Hazel C. Groth (nee Kalmbacher) age 94 of Pompton Plains died, quietly and peacefully, on Monday, June 26, 2006 at the Renaissance Care Center at Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains.

She was born in Brooklyn, New York and had lived in Glen Rock and Lakehurst before moving to Pompton Plains six years ago.

She received her formal education at Rutherford High School graduating with the Class of 1929.

Hazel leaves her family with many fond memories of a dedicated and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was truly a dedicated family person who loved her family with all of her heart. Perhaps the highlight of her life was the arrival of grandchildren and great grandchildren who gave her regal pride in her social circles.

She loved to dance and ballet was in her persona. At one point in her career she danced on the New York City stage with Rudy Valle. She also served as a ballet instructor. In her years in Cedar Crest Village she also enjoyed social events of card playing and especially the dancing opportunities.

Herman Charles “Dutch” Groth and Hazel had sixty-five years of “fantastic marriage” until his passing in 1996. They lived their married lives like two peas in a pod.

Surviving are one daughter Patricia Kuiken and her husband John of Franklin Lakes; one sister Muriel Buckalew of Jupiter, Florida; five grandchildren Donna Sorge and her husband Patrick, John Kuiken and his wife Theresa, Karen Sinke and her husband David, Diane Gilsinger and her husband Eric and Roni Melisci and his wife Lisa; ten great grandchildren Patrick, Rebecca and Michael Sorge, Elizabeth and Katherine Kuiken, Derek and Victoria Sinke, Jayson, Olivia and Jake Gilsinger; one sister in law Ruth Mansico of Florida.

She was predeceased by her son William Groth in 1966 and a grandson William Kuiken in March 2004.

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Eileen E. Schilling(nee Shanley) age 90 of Wayne died Monday, June 26, 2006 at home.

She was born in New York City and lived in Wayne for the past fifty-five years.

Mrs. Schilling graduated from Saint Josephs Nursing School, Paterson with the class of 1960.

She was a parishioner of Holy Cross RC Church, Wayne for the past fifty-five years.

Mrs. Schilling was a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for the Visiting Health Services of Passaic Valley for twenty years having retired in 1986.

Beloved wife of sixty-one years to the late Gerard A. Schilling(2004); loving mother of Anne Marie Maganzini and her husband Anthony of Wyckoff; devoted grandmother of Tara Kramer and her husband Ted of Haddonfield, Kerin Maganzini of NY, NY and Tyler Maganzini of NY, NY; cherished great-grandmother of Jacob Paul Kramer; loved sister of Kathleen Kennedy of Denville and the late Jack and Timothy Shanley.

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Angela C. Moran “Cookie” (nee Barbier) age 58 of Franklin Lakes died Sunday, June 25, 2006 at the Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains. She passed away quietly and peacefully while receiving the loving care of her family.

She was born in Newark and had lived in Wayne and Pequannock and currently lived in both Franklin Lakes and Greenville, New York.

Angela received her formal education at Barringer High School in Newark where she graduated with the Class of 1964.

Mrs. Moran was a professional actress and “theater was her passion in life”. In 1995 was voted the “Best Supporting Actress at the New Jersey Arts Center”. She was a member of the All Arts Matter Council of Greenville, New York. Angela especially like using her acting talents to help those less fortunate in our society.

Cookie was gifted with a “Bubbly Personality” coupled with a kind and soft demeanor that caused others to like her and want to be in her company.

Harold and Angela Moran were “Happily Married” for thirty-six years.

Her daughter holds many fond memories of a very caring, giving energetic Mom that loved to cook and her offer of simple meals usually became very elaborate gourmet presentations making her a delightful hostess.

Surviving are her loving husband Harold F. Moran; one daughter Lauren Mills and her husband Todd of Lake Hopatcong; one sister Grace Tanzola of Franklin Lakes; one brother Dr. Joseph Barbier of Long Valley; two grandchildren Leala and Ryan Mills. She was also affectionately known as “Auntie” to her nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews including Tara and Matt Shannon, Amy, Melissa, Robert and Pierre Dock, Donna (nee Kemp) and Ed Kratzer and their children Taylor, Morgan and Jared; Dr. Andrea Barbier MD, Charles G. Barbier, Peter F. Barbier, his child Peter John Barbier and Joseph and Jason Barbier.

She was predeceased by her sister Nina Kemp (2004) and Nina’s husband Robert (2001) and her brother Peter Barbier in 1997. She was also preceded in death by her brother in law John M. Tanzola (2000)also predeceased by her sister in law Mimi Barbier (2001).

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Angela’s memory, are asked to consider the American Cancer Society of NJ, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

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Jacob Kersbergen age 76 of Bloomingdale died, quietly and peacefully on Saturday, June 24, 2006 at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.

He was born in Lisse, the Netherlands to Tunis and Neeltje (Bykerk) Kersbergen and was one of twelve children. He immigrated to Canada in 1954. In 1962 he married Cornelia Slootmaker and moved to the United States to settle in Prospect Park, later having lived in Wayne and finally moving to Bloomingdale three years ago.

He received his formal education in Lisse, the Netherlands where he completed high school and attended agricultural college.

Jacob was a First Class Machinist and Tool and Diemaker for 33 years, having worked for White Metal Company in Hawthorne, Mosler Safe Company in Wayne and finally Brabender Industries in Hackensack before retiring in 1995.

He was a member of the Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church in Pompton Plains. Jacob was a very private man, though deeply spiritual. In recent months you would find him during most quiet moments in his bed, praying quietly and often clutching his old little Dutch Psalm Book. In the late hours of the night, when all was still, his daughter Suzy would sit on the edge of his bed offering him words of comfort and peace.

Jacob thoroughly enjoyed gardening. His houses in Prospect Park and Wayne had wonderful displays of beautiful tulips and hyacinths set around a little wooden windmill and two little Dutch figurines. Many of the neighbors would take notice of the brilliant display! He also had a soft spot for animals and had many special pets over the years.

His children will always hold fond memories of a loving, softy of a Dad. Early days of swimming in their first pool, learning how to dive, and skating on the local ponds are just a few.

Jacob and Cornelia Kersbergen had a “loving marriage” together for thirty-six years before Cornelia’s passing in February of 1999. Jacob’s enduring devotion and love would especially be found in the last year of Cornelia’s life. In her great suffering, Jacob cared and tended to her every need. After her passing he missed her dearly.

Perhaps the highlight of his life was the arrival of grandchildren into his life. He delighted in making them laugh by vocalizing short statements that only he knew the meaning of! He also took fondness for the games of ice hockey and soccer. He enjoyed very much watching the grandkids practicing their hockey and soccer skills in the yard and driveways and later attending their games, rooting for them with great enthusiasm!

Surviving are two daughters, Suzanne Ritter and her husband Billy, who he lived with and was cared for, for 12 years, and Karen Iannuzzi and her husband Jerry. Also survived by one son, Jacob Kersbergen Jr. and his wife Sandy. He leaves nine grandchildren, Kristen, Michael, Matthew, Kathryn and Joseph Iannuzzi, Rachel, Rebecca and Samantha Ritter and Diana Kersbergen, all of whom reside in Bloomingdale.

He is also survived by a brother and five sisters in the Netherlands. His dear brother Paulus who he held close to his heart, and sisters Jenny, Cornelia, Elizabeth, Wilhelmina and Neeltje. He was predeceased by brother Pieter, and sisters Adriana, Niesje, Maria and Aantje.

Donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN, 38105 or to www.stjude.org/donate.

Rosemary (nee Finnegan) Agostinho of West Milford died Friday, June 23, 2006 at the Westchester County Medical Center, Valhalla, NY.

Born in Jackson Heights, NY, Rosemary lived in the Packanack Lake Section of Wayne before moving to West Milford ten years ago.

Rosemary was a teacher of emotionally disturbed children for the West Milford Board of Education.

She was a volunteer domestic violence counselor for the West Milford Police Department.

Rosemary had a wonderful sense of humor and was a gracious, caring, extremely patient, and accepting person. She had a love of sailing, skiing, travel, cooking, flower and herb gardening, and art and will be remembered for her sense of fairness and can-do attitude.

Surviving are her daughter Alyson Agostinho of West Milford, one grandson Patrick Joseph of West Milford; her mother Rosemary (nee Reynolds) Finnegan of Wayne; three brothers Donald Finnegan and his wife Mary, Thomas Finnegan and his wife Janine, and Robert Finnegan and his wife Anna all of Wayne. Beloved aunt of 12 neices and nephews. She was predeceased by her father Donald Paul Finnegan (1992) and brother James Gerard Finnegan (1999).

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the family c/o Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

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Joseph Anthony Mc Ginley (Joey) age 50 of Totowa died Wednesday, June 21, 2006 unexpectedly at the Ocean Memorial Hospital Center in Brick.

He was born in Jersey City and had lived in West New York, NJ, Brick Town and Elmwood Park before moving to Totowa eighteen years ago.

He received his formal education at Brick Town High School in Brick graduating with the Class of 1974.

Mr. Mc Ginley was a Computer Technician at Telcordia Communications Company in Piscataway for 20 years.

He was a parishioner of Saint James RC Church in Totowa. He was a former member of the Knights of Columbus Council 836 in Brick where he was a third Degree Member.

His hobbies included music, watching professional wrestling and baseball. Joey was an avid NY Mets fan.

He was gifted in life with a wonderful personality and was a true gentleman. His demeanor caused others to admire him and want to be his friend. He was easy going, extroverted, kind, caring and had a great sense of humor. He was also a dedicated and loving family man who had a very loving relationship with his parents, his wife Karen and his son Michael Joseph William Mc Ginley who was not only his son but also his best friend.

His family holds many fond memories of vacations to Wildwood, trips to Washington, DC and Walt Disney World.

Karen and Joseph had a loving, caring, best friend marriage together for twenty years.

Surviving are his wife Karen (nee Darakjy) Mc Ginley; one son Michael Joseph William Mc Ginley of Totowa, his parents Joseph and Clara Mc Ginley of Manchester; three sisters Patricia Mulligan of Cherry Hill, Barbara Mc Ginley of Brick, Leona Zahn and her husband Dr. Christopher of Gaithersburg, Maryland; a former brother in law James Mulligan of Camden; his mother in law Rose Darakjy of Fair Lawn; sister-in-law Lois DeMartino of Toms River.

He is also survived by his faithful companion Hunter a golden retriever.

He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents Vincent and Jean Perna and his father in law Bill Darakjy.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Joseph’s memory, are asked to consider Alzheimer’s Association, Greater NJ Chapter, 400 Morris Avenue, Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834

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Blanche Segera (nee Niemkowicz) age 91 of Wayne died Friday, June 16, 2006 at the Llanfair House Care Center, Wayne.

She was born in Jersey City and has lived in Wayne for the past thirty years.

Mrs. Segera will be remembered for always smiling and being extremely kind and gentle to all.

Beloved wife of thirty-four years to the late Vincent Segera(1970); loving mother of Peggy Giaccio and her husband Anthony of Wayne; beloved grandmother of Cheryl Goggin and her husband John of East Brunswick, Arlene Schaeffer and her husband Andrew of Wyckoff and Anthony N. Giaccio and his wife Laura of Ramsey; cherished great-grandmother of Daniel, Chris and Jenna Goggin, David and Jack Schaeffer.

She was predeceased by her husband Vincent Segera(1970).

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Blanche’s memory, are asked to consider Alzheimer's Association-Greater NJ, 400 Morris Avenue, Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834.

