age 62 of Wayne passed away on Saturday September 21, 2013 at the Hackensack University Medical Center after a courageous battle with Cancer.

Gordon was born in Paterson but was a lifelong resident of Wayne, NJ. He was a Master Carpenter and owned his own business for many years. Growing up, Gordon was interested and excelled in Athletics while he was in High School. He was the place kicker for his High School football team and was also a High School regional Finalist in wrestling. As he got older his athletic interests turned to golf, which he became quite good at.

Following his High School graduation, Gordon attended East Carolina University where he furthered his education and also played Lacrosse for the varsity team there. After about three years, Gordon left college to help his father who had taken ill, run his business. This is where Gordon learned the trade that he would devote to for the rest of his life.  Then in the early 1980’s, Gordon started his own business, and on one of

Gordon’s job sites, he met his wife Cindy, whom he cherished over 26 years together. During those years Gordon and Cindy raised their only son Maxwell.

Gordon was a very hard-working man and had little tolerance for shoddy craftsmanship, which may have made him a bit stubborn at times, but he was a perfectionist. He took pride in his work and was always there to lend a helping hand when someone needed it. Above his devotion to his work, and above his love for Athletics, Gordon held his family most sacred. Nothing came between Gordon and his love for his family.

Gordon is survived by his wife Cindy (nee Gray) of Wayne; his only son Maxwell of Wayne; his mother Marion Sanders of Wayne, one brother James and his wife Christine of Export, PA; and three sisters Barbara Hanenberg and her husband Alan of Wanaque, Jean Sanders of Wayne and Katie Sanders of Pompton Lakes; his is also survived by many nieces and nephews; he was pre-deceased by his father James R Sanders in 1997.

The family has asked that if loved ones want to make a donation in Gordon’s name, please consider the American Cancer Society.

Anna M. Ceraolo, age 90 of Newtown, Connecticut and formerly of Wayne, NJ died on Saturday, September 21, 2013 in Danbury, CT.

“Aunt Anna”, as she was affectionately known by almost everyone, was born in Jersey City, NJ and enjoyed her childhood there. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson High School with the class of 1941 and began working as a seamstress. During World War II she worked for RCA and then joined Dunn & Bradstreet in 1947. Her career with D&B lasted forty years before she retired in 1987.

Aunt Anna never married and for most of her life she lived with her sister Edith Laplante and her family in Wayne. Anna commuted to New York City together with her brother-in-law Philip Leplante for many years and she was like a ‘second mom’ to her nieces and nephews. She was not only their Aunt, but a trusted friend and confidant too.

In her retirement, Aunt Anna became an accomplished cook. She really made some of the best meals! She preferred traditional Italian dishes like eggplant and chicken parmesan, but could make anything well. She was a great baker too and nothing could top her carrot cake. Aunt Anna more recently enjoyed watching cooking shows on TV and would sometimes ask her niece to print out the recipes of the dishes she saw being made on TV.

Aunt Anna was a very accomplished seamstress. She had made a lot of clothing over the years; for herself and for others. The finished quality of her work rivaled that of any high-end designer. She made a beautiful dress for her niece Lisa’s wedding and had requested to wear that same dress for her own funeral. She crafted beautiful table linens and crocheted many afghan blankets too. Those blankets will be keeping her loved ones warm for years to come, and serve as an everlasting reminder of her love and kindness.

Anna is survived by her nieces and nephews; Lisa Laplante and her husband Gary Birkmaier of Newtown, CT, Phillip Laplante and his wife Nancy of West Chester, PA, Lauren Laplante-Rottman and her husband Joey of Boxford, MA, and Frank Ceraolo and his wife Marie of Reno, NV, Joseph Ceraolo of Chestnut Ridge, NY, Giovanna and Marisa Ceraolo of Oradell, NJ, one brother; Nicholas Ceraolo of Reno, NV,  and her great-nieces and great-nephews: Karl Birkmaier of Newtown, CT, Christopher and Charlotte Laplante of West Chester, PA, Eric and Tania Ceraolo. She was predeceased by her sister Edith Laplante of Wayne, by her brother Joseph of Oradell, and by her young sister Nella who died in 1922 at the age of 4-1/2 years.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Anna’s memory to the American Cancer Society

NJ Chapter, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601or the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 would be greatly appreciated.

Virginia Dalnodar, a homemaker and longtime Wayne resident, passed away on September 19, 2013 at home; she was 94 years old.

Mrs. Dalnodar was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Dr. and Mrs. Walter Sargeant. She had one sister, Dorothy Jane Avery, who predeceased her. Virginia graduated from Stevens College and went on to earn her BS degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1940. She was an elementary school teacher and reading specialist in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and later in Bloomfield, NJ.

In 1954, she married Charles Dalnodar, who predeceased her in 2003.

Virginia is survived by her son David Dalnodar of Wayne, her daughters Amy Sharpe (Dennis) of Littleton, NH, and Wendy Andreassi (Eugene), and her granddaughters Erin Andreassi and Cara Andreassi, all of White Plains, NY.

Michael A. Brandl, age 60 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, September 17, 2013. He has been a resident of Wayne for twenty six years.

Michael was born in Passaic and grew up in Clifton. He graduated from Pope Pius XII High School with the class of 1971. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from The Wharton School of Business. Michael was a partner of the CPA firm “Maher & Brandl” in Pompton Lakes from 1980 to 1998. He subsequently had his own firm, “Michael A. Brandl, CPA, P.C.” based in Wayne.

Mike was an avid card player and sports fan. Blackjack and poker were among his favorites and he was very good. He had regular games with his friends, frequent trips to Atlantic City, and most of his vacations were to Caribbean destinations that offered gambling. Mike also loved sports and had been active with the Wayne PAL for many years. He coached basketball and baseball while his two sons were growing up and he continued to support the PAL, currently sitting on the Board of Trustees.

He was a great dad, always active with his boys and he was there at every game he could make it to. They played hoops in the driveway often and had attended many Yankee’s home games together. They had been making an annual trip to Fenway Park too, leaving the Yankees jerseys home, of course. Along with his sons, Mike had been to many of the ballparks around the country and together they dreamed about doing a ‘ballpark tour’ across the nation. He was a big football fan and college basketball fan too. Mike also loved to read the NY Post every morning, completing the crossword and Sudoku each day. Then he would have a little one-on-one time with their dog Milo playing ball.

In the 1980’s, Mike’s sister introduced him to Juliana (Rosta). He proposed to her in Atlantic City and they married on May 21, 1988 at St. Stephen’s RC Church, Passaic. Mike planned a wonderful honeymoon to the Hawaiian Islands, including a return layover in Las Vegas so he could play some cards. They’ve enjoyed twenty five years devoted to one another in a “best friends” marriage. Mike was a wonderful husband and they were inseparable partners. Mike had a large heart and always put everyone first before himself.

Mike is survived by his loving wife Juliana, two sons; Jonathan and Joseph of Wayne, his parents; Michael and Katherine Brandl of Hewitt, two sisters; Linda Brandl of Whippany and Maryann Moran and her husband Timothy of Hewitt, and a large family of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Friends wishing to honor Mike’s memory with a donation are asked to please consider the Wayne PAL, 1 PAL Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.

Henry T. Sasiak, age 69 of Wayne, died suddenly on Sunday, September 15, 2013. He was a resident of Wayne since 1973.

Hank was born in Newark and graduated from Arts High School. Artistically inclined from a young age, his artwork from high school is displayed in the Newark Museum. He subsequently enlisted in the Marine Corps. After completing basic training, Hank served during the Cuban Missile Crisis and completed his duty in Hawaii. After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1967, he enrolled in Rutgers University. Hank was also a lifelong member of the Wayne VFW Post 174 in Mountain View.

Hank’s start in the printing industry was rather humble; delivering supplies to local print shops. With his artistic abilities he soon took to learning Lithography, working in a small print shop. He soon became a renowned lithographer known for his expertise throughout the printing industry. Henry owned and operated Pano-Dot, Inc., a printing company located in Ridgefield Park for over twenty eight years.

Hank was a very hard worker and strived to be a good provider for his family. His kids are grateful for the wonderful foundation he set for them and especially for the love he provided, so often shown in all the little things he did for each of them. They will miss him dearly, but will always remember his love and kindness.

Hank loved to relax at the Jersey shore - enjoying boating, fishing and clamming on Barnegat Bay. He also enjoyed taking cruises with his friends and family throughout the Caribbean, Bermuda, and most recently to Hawaii.

Hank met his wife Barbara in 1970 at the Jersey Shore. They married on May 20, 1972 and have enjoyed forty one years of a loving and devoted marriage. After retiring in 2002, he spent his time continuing to enhance his learning through art and writing classes as well as volunteering for the Passaic County Board of Elections.

Henry is survived by his beloved wife; Barbara of Wayne, one daughter; Danielle Serban and her husband Alec of Summit, NJ, one son; Sean Sasiak and his wife Sarah of Branchburg, NJ, five grandchildren; Sofia and James Serban, Austin, Tanner, and Haley Sasiak of Branchburg, and one sister; Victoria James Bayley and her husband Timothy of South Kent, CT. He was predeceased by his sister Delores Biggar.

Eleanore Kieselat, age 79 of Pompton Plains died peacefully at her home as her children and grandchildren lovingly stood by her, on Saturday, September 14, 2013, following an aggressive bout with cancer.

Eleanore was born and raised in Bloomfield, the fourth of Stephen and Anna Bischoff’s seven children. She attended Bloomfield High School but stopped one year short of graduation because conventional wisdom of that time dictated that it was more important that she go to work. Eleanore’s first job was waitressing at the local diner. She quickly moved on to a position with Bell Telephone as an operator. If you called, she would cheerfully greet you with “Operator, what number please.” She eventually ended up working for Westinghouse Electric in their light-bulb filament producing department. Working conditions were hellaciously hot and since she wasn’t provided a locker or refrigerator to put her lunch in, Eleanore would just leave her sandwich on one of the machines. By lunch time, her cheese sandwich was a grilled-cheese sandwich! She worked there for over ten years and even received her ten-year pin.

One day when Eleanore was just 19 years old, she was with her sister Evelyn at the Postal Diner in Bloomfield. While there, a sweet looking powder-blue Cadillac convertible drove past and, to Eleanore’s delight, the guy behind the wheel waived right at them!. Eleanore was too shy to waive back so she made her sister waive instead. That handsome man behind the wheel was 25-year old Rudy Kieselat and he took that waive-back as an invitation to pull into the diner and introduce himself. Eleanore dated Rudy for five years, got engaged and, five years later, on December 14, 1963, they married at Wesminster Church in Bloomfield. Following a beautiful honeymoon in Florida, the newlyweds settled into a garden apartment in Caldwell. A year later, they moved to 98 Curtis Street, Bloomfield, into a two-family home on the second floor above Eleanore’s parents. Rudy went off to work each day at his car dealership – Rudy’s Motors on Route 46 in Little Ferry – while Eleanore continued in her position with Westinghouse Electric. She remained there until 1965 when she and Rudy welcomed their firstborn, little Rudy. A year later little Rudy was joined by a sister Darlene and in 1970, the whole family welcomed another boy which they named Randy. That same summer, the Kieselats moved out of the Curtis Street house into a new home in Pompton Plains where Eleanore remained for the past forty-three years.

Eleanore loved her home and she loved hosting those big, “both-sides-of-the-family” pool parties. Everyone attended because they all looked forward to the great spread of foods Eleanore was sure to provide. It was said that Eleanore made the kind of potato salad that even people who hate potato salad couldn’t help but love! She was also greatly admired for her out-of-this-world stuffing and macaroni salad. Sometimes she got tired of the messy kitchen that comes with cooking and baking. When those times came she’d go to some of her favorite eateries including Don Peppe, the Monarch Diner, Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse or Friendly’s. Eleanore also loved to throw birthday parties for her children and grandchildren complete with lots of games, prizes and yummy treats only a dentist could love.