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Georgina Calcines (nee Noy) age 93 of Wayne died Wednesday June 14, 2006 at Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains.

She was born in Puerto Padre, Oriente, Cuba and came to this country in 1960 settling in Paterson before moving to Wayne thirty-two years ago.

Georgina, Abuela, Mima, Niña will always lovingly remember her warmth, wit and wisdom.

Beloved wife of fifty-eight years to the late Joaquin Calcines(1995); loving mother of Georgina Calcines-Lowe, Esq. and her husband Thomas Lowe, Esq. of Wayne, Helen Calcines of Lincoln Park and the Honorable Joaquin Calcines, Jr. J.M.C. and his wife Marta of Paterson; cherished grandmother of Elena Calcines Klarberg and her husband Bruce of Wayne, Joaquin Calcines, III of Rochester, NY, Gigi Lowe Toles and her husband David of Pompton Plains, Dr. Alfredo Lowe and his wife Jackie of Livingston, much loved great-grandmother of Zachary, Jacob, and Matthew Klarberg, David and Hailey Toles and Carly Lowe. She was predeceased by eight brothers and sisters.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Georgina’s memory, are asked to consider Arthritis Foundation-NJ Chapter, 200 Middlesex Tpke., Iselin, NJ 08830-2000.

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Stan Klizos age 75 of Lincoln Park died Monday June 12, 2006 at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, New York City.

He was born in Kassala, Sudan and came to this country in 1959 settling in Brooklyn, NY before moving to Lincoln Park thirty seven years ago.

Mr. Klizos was Vice President in the International Department for the Chase Manhattan Bank, NYC for thirty years before retiring in 1989.

He was a member of Saint Catherine G.O. Church, West Palm Beach, FL.

Beloved husband of Antonella (nee Guarneri) Klizos; devoted father of Elaine Rossi and her husband Robert of Wayne and Laurie Rocha and her husband Gilbert of Martinez, CA; loving brother of Tasoula Demetriades and Mary Georgiades both of Nicosia, Cyprus and the late George Klizos(1998).; cherished grandfather of Isabella and Lily Grace Rossi.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Janice Post age 57 of Wayne died Monday, June 12, 2006 at home.

She was born in Paterson and lived in Wayne for the past fifty-four years.

Janice was a microfilm technician for Bell & Howell, Saddle Brook.

She was a member of the Preakness Baptist Church, Wayne.

Surviving are her mother Josephine (nee Gorman) Post and several aunts, uncles and cousins. She was predeceased by her father John H. Post in 1988.

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

Kenneth E. Garey age 84 of Wayne died Saturday, June 10, 2006 at the Regency Gardens Care Center, Wayne.

He was born in Newark and lived in Kearney before moving to Wayne sixty years ago.

Mr. Garey was a US Coast Guard veteran of WWII.

Mr. Garey was a sales representative for Tripp Distributors, Paterson for twenty years then he started his own contract cleaning business Garey & Son Maintenance, Wayne before retiring in 1992.

He was a member of the American Legion Post 174, Wayne.

Beloved husband of the late Ruth (nee Schultz) Garey(1998); loving father of Linda R. Smith and her husband Ed of Mendham and Kenneth Garey and his wife Joan of West Milford; cherished grandfather of Jennifer and Chris Garey, Caroline Minervini and her husband Frank and Edward W. Smith, Jr. and his wife Gail.

He loved his vegetable garden in the yard, fishing in area lakes and reservoirs and was always enjoyed, building things, tinkering and being the family handyman.

Gilbert G. Knight age 75 of Pompton Lakes died Saturday, June 10, 2006 at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Browns Mills.

He was born in Passaic and lived in Pompton Plains before moving to Pompton Lakes fifty years ago.

Mr. Knight was a self-employed contractor trading as Gilbert G. Knight Construction, Pompton Lakes for twenty years having later been the Education Facilities Manager for the Pompton Lakes Board of Education for ten years before retiring in 2003.

He graduated from Butler High School with the class of 1949.

Mr. Knight was a US Army Veteran of the Korean War.

Beloved husband of Claire (nee Hissem) Knight; loving brother of Olga McCafferty of Whiting, Karen Smiley of Dallas, TX, Warren Knight and his wife Carol of Coral Springs, FL, and the late Garrett Knight(2002).

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Gilbert’s memory, are asked to consider the Deborah Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 820, , Browns Mills, NJ 08015.

The Gil We Knew and Loved…

Gil fought the battle for his life for nearly 11 weeks following heart surgery at Deborah Heart and Lung Center…this after a lifetime of illnesses and surgeries …more than any one person deserved.

Gil…a true gentleman and a man of character who took great pride in his work. Throughout his career he was a conscientious hard worker, super organizer and planner who paid attention to every detail.

Gil loved socializing with his family and friends –this was one of his greatest pleasures along with having dinner at fine restaurants and designing and building his retirement dream house in upstate New York. Treat him to anything chocolate, food in general, and a glass of Crown Royal on the rocks and he was happy. He had a contagious laugh and loved telling jokes at parties…many recall his rendition of Archibald Assolbroke

…But most of all Gil was a loving brother, friend, and husband whose gift of a lifetime to us all was his undying love, friendship, and devotion…And we continue to love him…

If someone were to ask me what a perfect day would be,

I wouldn’t think of places that have lovely sights to see,

I wouldn’t wish for sunny skies or special things to do,

For I’d just want another day that I could spend with you...

And if someone were to ask me what would be a perfect life,

I'd simply say, "I've had that," for I have been and will always be your wife.

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Walter J. Barylewicz age 89 of Wayne died on Thursday June 9th, 2006 at his home while receiving the loving care of his family.

Walter was born in Carteret and lived in Newark before moving to Wayne fifty-five years ago.

He worked as a printer for the Prudential Insurance Company in Newark, NJ for over 15 years until his retirement in 1980. Walter was a member of the Wayne Golden Ages and the Golden Key Seniors located in Wayne as well.

His family remembers him as keeping himself physically fit and being an avid bodybuilder. He spent quite a bit of time at the Jersey Shore when he was younger, and traveled all over the world with his late wife Helen.

Surviving are his sister Helen Chambers and her husband Floyd of Booton; his brother Lee Barry and his wife Lois of South Carolina; and his Granddaughter Sue Ricker and her husband Bill of West Milford.

Walter was predeceased by his wife Helen (nee Podorany) in 1988, his daughter MaryAnne Wright in 1987 and a dear companion MaryAnn Wasilick in 2002.

Orsola Ann “Lea” Calderone (formerly Abate) age 83 of Pompton Lakes died June 6, 2006 at the Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains.

She was born and raised in Hawthorne having lived in Wayne, Lincoln Park and Sussex before moving to Pompton Lakes four years ago.

Lea graduated from Hawthorne High School with the class of 1940.

Beloved wife of forty eight years to the late Thomas Calderone(1992); devoted mother of Thomas Calderone, Jr. of Kinnelon, Michael Calderone of Bloomingdale and Dale Calderone of Pennsylvania; devoted sister of Fanny Verkerk of California and was predeceased by seven brothers and sisters.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Lea’s memory, are asked to consider the American Heart Assoc., 2550 US Highway 1, North Brunswick, NJ 08902-4301.

Bernard J. Kelleher age 90 of Wayne died Monday, June 5, 2006 at home.

He was born in Primrose, South Africa and lived in Cork County Ireland before coming to this country in 1925 settling in New York City having also lived in West New York and Fair Lawn before moving to Wayne forty-six years ago.

Mr. Kelleher was an executive accountant having finished his career as CEO of Ex-Lax Advertising, Brooklyn, NY where he worked for over twenty-five years before retiring in 1979.

He was a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, Wayne.

He was a US Coast Guard veteran of WWII.

Beloved husband of the late Mary Frances(nee Dooley) Kelleher(2001); loving father of Daniel Bernard Kelleher of Paterson, Maureen Ann Hoffman of Cedar Grove, Patricia Ellen Kelleher of West Milford, Nancy Eileen O’Dowd and her husband Frank of Houston, TX, Peggy Ann Mirabelli and her husband Steven of Jackson and Susan Mary Govlick and her husband Joseph of Kinnelon; cherished grandfather of Kim Neville and her husband Andy, Jody Schmalz and her husband Craig, Eileen Sunday and her husband Eric, Keith Kelleher, Michele Morrison, Melissa Kiritsis and her husband Alex, Christopher Morrison, Sean Govlick, Brian Govlick, Brendan O'Dowd, Ryan O'Dowd and his wife Laura and Kevin O’Dowd; much loved step-grandfather of Leah Pransky, Steven, Craig and Kristin Mirabelli; loving great-grandfather of Kellyn Charlotte Neville, Max Schmalz and Jack Neville.

He was predeceased by his brother Jerome Kelleher and sister Patricia Walton.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Alzheimer's Association-Greater NJ, 400 Morris Avenue, Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834 or Passaic Valley Hospice, 483 Riverview Drive, Totowa, NJ 07511 would be appreciated.

Russell J. Hook age 48 of Pompton Plains died Sunday, June 4, 2006 at the Saint Josephs Wayne Hospital, Wayne.

He was a lifelong resident of Pompton Plains.

Russell graduated from Pequannock Township High School, Pequannock with the class of 1976.

He was a production worker for the Mulhern Belting Corporation, a rubber and belting products company, Oakland for the past fourteen years.

Russell enjoyed camping, saltwater fishing and had a special love for his Boston Terrier “Skipper”.

As was known by many, Russell was diagnosed with a malignant tumor at the age of eleven years. Due to the many side effects of his cancer, the surgery, radiation and chemotherapy treatments, he had many trials and difficulties that were unknown to family and friends. He persevered and led as normal a lifestyle as was possible for himself, working his whole life except for the last six months. He could be and should be a role model to many to persevere through trials they may have to endure. He cherished his family and wanted the best for all of them.

Beloved son of Sophia (nee Verblaauw) Hook of Wyckoff formerly of Pompton Plains, and the late John J. Hook(1978); devoted brother of Wayne Hook and his wife Mieke of Pequannock, Joyce DeRuiter and her husband Don of Pompton Plains, Ralph Hook and his wife Maria of Pequannock, Donald Hook and his wife Debbie of Lancaster, PA and Allen Hook and his fiancé Marnie of Pompton Plains; much loved uncle of ten nieces and nephews and fifteen great-nieces and nephews.

Those considering a memorial donation are asked to consider the Pequannock Volunteer Fire Dept., Engine Co. #2, PO Box 217, Pequannock, NJ 07440.

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Joseph T. Monello, Sr. age 66 of Wayne died Saturday, June 3, 2006 at home.

He was born and raised in Paterson having moved to Wayne thirty-six years ago.

Mr. Monello was the proprietor of The Cobbler Shop, Palisades Park and later owned Pizza D’Oro on Route 23 South, Wayne for ten years before becoming the chef for Saint Anthony’s Friary, Butler for thirteen years before retiring in 1999.

Joe had a passion for woodworking and also enjoyed his vegetable garden in the backyard but most of all he loved “his job” of chauffeuring his grandchildren to school.

Beloved husband of forty-four years Patricia (nee Tonzillo) Monello; loving father of Denise Aronson and her husband Doug of Wayne, Joseph Monello Jr. and his wife Claudia of Wayne and Dana Monello of New York City; much loved brother of Ben Monello and his wife Josephine of Spring Lake, Paul Monello, Frank Monello and his wife Dolores all of Brick; cherished grandfather of Massimo and Nico Aronson and Nicholas Monello.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 291, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Helen Louise (nee Yacyshyn) Daniels, age 88, of Wayne, died quietly and peacefully on Saturday, June 3, 2006 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Helen was born in Passaic and lived in Brooklyn, NY. It was there that she met and married the love of her life, John A Daniels, in 1939. They lived in West Hempstead, NY with their children Robert and Emily for three years before moving to Wayne, forty seven years ago. Helen and John were blessed with fifty happy years of marriage before his passing.

Helen was a unique and incredible woman with many interests. At a young age she became an open cockpit airplane pilot and was a piano player with the 1930 Phil Spitalney’s All Girl Orchestra. She was an Agatha Christie devotee, a Ranger’s fan and a legendary fox trotter. She had a passionate interest in History and World Events and spent many an hour reading and learning. An oral history lesson from Helen was always informative, fun, and not to be missed!

Helen was a devout Catholic, a disciple of Jesus Christ, and a good friend of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. She was a parishioner of Holy Angels RC Church, Little Falls, and formerly of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Wayne.

Helen was a constant believer in her children Robert and Emily, her grandchildren Robert, Elizabeth, Andrew, Michael, Christina, and Timothy, and her family.

Surviving are one daughter Emily Marcelli and her husband Robert of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Bobby, Betsy and Tim Daniels, Andrew, Michael and Tina Marcelli; Beloved sister of Rudy Yacyshyn of New City, New York.

Helen and John Daniels had a “blessed” marriage together for fifty years before John’s passing in (1988). She was also predeceased by her son Robert Daniels in 1995.

For those planning an expression of sympathy, in Helen’s memory, are asked to consider St. Francis’ Breadline, c/o St. Francis of Assisi Church, 135 West 31st Street, NY, NY, 10001.

William Slivka age 73 of Wayne died Thursday, March 30, 2006 at Saint Josephs Hospital, Wayne.

He was born and raised in Clifton having moved to Wayne thirty-seven years ago.

Mr. Slivka was an executive chauffeur for Union Camp Corporation, Englewood for eight years having retired in 2001.

He was an Army Veteran of Korea having served as a medic in Alaska.

Mr. Slivka was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

He enjoyed flying, reading, making models with intricate detail and in more recent years he took up gardening. Bill enjoyed tinkering with Balsa wood airplanes and models of all types. One of his most beautiful accomplishments was the completion of a carousel model that took years and even had horses that went up and down. Watching sports on television, especially football and NASCAR events, were also favorite pastimes.

His love of football, which he played in his younger years, is what led him to his fifty-one year marriage to Dolores; they had met on the field after one of his games.

Surviving are his wife of fifty-one years Dolores (nee Ruppert) Slivka; two sons William Slivka, Jr. and his wife Margaret of Boonton and Robert Slivka and his wife Janet of Pompton Lakes; one brother Andrew Slivka and his wife Nancy of Hamburg and three grandchildren Justin, Lauren and Nicole Slivka.

Linda K. Bilinski (nee Donkervoet) age 57 of West Milford on Thursday, March 30, 2006.

She was born in Paterson and had lived in Wayne before moving to West Milford two years ago.

Mrs. Bilinski was formerly an Administrative Assistant at Valley National Bank on Valley Road in Wayne.

Linda received her formal education at Wayne Valley High School graduating with the Class of 1966.

She was associated with Queen of Peace RC Church in West Milford.

Mrs. Bilinski was a founding member of the Red Hat Society, a community group in West Milford.

Her hobbies included quilting and knitting and she had the talent to make very nice things.

John and Linda had a very loving marriage together for thirty-five years.

Her family and many friends will always remember her very personable, giving and outgoing personality that made her a very special wife, mother, grandmother and a friend to many.

Surviving are her husband John Bilinski; two daughters Donna Mascolo and her husband Joe of Wayne and Debra Purdy and her husband Frank of Hewitt; two brothers Donald Donkervoet of Southlake, Texas and William P. Donkervoet of Mandeville, Louisiana; two grandchildren Dylan Purdy and Francesco Mascolo.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Linda’s memory, are asked to consider Queen of Peace RC Church, 1911 Union Valley Road, West Milford, NJ 07480.

Josephine Ajaeb (nee Noull) age 88 of Wayne died Thursday, March 30, 2006 at her son’s home in Del Ray Beach, Florida. At her passing she was receiving the loving are of her family.

She was born in Phillipsburg, NJ and had lived in Brooklyn, New York, Paterson and Clifton before moving to Wayne thirty years ago.

Josephine was a parishioner of Our Lady of The Valley RC Church in Wayne.

She received her formal education at Saint John’s High School in Paterson graduating with the Class of 1936.

Mom will always be remembered as a wonderful and loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She loved to cook and make special pastries. She found much happiness in having her family gathered around her for special celebrations of holidays, family birthdays and anniversaries. One of the most outstanding highlights in her life was having grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Surviving are one son Samuel Ajaeb and his wife Edna of Wayne; three Grandchildren James Ajaeb and his wife Amy, Andrew Ajaeb and his wife Kristi and Catherine Conoscenti and her husband Michael; four great grandchildren Savanah and Samuel Ajaeb, Michael and Olivia Conoscenti.

James and Josephine Ajaeb had a “devoted and loving” marriage together for forty-six years until his passing in 1984. Her daughter Georgiana Ajaeb at the age of seventeen years old predeceased her.

Florence M. Marzloff (nee Draeger) on Saturday, March 25, 2006 of Wayne. At her passing she was receiving the loving care of her family.

She was born in Belleville and had lived in Bloomfield before moving to Wayne fifty-nine years ago.

Florence was a parishioner of Holy Cross RC Church in Wayne and was a member of the church’s Rosary Alter Society. She also participated in the Wayne Adult Day Care Center. She served as Cafeteria Aide and assistant transportation coordinator at DePaul Catholic High School.

She will always be remembered by her family and many friends as a person of many talents. Mom had several personas’ one Dr. Mom a no nonsense Mother known for her hospitality and motto “there is always room for one more”. Mom is fiercely independent and the epitome of a good Christian woman and no one ever left hungry or without a piece of pie or chocolate chip cookies. She could depend on her to voice her opinion and dole out wisdom.

Florence and her mother would bring vegetables in from their backyard garden and cook a much hallowed chili sauce. At the family home in Lake George her brother Bob found a jar of the revered sauce in the refrigerator and guiltily snuck it home. After several weeks of feeling guilty, and not saying anything about taking the chili sauce, Bob was asked “did you get that chili sauce I left you in the refrigerator?”

Mom always made holidays special and was noted for always welcoming family & friends with a cup of tea and those great chocolate chip cookies.

William and Florence were married in a “loving and devoted marriage” for forty-six years and centered their concerns about each other and their children. As parents they wanted the best for their children and managed to put all of the children through college.

Surviving are two daughters Florence Marzloff Hadnot and her husband Curtis of Wayne, Christine A. Long and her husband Anthony of Marlborough, Massachusetts; three sons William F. Marzloff and his wife Barbara of Morris Plains, Donald D. Marzloff and his wife Paula of Auburn, New Hampshire, Douglas J. Marzloff and his wife Evelyn of Saratoga Springs, New York; one brother Robert Draeger of Richmond, Kentucky; one sister Alice Hofacker of Cranford, NJ; fourteen Grandchildren Jody M., Thomas and David Hadnot, Andrew James, Mary E. and Michelle Long, Jeffrey and Scott Marzloff, Kristen Sharpe, Karen and Susan Marzloff, Elizabeth Nguyen, Jason Marzloff and Erica Cooper. Seven Great Grandchildren Brandon Hadnot, Gage, Syndey, Trevor, McKenna and Ethan Marzloff and Cadance Elizabeth Cooper.

She was predeceased by her husband William J. Marzloff in 1987; her parents, brothers Frederic T. Draeger, William V. Draeger, David D. Draeger and a sister Marion Higgins.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Florence’s memory, are asked to consider the American Parkinson Disease Association, 1250 Hylan Blvd., Suite 4B, Staten Island, NY 10305-1944 or the Paulist Fathers “Office of Financial Development”, ATT: Rosine Reynolds, 997 McArthur Blvd., Mahwah, NJ 07430.

Grace M. Riley age 77 of West Paterson died Friday, March 24, 2006 at Saint Josephs Wayne Hospital, Wayne.

She was born in Paterson and lived in Bronx, NY and Oakland before moving to West Paterson sixteen years ago.

Grace was a kitchenaid in several area nursing homes before retiring in 1988.

She was a member of the West Paterson Senior Citizen Club, West Paterson.

Surviving are one sister Irene Hannan of Wayne and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by three brothers Frank, Charles and James Riley.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Marys Special Needs Ministry, Pompton Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 would be appreciated.

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John E. Van Loon age 71 of Wayne died Thursday, March 23, 2006 at the Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains. At his passing he was receiving the loving care of his family.

He was born in Passaic and had lived in Clifton before moving to Wayne forty-three years ago.

Mr. Van Loon received his formal education at Eastern Christian School and later at Clifton High School where he graduated with the Class of 1952.

He was a machinist for Tec-Cast Company in Moonachie manufacturers of cast molds.

He was a member of Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne and the Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park where he was a participant in the Body Life Prayer Group and Bible Study.

John served in the Navy during the Korean Conflict.

His hobbies included landscape gardening, travel including many places in Pennsylvania and at the Jersey Shore.

John and Esther Van Loon had forty-nine years of “Wonderful Marriage” accompanied by “Precious Memories” together.

His family and many friends will always remember him as a man that had a gift of personality and fun to be with. He was a bright personality at family and friends gatherings. His ways caused others to admire him and want to share their lives with him.

Surviving are his loving wife of forty-nine years Esther (nee Webster) Van Loon; two sisters Janet Fellema and her husband John of Wayne, Margaret Bangma and her husband Ray of Clifton; his Mother Margaret Van Loon of Clifton; Nieces and Nephews David and Steven Fellema, Laurie Sokalski, Debbie Jones, Beth Ann Bangma, Bonnie Calderone, Brenda Gorski, Janet Gordon, Warren Ziegler, Ginny Martin, Laurie Rosiere, Allen Lovejoy, Cindy Borkevec plus many great nieces and nephews.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in John’s memory, are asked to consider the Missionary Support Program at Jacksonville Chapel or the Leukemia Foundation.

Frank P. Togneri, affectionately known as "T", age 57 of Pompton Lakes died Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at Saint Joseph’s Wayne Hospital in Wayne. At his passing he was receiving the loving care of his family.

He was born in New York City where he lived before moving to Pompton Lakes thirty-four years ago.

Mr. Togneri was a restaurant owner. He formerly owned Mr. “T’s” Italian Specialties in Pequannock and later Toggy’s Sub & Pasta Factory in Pompton Lakes before his retirement in 1999.

He was a parishioner of Saint Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes.

Frank’s hobbies included landscaping around his own home, sports especially football and evaluating business ventures.

He will always be remembered by his family and many friends as a hardworking and affable person who had a special zest for life. His children especially remember how dad would always be there for them in all of their endeavors especially when they had sporting events. He could be depended upon to be cheering for his boy’s team on the sidelines. Frank served the community as a football coach for the Pompton Lakes Youth Organization. Dad would arrange special vacations and take the friends and family. One memorable vacation was to the island of Aruba.

His many friends will indeed remember him as a man of obsessed achievement who tirelessly worked to achieve the goals he set out to accomplish. For his friends he consistently went above and beyond for anyone or anything including generosity along the way.