If she wasn’t hosting family and friends at home, Eleanore found other ways to keep entertained. In the 1970’s she started attending ceramic classes. During that phase of life, her family became the lucky recipients of many of her creations including Tom Sawyer, Becky and Huckleberry Finn figurines, (one was even made into a lamp!), cats, Christmas trees, guns, pumpkins, assorted wall plaques, a big tiger, cheerleader figurines, little girl dolls, ash trays, numerous vases, frogs, and dogs. She was so into ceramic crafting, that she seriously thought about getting the equipment and going into her own business but she decided not to because she had made everything there was a possible mold for.

In the earlier years Eleanore enjoyed playing bingo. This eventually led to playing the lottery…… daily! She and Rudy loved buying lottery tickets, especially for the Pick 4, 5, 6 and Mega Millions and Powerball lottery. Once Eleanore won three times in a row and two of those times were in the span of one week with total winnings for that week around eighteen-thousand dollars! She and Rudy also loved to gamble and together en-route to Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, they took enough trips down the Garden State Parkway to cause that road to need to be repaved a few times over. Most recently, she and Rudy enjoyed going to Mount Airy Casino in Mt. Pocono, PA. Rudy passed away in 2012 but Eleanore kept going and won the jackpot as recently as one month ago on “Fire Sevens”, her lucky machine.

In 2001, Eleanore returned to the workforce, this time to her daughter Darlene’s beauty salon, called COLORFORMS Hair Salon, in Pompton Plains. Her job was to be the beauty shops receptionist but for Eleanore, it wasn’t a job – it was just lots of fun. She loved it and clients loved her too! If Eleanore was out to lunch and wasn’t there to answer the phone, Darlene would answer. Lots of times the caller would just tell Darlene that they would call back when Eleanore got back from lunch.

Eleanore is going to be remembered for a lot of wonderful things. She was a top-notch host! If her kids or grandkids stopped by, she always offered food and wouldn’t take no for an answer. When asked how to describe their mom, her children fired off words or phrases like, “just sweet as pudding pie, giving, caring, happy-go-lucky, even-keeled, adoring of her grandchildren, and a woman with a great attitude who never gave up. A twenty-year survivor of cancer, when asked how she was doing, Eleanore would raise her arms like a boxing champion and exuberantly exclaim “I’m doin good!” Even with this latest bout with cancer, she was still working at COLORFORMS Hair Salon as recently as two weeks ago. She will be missed!

Surviving to mourn her loss but celebrate her life is her son Rudy and wife Sue of Dingmans Ferry, PA, her daughter Darlene Donnelly and husband Patrick of Pequannock Township, her son Randy and wife Angela of Pequannock Township, her five grandchildren: Kyle, Corinne, Rachel, Vanessa and Billy; her two sisters: Evelyn Skupienski of Lake Parsippany and Dorothy “Dot” Bamford of Lake Hiawatha. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Rudolph “Rudy” in October of 2012 as well as her sister Marion Coffee and three brothers: Stephen, Edward and George Bischoff.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Eleanore’s name are asked to consider City of Hope, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, California, 91010, or online at www.cityofhope.org/giving. A gift to City of Hope will help to win the fight against cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Clara “Lilly” “Mike” E. Sessa (nee Evanowsky) age 94 of Clifton died peacefully on September 14, 2013.

She was born in New York City and raised in Garfield having graduated from Garfield High School with the Class of 1937. After high school she attended the University of Kentucky for a year and then graduated with a Degree in Nursing from the American Medical Technologists of New Jersey.

As a young girl Clara’s family would take weekend trips to a family friend’s farm in Lambertville. On the farm there were always chores to do and being the only girl helping with those chores the boys nicknamed Clara “Mike”. That nickname carried through the years even being the name, Mrs. Mike I through Mrs. Mike V, of the five progressively larger boats her husband John kept in Mantoloking Shores.

Clara was a loving, caring, wife and mother who’s family was always her focus. A lover of animals she had numerous dogs over the years and was especially fond of her late Chihuahua Chloe. An avid golfer she was a member of the Manasquan River Country Club in Brielle, the DelRay Dunes Golf & Country Club in Boynton Beach, FL, and the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne.

Clara was the loving wife of sixty-one years to John T. Sessa(2006); devoted mother of John V. Sessa of Wayne, and Robert T. Sessa and his wife Susan of Wayne; dear sister of the late Jane Banks; cherished grandmother of Jason Sessa and his wife Marilyn of Beechwood; much loved great-grandmother of Giovanni and Perrie Sessa.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the NJ State Golf Assoc., Caddie Scholarship Foundation, 3 Golf Drive, Suite 206, Kenilworth, NJ 07033 would be appreciated.

Thelma Ruth Forrester – mother, nurse, writer, teacher, seeker, friend – died peacefully on Thursday, September 12, 2013 with her daughters by her side. She was 98.

Born and raised in New Kensington, PA, the second of five children of Floyd and Ruth Cassel, Thelma was a resident of Wayne for nearly ten years. She has lived at the Christian Health Care Center, Wyckoff, NJ., for the past two years.

Thelma was blessed with creative intelligence. Throughout her entire life she was a writer. She wrote stories and plays – some performed by The Little Theater in New Kensington, PA, – also reflections and essays, inspirational messages and thousands of letters. These writings were reflections of her life, addressing diverse topics including childhood, family members, married life, her nursing career and her spiritual and philosophical journey. Two years ago, her daughters gathered representative samples of the plays, short stories, essays and reflections into a beautiful book, “Treasures of a Lifetime, The Writings of Thelma Ruth Forrester,” and copies were distributed to relatives and friends, keeping alive the thoughts of this wise woman.

The words Thelma Forrester has written and spoken have produced wide-ranging effects – encouraging, comforting, stimulating, inspiring, amusing. She always shared her enthusiasm for writing and reading; it is little wonder her children all love those activities.

Of course, Thelma’s writings could also be frivolous. She once entered a contest to write a slogan for Wheaties breakfast cereal. Her slogan, which was “I buy Wheaties for my family because they dislike it the least,” was never used by the Wheaties Company (wonder why?) – but she was paid two dollars for submitting it, and her “earnings” became a wonderful family joke.

In 1937, Thelma married William Forrester, a newspaperman. Together they brought up their four children, all musical, all sharing this love of words and desire to learn. Thelma’s bravery equipped her children with valuable skills for their lives. She was an inspirational, intellectual and spiritual force for all four of them but she never stopped celebrating their diversity. Her love for them was un-quenching, as illustrated in this letter which she wrote to them before going on a trip in January, 1977:

Dear Children:

I’ve never before felt the need to “Say-Goodbye-maybe-for good” when I went on a trip. But this is strange weather, strange times and I have the feeling that something untoward just might happen.

So what would I want to say? Mostly that I do love each and every one of you. I’m so glad I had four to love. You have been the most important thing in my life (with apologies to your father).

You have all brought much joy, much interest, much pride and satisfaction to my life. Yes much concern, worry and fear sometimes too.

I can’t tell you what it means to me to have known you all since babyhood and to have watched you all develop into four utterly different but fine and fascinating adults. And to realize that if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even be, let alone be what you are – because for better or for worse, I did influence you.

Thelma’s influence extended beyond her own children. She was beloved by her numerous nieces and nephews – to them too she was an inspiration, mentor, friend and confidant.

She was generous, as well. Ten years ago, when the time came to sell her house, she kept only half the proceeds for herself, dividing the rest among children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. To the youngest, she wrote “This is Grandma’s house speaking. As you know, my house has been sold. I want you all to have a share in it. I know you never visited Grandma T’s house, but you would have loved it. Ask your Mother to show you a picture of it.”

Thelma took an active role at Southminster Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, for many years, particularly as a teacher. She never lectured, but encouraged the individuals in her adult Bible class to decide for themselves on issues related to religion and life. When she moved to NJ, she became a member of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Wayne. She made it no secret that she preferred the simpler Presbyterian service, however; she was never fully comfortable with the Lutheran liturgy, which she called “ritual.”

At age 48, Thelma returned to school to pursue her lifetime dream of becoming a nurse. On her first day in the school she was subjected to a personality inventory, the results of which indicated that she should consider a career as a dietician. Unconvinced and undeterred by this suggestion, Thelma pursued her dream with still greater determination! At the age of fifty, she graduated, and reported soon after to St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA for her first day of work as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She was greeted not-too-warmly by a supervisor, who exclaimed that Thelma was the first LPN that St. Clair Hospital had ever hired and that if she didn’t work out, she would be the last! Thelma not only worked out, she enjoyed a twenty-five year career and was a mentor to many young nurses, particularly Jean Pike, who looked on her as a second mother. Her career was extremely important to Thelma because of the confidence it gave her as she witnessed the positive effects of her care on her patients. Even though she retired years ago, Thelma continued to stay in touch with her younger colleagues by e-mail. (She was using her computer daily until two years ago!)

Another of her interests was puzzles – she was adept at crosswords, crostics, and cryptograms. The love of solving puzzles carried over to “real life” in various ways. For instance, as a nurse she was always pleased when assigned to do an “intake interview” – she would assess the patient and later see how close the doctor came to her diagnosis. In earlier years, when Jim and Anne were about 8 and 10 years old, and the family needed to make frequent trips between New Kensington and their new home in a suburb of Pittsburgh, she would give them algebra problems to keep them contented during the long car journeys.

And – like all Pittsburghers – she was a sports fan. She loved her Pirates and her Steelers. After coming to New Jersey, she extended her enthusiasm to the local teams. It must be said that she infuriated son-in-law Ron, by watching the hated New York Yankees as well as his beloved Mets – as long as it was baseball, she was happy. Football?? Pastor Mountenay loves to tell of an incident that took place one winter when Ron was in Valley Hospital, having had a quadruple bypass and a valve replacement. Anne was with Ron at the hospital, but began to be concerned when she couldn’t reach her mother by phone. She asked Pastor to investigate, and he went to the house. He rang the bell, pounded on the door – no response. Since noise was coming from the television, he feared the worst. He pushed open the door, which fortunately was unlocked, and there was Thelma, glued to the tv screen. He asked why she hadn’t responded to the telephone or the doorbell, and she indignantly replied “THE STEELERS ARE IN THE SUPER BOWL!!!” To her children’s amusement, she even watched and enjoyed the vicious sport of ice hockey, and proudly displayed her autograph of goalie Jaromir Jagr.

By May, 2011, Thelma’s health had begun to deteriorate, and she took up residence in the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff , where she remained until her passing. She quickly won the hearts of the staff , who admired her spirit and were amused by her quirky sense of humor. During her first months there, she could often be found sitting at the nurses’ station , keeping charts and notes as the nurses cared for fellow patients. One nurse said, no doubt with some degree of exaggeration, “When we’re not quite sure what’s gone on, we check Thelma’s ‘nurse’s notes’ and then we know!”

This very gentle, very strong,very special woman left her mark in so many ways. She enriched the lives of all who knew her, and she will be greatly missed.

The family wishes to express deep gratitude to the staff of Christian Health Care Center, with special thanks to Shelly, Lorene, Janet, Judy and Yrma, who cared for her so lovingly.

Surviving are her four children: Anne Loffredo of Wayne; James William Forrester and wife Mary of Seattle, WA; Joel Forrester and wife Mary of New York City; and Linda Forrester of New York City. Also six grandchildren: James C. Forrester and wife Maggie; Sarah Bright; Max Forrester; William Landolfi and special friend D’vora Najee; Linda Loffredo and fiancé, Raymond Escobar; and Anthony Loffredo and wife Rose Marie. Also surviving are four great-grandchildren: Michael and Fiona Bright, and Melanie and Breanna Loffredo; two sisters: Mary Louise Springer of Baltimore, MD and Geraldine Cassel of Potomac, MD; and many devoted nieces and nephews.

Thelma was predeceased by her beloved husband William (1976); two sisters, Barbara Alter and Betty Herr; her brother, James Cassel; her son-in-law, Ron Loffredo; three brothers-in-law: Carl Herr, Calvin Alter and William Springer; and two nieces: Shelby Lynn Alter and Nancy Herr Puckett.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Thelma’s memory are asked to consider St. Timothy Lutheran Church , 395 Valley Road, Wayne, or the Christian Health Care Center, 301 Sicomac Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481.

Shirley Losito, age 78 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Her family was gathered at her bedside when she passed. Shirley and her husband Vito have been residents of Lions Head Lake in Wayne since 1961.