Frank and Christine Togneri had a “Loving and Devoted” marriage together for thirty-five years.

Surviving are his loving wife Christine (nee Vaccarezza) Togneri; two sons Joseph M. Togneri of Hoboken and Brian F. Togneri of Pompton Lakes.

Frank had a very special and faithful friend and companion in his dog "Spunky" a beagle who predeceased him.

Marjorie Kathleen Mullanaphy “Margie” age 84 of Wyckoff died Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff.

She was born in Paterson and lived most of her life in Prospect Park before moving to Wyckoff one year ago.

Mrs. Mullanaphy was a Secretary at Warner Woven Label Company in Paterson before her retirement.

She was a member of the Preakness Baptist Church in Wayne and the Wayne Elks Lodge Ladies Auxiliary.

Margie enjoyed sewing, knitting and making crafts in her spare time.

She had a very special gift of personality that was selfless. She always endeavored to do things for others in need above her own personal needs.

Margie and John Mullanaphy had a “Wonderful Loving Marriage Together’ for sixty-two years before his passing in June of 2003.

Beloved wife of the late John Mullanaphy(2003); Loving Mother of William Mullanaphy and his wife Lynn and the late James C. Mullanaphy(1957); cherished Grandmother of William P. Mullanaphy and his wife Kelly and Tricia Lynn Mullanaphy; Great Grandmother to Collin and Colby Mullanaphy.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Margie’s memory, are asked to consider the Christian Health Care Center Foundation, 301 Sicomac Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481.

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Deloris Daly (nee Bortmess) age 80 of Wayne died Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at home.

She was born in Charleroi, PA and lived in Paterson before moving to Wayne twenty-seven years ago

Mrs. Daly was a telephone operator for Bell Telephone, Paterson for twenty five years having later worked for Haband, Prospect Park for ten years before becoming a bus aide for the Konner Bus Co., Pine Brook where she worked for seventeen years prior to her retirement in 2004.

Deloris had a love of gardening, salmon fishing in Canada, was a competitive gymnast, skier, horseman and an accomplished marksman. She loved to tell people how she could light a match at fifty paces with a rifle.

Surviving are one daughter Andrea Spiegel and her husband Gary of Wayne and one niece Janice Mahoney of Ely, Minnesota

She was predeceased by her husband of forty-six years James Daly in 1986; two brothers Richard and Albert Bortmess and one sister Alberta Fowler

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Deloris’ memory, are asked to consider E.I.F., Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, 11132 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 401, Studio City, CA 91604 (www.eifoundation.org).

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Gertrude Wiltshire “Gert” (nee Coyne) on Monday, March 20, 2006 at the Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains. At her passing she was receiving the loving care of her family.

A life long member of Holy Cross Parish in Wayne, NJ. Throughout the years; She shared her time , talent and service as a Parish Council Member and church Council President.

A Highly successful Owner/Operator of “The Hi Ho Club” Wayne, NJ 1968-1979. The Hi Ho Club was a well known Family Establishment; More notably famous, as “Wayne’s First Establishment of Live Irish Entertainment”.

An active member of the Passaic County Tavern Owners Association 1968-1979. She served as a volunteer member and held the elected position, as Chairman for the Association.

She was a Volunteer and Former Member of the Wayne Township Urban Renewal Committee, where she served for a number of years.

Former Board Member and Past Chairman of the Passaic County Welfare Association.

Served as the Welfare Director for Wayne Township 1980-1995.

A Founding member and officer; currently serving on the Executive Board of “The Women of Irish Heritage” Which was Established in 1973. To date, it is the largest women’s organization in the Northeast with approximately 400 members. A Non-Profit Organization whose duties include Fund Raising, Parade Organizing and Host for several Charitable Functions annually. The associations goal is the Promotion of Irish Heritage; “To Keep the Tradition Alive”.

In recognition of the distinguished alliance of these highly motivated Irish Women and the success of their organization; The Women Of Irish Heritage were recently invited by the City of Navan, County Meath, Ireland; “To Lead As Honored Guests” in their March 17, 2006, Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Women of Irish Heritage Proudly accepted and approximately 200 members attended.

Gertrude served on the New Jersey Irish Festival Committee Member since 1970, unselfishly serving in various volunteer capacities throughout the years. She was chosen by her members to perform the arduous task, and highly honored position as “The 1986 Festival Chairman” Whose duties include promoting and organizing all operational details of The Annual Irish Festival a the PNC Art Center, held the last Sunday of June.

A Longtime member of the Brian Boru Association: The March 2001, Recipient of the highly prestigious, Brian Boru, Woman of the Year” award; In recognition of her tireless hard work and dedication to the Irish Community.

Present and Longtime member of the Wayne Senior Citizens Runnymeade Corporation.

Current Member of the Red Hat Society

Named “Irish Woman of the Year” by the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders on March 14, 2006.

Gertrude and Robert Wiltshire where married for fifty-three years in a “Beautiful Marriage Together” until Robert’s death in August 2001.

Surviving are one daughter Kathleen McCann and her husband Brendan of West Milford; four sons Robert J. Wiltshire of Lincoln Park, Kenneth Wiltshire and his Fiance’ Linda of Bordentown, Joseph Whiltshire and his wife Francine of New Egypt, Thomas Wiltshire and his wife Cheryl of Jefferson; Eleven Grandchildren Robert, Christopher, Marc, Janet, LeeAnne, Lucia, Cassady Wiltshire, Kara Travato, Terrence McCann and Tara Mains; five Great Grandchildren Jessica Rhinesmith, Kaylee Mains, Kenneth, Grace and Gabrielle Travato.

Her sister Geraldine O’Hara predeceased her in August of 2004.

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Age 61 of Wayne died suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, December 20, 2005.

Charles R. Mesagaes “Charlie” age 61 of Wayne died suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, December 20, 2005.

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He was born in Jersey City and had lived in Wood-Ridge and Elmwood Park before moving to Wayne twenty-four years ago.  

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Mr. Mesagaes was the owner, for over thirty years, of Mac’s Catering Company in Wayne specializing in Industrial Catering.

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Charles served in the Army during the Vietnam War.

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Gail and Charles had a “Happy Marriage Together” for twenty-eight years.

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He enjoyed the hobbies of boating, landscaping and oil painting.

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He was a very devoted and proud father of his children.  He was gifted with a humorous, happy, laid back personality that caused others to like him and want to be with him.  Charlie was also a good dancer and loved a party.

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Surviving are his loving wife Gail (nee Crane) Mesagaes; three children Jason Mesagaes and his wife Michelle of Dover, Jonathan and Brieanna Mesagaes both of Wayne; Grandfather to Jason Mesagaes Jr.; Loving son of Edna Mesagaes of Wood-Ridge; brother of Joan Cabany of Tennessee; uncle to Melissa Cabany.

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William R. “Willie” Cooke age 9 of Wayne died Sunday, June 5, 2005 at the Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. At his passing he was receiving the loving care of his family.

He was born in Pompton Plains and had lived in Wayne all of his life.

He was a special education student at the Ryerson School in Wayne.

Willie will always be remembered as a “Very Special Angel”. His presence caused others to better understand how precious life is and what a wonderful gift they have with their health and well being.

Surviving are his parents Brian and Judi (nee Pine) Cooke; his brother Brian Delabarrera of Wayne; one sister Jennifer Jones of Piscataway; his Maternal Grandparents Leonard and Sondra Pine of Wayne; his Paternal Grandparents William and Edith Cooke of Wayne; his very special and loving care giver was Gloria Morales; also surviving are many aunts and uncles and twenty-one cousins.

Those planning an expression of sympathy, in Willie’s memory, are asked to consider The Wayne Foundation for the Handicapped, 30 Woodridge Terrace, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Regina Sadrzak, age 85 of Pompton Lakes died in the early morning hour of Thursday, October 25, 2012.

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Regina was the second of five children born in Czyzew, Poland to Karol and Zofia (nee Rodziewicz) Mazur. Until the age of fourteen, her childhood could have been described as quite normal. But in 1941 Regina’s life and the life of her family changed dramatically. World War II had begun and one day, Russian forces invaded her home sending Regina and other family members to Siberia where she remained until the war ended. While in Siberia she worked as a lab technician at a sugar refinery testing sugar levels in water given to war prisoners as a minimal means of nutrition. Conditions were very difficult and food was scarce. Regina and other prisoners would actually scrape bark off trees, ground it up to make pancakes and eat potatoes left in the field after harvest. The war ended and Regina returned home to Poland but she quickly experienced another tragic event in her and her family’s lives; her father had been helping Jewish survivors change their names to protect them, He got caught and was promptly executed in front of Regina’s sister by an underground faction that still had allegiance to the Nazi’s.

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Following the war, at age nineteen, Regina went to school and received her high school diploma. She met Jan Sadrzak who was stationed in her town as a soldier in the Polish Army. They married in 1949 and soon after, Eva, their beautiful baby girl was welcomed into the world. Regina focused all her attention on caring for Eva and being a homemaker.

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With hopes for a better future, Regina and Eva emigrated to the United States in 1964. They quickly settled in Clifton and Regina took a position as a seamstress with Gramercy Mills, also located in Clifton. She remained there for twenty years, providing for herself and Eva.

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In 1971, Regina proudly witnessed the marriage of her daughter to Andrew Wojciechowski. The newlyweds settled in Pompton Lakes in 1979 and welcomed Mom to live with them. She took a position as an inspector with Boston Scientific Corporation – a manufacturer of artificial veins for heart patients, and worked there from 1985 to 2002. She continued to be a resident of Pompton Lakes until her passing.

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In her leisure, Regina enjoyed reading as well as knitting and crocheting beautiful sweaters, scarves, and blankets for her family and friends. She also enjoyed making her famous potato pancakes, delicious cheese crepes and pierogis which her family adored her for. It’s not that these recipes were anything special in and of themselves. It was just the special touch that Regina had for making them taste great and impossible to duplicate! She was also a bit of a brewmaster. Everyone loved a unique drink she made from Guinness Stout, Everclear and vanilla – Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

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Regina will be remembered by her family and many friends as an independent, outgoing, friendly woman who was always cheerful and who always smiled.

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Surviving is her dear daughter Eva and husband Andrew Wojciechowski of Pompton Lakes; her two grandsons: Paul Wojciechowski and wife Randi and Tom Wojciechowski; her three great-grandchildren: Justin, Kyle and Amy; her two sisters: Halina Sebastian of Maplewood and Irena Skjoldager and husband Mogens of Denmark, and her niece Maja

William “Bill” James Mitton, Jr. age 84, a resident of Pownal, VT and formerly of Totowa, died on Sunday, September 6, 2015.

Born in Paterson in 1930, Bill was the son of the late William James, Sr. and Anna (nee Jacyssin) Mitton. Following high school graduation in 1948, he promptly went to work as an electrician’s helper with Morrison Machine Company in Paterson. His career with Morrison Machine was temporarily interrupted in 1951 as he was drafted by the U.S. Marine Corps. He proudly served during the Korean War era until 1953 when he returned home and married Carolyn, his loving wife of sixty-one years. His job at Morrison Machine was waiting for him when Bill came home from military service and he worked for a total of fifty years, retiring from the sales department at Morrison Machine Company’s successor – Morrison-Berkshire in North Adams, MA. During his career Bill also attended Newark College of Engineering. He and his family moved from their home in Totowa to Pownal, VT in 1986.

Bill was a Boy Scout leader for twenty years, in all levels of Scouting. He enjoyed woodworking, camping, shooting sports, and gardening. A former stock car driver, he always maintained an interest in cars.

Surviving is his beloved wife of sixty-one years, Carolyn; his son Daniel Mitton, Sr. of Las Vegas, NV, and daughter Nancy Mitton of Pownal, VT; his nephew Marinus Hook who resided with the family; two grandsons: Daniel Mitton, Jr. and Christopher Mitton, both of Illinois; four great-grandchildren: Daniel, III, Lincoln, Mason and Morgan; two sisters: AnnaMay Goldberg of Pequannock and Jean Hook of Wayne; his niece Lauren and nephews: Joseph, David and Mark. He was predeceased by his brother Jack Mitton.

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 or the The American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005.

Winifred “Sue” Gutowski, age 77, of Wayne, died peacefully in the evening of Monday, April 13, 2015.

When preparing this "life story" of my mother I thought about her life. She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She was so many things to so many people. She was born in Wilkes Barre, PA, the youngest daughter of Winifred Conahan. Her brother George was the oldest, followed by her brother Robert. They all lived in New York City for a time. As a single parent it was difficult for my grandmother so she sent my mother and Robert to live with a friend of a friend in Worcester, MA. My grandmother would visit occasionally, however she was raised by a lovely woman and her husband until she was 16 and then returned to New York City, where she graduated high school in 1955.

Even in New York City, the big metropolis that it was, neighborhoods naturally formed. My mother was extremely shy and had led a pretty sheltered life. That was until she met my father, her future husband Bill Gutowski, and he charmed her with a smile as big as “The Big Apple” itself. At the time they met, mom was still in high school and dad was working at this point. Instead of taking her to the high school prom, he took her to a local night club! Their courtship was brief as they married on Saturday, December 1, 1956 at St. Stephen’s Church in Manhattan. This was the same day that Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” was the number one song on the charts for the fifth week in a row. Following the wedding, they took a brief honeymoon at Niagara Falls, and then settled into their life in New York City.

As a young married couple, Mom and Dad regularly enjoyed good times at New York City night clubs – their favorite being The Copacabana. There they saw such famous entertainers as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin.

In 1957, they were blessed with a daughter (me lol) – Bernadette, and three years later, with another girl – Susan. The family moved to Wayne in 1967 where she remained to the present time. In addition to being a stay at home mom, she served as office manager for two of my father's businesses: Coral Pools of Wayne, and later Coral Limousine Corporation of Wayne. She was also a fantastic mother, I mean the best! With her easy-going, always smiling, positive disposition, our home was the place where family and friends loved to gather. In 1982 I married Joe Solari and she was blessed with two grandsons, William in 1984 and Joseph in 1986. She was the consummate “Kool-Aid” mom and grandma, and the house was always filled with our friends and my children's friends. Her and my father never missed a game or event that the boys had. Bill & Joseph were the boys they never had! Susan married Frank Gorman and moved to have a successful life in real estate in Pennsylvania. Mom, having no real training or experience in the kitchen, was a wonderful cook and held holidays and barbeques all the time. She had a knack of never running out of food. During the summer the pool was constantly the place where friends and family gathered. There was always a pot of coffee on and a cup waiting for you. She had taught me how to be the mother that I am today and for that I am eternally grateful.

My parents had many great years together, traveling all over the world with favorite destinations including Mexico, Italy, Spain, Europe and Aruba. She loved basking in the sun or spending the day going deep sea fishing, one time catching a 110 pound sail fish! She loved cruises as well as going gambling in Atlantic City and Las Vegas where she always played the slots.

She was also a community minded person, and was one of the original founders of the Wayne Boys & Girls Club. She helped getting the cheerleading program started and worked Bingo for years. Whenever there was fundraising going on she was there to lend her support. She made many life-long friends there. My mother always had a pleasant smile that just encouraged you and made you feel good. She not only became a friend, she became like a sister or a mother to anyone that met her. Even during her last months at the nursing facility, she always had a kind word or smile for everyone she met. The staff became her extended family.

She was a loving and supportive wife, mother and grandmother who greatest satisfaction and joy was being with and loving her family and friends.

Unfortunately, like everyone else, she had her share of heartaches. My sister Susan was diagnosed with lung & brain cancer and after fighting the fight for two years lost the battle and passed away in 2010. Then in 2011, she lost her lifelong partner and husband, Bill, and her life was never the same. She was also predeceased by her two brothers: George and Robert Klein.

I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. There is a hole in my heart that I can say for sure will never close. I am sure if you knew her you are saying the same. So please keep thinking of happy times spent with my mother and she will live in our hearts forever..........

Bernadette

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Sue’s name are asked to consider the Wayne Boys & Girls Club, 153 Garside Avenue, Wayne, N.J. 07470.

William J. Parkin, age 90, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Sunday, January 25, 2015.

Born and raised in Paterson, Bill was the oldest of Joseph and Mary Parkin’s three sons. From the time he was a young boy, Bill had a great love for America’s pastime – baseball. His favorite position was catcher and he played on Paterson’s Eastside High School team with Larry Doby, the first African-American player to play Major League Baseball in the American League and the second player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier. After graduating from Eastside High School with the Class of 1942, Bill promptly enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served for four years, during World War II in the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific region, as a member of the Seabee Construction Battalion. For his service to his country Bill was honored with the Asiatic Pacific Medal, the American Theatre Medal, and the Victory Medal, but one of his proudest accomplishments was entertaining wounded soldiers by playing baseball for them.

The war ended in 1946 and Bill returned home. Blessed with a great mind and the experience that he gained from his service in the Navy, Bill went to work as an electrician with ADT Security Services in Paterson. With his father as his foreman, Bill derived great satisfaction from this work and he enjoyed the comradery and family atmosphere that was part of the culture of ADT at the time. After a long career spanning forty-two years, he retired in 1990, but soon found out that full-time retirement wasn’t for him. Six months later he took a job with Pollution Control Industries (PCI) in West Caldwell where he worked as a handyman in the electrical department for approximately eight more years. He loved the work and the flexible hours that afforded him the time to travel or do whatever he wanted.

Bill met his beloved wife Dorothy one day while watching his mother compete in a bowling competition. Dorothy was at the bowling alley with her girlfriends from secretarial school and, recognizing one of those girls, Bill just couldn’t resist the compulsion to walk up and introduce himself to the rest of them. He asked if they came to the bowling alley often and they told him about once a week. The next week, Bill brought some of his friends and, after bowling, they all went to the Amber Lantern, a restaurant behind the bowling alley in Paterson. There was a small dance floor there and that day Bill won Dorothy’s heart with his outstanding dance moves and pleasant, outgoing personality. They eventually married on Saturday, August 23, 1947 at Dorothy’s church, Paterson Avenue Methodist Church in Paterson. After enjoying a reception at The Morningside, known today as the Morningside Florist and Greenhouse on West Broadway in Haledon, they hopped on a Greyhound bus headed for their honeymoon in the Poconos.

After their honeymoon, the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Parkin settled in Paterson in Dorothy’s mother’s house, right next door to their church. During the eight years that they lived there Bill became very active in the ministries of that church. Over the course of the rest of his life he served in many capacities including as a trustee, Sunday School superintendent, youth group leader and all-around handyman. (Bill was very handy and could fix just about anything.) He was a great help to the church in this capacity and was always eager to do what he could to rectify just about any situation that arose. Bill also loved singing in the Church’s choir, and, although he didn’t sing any particular part, he had a beautiful voice and always made a joyful noise! Dorothy was involved in the Church’s Girl Scout group and Bill even served as an honorary Girl Scout leader.

Bill and Dorothy were blessed with three beautiful girls, Pat, Pam, and Penny, and in 1955 they built a new home in Wayne where they have remained to the present time. Throughout all these years, Bill and Dorothy remained active in their church and although the church changed its name to New Birth United Methodist Church, Bill’s love, service, and devotion for it never changed.

Throughout his life Bill kept active in a myriad of ways. After his Navy days, he played for the Chevy Red Sox, a semi-pro baseball team. In that league he played against Hall of Fame New York Yankee pitcher Whitey Ford and in the 1980’s Bill himself was inducted into the Bergen County Baseball Hall of Fame. His entire family was there for the ceremony and it was a proud moment for Bill. When Bill’s playing days were over, his love of baseball manifested itself in coaching. He began his coaching career in Wayne’s Little League teams, and eventually moved up to coaching in the Connie Mack League, where his team won the State Championship. He also had the opportunity to coach his daughter Penny’s softball teams, and eventually coached his grandsons’ little league teams. Bill also loved to play golf. In some respects, he couldn’t wait to retire from ADT so that he could spend more time lowering his score. He lived right near the Passaic County Golf Course and he typically got together with his buddies a couple of times a week to play. In retirement, Bill also took up oil painting. He took classes and soon proved to be a natural. He also became interested in wood-working and he made all kinds of neat things out of wood. His family would see something somewhere that they liked and they would often ask him if he could replicate it. Bill would make some sketches and his finished products were usually as close as what they saw or even better!

Bill was never happier than when all or part of his family was together. He loved to be near the ocean and when the girls were young the family regularly spent summer days at Silver Beach on the Jersey shore. His family recalls how he’d load the car for those trips. It looked like the Beverly Hillbillies’ car, loaded inside and out, with everyone tightly packed inside, including the family’s two dogs. As his family grew and grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, the whole family gathered on Long Beach Island at Barnegat Light. Everyone was impressed with Bill’s great body surfing skills and agreed he was the best – even better than his own grandsons!

When Bill retired from ADT and went to work for PCI, that new job afforded him the freedom to come and go as he pleased. He and Dorothy got to see a lot of the world in those years making trips to the U.K, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, Hawaii, Alaska, Bermuda, and the Canadian Rockies as well as much of the USA, with good friends George and Jessie frequently joining them. Numerous repeated trips were made to Disney World in Florida and, for their 50th wedding anniversary, they got to be the grand marshals in the Disney parade. Bill loved to participate in the life of his grandchildren too. He and Dorothy traveled to Ireland to see granddaughter Becky perform in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, grandson John in his choir tour through France, Germany and Switzerland, and to grandsons Ray and Ryan’s Tusculum College baseball games throughout the South, to name a few.

Bill’s memory will be cherished by all who knew him. He was absolutely loved and adored by everyone. His hunger for life was contagious. He always had a happy disposition and a smile on his face, except when he was not happy with an umpire’s call and even then, it was just meant to keep that umpire in his place. Bill was all about family, friends and traditions. He got excited every year at Christmas because he loved the holiday and the fact that his whole family was gathered together. He adored his beloved wife Dorothy and they enjoyed over 67 years in a blessed marriage.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife Dorothy; his three much-loved daughters: Patricia and husband Joseph Carr of Long Valley, Pamela and husband William Murphy of Livingston, and Penny and husband John Dimmick of Indianapolis, IN; eleven adored grandchildren: Raymond and wife Laura, Ryan and wife Jennifer, Heather and husband Aaron, Rebecca and husband Derek, Rachel and husband Jon, Meghan and husband Chris, Billy, Amanda, John, Sean and Joshua; twelve cherished great-grandchildren: Taylor, Andrew, Will, Jonathan, Timothy, Kaya, Logan, Tanner, Tyler, Jacob, Harper and Molly; and his brother Joseph and wife Gina Higgins of Wyckoff. He was predeceased by his brother John Parkin.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in William’s name are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834, or Hospice of New Jersey, 400 Broadacres Drive, Bloomfield, NJ 07003.