Shirley was born in Windsor, England, home to the famed “Windsor Castle.” She grew up in Staines, just outside of London. Her earliest years were defined by the events of World War II, when life around London was very difficult and dangerous. Throughout her life, she shared stories of having very little food for their family and no meat in their diet for days on end during the war.

During her early career, Shirley was a switchboard operator at the newly constructed Stansted Airport, just outside of London. She also worked a few nights a week at a café which also served as a base for the local taxi service. On one particular evening, an American soldier came into the café needing a taxi. His name was Vito Losito, and while waiting for a car to arrive, Shirley served him a cup of tea and they started talking. Vito was stationed right at the Stansted Airport and he came back a few more times to have tea with Shirley. They soon fell in love and in 1957 the two of them came to America. They married on June 22, 1957 at St. Francis de Chantal Parish in the Bronx and enjoyed a honeymoon to the Poconos. They settled in Lions Head Lake, Wayne and have been living there for fifty two years.

Over the years, Shirley was an active tennis player, founding member of the Wayne Tennis Club, and also played in Fairfield. She had occasion to umpire a few professional matches. She loved to tell the story of when she was a line umpire at a professional match in Roseland. After spotting the ball “out”, the player, who is an internationally well-known tennis player, came over to Shirley and called her an “old bat!” She got the biggest kick out of that. She also traveled extensively with Vito, visiting Italy a few times, Florida and the Jersey Shore. Her favorite restaurant was Sam’s Maple Grove in Lincoln Park, where they used to serve the best whiskey sours and shrimp cocktail. She loved listening to Dean Martin sing and had speakers installed throughout the house and outside too, so no matter where you went you could still hear Dean crooning away. She loved gardening as well and was often outside manicuring the shrubs, flowers and trees. She kept their Japanese maple tree trimmed perfectly.

Her sons recall her being the most loving mother. She never let them want for anything and at Christmas and birthdays, she spoiled them every time. She had a big heart with a caring soul and with each scraped knee, stubbed toe or boo-boo, there was no better place to be than in her loving arms. She was the best mom they could have ever dreamed of having and will miss her dearly.

Shirley is survived by her loving husband of fifty six years; Vito, two sons; Anthony and his wife Paula, Robert and his wife Terry, six grandchildren; Alexis, Alyssa, Anthony, Ashleigh, Alyson, and Aiden, and one sister; Leslie Khalaf and her husband Majid of Vero Beach, FL.

Paul Gary Zack age 71 of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Monday, September 9th, 2013.

He was born and raised in Paterson, before moving to Hawthorne, Haledon, Totowa, & finally moving to Wayne 10 years ago.

Paul had many odd jobs as a young man including being a Soda Jerk, but spent most of his working life as a truck driver having driven for A&P Supermarkets, Marshall’s Movers in Hawthorne, was a partner in Two Billies' Trucking of Haledon for over thirty years, drove for Miele’s Trucking of Little Falls, before taking a part-time position as a Crossing Guard in Woodland Park.

He will be remembered as a strong willed guy who had a great sense of humor. He was very protective and loved spending time with his wife and sons. He enjoyed annual trips to car and truck shows, especially at Raceway Park in Englishtown and Atco Raceway in Atco.

Paul met his wife Peggy Ann Klapmuts through mutual friends. They married on May 15, 1965. They enjoyed 41 years of marriage before Peggy’s passing on February 11, 2007.

Paul was the loving husband of the late Peggy Ann (Klapmuts) Zack(2007); devoted father of Paul G. Zack and his fiancé Eileen of Haskell, and Preston Zack and his wife Marlana of Totowa; loved brother of Marilu Krawiec and her husband Robert of Greentown, PA, Michael Zack and his wife Nancy of Washington, NJ, Jaye "Sissy" Staudinger of Clifton, and the late John Zack.

Daniel J. Salameno, age 77 of Pompton Lakes, died on Sunday, September 8, 2013.

Daniel was born in Paterson and graduated from New York Military Academy, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY in 1954. He proudly served in the Army National Guard until 1958.

As a young boy, Dan became well acquainted with washing cars. His father started Daniel’s Motors in the 1940’s, a Dodge and Plymouth dealership on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes. They later became a Buick dealership in 1953 until 1981.  During the same time they also sold pre-owned cars on Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne. Dan’s childhood years often included helping his dad and keeping the cars clean. Incidentally, he knew how to drive at a very young age. One of his early jobs, at about fourteen years old, was as a valet parking attendant at the Elks Lodge in Pompton Lakes, where Joe Louis used to train. When Mr. Louis showed up with a big, beautiful new Cadillac, Dan gladly offered to park it for him. Knowing that Joe would be training for a few hours, Dan took the Cadillac for a joy ride around Pompton Lakes and Oakland before bringing it back. Mr. Louis was never the wiser.

After high school, Dan joined his father at Daniel’s Motors and they made a big switch; becoming a Buick dealer. They sold Buicks together until 1981 when they became primarily a pre-owned car dealer. During all those years, Dan also operated a busy towing business. He loved to listen to the police scanner, monitoring the radio to see where he might be needed, and he was always ready when the Wayne Police would call him out to clean up a crash or help a broken down motorist. Many of those motorists became recipients of Dan’s generosity as he would often help them get on their way without charging a dime. He was a man of integrity and great generosity, recognizing that it wasn’t always about the money; some people just needed a little help. Dan worked hand-in-hand with the Wayne Police for many years and was recognized by the Wayne Township PBA as “Man of the Year” in 1998. He was issued a silver PBA card to commemorate the honor and it’s come in handy over the years.

On one occasion, Dan had two customers hop off of a bus and come into his showroom to buy a car. They were young Israeli men who had recently finished their service in the Israeli military. They wanted to buy a car and begin their adventure in the USA. Dan explained to them that without a driver’s license and insurance, he could not sell them a car. By the end of the day, Dan had befriended these two men and brought them home. They ended up living with Dan’s family for about two months before Dan was able to find them jobs up in Monsey, NY. They were forever grateful to Dan for his kindness and hospitality at a time when they really didn’t know where to go. Helping others was simply Dan’s nature and he did so for many people in many different ways over the years.

Dan was also very fond of the resident cats living around Daniel’s Motors. He built a small shelter for them to use in the winter, including a heater. He would regularly stroll down to the CVS to buy cat food, and each time the cats would follow him in a small parade down to the store and back again. He spoiled them, but also helped to find many of them homes. He connected with the Pompton Lakes PATCH (Pet Adoption Through Caring Hands) and together they arranged for the cats to be spayed, neutered, and adopted. He ran a promotion once; buy a car, and you get a kitten too. Several people took him up on it. He also used to ask people at Thanksgiving time to bring their leftover turkey down to his showroom so he could give the cats their own feast. The leftovers poured in! Surely they were some of the luckiest cats in town, and Dan truly enjoyed caring for them.

Daniel was also a devoted volunteer to the Wayne PAL. He served as finance chairman during the construction of the original PAL building in the 1960’s. Dan worked tirelessly along with many great men and women to put that project together and it has been a great success for the community. Dan continued to volunteer as a PAL baseball coach with all three of his boys, sponsoring the team as well; “Daniel’s Motors.”

Dan’s Catholic faith was strong throughout his life. As a boy, he attended St. Anthony’s school in Butler and later went to St. Mary’s in Pompton Lakes. When he was in the eighth grade, he convinced the school bus driver that he could drive the bus as well as anyone else. The driver allowed him to sit on his lap, shifting gears and steering during the ride home. Although everyone made it home safely and without incident, Dan and the bus driver were both chastised for their poor judgment that day.

After high school, Dan met a cute cheerleader from Wayne. He asked Rose Lyons out on a date and they went dancing at the Meadowbrook, cruising in his new Buick convertible. That first date was a hit and they married on August 1, 1959 at St. James of the Marches in Totowa. They honeymooned at Lake Placid, New York and settled into their home in Wayne thereafter. They have enjoyed fifty four years in a loving and devoted marriage.

Dan is survived by his beloved wife Rose of Pompton Lakes, three sons; Daniel and his wife Carol of Pompton Lakes, Paul of Haskell, and Frank of Pompton Lakes, four grandchildren; Garrett and Ty of Haskell and Jason and Amanda of Pompton Lakes, one sister; Helene Tuite and her husband Richard of Texas, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father Daniel and mother Dorothy, his sister Isabelle Ruocco and her husband George.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Dan’s memory are asked to please consider his church; St. Mary’s RC Church, 17 Pompton Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442, or PATCH, 26 Lakeside Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442.

Anthony J. Catanzaro age 87 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday, September 6.

Anthony was born and raised in Passaic, NJ and moved to Wayne about 50 years ago.

When Anthony was a young man, he enlisted in the United States Navy to serve his country. Then, immediately after his enlistment, he was assigned to the Marine Corp Detachment during the Second World War. After the War’s end, he met his wife Helen whom he cherished nearly 50 years of marriage Also following his military service, Anthony worked as a plumber, owning his own business for 20 years. He then went to work for the Township of Wayne as the “Plumbing Inspector” for another 25 years until his retirement 15 years ago. In that time, Anthony developed many great relationships, and raised, along with his late wife Helen, their only son Daniel.

Anthony was a member of the Tri-boro Master Plumber Association, the New Jersey League of Master Plumbers and the New Jersey Plumbing Inspectors Association. He was also a member of the Wayne Elks Lodge 2181 for many years, as well as the Golden Age of Wayne. Because of his military service to our country, he was also a member of the Marine Corps League of Pompton Lakes Detachment #744. Anthony was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church since its inception in the early 1960’s.

Anthony was a hardworking man who devoted his life to his work and his family alike. He was a real “People” person and was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it.

Anthony is survived by his son Daniel and his wife Tammy; and his two grandchildren Nicole and Anthony all of Cartersville, GA; his wife, Helen (nee Regiec), predeceased him in 2002, he was also predeceased by his brother Angelo Adamo, and his two sisters Rose Benevento and Mary Hillebrand.

Roseann Collins Traynor, 61, of Bloomingdale, passed away peacefully at home after a long and courageous fight against cancer on September 4.

Born in Brooklyn, Roseann grew up in Monroe, NY. She attended Hofstra University, where she met her husband of 42 years, Timothy Traynor. After working as an executive assistant at IBM, Roseann dedicated herself to caring for her family. She loved nature and was a staunch advocate for many causes, especially the environment and equality. Roseann will be remembered by all who knew her as one of the kindest, smartest, funniest, wisest, most loving, generous, and loyal people ever to grace the earth. She spent her life making the lives of those around her much richer, happier, and more beautiful.

Roseann is survived by her adoring husband, Timothy, of Bloomingdale; her devoted children: Jesse Traynor and his fiancée Justyna Krygowska of Highland Lakes, and Michael Traynor of Pompton Plains; her big brother, Roger Collins, and his wife Ellen of Apopka, FL; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Grover and Pearl (Gelfand) Collins; her brother, Bruce Collins; and her daughter, Lindsay Traynor.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome in Roseann’s name to the following organizations: (1) Valley Hospice, Dorothy B. Kraft Center – Third Floor, 15 Essex Road, Paramus, NJ 07652; and/or (2) Garden State Equality, 40 S. Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042.

A Reflection About My Mother

with love from her son, Michael Traynor

If I tried to write a traditional, cohesive narrative capturing the entirety of my mom Roseann’s life, our relationship, and what she meant to me, it would be as long as a Russian novel. It’s almost impossible for me, especially in the wake of such a tremendous loss, to articulate everything she has meant to me. What I offer here instead is a loose snapshot, a hodgepodge of memories, stories, and observations that capture a small fraction of who she was and, moreover, who she was to me. If ever you have an entire year free, maybe then I’ll have adequate time to tell you the unabridged story of my mom.

What many of us will remember best about my mom is how silly, witty, and hilarious she was. She was never above being a goof and a total weirdo; it was always ridiculously fun to be around her. Her big, bright smile and her laughter were infectious. Whether she was chasing my brother and me around as The Tickle Monster when we were preschoolers or howling over The Golden Girls a couple months ago, we had nothing short of a great time when we were with her. My mom and I got each other’s humor and silliness perfectly. We would tango around the kitchen to the song “Hernando’s Hideaway.” We’d call each other and spend the first three minutes making progressively funnier sounds into the receiver. Sometimes, even in the middle of a conversation, we would make funny faces at each other from across the room, gradually twisting our faces into weirder contortions, trying to see who would crack first. Even if we were out together in public, she had no qualms about breaking into goofy dances with me or doing what we called “T-Rex Eye,” our absurd rendition of a scene from Jurassic Park. Long after she was diagnosed, she retained her sharp sense of humor, her wit, and her gift of levity, and it got us through some extraordinarily trying times.

As much as my mom enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city, her heart belonged to the beauty and peace of the country. As a young girl, she was more interested in climbing trees and sleeping with the cats on her family’s farm in Goshen. Through the early years of her marriage, she and my dad would travel to places like Yosemite and the giant redwoods of California, and, as we got older, we accompanied them to dozens of beautiful places, from the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the mesas of Arizona. As soon as the weather warmed up, she would spend her afternoons in the backyard among the flowers, the birds, and the waterfall, or strolling through the quiet gardens at Skylands Manor and Laurelwood Arboretum. I remember how she was the driving force behind the W.A.T.E.R. (Watershed Area Towns for Environmental Responsibility) group, among others, when I was a kid and worked tirelessly to protect our community’s water supply. Once, she called me after midnight when I was in college, and told me she had stood up to a crooked state senator who was preparing to vote against an environmental initiative for his own gain, and she had told his office she was going to the papers unless he agreed to meet her for a tour through the beautiful forests his vote would endanger. “Mom!” I exclaimed. “You just threatened a senator, and now you’re having him meet you alone in the woods?” She laughed fearlessly, “He ought to be more worried about me!” Her deep affection for the natural world was something she passed on to her children. Animals also never stopped being a source of wonder and admiration for her. No matter how many deer or bears she saw moseying through her yard, she beheld them as if for the first time; she treated them with awe, reverence, and respect. When a frog took up residence in her pond, it practically received a hero’s welcome. Her love of animals was such that she shamelessly referred to her children’s pets as her “grand-animals” and got a kick out of sending me Valentine’s Day cards from my cat.

When the chips were down, my mom was always there for the people she loved. Her loyalty was unrivaled. She supported and encouraged us through every challenge, through every heartache, through every uncertainty and fear we ever felt in our lives. She was someone you could always rely on, especially when times were hard. When her best friend Dorothy was diagnosed with lung cancer, my mom devoted herself to her friend, taking her to all of her medical appointments, bringing her meals, and even sleeping over when things got tough toward the end. She nursed Jesse and me through surgeries as adults with the same love and attention as she did when we were sick infants. When I was in college and had my heart broken, I called my mom in tears at four in the morning. Even though I’d woken her from a sound sleep and she must have thought something far more terrible had happened than the end of a turbulent early-twenties romance borne out of bad judgment, she stayed on with me for the better part of an hour, offering endless comfort and sympathy, never platitudes or stock silver linings. A week after that breakup, I had to fly out to Los Angeles to start graduate school, which was decidedly unpleasant timing. Knowing that, my mom decided to meet me out there a few days later. She rented a convertible Mustang and we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, sneering at ourselves in the rearview as if we were cool, laughing as the wind blew through our hair. We went to museums and amusement parks, walked along the beaches, and had wonderful conversations about life and love in between. It’s one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me. What other mother does that for her son? Flies across the country to make him feel better? This is how unbelievably special and devoted my mother was.

My mom was fiercely protective of her family. She was an otherwise gentle and loving person, but if you messed with her husband or her babies, she was like a blonde, 5’7” Lou Ferrigno. You sometimes hear a person say they would take a bullet for someone they love, and you wonder, “Would they really?” I never had to wonder that with my mom: Throughout our lives, she was our shield. Sometimes literally—my dad could tell you a story about a barroom gig he was playing, when a drunk, crazy dude came slashing toward him with a knife, and my mom took that guy on fearlessly. There was a kid in my first grade class who, by age six, was already a Guinness world record holder for his astonishing acts of douchebaggery. When my mom caught wind that he was picking on me, she did what only pre-2000’s moms could get away with: She marched right up to him outside my elementary school and said, “Hey! If you so much as look at my son the wrong way, I will hang you by your tongue from the tree outside your house.” It made me feel invincible. Whenever I felt scared about anything, she would tell me, “Don’t you worry. They’ll have to get through me first!” And she meant it.

When Jesse and I were kids, my parents called us down to watch the famous episode of Ellen, when the titular character came out. I will never forget my mom turning to us afterward and telling us, “I don’t care if the person you love is white, black, striped, or polka-dotted. I don’t care if the person you love is Jewish, Christian, Muslim, atheist. I don’t care if the person you love is a woman or a man. All that matters to me is that you are happy and you are safe; the rest is up to you.” How amazing is that? No matter who you were, my mother came to you with love and acceptance in her heart. I am grateful every day that I got to be raised by someone like her, someone who always encouraged us to be ourselves, to love ourselves, to love others, to live without prejudice or hate.

My mother was a firm believer in equality of all kinds. I learned this early on: When I was in elementary school, a car salesman refused to talk to my mom about purchasing a car unless she “came back with her husband,” and she gave such ferocious hell that he probably got transferred to a dealership in Saskatoon. She wore an equality pin the size of a saucer on her winter coat, and she marched with homemade signs calling for us to love our fellow human beings. My mom was unafraid to call out those who advocated injustice and prejudice and support those who fought on behalf of the unrepresented and oppressed. From the time we were young, she encouraged Jesse and me to be people of strong conviction and inspired us to use our voices to defend human rights.

If there is anyone in the world more loving and generous than my mother, I have not come across them yet. She was the most wonderfully affectionate person I’ve ever known. When we were kids, she would kiss the tops of our heads so much that she would say she was “putting dents” in us. Even when we were grown adults, she would gather us in her arms and exclaim, “Come here! I need to put dents in your head!” and kiss us a thousand times. She doled out hugs handsomely, telling us the hugs “recharged her batteries”; we’d look at each other and say, “I need my batteries recharge!,” and that was our way of saying we needed a hug. How could I possibly describe all the ways in which she loved us, besides giving you a rapid-fire list of moments? When I would have an asthma attack as a kid, she’d stay up until daybreak beside me, shoulder to shoulder, and keep me calm by reading books to me. She came to every school play, every spelling bee, every poetry reading, every piano recital, every terrible tee ball game and made us feel like we were superstars. She once drove all the way up to Poughkeepsie to eat a crappy hamburger at the chain restaurant where I worked, just so she could say hi and leave me a $20 tip; she always wanted us to know that we mattered to her. She would argue with us about who loved whom more. If I were away, she would spend a couple nights at my apartment to keep my cat from feeling lonely, and when I’d come home, I’d find my apartment cleaner than when I’d left it and my cupboards fully stocked with food. Whenever we said goodnight or goodbye, she would tell us, “I love you up to the sky, down to the ground, and out into the universe.” In fact, the last words she ever said to us were, “I love you.”

If I have learned any kindness, courage, tenacity, compassion, respect, sacrifice, conviction, patience, fun, and love in this life, it is in large part by my mother’s example. Mom, not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for what you’ve given to me. You were not just my mother; you were my friend. I hope I can be even half the person you were. Thanks for giving me life, and thanks for making it good. I will miss you and love you forever.

Dear Family and Friends,

As you might imagine, I check this web site about my dear wife and partner of nearly 43 years, Roseann Collins Traynor, frequently during each day – for strength to go on, and to read the wonderful comments about her from all of you. They are truly inspiring and heart-warming, and oh-so-true about “Ro.”

As you might imagine, I can barely stop thinking about her during every waking moment. Reading your thoughts and remembrances truly makes me feel a little better – AND validates everything I always knew about my sweet Roseann. She will always be “my girl,” the one who unwittingly “just stopped by” my college dorm room in December of 1970 on her way to dinner with a friend of mine (surely the biggest mistake this friend ever made, as I knew he had “designs” on Ro – sorry, Louie!).

Life for both of us would always be different from the moment we laid eyes on each other. Within only one month we were talking about sharing our lives together. By April of 1971, we became engaged, and we married exactly one year and one week after we had first met. And so began the first of almost 43 years together and being madly in love for all of that time!

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your fond remembrances. I will always treasure your stories about her and the memories which you have shared with us about her. Though none surprises me – as I had the joy and privilege to spend my life with her from the age of only (twelve days from turning) 18 - they all add warmly to the lifetime of exquisite joy and love that we shared for so long.

I realize that this is not supposed to be a web site that promotes any back-and-forth between me and you, but I have no other way to connect with you during this sad time. I hope you will grant me this little bit of space to help me let you know how much your kind words are helping me and my sons, Jesse and Michael, to try and cope with our loss.

The very personal and bracingly honest letter within that I earlier wrote to Roseann was surely written during a window of untold grief on my part, but I do not regret a single word or feeling; indeed, they are all universal truths to me, and I am relieved to have had some venue to let the world know how I was and still am feeling about this incredible woman and person.

Imagine for just a moment the stories I could tell about Ro as her life-partner and the man who was lucky enough to be so loved by her for so long! Some would be touching; some would be heart-breaking; some would be funny; others would be sad; still others would be so personal and private that I would never impugn her dignity nor disrespect her privacy by telling anyone else (they will be mine to deliciously savor for the rest of my days).

I hope that some of us, along with Michael and Jesse, will get to spend some much-desired time together in the near future to share even more wonderful reflections on this remarkable human being – my lovely Roseann.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. I shall always be grateful for your taking the time to reach out to me and my family at this time of unspeakable grief and sadness. You have given us all an important respite filled with knowing smiles and warm memories of this spectacularly special woman I was so fortunate and so proud to have had as my wife, spouse, lover, partner, confidante, and friend for a beautiful lifetime together.

Aaahhhh…Roseann. I shall always love you with all of my heart. Rest peacefully, baby, until we are once again side-by-side for all of time.

With much love and deep appreciation to you all,

Tim Traynor

Robert C. Scharf, died Wednesday, September 4, 2013 with the comfort of his wife MaryAnn by his side.

Born November 9, 1923, in Belleville, NJ., son of Nicholas and Frances Scharf, brother of William J. Scharf, Columbus, Ohio(deceased), Rev. Joseph Scharf S.J., Cleveland, Ohio (deceased), Anne Smith, Cleveland, Ohio, and Alberta Nieberding, Lakewood, Ohio; husband of Mary Ann (Greco) Scharf, father of Stacy Ann, foster-father of Thuy Dinh and Duyen Pham. He was received into the Franciscan Order in 1943. Ordained a priest in 1950, he spent the first three years of his ministry working in the Franciscan Byzantine Commissariat, located in New Canaan, CT. He was subsequently assigned to Rome as secretary to the Minister General of the Franciscan Order. Returning to the United States he taught at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary, Callicoon, N.Y. He then studied at Catholic University, Washington, D.C., and obtained his Licentiate in Sacred Theology. This was followed by further study at the Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy, and the Studium Franciscanum in Jerusalem where he earned his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture. He taught Scripture Studies at Holy Name College, Washington, D.C., and Christ the King Seminary, St. Bonaventure University, Olean, NY. In 1968 he sought and obtained a dispensation from his priestly and religious obligations. Returned to the lay state by Pope Paul VI, he married Mary Ann Greco of West Orange, NJ on January 18, 1969 in a private ceremony conducted by the Most Reverend Thomas A Boland, Archbishop of Newark. Subsequently Mr. Scharf earned a graduated degree in accounting from LaSalle Extension University and was certified in the field of Law and Taxation by New York University. He was employed by the American Red cross of Greater New York as Director of Financial Development, a post he held for seventeen years.

Upon retiring from the Red Cross, he taught Religion and Social Studies at St. Aloysius Academy in Jersey City, NJ. As a member of Annunciation Parish in Wayne, NJ he was an active Lector, Eucharistic Minister and occasional Catechetical Lecturer. His last years were spent at home with his family and friends for whom he had a quiet and unquestioned love. He lived and died in the faith and communion of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers donations for Masses should be directed to: Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC Church, 45 Urban Club Road, Wayne, NJ, 07470, and would be greatly appreciated.