William Patrick Hayes Sr., 93 of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains, died peacefully on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 surrounded by his family. Bill and his wife Gloria had been long term residents of Wayne, NJ and attended Holy Cross Parish.

He was the last surviving of 8 children of Thomas & Mary Hayes of Jersey City. He was the last of a great family of characters who grew up with little but always had rich family lives and a lot of fun. Bill retired as a Jersey City Fire Department Battalion Chief where he trained firemen at the Jersey City Fire Training School. Bill was a WW II veteran and a Staff Sergeant assigned to the B-24 “Draggin Waggin” as an aerial tail gunner for the 449th Bomber Squadron. He served in the air combat campaigns of Naples, Foggia, the Northern Apennines, Rhineland, Rome, Arno and Southern France. The 449th was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its feat in destroying 49 Nazi planes while raining destruction on the rail facilities on Bucharest, Romania. They received the European, African and Middle Eastern service medals. Bill also earned the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters.

Bill and his wife Gloria were long term residents of Wayne NJ and Holy Cross Parish. They spent their later years in Pompton Plains.

He is survived by his wife Gloria, son & daughter-in law William & Mary Hayes of Hopewell, NJ, his daughter and son-in-law Lorene & Robert Bishop of Wayne, NJ, daughter and son-in-law Joan & Mark Reading of Pennington, NJ, 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

Friends wishing to make a donation are asked to do so in memory of Bill's sisters; Marie, Margaret & Veronica, to NAMI Mercer, the National Alliance on Mental Health serving Mercer County, NJ.  Donations can be mailed as follows:  NAMI Mercer, Attn: Team Hayes, 3371 Brunswick Pike, Suite 124, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648 or by visiting; http://www.namimercer.org/support/donate.shtml and under 'special request for donation' write; "Team Hayes: Marie, Margaret & Veronica."

William “Bill” Zisa, age 86, of Wayne passed peacefully on Saturday, November 7, 2015.

He was born in Paterson, in a house across the street from his home at 73 Chestnut Street in Paterson, where a midwife lived and delivered him. Bill had seven sisters all birthed by the midwife, some at home, some at her home. He attended Eastside High School and later Passaic County Technical Institute in Paterson where he learned the mechanic trade.

His first job was as a mechanic at a gas station on Straight Street in Paterson. He went on to work at Teterboro Airport as a mechanic and later he worked at Allied Textile Printers in Paterson as a beamer before being inducted into the US Army. He served from 1948 through 1951 during the Korean War and related to his family that at first he was a radioman but soon found out they were frontline targets. He transferred to an artillery group to increase his odds of survival and found out they were targets just beyond the radioman; he then entered the infantry before being honorably discharged in 1951. After his military service Bill returned to Paterson and found work at Borden Ice Cream as a mechanic. He worked there twelve years before the company moved out of the area. Then Bill and his brother-in-law opened a business, Hi-Grade Cabinet, making cabinetry on Preakness Avenue in Paterson. He returned to his mechanic roots and worked for the Wonder Bread Corporation in Paterson as a diesel mechanic before retiring in 1991.

Bill is best described as a strong, strict person who was honest, fair, and would help just about anyone. His strong, strict persona was maintained raising four boys, but changed dramatically when he was around children. Bill would goof around with them, pull quarters out of their ears, and always had a card trick ready. He also loved Buicks and had several throughout his lifetime. His New York City suburb roots helped form him into a New York Yankee fan but those roots got lost somewhere along the way as he was a steadfast fan of the Dallas Cowboys. He was very proud of his Italian heritage, could speak fluent Italian, had his vegetable garden, and the requisite fig tree. Most of all Bill will be remembered for his strong love and devotion to his family; he was especially proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Many years ago he met a cute girl that was a waitress at the Colonial Tea Room in Paterson. While talking over the car one evening one of Bill’s friends asked her to sit in the car as she was in the way of their conversation. Once seated in the car Bill’s friend closed her door and Bill sped off with Rachael aboard. This thinly veiled attraction in more innocent times, some would call kidnapping today, was their first date. They fell in love and married at Saint Agnes RC Church in Paterson on November 25, 1951 and honeymooned for two days at the Hotel Century in New York City. During their honeymoon Bill got two tickets to see Judy Garland perform at the Palace Theatre. The only problem was the seats were very far apart. Their marriage of sixty-four years was characterized by love, devotion, and family.

Bill was the loving husband of Rachael (Longo) Zisa; devoted father of Carmen Zisa (Beth) of Saint Cloud, FL, William Zisa (Joanne) of Wayne, Anthony Zisa (Nancy) of New Castle, CA, and Joseph (Lisa) Zisa of Wayne; loved beyond words by his cherished grandchildren (Shannon, Sarah, Greg, Jessica, Alyssa, Billy, Nicole, Anthony, Joseph); and great-grandchildren (Colvin, Barrett, Levi, Kaley, Austin, Bianca, Blake, Juliana, Adriana); he was the dear brother of Helen Lendino of Pequannock, Emma DiFerdinando of Tampa, FL, and his late sisters Millie, Josephine, Ann, Mary, and Jennie. He was loved & adored by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Memorial donations to the American Cancer Society NJ Chapter, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 would be appreciated.

Age 53 of Morris Plains, died peacefully at home on Monday, June 1, 2015

William Ward Hofbauer, age 53 of Morris Plains, died peacefully at home on Monday, June 1, 2015 in the arms of his loving wife. He had lived in Wayne for most his life and moved to Morris Plains in 2008 after retiring from the Sheriff’s Department.

Billy was raised in Wayne and sadly lost both of his parents by the time he was six years old. His siblings were adopted into various homes and Billy was adopted by the Hofbauer family. The Hofbauers made every effort to raise Billy as their own son and he was also fortunate that most of his natural siblings lived close by. He graduated from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne and then earned his degree from St. Joseph's College in Indiana. Upon returning home, he joined the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department. He was trained as part of the Special Response Search and Rescue Team, he was assigned a K-9 for a number of years, and he served as Tour Commander at the county jail. He retired as a Captain in 2008 after serving for twenty seven years. He was also a proud member of the Emerald Society.

Billy was a very kind, caring, selfless individual. He was one of those people who would help anyone in need and he even volunteered to counsel people who found themselves headed to jail. He had a great sense of humor, loved to joke around and was always fun to be with. He was a wonderful dad to his children and tried his best to be at all their sporting events and activities. He loved to vacation in the Caribbean and had been to the Riviera Maya in Mexico three times. Ironically, he didn’t like the beach, the sand, or the salt water. He was all about the pool and would seek out the resorts with the best pool atmosphere. Billy was a great cook and loved to grill.  One of his best recipes was a stuffed chicken breast with asparagus.

Billy met his wife Denise (nee Turkmany) through a mutual friend. She was taken in by his smile, wit and great sense of humor. The two of them enjoyed the Caribbean and Long Beach Island together and made many wonderful memories. She will miss him dearly.

Billy is survived by his beloved wife Denise of Morris Plains, his two children; Rachel Hofbauer and Billy Hofbauer of Wayne, his siblings; Michael Ward and his wife Loretta of Pompton Lakes, Kathy Warren and her husband Rick of Wayne, Charles “Chuck” Ward and his wife Karen of Pompton Lakes, Bobby Ward Casey of Texas, Tom Hofbauer of Morris Plains, Maggie Killackey of Wayne, and Peter Hofbauer and his wife Denise of Kinnelon. He was predeceased by his father;  Thomas Hofbauer in 2013 and his mother; Margaret “Margot” Hofbauer in 2012.

Billy was always fond of the work done at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If friends would like to make a donation in his memory, please consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 www.stjude.org.

William G. Pharo, age 93 of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

He was born and raised in Lyndhurst and was a graduate of Lyndhurst High School. Bill went on to study further at Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology) where he received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After college, Bill enlisted into the U.S. Army Air Corp. Reporting for active duty on December 31, 1942. He proudly served his country during the height of World War II, primarily in the Aleutian Islands off of the west coast of Alaska where, as a meteorologist, his job was to run missions over the Pacific Ocean to assess if weather conditions were favorable for flying bombing campaigns over enemy territory. Attaining the rank of Captain, Bill served until being honorably discharged in May of 1946. He continued to serve as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves until 1962. For his bravery and valor Bill was decorated with the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and was authorized four overseas service bars.

Upon his return home from military service, Bill began dating a beautiful girl named Margaret “Peggy” Parks who was also from Lyndhurst. She was a few years younger than him and they knew of each other from high school days. They fell in love and were married on Saturday, November 1, 1947. Continuing to live in Lyndhurst, Bill and Peggy began married life and soon were blessed with a baby boy which they named William, Jr. Meanwhile, Bill began what would become a thirty-eight year career as a mechanical engineer with what started out as Western Electric and which, over the years became AT&T Technologies and finally Lucent Technologies. His job had him bouncing between Kearny, Newark and New York City but he loved it and was very proud of the fact that he spent his whole professional career with one company. In the early days of his career Bill was also proud that he got to take several trips to Japan to help rebuild the telecommunications infrastructure after the war.

In 1954, Bill, Peggy and William, Jr. moved to Wayne. A few years later he and Peggy welcomed another baby boy which they named John. As the boys grew, Bill got involved with the Wayne Little League and Wayne P.A.L., so he could coach his sons baseball teams. He was active in other aspects of town life too including serving on the Wayne Board of Education and for many years offering his professional expertise by serving on the Wayne Planning Board. Upon retirement, Bill got involved at the Wayne Adult Community Center where he loved to play a good game of bridge and enjoy the camaraderie of the other members. Eventually Bill became an officer serving for a long time as treasurer and membership chairman. Bill remained in Wayne for the rest of his life – a total of sixty-one years altogether.

One of Bill’s greatest pursuits was loving and caring for his wife, sons and grandchildren. He had the privilege of taking all of them on a trip to Orlando and Disney World for their 50th wedding anniversary on Disney World’s 25th birthday, and the welcome mat was always out at the house he and Peggy owned for years in Toms River. When family visited he really enjoyed taking them water skiing or just for a ride in his twenty-three foot Sport-Craft motor boat. Located in a beautiful private lagoon, that house was one of Bill’s favorite places to relax. When he was home in Wayne, Bill and Peggy’s pool was frequently the place where family and friends gathered for summer fun. Bill and Peggy loved to entertain and they made a great team. She was a great hostess and Bill was the great organizer. They enjoyed fifty-nine years in a strong, devoted and wonderful marriage relationship until God called Peggy home in 2006.

Bill will be remembered as an intense, intelligent, passionate and generous man. He held everyone he met to a high standard, always giving his best in all that he pursued and expecting the same from others in return. He loved a good cigar but only when he was at work. Peg wouldn’t let him smoke at home.

Bill was the loving father of William G. Pharo Jr. and his wife Susan of Centennial, CO, and John G. Pharo and his wife Judy of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Patrick and wife Patricia, Tyler, Kristie, Kelly, Lindsay, and Beth and husband Riad; adored great-grandfather of Sloane, William “Muni”, and Murugan; dear brother of Ruth Fabrizi of San Marcos, CA. Bill was predeceased by his beloved wife Margaret “Peggy” Pharo (nee Parks) in 2006.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in William’s name are asked to consider the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, 475 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960.

William “Bill” J. Makinson age 83 of Wayne passed peacefully on Thursday, March 26, 2015.

He was born on the 4th of July, 1931 to George and Margaret Makinson. The family including his older brother Georgie moved from Newark, New Jersey to the Mountain View section of Wayne in 1947.