Margaret Elizabeth Gonzalez (nee Kehlbeck), was born on July 21, 1922 and died on August 31, 2013 in Wayne, New Jersey. A longtime resident of Wayne, she recently lived in Siena Village and prior to that Packanack Lake.

Margaret “Marge” was the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Kehlbeck of Clifton, NJ. Marge was raised on Valley Road and was a graduate of Clifton High School.

Marge was introduced to the love of her life, Frank Gonzalez, by her best friend while playing miniature golf on the boardwalk in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. In December, 1943, while Frank was on leave from the US Army Air Force, they were married at Marge’s parent’s house. They celebrated 59 years together until Frank’s passing in 2002. Meeting on the miniature golf course must have been a premonition for the future as both she and Frank were avid golfers for many years as members of both North Jersey Country Club and Packanack Golf Club. They enjoyed the many social aspects and friends at each Club and Marge was involved in both Ladies groups at each Club. Together she and Frank took golf trips on their own and with other couples to various golf resorts in Bermuda, Vermont, Martha’s Vineyard, Florida, and Pennsylvania. They also were able to take wonderful vacations to Italy, Spain, England, Mexico, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. On many occasions, they cruised with their lifelong friends, Jake and Jane Jacobs, on Jake’s yachts throughout New England and Florida.

Marge and Frank made Packanack Lake their home for over 52 years. There they raised their three children, Paul, Donald, and Susan. Marge always enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren, whether it was an event, dinner, activity, holiday, etc. She was very proud that all of them were college graduates (one soon to be graduate), and that three of them had Master degrees. Marge spent much time organizing family history and articles of interest for them and enjoyed being involved in their careers and accomplishments. She was a lover of maps and was known to pull out her atlas when discussing books or watching the news.

Needlepoint, sewing, crafts, and gardening were just some of Marge’s talents. She created many pillows, curtains, clothes, pictures, costumes, coasters, and ornaments. She was a lover of cocker spaniels and adored the family’s black cocker spaniels, Snoopy and Cookie, as well as her many “granddogs”. Marge was an avid reader of all kinds of novels, but had a special love for mysteries. The character Margo Gonzalez in Mary Jane Clark’s books was the namesake of Marge Gonzalez. Besides being a parent volunteer, she was for many years a Pink Lady at Chilton Hospital and also a third grade Sunday school teacher.

Margaret is survived by three children: Paul Gonzalez and his wife Alison of Creve Coeur, MO, Donald Gonzalez and his wife Eileen of West Palm Beach, FL, and Susan Secondo and her husband, Michael of Bronxville, NY; seven grandchildren: Carrie Sweet of Portland, OR, Abbie Gonzalez of Brooklyn, NY, Jennifer Gonzalez of Hoboken, NJ, David and Stephanie Gonzalez of Roseland, NJ, Hilary Marshall of Providence, RI and step-grandson, Reid Secondo of Bronxville, NY. Four great grandchildren: Aidan and Ashton Sweet of Portland, OR, Thomas and Theodore O’Neill of Brooklyn, NY.

Any donations in her memory may be made to Grace Hospice, 105 Fieldcrest Avenue, Suite 402, Edison, NJ 08837.

Allison M. Tripodi, age 27 of Watervliet, New York, passed Saturday, August 31, 2013.

She was born in Hackensack and lived in Wayne through her formative years. She attended Hawthorne Christian Academy and the Eastern Christian School before graduating from Mountain Lakes High School with the Class of 2003. At Mountain Lakes High School she was a member of the track team and was an All-County High Jumper. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. Allison was hard of hearing and Mountain Lakes High School provided peer groups of similar students, taught her sign language, and helped her fit seamlessly into both the hearing and hard of hearing worlds. She was a very intelligent person, a member of the American MENSA, and was twice selected to participate in the Regional Deaf Academic Bowl.

Allison continued her education at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York where she graduated with a Bachelors of Architecture Degree with the Class of 2009. During her years at Rensselaer she interned at the Cotler Architectural Firm in Latham, New York; currently a Project Manager, she has worked there for the past five years.

She was a sports enthusiast who especially enjoyed kickball, volleyball, and running. She always loved to have a good time, was determined, loved to read, and had a sarcastic sense of humor. She was dedicated to her sorority Alpha Gamma Delta at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was currently serving as their house manager.

Allison was the loving daughter of Raymond A. and Mary (Barr) Tripodi of Wayne; dear sister of RJ Tripodi of Beijing, China; cherished granddaughter of Anna Tripodi of Clifton and her late husband Raymond R., and the late James and Iris Barr; and devoted to several loving cousins.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Lake Drive School, 10 Lake Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 would be appreciated.

Peter A. Schweitzer, age 92 of Wayne, died peacefully on Friday, August 30, 2013 surrounded by the love of his family.

Peter was born in Newark and had lived in the Packanack Lake area of Wayne for 55 years.

He spent his formative years in Newark where he graduated from Central High School with the Class of 1938. During his school days he was advised by a teacher to take courses in typing and short hand that would give him tools to make a living. Although he frowned on the idea, he headed the advice and took the classes anyway. As life went on, it turned out to be the smartest thing he could have done, because his life’s vocation ended up centering on those skills.

Peter served in the U.S. Army and, when he was in the first part of Boot Camp, the commander of the camp learned that this new recruit had typing and short hand writing skills. He was immediately assigned to a military legal team. Somehow through that assignment, he bypassed the usual basic training.

Peter eventually took a job with the State of New Jersey as a court reporter. He worked for the state in the Passaic and Bergen County Superior Courts for thirty-five years until retiring in 1986 at the age of 65. It was because he served in the Army during World War II that he received credit for those years of military service which had the cumulative effect of allowing him to retire at an early age!

Peter was a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church in Wayne and served his parish as a Eucharistic Minister.

Peter and Regina Schweitzer had 71years of “wonderful as could be”, “two peas in a pod” marriage together. They met at a roller skating rink and Peter was immediately smitten by this beautiful girl. He proposed marriage not long afterward and the married on May 2, 1942. Peter spoke on this subject with personal glee saying that his wife Regina was his best friend and a good woman. She was always checking on him in very caring ways and was a terrific shopper with true skills in gathering coupons to save money. He further stated that he had a great life and his greatest joy was a good marriage and loving family.

Peter is survived by his loving wife Regina (nee Price); his three children: Thomas Schweitzer and wife Janet of Randolph, Diane Pattin of Wood Ridge, and Donna Carey of Wall Township; nine grandchildren: Peter and wife Nancy, Patricia and husband Jeff, Kathryn and husband Kenny, Elizabeth, Andrew, Ashley, Rachel, Nicole and Tiffany; three great-grandchildren: Madeline, Gage and Thomas; and his brother Eugene of Summit.

Robert W. Berndt, age 78 of Wayne and formerly of Elmwood Park, died peacefully at home after a courageous battle with cancer. His family was all gathered at his bedside.

Beloved husband of Josephine (nee Cataffo), loving son of the late Alfred and Ann Berndt. Devoted father of Lisa Berndt of Wayne, Michele Melfa and her husband Frank of Wayne, and Robert and his partner Matthew of Ohio. Adoring grandfather to Nicolette and Frank J. Melfa of Wayne, and Michael J. Sabino of Wayne. Also survived by his brother Ronald Berndt of New Milford. He was predeceased by his sister Elaine in 2009 and brother Alfred many years ago.

Robert was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953-1956. He worked at Lockheed Martin building and repairing aircraft and then worked with Flash Global Logistics in Pine Brook until his retirement in 2010. He earned exempt status as a volunteer firefighter in Elmwood Park, where he served for many years. During his retirement, while driving through Wayne one day, he spotted flames coming from the windows of a home. He was credited with rescuing six people from their home that day, most certainly saving their lives. He was a modest hero, but enjoyed receiving an honorable mention in the newspaper for his bravery.

Robert was an easy going, friendly man who could strike up a conversation with anyone he met. He enjoyed music, was a big Elvis fan and like to watch sports on TV, especially football and the Washington Redskins. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Robert’s memory are asked to please consider the American Cancer Society, 20 Mercer St., Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Joan M. Conklin (nee Schwab), age 72 of Wayne, died on Saturday, August 24, 2013.

Joan was raised in Paterson and attended elementary school at St. Boniface. She graduated high school from St. Mary’s with the class of 1959. During her early career she was a bank teller before joining Olin-Hunt as a travel manager where she worked for many years. She retired five years ago from Alfred Sanzari Enterprises in Hackensack, where she had been an office manager.

Joan moved to Wayne thirty five years ago where she raised her children. Raising four kids on her own presented some challenges, but Joan was still able to make time for her bowling leagues. She bowled in Oakland and Wallington for many years. Joan was also an avid gardener and long-time member of the Riverview Garden Club in Wayne. In fact, when she was just a child, her mother was given a beautiful canna plant as a gift. Over the years, they cared for that plant together and when Joan moved to Wayne, her mother gave it to her for her own garden. Over the years, Joan’s divided the plant, giving off-shoots to each of her children who now have them growing, and thriving, in their own gardens. Those plants will now serve as an ever-present reminder of their mother’s love and caring towards each of them, and to future generations of their family as well.

Joan loved to cook and bake. Thanksgiving was her big holiday to entertain and wow, could she cook a feast! With no less than 35 or so people around her table, they had to convert the living room into a dining room just to fit everyone. She absolutely loved it and looked forward to cooking for all of them each year. You never left her house hungry on Thanksgiving, that’s for sure.

Summer vacations to the Jersey Shore with her grandchildren, was high on Joan’s list of favorite things. Spending time with them all on Long Beach Island made her the happiest grandma ever. Of course, no trip to LBI would be complete for Joan without making a few purchases from Country Kettle Fudge! She loved that place. Her whole family has great memories of their summer vacations to LBI with Joan.

Christ Episcopal Church in Pompton Lakes was Joan’s spiritual home. She attended services there since the 1970’s, nourishing her soul every Sunday. It is only fitting that her funeral service will be held there, a place where she and her family have found so much comfort.

Joan is survived by her four children; Cheryl Giannetti of West Caldwell, Kathleen Shepard and her husband Michael of Wyckoff, Melinda (Mindy) Watts and her husband Robert of Lake Hopatcong, and William (Billy) Conkin and his wife Stephanie of Wayne, ten grandchildren; Amanda, Kirsten, Emily and Mikayla Shepard of Wyckoff, Katelyn, Ryan and Riley Watts of Lake Hopatcong, and Andrew, Kyle and Hailey Conklin of Wayne, and one brother; Donald Schwab and his wife Helga of Houston, Texas. She was predeceased by her brother Joseph Schwab of Totowa in 1993.

Those wishing to make a donation in Joan’s memory are asked to consider The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, NY NY 10163-4777 or visit www.michaeljfox.org.

Nicholas A. Restaino, age 87 of Wayne, died on Friday, August 23, 2013. He was affectionately known as “Duffy” to everyone.

Nick grew up in Newark during an era when the city was much different than it is today. It was a great place to grow up and everybody in the neighborhood seemed to knew everybody else. He lived in the Roosevelt section and the kids from the St. Joseph’s Parish all seemed to hang around together. As a teenager, he got his first job in that neighborhood; delivering coal and ice with the father of his older friends, Mr. Noce.

Mr. Noce had an ice and coal business which his sons helped him with, but all of his sons had been called into the service during World War II. Without his sons to help, Mr. Noce put young Nick to work on his delivery route. Low and behold, Mr. Noce had a cute daughter named Edith and Nick took to liking her. At first, Edith didn’t think much of him as he was always just hanging around. But Nick was persistent and he eventually won her affection. Marriage wasn’t in his plans just yet.

Nick graduated from Newark’s Central High School in 1944 and then began working as a mechanic for Arrow Machine in Newark. In 1948 he was recruited into the US Army and served with the 39th Infantry division at Fort Dix. Upon his discharge in 1951, he started a taxi cab company based near Penn Station.

Black & White Cab was the name of his taxi service and his business thrived, especially with all the business people coming in and out of town each day through Penn Station. He had many regular customers, including a man who worked part time in Wayne as a realtor. Nick sold the taxi business after it started getting too dangerous and he opened a restaurant called “Duffy’s Corner”, right at the corner of Hudson and New Streets in Newark. The live entertainment he had there was top-notch and he hosted many top acts. One of the groups to play at Duffy’s was known then as the “Four Loves”, a quartet led by a young kid named Frankie Valli. In fact, the Four Loves played at Nick’s daughter’s christening party and they have the 8mm films to prove it. After refining their act, the Four Loves went on to become none other than the world famous “Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.” Nick sold the restaurant after several years and became an expert marble and tile setter with his own company; “Touch of Tile.” He was an entertainer his whole life, always full of jokes and often was the life of the party. He was a wonderful dancer and had a charismatic personality. He made a lot of people smile and his presence will surely be missed.

Nick’s courtship with Edith continued until he finally proposed and they married on October 30, 1955. They enjoyed a fantastic honeymoon to Acapulco, Mexico although Edith was admittedly anxious to come home early. They settled in Newark and began to raise their family. During the 1960’s, when he still owned the taxi service, Nick got to talking with the realtor from Wayne that he always picked up at Penn Station. Through their many conversations in the cab, Nick was soon convinced that Wayne would be a great place to move his family. In 1965 they bought a home in Wayne and have lived there ever since. A bit of culture-shock followed the move, as Wayne was truly ‘the country’ compared to Newark. With lots of woods around, dark streets at night, and all the terrible noise after dark, it took some getting used to. The noise made by the crickets and bugs during the night was so loud and nothing like they had ever heard while living in Newark. It took some time to get used to it. Nevertheless, they settled in and have loved their home in Wayne ever since. They have been married now nearly fifty eight years, always by each other’s side, and attended Mass together every Sunday morning. Edith will miss her dear Nick very much.

Nick is survived by his wife Edith, two children; Patricia “Trish” Restaino of Wayne, James Restaino and his wife Eileen of Wanaque, three grandchildren; Marissa Geist of Kinnelon, Jessie and Tyler of Wanaque, his sister; Theresa Tango and her husband Anthony of Union, and one brother; John Restaino and his wife Marie of Florida. He was predeceased by his granddaughter Nicole Geist in 1996.

Mary E Pike (nee Harraka) of Wayne passed away peacefully in her home while receiving the loving care of her family.

Mary was born and raised in Paterson and lived in Wayne for the past 47 years. She was the daughter of George and Lena Harraka who had immigrated to this country from Syria.

She cherished many loving years of marriage to her late husband William R Pike who

passed away in 2006. She and her husband were world travelers for many years, visiting over 30 countries.

Mary was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne and also St Ann’s Melkite Catholic Church in Woodland Park.  She was a member of the Wayne Women’s Club and volunteered for many good causes. She was also a member of the

Bridge Club. She loved to play Bridge, read and listen to her favorite music.  Later in life, she enjoyed the many game shows on television, as she would play along with them.

Aside from the activities she enjoyed, the greatest love and joy was her husband, children

and grandchildren. She devoted her life to them, and found happiness in their happiness. Nothing meant as much to her as being with them.

Mary is survived by her son William G Pike and his wife Denise of Wayne; her daughter

Patricia M Pike of Wayne; two brothers Joseph and John Harraka; and her four grandchildren George, Jessica, William, and Nicole; she was predeceased by her brother

Anthony and her two sisters Sadie and Anna Mae.

Yvonne “Yoni” S. Albano (nee Santos) age 54 of Wayne died peacefully at home on Thursday, August 22, 2013.

She was born in Manila, Philippines and came to the United States in 2001 settling in Haledon before moving to Wayne in 2006.

In 2001 she married Norman Albano after having met through relatives. Their relationship initially started by mail as Norman was in the United States and Yvonne was in the Philippines. They first met in person in San Jose, California at Yvonne’s brother’s home. They soon fell in love and married on May 20, 2001 in Pasay City, Philippines. They have lived in Wayne for the past six years.

Yvonne was a professional piano player and has played in hotels and resorts throughout Asia. When she came to the United States she played piano then trained to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. She has played piano at the Paramus Veterans Home and worked as an LPN at the Preakness Health Care Center in Wayne for several years.

She will be remembered as a happy, friendly person who had a good sense of humor and enjoyed caring for others. She felt her music was a universal language that helped her connect with those she cared for.

Yvonne was the loving wife of Norman Santos Albano; cherished sister of Virgilio Santos and his wife Teresa of San Jose, California, the late Larry Santos, Henry Santos and his wife Emeriz of Manila, Philippines, Jojo Santos and his wife Grace of Zambales, Philippines, Giovanni Santos and his wife Nanette of Manila, Philippines, and Minerva Villaranda and her husband Caesar of Calgary, Canada; she was much loved by many nieces and nephews.

Florentina C. “Flo” Conklin (nee Templin) age 91 of Wayne passed to her eternal reward on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 while receiving the loving care of her husband Robert who was constantly at her bedside.

She was born in Jersey City where she lived her early years where she received her formal education at a local grammar school, and then at Dickenson High School graduating with the Class of 1942. She later lived in Closter before moving to Wayne

A gentleman named Robert Conklin heard that Florentina was a mother of two sons and was having a very difficult time keeping her young family together. Robert kept on the sidelines and sent money to Flo as a benefactor to help her feed and house her family. After two years they formally met and decided to join hands in marriage.

They had a wonderful and loving marriage together and Robert became a very dedicated and loving step father to her children. He never looked back and accepted her children as his own in every way and they in turn accepted him in very positive ways as their father

Florentina was affectionately known by all as Flo and she had very admirable personality traits. She was a wonderful cook a skilled seamstress, and a talented artist, but her finest dedication in life was being a devoted mother and wife.

Her children recall that their home was full of song and good cheer emanating from this special mother. Every day the house was full of her singing and the morning wake up signal was their mother singing beautifully and happily to arouse them to a new day.

Tragedy touched her life first in losing a sister at birth, then in August 1968 her son Robert McManus who was a casualty of the Vietnam War, Then in 1997 her only brother Robert Templin, who was a Hudson County Police Officer.

Surviving to cherish the many memories of this special lady are her husband Robert E. Conklin: three sons Gary McManus and his wife Mary of Wayne, Philip Conklin and his wife Susan of West Milford, John Conklin and his wife Vicki of Pequannock; two sisters Florentina Iskra of Rockaway and Renee Budz and her husband Frank of Sussex and thirteen grandchildren including Keith, Amy, Bobbi, Tommy, Kalyn, Todd, Brett, Justin, Allana, Steven, Brendon, Jesica and Luke.

Eleanor M. Boehm, 84, of Clifton.

She passed away peacefully in her sleep, after a short but brave battle with melanoma on Wednesday morning August 21, 2013. She was predeceased by her husband of 56 years, Edward W. Boehm in 2006.

She graduated from the “old” Clifton High School in 1947. She later graduated from Newark Prep Secretarial School.

She got married in 1950.

She was employed by Shulton as a keypunch operator in her twenties. In 1953 she settled down to have her three children.

She later returned to work at Clifton Drapery, followed by her employment at Meat and Chicken Co-op in Paterson, where she was fondly known as the “Chicken Lady”.

She retired after working there for ten years.

Later in life she enjoyed going on cruises with her husband and for ten years enjoyed their time share in Aruba and a trip to Germany.

She also enjoyed trips to Atlantic City to play her slots and vacationing in Wildwood Crest.

She was a member of the Golden Ages of Wayne and the Senior Center in Wayne.

She was also predeceased by her parents Mabel and Arthur Oberg of Wayne in 1968, her brothers Arthur and Donald and her sister Joyce (Markert).

She is survived by her brother Frank. She is also survived by three sons, Dr. Edward W. Boehm and his wife Kim of Franklin Lakes, Brian L. Boehm of Clifton, and David W. Boehm and his wife Krissy of Cranbury. She is also the cherished Grandmother of Deanna, Kerstin, And Katie.

Virginia C., “Ginny” Schelling, age 85 of Pompton Plains, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as her family gathered by her bedside and supported her with great love, on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.

Born in Hasbrouk Heights, Ginny was growing up in Jersey City before eventually moving to Midland Park. Back then, kids of Midland Park attended high school in Pompton Lakes, so each day, Ginny and her girlfriends would meet at the train station in the town’s Wortendyke section to take the train to Pompton Lakes High School. Before she graduated, her parents moved to Lincoln Park. This saddened Ginny as she loved those rides to school on the train with friends. Ginny was encouraged and greatly appreciative of her father Ernie Williams who, being a guy who loved his two little girls, drove Ginny to that same train station and picked her up at the end of the day so she could be with her girlfriends.

Ginny met her husband George as he was the landlord to property her family was renting along the river in Pequannock. One hot afternoon Virginia invited her high school friends over to the river for a swim. George was there to rescue Virginia after she ventured into the water and couldn’t swim. George gave Virginia his high school ring but ground the year of graduation off so she couldn’t tell his age. They fell in love and right after Ginny graduated high school, they married on July 12, 1947 at St. Joseph Church in Lincoln Park. In 1953 they built a home in Pompton Plains where they remained till taking residence in there heavenly home. They had a loving and devoted marriage for 65 years. Most recently they stayed in separate hospital beds in the same room at home. George would reach his hand through the bed rails and Virginia would extend hers as they touched to say goodnight to each other.

Soon after marriage, Ginny was invited to a bible study by her husband George’s Aunt Elsie Van Riper. That bible study eventually grew into the Grace Bible Church in Pompton Plains and Ginny grew in her knowledge and love of the Lord. Eventually George started attending too and together they became active members for the rest of their lives. Ginny loved serving her Lord in her church and in all aspects of her life! She taught Sunday School, hosted and led a bible study in her home for the ladies in her neighborhood, led Pioneer Girls, and led a separate after-school bible study for the neighborhood kids. If the church was involved in any type of missionary project, Ginny would roll up her sleeves and do anything she could to help.

Ginny was a completely selfless person. She believed in selling her possessions and giving to those in need. Once, she sold a prized pitcher so she could give the proceeds to a missionary in need.  While she was more of a home-body, her dear George was never one to sit still. In 1954 George gathered Ginny and their little daughter Kathy into the station wagon and drove to Alaska. While there, Ginny became pregnant with their daughter Carol. The trip home from Alaska to New Jersey was no easy trek for an expectant mother as many of the highways that we take for granted weren’t built yet or were just dirt roads. When all grown up, Ginny and George’s daughter Kathy moved to Alaska and over the ensuing twenty years, Ginny and George took several more trips to visit.

After George passed away this past January, Ginny’s faith sustained her and helped her to be brave. Her daughters would help her to bed. Despite her failing health, she was always cheerful and thankful. The girls would get her tucked in and, before closing her eyes, Ginny would often look at the picture of George and her and also at George’s veteran flag and explain, “I have so much to be thankful for!” In spite of that thankful spirit, she recently expressed that she was tired, that she missed George, and that she wanted to leave her earthly tent to join George in the heavenly mansion that had been prepared for her by her loving Savior, Jesus Christ. God graciously granted her wish!

Ginny was the loving wife of 65 years to the late George Schelling (2013); loving mother of the late Robert Schelling(1980), Kathy Hibbard and her husband Jim residing in Pompton Plains, and Carol Magazino and her husband John of Pompton Plains; dear sister of the late Arlene Estelle; cherished grandmother of Scott, Christopher, and Joshua Hibbard, Gwen, Stephen, and Kevin Lopez; much loved great-grandmother of Schelling, Andrew, Wade, Harrington, Quinn, Paysen, Audrey, and Lucas; loved aunt of Judy Toronchuk and husband Tim, Jim Van Lenten, John Estelle and wife Sharon and Donna Tubbs and husband Bryon.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Virginia’s name are asked to consider supporting her grandson Stephen and wife Deborah Lopez, missionaries in Argentina, by giving to Word of Life International Ministries, P.O. Box 600, Schroon Lake, NY 12870. When making donations, please reference 090K2C. Online donations are accepted at www.wol.org/giving.

Michael E. Zepernick, age 50 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 after a courageous battle with ALS. He set a brave example that his children, wife, family and friends will not soon forget.