As a young man Bill enlisted in the United States Navy and learned about refrigeration repair while in the Navy. The education in refrigeration he got with the Navy helped him get a job with the Sears Department Store and in 1967 that instruction helped him start his own business “Bills Appliance Service” in Wayne. This company has been servicing appliances in Wayne and surrounding communities for the past forty-eight years. This is a true “mom and pop” company as Bill and his wife Shirley ran it together all those years and it is still in operation today with Shirley at the helm. Many men, and women for that matter, would not want to live and work with their spouse all day long, but Bill and Shirley relied on each other and Bill even told his granddaughter recently “I can’t stand a day apart from grandma.” Not only did Bill and Shirley live and work together but they even enjoyed playing in bands together. Bill started out playing the trumpet, then the saxophone, the organ and eventually played guitar. He also sang in the bands. His wife followed suit and played bass and guitar in several of the bands. Some of the bands they played in were Gary D and Friends, and Split Image.

As mentioned earlier Bill was a United States Navy Veteran of the Korean War. He was at sea on the destroyer R.A. Owens 827 for 6 years. The Navy not only taught him refrigeration, but they also showed him the world including stays in Cuba, the French Riviera, Italy, Algiers, Gibralter, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti and Panama.

Bill and Shirley met through friends and spent their first date in the “passion pit” (Shirley’s words, not mine) at the drive-in movies where they went to see Love Is A Many Splendored Thing. This movie came on the television some fifty-two years later and Bill and Shirley actually sat and watched it this time around. They married in Wayne on May 19, 1956 and honeymooned at the Jersey Shore is Asbury Park.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of fifty-nine years Shirley Makinson; devoted father of Debra Yetman of Wayne, and Cheryl Makinson of Point Pleasant; cherished grandfather of Christine Yetman and Nicolette; he was the much loved uncle to many nieces and nephews. Bill was predeceased by his brother George Makinson.

Theresa F. Levenelm (nee Diekhaus), age 88 of Wayne, died on Thursday, October 15, 2015. She had been a resident of Wayne since 2009.

Terry grew up in Hudson County, having lived in Union City, Jersey City, and Secaucus. After marrying her first husband, Edward J. Smith, Sr. in 1959, they settled in Nutley, NJ to raise a family. Sadly, Ed passed away in 1978 at just fifty one years of age and Terry began working to support her family. She met Al Levenelm, an architect, and in 1988 they married. They settled on a small farm in Lafayette, enjoying a very loving a devoted marriage to one another. Al was truly a blessing to Terry, and he lifted her out of the sadness she had known since losing her first husband. Al was simply a wonderful guy; kind, humble, friendly, and genuine. Together, they had a very special love affair and he was her “knight in shining armor.” It was a devastating blow when Al was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease but Terry stood by his side and cared for him at home as long as she could. When he went into a nursing home, Terry was there for him nearly every single day until his passing in 2005. Losing Al was traumatic, but Terry relied on her steadfast faith in Christ, and her love for the Catholic Church, to help her to carry on.

Terry was an incredible mom, although perhaps a bit strict, and there was no question that she ruled the roost in her household. She was very creative, loved to decorate, and she could sew quite well. She made many of the clothes for her children and was a wiz at altering hand-me-downs. Being a grandmother was among her greatest joy and spending time with her grandchildren was always special for her. Just one year ago she was blessed with her first great-grandchild and seeing Isabella made her very happy. She will be dearly missed by all of her family and friends.

Terry is survived by her children; Regina Graziadio and her husband Vincent of Ringwood, NJ, Edward J. Smith and his wife Kelly of New Providence, NJ, and Christopher Smith of Monmouth Junction, NJ, five grandchildren; Christina Kramer and her husband Jason of Ewing, NJ, Joseph Mancuso and his wife Alexandra of Lawrenceville, NJ, Christopher Smith, Jr. of Westfield, NJ, Samantha Smith of Westfield, NJ, Sara Smith of New Providence, NJ, and one great-granddaughter; Isabella Grace Mancuso of Lawrenceville, NJ, and she is also survived by her two sisters; Regina Schick of Carlstadt, NJ and Barbara Ketterer of Wayne, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her first husband, Edward J. Smith, Sr., in 1978 and by her second husband, Albert Levenelm, in 2005.

William G. Broekamp, age 87 of Wayne, passed peacefully on Tuesday, October 6, 2015.

Bill was born in Passaic, the middle child of Michael William and Anna Broekamp’s three children. He grew up in Passaic and, following graduation from Clifton High School in 1946, he voluntarily joined the U.S. Army at the age of nineteen. He proudly served in Japan during World War II and, upon his return to the states in 1947 he was decorated with the World War II Victory Medal and Army of Occupation Medal.

As a parishioner in St. Brendan’s R.C. Church in Clifton, Bill caught the eye of a young lady named Maria Campisi. She would usually see him coming out of church after the 8:00 AM Mass as she was coming to church for the next scheduled Mass. One day Maria asked Father Rugel who this young man might be. Maria remembers that Father Rugel told her who Bill was and then he offered to shoot an arrow through Bill’s heart for her. The word must have somehow gotten back to Bill that Maria was interested in getting to know him better. One day as she was leaving the church after confession, Bill pulled up in his car and beckoned to Maria by honking his horn. They talked for some time and then Bill invited Maria to a show. That was their first date together. The following Valentine’s Day it appeared that Father Rugel’s love arrow must have hit its target as Bill proudly presented Maria with some delicious dark chocolate. It turned out that Maria didn’t like dark chocolate but she sure did like Bill’s friendly, engaging personality and, of course, good looks. They continued to date which led to marriage at St. Brendan’s Church on Saturday, October 6, 1956. After the ceremony they celebrated with a reception at the Swiss Chalet in Rochelle Park, and then honeymooned through the New England States in route to Niagara Falls in Canada. After the honeymoon they settled into their house in Wayne – the same home they shared all of their married life together. Bill and Maria would have celebrated their fifty-ninth anniversary today!

During those early years, Bill and Maria were blessed with four beautiful girls. Bill took his role of providing for them very seriously. His initial worked for Dumont Manufacturing and Tungsoll Corp but both of those companies eventually closed their doors. Then Bill went to work for Westinghouse Lamp Manufacturing Corporation in Bloomfield. Westinghouse was bought out by Philips Corporation in 1984. This time Bill was given a choice; lose his job or move to Lewiston, Maine. With his girls old enough to take care of themselves, Bill and Maria moved to Maine where Bill worked for Philips Corp. from 1985 until retirement in 1990. Philips wanted him to stay but Bill and Maria wanted to go home to be with their daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. Despite choosing retirement, Bill loved his years with Westinghouse and Philips. He always found a way to weave his work years into a conversation and he always enjoyed the reunion luncheons that were held in Somerset once a year.

Bill was a man of many talents, one of which was working with wood. Throughout the years, he made many things out of wood including toys, trains, doll houses, bird houses, and furniture such as cradles, changing tables, and even a television cabinet. He also loved to spend time outdoors in his garden. He grew the usual variety of vegetables as well as flowers from seed because he always liked a burst of color around his house. His daughter Joanne lived next door and she loved to feed the deer and other four-legged creatures. Unfortunately, after dinning at Joanne’s, those animals often headed right over to Bill’s garden for a desert of vegetables and flowers! This drove Bill a little bit crazy.

Soon after Bill and Maria moved to Wayne, they learned about a new church that was going to be built. That church was the Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church on Valley Road. They were founding members and Bill faithfully served for over thirty-three years as a church trustee. In fact he was presently serving on the board of trustees and he also ushered for countless years at both the 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM masses. His church was like a second home to Bill and he treated it as well as his own home. If he saw something that needed to be fixed, he would just go ahead and fix it. The humble man he was, Bill never sought any glory for his handiwork and consequently never told anyone when he fixed something.

Bill absolutely adored his grandchildren. When they were little, he’d play a simple game with them that he invented. He called the game Bucket Ball and it simply consisted of taking a Wiffleball and throwing into a bucket for points. He really made it a big deal for his grandkids and he’d play it with them in his basement for hours. Sometime he’d take it to a new level requiring that the kids throw the ball off the deck and into the bucket. Blessed to retire at the young age of sixty-two, Bill was always at Our Lady of the Valley School, along with all the other kid’s moms, to pick up his grandkids after school. Bill loved sports and was always at his grandchildren’s sporting events to see them compete. It’s not surprising that Bill got along so well with his grandkids. His own daughters have fond memories of what a great dad Bill was when they were growing up too. He was always out there in the street by his house with his daughters and the other kids in the neighborhood organizing ball games, and he always made it to their sporting events too.

To know Bill was to love him. He could fix anything, had a great sense of humor, and he was smart. You could say that he knew a lot about a lot! He chose to live a simple life in service to God, his family, friends, and church. He was a great example to his kids and a great friend to his wife of fifty-nine years. Other than a trip to Italy where his job with Dumont called him to be once for eleven months, Bill and Maria didn’t do a lot of traveling. They did enjoy going to Long Beach Island in October after all the summer tourist had left. There they enjoyed simple walks on the beach and just being together, enjoying each other’s friendship.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife Maria (nee Campisi); dear daughters: Judy Gorski and husband Ken of Wayne, Joanne Broekamp Hall and husband Dave of Wayne, and Eileen Sweeney and husband Mike of Wayne; son-in-law Henry Vala of Beufort, SC; cherished grandchildren: Brianne, Kelsey, Katie, Michael, Billy and Olivia; and dear sisters: Helen Purn of Pequannock and Lois Martin of Clifton. He was predeceased by his dear daughter Denise Vala in 2013 and his dear granddaughter Maddie in 1996.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Bill’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, or to Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, (Office of Development), 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607 www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

Victoria Sisti, “Vickie”, (nee Guarini), age 91, of Wayne passed peacefully on Thursday, March 26, 2015 at Hospice of New Jersey in Wayne.

She was born in New York City, and as a child her parents moved to Paterson, NJ. Victoria spent her childhood in Paterson, graduating from Eastside High School with the Class of 1941. She moved to Wayne after her marriage to William Sisti and has resided there for the past 55 years.

Victoria was gifted with a special motherly dedication that she applied to her children and later the great joys of being a very special grandmother. She loved life and having people around her and was gifted with a good and positive spirit in all her life sharing situations.

Vickie, had a special and sincere dedication to her Roman Catholic faith. She was a founding parishioner of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC Church in Wayne. At Annunciation Church, Vickie served on the Pastoral Council, as an Eucharistic Minister and was a longtime dedicated teacher of CCD. She was also involved in the Prime Timers, the church Choir and the Women’s Bible Study Group. Vicky made Baptismal bibs for the church as well.

She worked many year for the Wayne Board of Education and was previously employed at Meyer Brothers Department Store in Paterson as a fashion accessory buyer.

Surviving are her two dear children: William Sisti of Oakland, and Mary Jo and her husband Raymond D’Alessio Jr. of Cypress, TX; three adored grandchildren: William John and wife Elizabeth Sisti of Morristown; Damara and husband Steven Toohey of Portsmouth, RI, and Raymond D’Alessio III of Cypress, TX; her dear sister: Angela Sereno of Wayne; her sister-in-law Pearl Guarini of Oakland; and many nieces and nephews.

Vickie was predeceased by her beloved husband William in 2007 and her daughter-in-law Elisa Sisti in 2011; five siblings also died earlier including Antoinette Colacurci, Dolores Guarini, Rachael Terraneo, Joseph Guarini, and Catherine Altieri.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Victoria’s name are asked to consider the Eva’s Village, 393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07501.