Mike grew up in Middletown, NJ and graduated from Middletown High School South with the class of 1981. He was an outstanding athlete in high school, but academics didn’t appeal to him and he was certainly not a good student by any standard. His first job was as a caddy at the Navesink Country Club in Middletown and this job turned his attitude around. He realized then that his future was truly in his own hands – and life would be whatever he wanted to make of it. He was inspired by the lifestyles of the country club members and knew early on that he wanted to be like those successful people. He befriended many of the members, always asking their advice on success. Each person he asked told him the same thing; get an education. He worked his way through community college, paying his own way on caddy wages and tips (mostly tips). He won the caddy scholarship from Navesink and acceptance to Trenton State College. He excelled academically, graduating with a degree in accounting. When he took his first job with E.F. Hutton, he realized right then that his future had truly turned for the better and it was all because of his hard work and tenacity. Mike later joined CMI, a computer service company in Manhattan where he worked in sales. He quickly became their top salesman and within a matter of a few years, he was president of the company. Always looking to do better, he eventually founded his own computer services company with two of his closest colleagues; Computer Integrated Service Company of New York, or “CIS” as they called it. He loved a challenge, enjoyed hard work, and was happy to have made his professional dreams come true.

Mike met his wife Joanne (nee Lyons) when they both worked at CMI in Manhattan. Fate certainly played a role in their meeting, as Joanne had no real interest in computer sales, but CMI just happened to be hiring at the time and she was encouraged by her headhunter to take the job. Their relationship was truly professional at first and, even on their first date, Joanne wasn’t that excited to go out with Mike. But romance blossomed and they were married on May 22, 1993 at Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church in Wayne. They enjoyed a fabulous honeymoon in Cancun and continued to travel throughout their marriage. They visited the south of France, Rome, all over the US, skiing in Vail and Beaver Creek as well as Vermont, and all over the Caribbean. Although they both wish that they could have shared many more years together, they made the best of the twenty years they had.

Mike’s children, Julia and Michael, were his pride and joy. He made every effort to be there for them; coaching, teaching them to fish, swimming and especially playing basketball. He loved basketball and he made good use of the hoop in their driveway. He liked taking Julia down to Packanack Lake to go fishing and he taught Michael to golf and play baseball. He was a fun dad, without a doubt. Although they will miss him dearly, Julia and Michael have a trove of fond memories, great family vacations, and lots of laughs to cherish for their lifetimes.

Mike is survived by his loving wife Joanne (nee Lyons), his daughter Julia and son Michael, his mother; Dorothy Zepernick of Middletown, his sister; Theresa Shirley and her husband Alan of Ocean Port, NJ, brother-in-law; Ray Lyons and his wife Anita of Wayne, mother-in-law; Joan Lyons of Wayne, father-in-law; Ray Lyons of FL, niece; Lauren Shirley of Ocean Port, NJ and nephews; Kevin and Eric Lyons of Wayne, as well as many, many dear and loving friends.

Donations in Mike’s memory would be greatly appreciated. During Mike’s illness, the ALS Association of Greater NY provided much needed assistance and equipment to Mike and Joanne as their lives were turned upside down by this illness. Joanne is incredibly grateful for all things the ALS Association helped her with. Your donations would mean a great deal to other families going through the same thing. Please consider the ALS Association of Greater NY, 42 Broadway, Suite 1724, New York, NY 10004 or visit: www.als-ny.org.

James K. Berry, Jr. age 78 of Ringwood, died on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.

Jim grew up in Creskill and Fair Lawn, graduating from Fair Lawn High School with the class of 1953. He served in the Naval Reserves during the Korean War and was proud of his time in the Navy.

Jim had a wonderful stroke of luck at his first job, in a machine shop. He showed an interest in learning more, and was therefore taught drafting and engineering on-the-job. Afterwards, he went to Steven's Tech for more engineering training and continued to learn the old fashioned way; hands-on. He was a quick learner and became quite proficient. He worked as a mechanical project engineer for KEM Manufacturing in Fair Lawn where he designed numerous mechanical machines for their manufacturing processes. He was with KEM for several years before retiring in the early 1980’s. In his retirement he was a self-employed design engineering consultant and day trader. He was a great problem-solver and thinker, able to design and build machines that could do just about anything. His goal in life was to design and create a clean combustion engine. He had built many industrial machines during his lengthy career and he never stopped tinkering at home either. He’s left his family with more than a few projects that he never got around to finishing. His favorite hobby was writing inspirational acronyms which he proudly shared with friends and family.

Jim became very involved with local issues in his hometown of Ringwood. He was chairman of both the Homesteading Committee and the Industrial Committee. With his outspoken style, everyone knew who Jim Berry was and he fought tirelessly to protect and preserve his beloved town of Ringwood.

Jim couldn’t have done all this by himself and much of the credit has to go to his dear wife Carole. They first met at a party in Fair Lawn. Jim took her on their first date to see a Barber Shop Quartet at East Side High School in Paterson. Carole was drawn to Jim as a ‘happy-go-lucky’ guy with a great sense of humor and a natural ability to tell jokes like no one else could. Their courtship soon led to a wedding on September 22, 1962 at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Paterson, followed by a honeymoon in Miami Beach. Their marriage was adventurous and Jim always had something new to try. He would often pack the family into the car and take them all for a road trip – destination unknown. His daughters fondly recall these adventures, whether they were simply day trips, hiking, or up to visit family in Wurtsboro, NY. They once took a three week vacation in California, visiting every significant tourist attraction from north to south. Jim had the most fun panning for gold in the Sierra Nevada Mountains - surely, he too would strike it rich! They stopped everywhere along the way and visited the most beautiful beaches. That trip was filled with lots of great memories that the family enjoyed.

Jim is survived by his wife of fifty one years, Carole, two daughters; Kathleen and her husband Michael, Gwen and her husband Joseph, and two grandchildren; Wade and Drew.

James A. McLean, Jr., age 55, died peacefully on Sunday, August 18, 2013 after a valiant one-year battle with Multiple Myeloma and Leukemia.

Born in Dunmore, PA, Jim grew up in Wayne where he was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Parish. He graduated from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne and immediately enrolled at Lincoln Technical Institute where he learned auto mechanics, specializing in transmission work.

In 1989 Jim moved to Bloomingdale and quickly became a parishioner of St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in Butler. His faith was very dear to him so, when he moved to Franklin in 2006, he sincerely missed going to mass at St. Anthony’s. Recently, after his Sunday morning ritual of cinnamon rolls and coffee while reading the newspaper, Jim frequently asked Ruth to take him to church at Immaculate Conception Parish in Franklin.

Jimmy had a passion for boats which led him to jobs with the Greenwood Lake Marina and Sea Ray on Lake Hopatcong. He most recently was a recreational vehicle sales representative with Escape R.V., Inc. of Branchville. In his spare time, he was an avid region-3 boat racer who enjoyed much success, trophying multiple times. Racing all over the east coast including local stints on Lake Hopatcong, Greenwood Lake and Mays Landing. Jim proudly served for 18+ years as president of the Greenwood Lake Power Boat Association and he was also a member of the APBA.

On New Year’s Eve, 1999, Jim met the love of his life, Ruth Roberto during a party at a mutual friend’s house. They didn’t realize that night, that fifteen years of a loving devoted relationship lie ahead for them.

Jim enjoyed going camping in his motor home, if you want to call living in a motor home camping! His motor home was a 1980 Pierce Arrow which he completely refurbished. In 1980, Pierce Arrow was the official motor home of the 1980 Olympics and it had a logo on it attesting to that notorious fact! Jim also loved spending weekends down the shore with favorite destinations being Wildwood and Cape May, and having a good-old time on all the amusement park rides. He loved animals-especially Bear-his German shepherd. Before he met Ruth, he didn’t like cats but when you’re an animal lover, you realize you love all animals. So it was no great surprise that eventually Jim could be heard inviting his and Ruth’s two cats, Kymer and Moochie, to bed. Those cats too, are mourning Jimmy’s loss.

James will be remembered for his many practical jokes. One of his favorites was his remote flatulator. He secretly planted that device that made those embarrassing sounds near his victim then controlled it with the transmitter in his pocket! It was all in fun and he’ll be missed for the laughter he brought to those he loved and for his easy-going, lovable, teddy bear disposition.

James is survived by his beloved companion of fifteen years Ruth Roberto and her two children who were like his own – Shawn Hoppe and her husband Marc of Pompton Lakes and Joseph Roberto and his fiancée Alicia Boettger of Dumont; his loving mother Marian McLean; his dear sister Patricia McClure and husband Vernon of Wanaque; his brother David of Wayne; his niece and three nephews: Gregory McClure and wife Jill of Pompton Lakes, Glenn McClure of Wanaque, Caitlyn Batche and husband Ryan of Florida and Thomas McClure of Wanaque; and his great-niece Madison McClure of Pompton Lakes.

James was predeceased by his loving father James A., Sr. this past May, 2013.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jim’s name are asked to consider the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 14 Commerce Drive, Suite 301 Cranford NJ 07016 (www.lls.org), or The Hackensack UMC Foundation, in memory of James A. McLean for the John Theurer Cancer Center, 360 Essex Street, Suite 301, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Evelyn “Evie” M. Miller (nee Fitzgerald) age 81 of Wayne died peacefully at home on Saturday, August 17, 2013.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she was a member of the Roslindale High School Class of 1949 and continued her education at Boston State Teachers College, graduating in 1953 with a BA in Elementary Education.

She began her teaching career at Athens Elementary School in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and then taught at Indian Orchard Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts. After raising her children, she worked for the Wayne Board of Education, teaching at Schuyler Colfax Middle School, Wayne Hills High School, and retired from Pines Lake School in 2001, where she taught second and fifth grades for many years. She was a dedicated and committed teacher who truly loved her job.

She met her husband, John “Jack” J. Miller, through mutual friends at Revere Beach, Massachusetts. Many dates were spent at Revere Beach, where Jack also worked on the boardwalk. They enjoyed dancing at Mosley’s on the Charles and roller skating at Chez Vous roller rink in Mattapan, MA. Evie was an accomplished Roller Dancer who competed and won many awards and titles for her skating.

Evie and Jack were married at Saint Theresa’s Church in West Roxbury, Massachusetts on October 5, 1957, and honeymooned in Virginia. Evie and Jack lived in many different parts of the United States including Springfield, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, and Rochester, New York before settling in Wayne forty-five years ago. Evelyn, Jack and their children spent many vacations traveling with their camper which provided many fond memories, including annual spring vacation trips with friends and family to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Another source of cherished memories were the weeks they spent at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. Evie and Jack enjoyed a devoted and loving thirty-eight year marriage before Jack’s passing in 1995.

Evie took great pleasure in tending her gardens and house plants, and had a special fondness for her roses, blueberry bushes, and African violets.

She was devoted to her Catholic faith and was a parishioner of Holy Cross RC Church in Wayne for over forty years. She was a founding member of the Servants of the Holy Cross, Friday Night Prayer Group, a Eucharistic Minister, and a member of the Holy Cross Crowd (an informal women’s social group).

Evie was the loving wife of the late John “Jack” J. Miller (1995); devoted mother of Carolyn Lanigan and her husband John of Rockaway, Shirley Miller and her husband John of Sparta, and John Miller and his wife Jennifer of Stockholm; cherished grandmother of Elizabeth Lanigan, Jacqueline Lanigan, Katharine Miller, Amy Miller, and Christine Miller; dear sister of three siblings who predeceased her.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Eva’s Village, 393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07501, would be appreciated.

Earlene Louise Smith, age 71 of Wayne, NJ passed away peacefully in her home on Saturday, August 17, 2013.

Earlene was born in Warren, Ohio and moved to New Jersey with her parents Neal and Madeleine Smith when she was a small child. They settled in River Edge and lived there for many years. Earlene graduated from River Dell High School in 1960 and then went on to major in Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she received a BA in 1964. She spent most of her career working in customer service for corporations such as Motorola and National Air Filter and was known for her sunny disposition and pleasant voice over the telephone!

As a devoted grandmother and mother, Earlene’s most precious times involved being with her family – especially her two grandchildren. She spent many wonderful years taking them on adventures and teaching them about our beautiful world, as well as encouraging them in all of their activities. She will always be in their hearts.

Earlene so loved the Lord and was an active member of Preakness Baptist Church in Wayne, and enjoyed spending her time in Bible study and retreats with her church community. She also spent many years devoting her time to volunteer work for various causes and organizations, including volunteering at The Valley Hospital as a pet escort for their pet therapy program, which she greatly enjoyed.

Earlene also loved to travel the world with her friends and family, appreciating nature, history and people around the globe. Favorite travels included two trips to Israel, where she was baptized in the Jordan River, as well as travels to the Danube River and Eastern Europe, Ireland, China and many visits throughout the glorious United States of America such as the Grand Canyon, Alaska, the southern states and Disney World. Local day trips and hikes in nature also gave Earlene great joy, and she rarely missed an opportunity to go somewhere or explore something new.

Earlene was proud to be a survivor of two previous cancers, and inspired everyone she knew with her unwavering faith in God and her exceptionally positive outlook. She always had an encouraging word or smile for other cancer patients, even on her toughest days. She awed and inspired others with her faith and strength even through her final hours, and she will continue to do so as her lasting legacy to her family, friends and everyone who was fortunate enough to cross her path.

Surviving Earlene is her loving daughter, Jane He (nee Barbieri) and her husband Zuobin “Peter” of Wayne, as well as cherished grandson Quinn He and beloved granddaughter Jade He. She also leaves behind a devoted step-daughter, Nina DeLuca of West Caldwell. Earlene shared her life with many dear friends, including Joan Vieira, Joanne Slawenski, Lena Marrafioti, Pastor Jane Harlan, Sylvia Gallen, as well as a special “niece”, Susan George.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Preakness Baptist Church.

Patricia Hughes of Wayne passed peacefully on Thursday, August 15, 2013.

She was born in Passaic and raised on E. 20th Street near 20th Avenue in Paterson. At the age of seventeen she moved to 3rd Street in Clifton where she lived until 1993 when she moved to Wayne. Patricia graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson with the Class of 1961. She continued her education at Caldwell College where she received her certification for teaching.

She worked with the South River Board of Education for twenty five years having worked as a Social Studies teacher in both the Middle School and High School before retiring in 1991.

Patricia was a very giving person who enjoyed volunteering in her spare time for the Visiting Dogs Program at the Ocean County Medical Center. Her heart filled with joy as she witnessed the comfort the dogs brought the patients. She was an extremely intelligent person who was great at trivia and always answering the questions on the television show Jeopardy before the contestants. An avid fan of all types of sports she especially loved the NY Mets.

Patricia was predeceased by her parents Margaret (Hartnett) and Robert G. Hughes; she was the loved sister of Robert Hughes and his wife Barbara of Wayne; dear aunt of Kathleen Hughes of Woodridge, and Thomas Hughes and his wife Maori of Stamford, CT; loved great-aunt of Theodore and Maya Hughes.

John R. Burris, age 62 of Wayne, died unexpectedly at home on Thursday, August 15, 2013.

John was a resident of Wayne his entire life and graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the class of 1969. Shortly after high school, John began working for Deluxe Check Printers and he enjoyed a career of over 30 years there before retiring in 2000. He wasn’t one to sit idle and soon began working again at the Home Depot in Riverdale and then Cost Cutters in Wayne. During the past few years he was an assistant manager with Walgreens at their Ledgewood location. He was very pleased to have recently been transferred back to the Walgreens in Lincoln Park where he loved his fellow staff and the customers.

John was also a bit of a computer and stereo junkie. After his retirement from Deluxe, he took several computer and electronics classes and there began his love of technology. He could fix just about any computer issue and he even built several computers and stereo components. The Micro Center store in Paterson was one of his favorite places to shop. His favorite show to watch was not on TV, but online; “The Tech Guy with Leo Leporte”, which was all about the latest technology and gadgets. His ‘man-cave’ was the home to all his electronic toys and he loved to share what he had with everyone. John always had snacks in the man cave, plenty of diet soda, and Tic-Tacs, which he was often shaking in his pocket.

John met his wife Eileen (nee Manley) while they were both out dancing one night. They fell in love and married on December 8, 1984. John’s idea of a honeymoon wasn't exactly what Eileen had in mind – they spent a few weeks fixing up the home that they planned to move into with their new combined family. Over the years they vacationed in Wildwood in the summers and had taken a few trips out to Los Angeles more recently. They’ve enjoyed 29 years together in a marriage that was never boring, and in which they always knew that they could count on one another.

John is survived by his beloved wife Eileen of Wayne, three children; Kristi Aurelien and her husband Gary of Deptford, NJ, Joyce Wright and her fiancé Jayson of Wayne, and Tim Wright and his wife Diane of Los Angeles, CA, four grandchildren; Nicole and Marcus Aurelien, Chloe Driscoll-Wright, and Rex Wright, his mother; Dorothy Burris of Whiting, NJ, and one brother; Ron Burris of Whiting, NJ.

Erin A. Quinn age 18 of Wayne died tragically in an auto accident, while on her way to College on Thursday, August 15, 2013.

She was born and raised in Wayne having graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 2013.

Erin was an outgoing person who had lots of friends, an Irish Wit, and was just fun to be around. She had a special place in her heart for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Her exposure to the children’s hospital came during a class at Wayne Valley High School. The students were challenged to raise money for the hospital and her group raised the most. By raising the most money her group was able to skip the final exam, but more importantly Erin’s heart was exposed to children in need and how, with just a little effort, she could make a difference. Her close friends and family will all be able to look back to their memories of Erin and hear her favorite phrase “I Like Turtles” which shows her light hearted, easy going way of trying to make others smile.

She was the loving daughter of Kathleen Quinn of New Port Richie, FL, and Barry Quinn and his wife Lise of Wayne; dear sister of Brian Quinn of Wayne and Ian Smith of Little Falls; loved step-sister of Ben and Noah Kautz of Wayne; adored granddaughter of Barry, Sr. and Dolores Quinn of Woodland Park and the late Elizabeth and Bob Sager.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN, 38148-0142, www.stjude.org would be appreciated.

Mary Jane Schneider (nee Berry), age 97 of Wayne, died peacefully on Sunday, August 11, 2013.

Mary Jane was born and raised in Akron, OH, the fifth of John Wesley and Edna May (nee Crim) Berry’s six children. After graduating from her hometown Central High School in 1934 she went on to study at Akron University and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Secretarial Science.

A family member introduced Mary Jane to a young gentleman named Frank Schneider on Valentines Day, 1942. Their courtship lasted only five months and consisted almost entirely of letter correspondence as Frank was stationed in Seattle, Washington during service in the U.S. Army. Through the power of those penned letters, their love grew, and on July 22, 1942, Mary Jane joined Frank in Seattle and they exchanged their wedding vows. After their beautiful wedding day the newlyweds stayed in Seattle for one year before Frank was deployed to Germany to serve in World War II. Mary Jane rejoined her family back in Akron where she worked until Frank returned from the war in 1945. They promptly moved to Clifton, NJ where Frank had spent his childhood. In 1952 they bought their own home in Packanack Lake where they raised their two children, Don and Kathy and where Mary Jane had remained for the past sixty-one years.

Once her children became teenagers, Mary Jane returned to the workforce. She was first employed by the Wayne Board of Health and later, she enjoyed a long career as a payroll clerk with the County of Passaic at Preakness Hospital, Wayne until retiring in 1983 at age sixty-seven.

Mary Jane especially loved to sing choral music and was a faithful alto in the Packanack Community Church Choir, giving praise to her Lord and Savior for over forty years. She also found great delight in needlework, counted cross stitch, knitting and crocheting, crewel embroidery, and quilting. Some of her most notable embroidery creations become wall hangings illustrating fruit and pansy themes and even a map of the U.S.A. Her quilts were all made with love and one-hundred percent hand-stitched. She loved to cook and Sunday dinners at her home were always a highlight of her family’s week. She and her husband Frank did some traveling, especially after Don and Kathy had graduated from college. Mary Jane simply adored her grandson Ryan, frequently attending his soccer games at the Morris County Youth Center and Lenape Valley Regional High School.

Mary Jane will be most remembered for her honesty, integrity and strong faith in God which helped her face the challenges in her life, always making the best of any situation because she knew that her loving God was ultimately in control.

Surviving are her two dear children: Don and wife Kerry Schneider of Byram Township, and Kathy Schneider of Wayne; her adored grandson Ryan; and numerous nieces and nephews, great, and great-great nieces and nephews. Mary Jane was predeceased by her beloved husband Frank in 1974 and also her five brothers and sisters.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Mary Jane’s name are asked to consider Packanack Community Church, 120 Lake Drive East, Wayne, NJ 07470. Please use the memo line to designate the Friends of Music Fund.

Carlo “Charles” M. Carlucci age 90 of Wayne passed peacefully on Sunday, August 11, 2013.

He was born in New York City and lived in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Wayne forty-five years ago.

He was a commercial painter for thirty years before his retirement in 1982.

Mr. Carlucci was a United States Navy Veteran having served in the Submarine Corp on the USS Segundo 398 and the USS Redfish. During his service on the USS Segundo 398 they intercepted the Japanese submarine I-401 submarine aircraft carrier. Charles was part of a six man boarding party that secured the submarine, having personally raised the American Flag once aboard the sub. It was determined that the submarine was destined for the Panama Canal to release the three aircraft aboard and bomb the canal. He saw action in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre of the war and received the Bronze Star, Asiatic Pacific Ribbon with one star, the American Theatre Ribbon, the Victory Ribbon and a Navy Unit Commendation.

He was currently serving on the Advisory Committee of the USS Ling in Hackensack.

Mr. Carlucci was the loving father of Charles Carlucci and his wife Elizabeth of Little Falls, and Michael Carlucci and his wife Nancy of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Brian and Amanda Carlucci; dear brother of Angela Stempel of Honolulu, Hawaii.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wounded Warrior Project would be appreciated.

William M. Sackett age 95 of Wayne, Haskell, and Butler died peacefully on Friday, August 9, 2013.

"Bill" was born and raised in Hawthorne and graduated with the first graduating class from Hawthorne High School in 1935. He lived in Prospect Park and worked first at a service station pumping gasoline, and later worked for the Little Falls Laundry in the shirt department. This is where he met his wife Eleanor. Bill found out what street she lived on and drove his Model A Ford there and saw her outside. He stopped, they started talking, and before he knew it they were on their way to Libby’s Lunch where he had a hot dog and she had a roast beef sandwich. They fell in love and married in South Dakota where Bill was stationed with the Army Air Corps. They enjoyed many years of loving marriage before Eleanor’s passing in 1989.

Bill enlisted in the Cadet program with the Army and served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1942 through 1945. During his time in the Corps he received three Air Medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and one Recognition from the government of China. As part of the flight crew on a C46 Cargo Plane his responsibilities varied from Radio Operator to Co-Pilot. He remembered carrying all sorts of cargo to supply our troops in China, Burma, and India. Flying “The Hump,” which was a route over the Himalayan Mountains from India to China, to resupply the Chinese war effort. This route was especially dangerous as there was a lack of reliable charts, no navigation aids, and unpredictable weather – their navigation was generally a compass and eyesight. He also remembered having lunch with Frank Merril of the famous Merril’s Marauders. He was a proud member of the Hump Pilot’s Association, the Air Force Association, the American Legion, and was a leader in the Explorer Scouts for many years.

After his military service William worked for the Curtis Wright Corporation in Caldwell as a Field Engineer. He would later go on to become President of Tri County Leasing a division of Atkins Chevrolet in Wayne from 1961 through 1987.

He enjoyed talking about his WWII memories and his extensive travels in the China-India-Burma region during WWII. He especially loved the ocean. After his service he would spend all of his spare time, weekends, vacation time, and even set up lights to build his own home on Mountain Ridge Drive in Wayne. It took him and his wife eighteen months to complete the house as they built everything from the foundation to the rooftop themselves.

William was the loving husband of the late Eleanor (nee Michaelson ) Sackett (1989). After the passing of Eleanor he enjoyed a special companionship with the late Anne Macko. He was a devoted father of Joyce Ann Osborne who is the wife of William of Lancaster, PA, and Brian Sackett of O’Fallon, IL; he was the proud grandfather of six grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.