William C. Bell, Sr., age 82 of Wayne, died suddenly at home on Monday, March 16, 2015. He had been a Wayne resident for the past thirty four years.

Bill was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. He joined the U.S. Navy right out of high school, serving for four years during the Korean War on the USS Arcadia. Among the most enjoyable aspects of his service in the Navy was singing in the Blue Jacket Choir. Bill met his wife Dorothy Dring during his time in the Navy. They married on June 12, 1954. He was honorably discharged in 1955.

Following the Navy, he attended New York University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1962. While working full-time, he completed his degree in less than four years. He started working for M.W. Kellogg and thus began a lifelong career specializing in human resource management. He was passionate about his job as he loved working with people and finding the right person for the job. Through the years, he worked for many firms such as EBASCO, Boise-Cascade, Holiday Inn, Sanderson & Porter, as well as his own firm; Bell Associates.

Bill’s family was his greatest asset. He and his wife and children enjoyed spending time together and doing many recreational activities. While living in Idaho and California, they enjoyed hiking, visiting the national parks, and skiing, which quickly became a favorite winter activity for them all. He also loved canoeing down the Delaware River, trips to the Jersey shore and boardwalk and fireworks displays. He also showed his adventurous side by trying activities like parasailing just a few years ago and he even tried waterskiing!

Bill also had a passion for gardening, reading, and sports including baseball and figure skating. He was an avid animal lover especially for his beloved Mickey, a playful Boston Terrier pup. He was also active with his church, St. Timothy’s Lutheran in Wayne, for many years. He was part of the Monday morning crew, the church council, and he participated in the choir on occasion. Bill was a true ‘family man’ who simply enjoyed spending time with family and his friends in the community. He was a wonderful husband, loving father and grandfather. Bill will be deeply missed by all.

Bill is survived by his wife of sixty years, Dorothy of Wayne, by his son; William, Jr. and his wife Maida of Manasquan, NJ, and by his daughter Melissa Westaway and her husband Adam of Chelmsford, MA, six grandchildren; Karl and Philip Jakowitsch of Wayne, Amanda and PJ Holmsten of Chelmsford, MA, and Tyler and Ethan Westaway of Chelmsford, MA, and by one sister; Lorraine Thomas of Jackson, TN. Sadly, Bill was predeceased by his daughter Aimee Jakowitsch in 1999, and by his sister Juanita Cross of Ohio.

Wanda Signoretti (nee Soda), age 101 of West Milford, NJ and formerly of Ridgefield, NJ, died on Saturday, August 22, 2015. She had lived in Ridgefield for more than sixty years before moving to West Milford in 2004.

Wanda grew up in Seymour, Connecticut and after marrying in 1938, the newlyweds moved to Oradell, NJ. World War II soon interrupted their plans, as it did for so many others, and her husband Arthur prepared to ship off to war. They had just sold their home in anticipation of his departure when a stroke of luck came their way. Arthur was spared by the military because, as a skilled tool and die maker, he was deemed to be more valuable to the war effort by working in manufacturing here at home. Since he didn’t have to leave, they bought a new home in Ridgefield and settled down to raise their family. She had been actively involved at St. James Episcopal Church in Ridgefield for decades, and she was a fifty year member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Wanda loved her home in Ridgefield and she toiled endlessly in their garden. She was often outdoors keeping the yard nice and all the plants well pruned. On a few occasions, she cut the rose bushes back so far that everyone thought the roses would never come back. But she had a knack for it, and they came back heartier each season! She was also a wonderful cook and baker, sharing delicious (and memorable) homemade meals and deserts with her family for decades. In fact, when she became involved with the Senior Center in Ridgefield, she soon became known as the one who made all their food taste better! She was an active member of the Senior Center and volunteered as Chairperson for many of the social events they hosted, including monthly trips to Atlantic City casinos. She made many dear friends while involved with the Senior Center, with whom she shared many fond memories.

Wanda was a strong willed, independent, and determined woman. She remained spry, happy, and perpetually optimistic throughout the years. After losing her husband Arthur in 2002, she moved to West Milford to be closer to her grandchildren. Even into her 90’s, she wouldn’t hesitate to get down on the floor to color or simply play with her great-grandchildren. She attended many of their sporting events, cheering from the sidelines, rooting the children on! She always looked forward to those visits and spending time with the ones she loved. They will all miss her dearly.

Wanda is survived by her loving son; Barry Signoretti and his wife Carmen of San Jose, CA, three grandchildren; Jim Signoretti and his wife Robyn of Hewitt, NJ, Nicole Conforti and her husband Biagio of Wayne, NJ, and Christina Signoretti and her fiancé Brett of Fayetteville, NC, and four great-grandchildren; Matthew and Samantha Conforti of Wayne, NJ, and Kenneth and Ashley Signoretti of Hewitt, NJ. Wanda was predeceased by her husband Arthur in 2002, by her son Kenneth in 1984, and by all three of her siblings; Josephine Uleski, Edward Soda and John Soda.

Walter A. Markley II, age 66 of Riverdale passed peacefully at home on Thursday, April 2, 2015.

He was born in Nyack, New York to Walter and Mary Thelma Markley. Raised in Dumont, New Jersey he graduated from Dumont High School with the Class of 1968. Walter received his Registered Pharmacist Certification from Rutgers University in 1974.

He started his career with Saint Michaels Medical Center in Newark where he was Chief of Pharmacy until he left for Chilton Memorial Hospital in 1983. Walter worked proudly at Chilton for thirty years before retiring a few years ago. Walter loved his work and the satisfaction of helping others. He was very social, could talk to anyone about anything, was a joy to be around, and always had a quick joke.

Walter enjoyed his retirement and would often relax in his yard while looking at the mountain behind his home and building large fires in his outdoor fireplace. Walter was a coffee fanatic and everyone in the family kept a black mug on hand just for him because he swore that coffee tasted best in a black mug. He will be remembered as a loving and devoted son, husband, father, and “Papa” to his grandchildren. Walter loved his grandchildren and enjoyed babysitting them, playing board games. He always played the “bad guy” in their role plays.

Walter met Diane at the graduation party of a pharmacy school friend who happened to be Diane’s neighbor. Diane’s mother—who had a knack for setting up her kids—had heard about Walter and made sure that Diane was in attendance. The matchmaking worked and Walter asked Diane out on a date. Although she declined at first, Walter was persistent and two weeks later Diane agreed to go out. Their first date was at the Crystal Bay in Wayne. Diane’s cheeks hurt from laughing so much on that first date. After a short time, Walter told Diane that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He would drive up often from school in his father’s VW Beetle. The car had giant holes in the floorboards and windshield wipers that didn’t work. Diane remembers Walter reaching out the window and using his forearm to swipe it in the rain. They soon fell deeply in love. Diane and Walter married on July 27, 1974, at Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne with Reverend Monsignor James Rugel officiating. When Walter began to cry at the altar, the Monsignor reached under his robes and produced a handkerchief that Walter treasured for many years. They honeymooned at a cabin in Vernon for a week and loved each other deeply, and as best friends, for 40 years. Walter was happiest relaxing in his yard, vacationing on Cape Cod and anytime he was around his family.

Walter was the loving husband of Diane; devoted father of Brian Thomas Markley and his wife Colleen of Chatham, Jonathan Christian Markley and his wife Rebecca of Kinnelon, and Daniel James Markley and his wife Katherine of Tewksbury; cherished grandfather of Alex, Katie, Christian, Channing and Nora Markley; dear brother of Fran Dheering and her husband Craig of Golden, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Chilton Medical Center Foundation would be appreciated.

Tom Welts, age 47 originally from, and a life-long resident, of Clifton was taken from his friends and family suddenly and unexpectedly on January 9, 2015.

Tom graduated from Clifton High School in 1985, and attended William Paterson College where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He worked in construction as a General Contractor for many years and was the founder and owner of TW Construction. His construction skills were actually developed at an early age out of necessity, helping his mom and siblings fix various things around their home.

Tom caught the “Music Bug” early in his childhood. He started playing the trombone in the 5th grade. With much talent and practice he would later become a member of the NJ Junior High School All-State Orchestra in the early 1980’s. Shortly after he started learning to play the trombone, his family bought him his first guitar. Not long after that, his mother took him to see his first rock concert, and the band he saw was Kiss. Tom was mesmerized, and for the rest of his life he dedicated a great portion of his time and efforts to honing his guitar skills.

Soon after his graduation from Clifton High School he moved to Chicago, where he lived for about 2 years. Living there led him to acquire a great love and interest in a genre of music called The Blues. Blues artists had a great influence on Tom’s guitar playing. Not long after Tom came back to live in New Jersey, he formed a band called Gypsy Blue. This was something he took great pride in his entire life. Throughout the years Tom broadened his musical tastes, influences and guitar skills as well. He wrote a variety of original musical compositions by himself and with his band-mates, including songs and instrumental pieces, many of which have never been published.

Tom’s friends and family remember him as extremely generous and giving with people, whether they were his friends or family. He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back at a moment’s notice and wouldn't think twice about it. He was always quick to offer his help and his advice, and could always be heard to say after every few statements, “I’m Just Sayin!” Not only did Tom have the gift of composing and playing music, he had the gift of creating countless life-long friendships with almost everyone he met. Tom truly had a deep caring and concern for everyone in his life. Tom touched the lives of countless people and he will be sincerely missed by his friends and family alike.

Tom is survived by his brother George Reimonn and his wife Jeanne of Hopkinton, MA; his sister Katalin Reimonn of Cheboygan, MI; 3 nephews Thomas, Patrick, and Greg.

Thomas E. Triolo, age 72 of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, February 21, 2015, with his daughters at his bedside after fighting a courageous battle with cancer

Tom was a beautician for nearly forty years. He owned and operated the “Hair Designers” salon on Livingston Rd. in Clifton for thirty years before selling it in 2004. He absolutely loved his career and he continued working at the salon for ten more years after selling it.

Growing up in Rochelle Park, Tom’s father sold beauty supplies and hair product. At an early age, Tom learned that women loved to look and feel beautiful and he went off to beautician school, learning how to do it all. Throughout his career, nothing brought him more joy than making countless people feel beautiful and happy. Buying his own salon in 1975 was a big step and his wife Lorraine joined him as the receptionist and bookkeeper. Tom loved his clients and made a concerted effort to truly get to know them. He not only knew all their names, but their spouses name, their children’s names, grandchildren, pets, favorite color, and just about everything else! He had an amazing memory, sure, but he genuinely cared about people and was sincerely interested in getting to know them all. He was compassionate and often made house calls, even a few hospital calls, to clients who just couldn’t make it in to the salon, because he knew just how important it was for them to feel good about how they looked. His clients were meant so much to him and he truly loved them all like they were family.

Tom met his wife Lorraine (nee Adobody) when she entered his salon, looking to get her hair done for an upcoming wedding. For Tom, it was love at first sight. After making her look beautiful, he asked her out on a date, right then and there. They went out for dinner to the China Paradise in Wayne and that first date lasted until 4 AM. They were each smitten and marriage came on April 18, 1971. They enjoyed thirty three years together until her passing in 2005.

Tom loved to golf as often as he could and he didn’t necessarily have a favorite course; anywhere he could golf was perfect for him. Of course, spending some time in the casino at Atlantic City or Mr. Airy was a close second as far as favorites go. He loved card games, especially when his friends would gather at his home and they would play into the wee hours of the night. Tom was devoted member of the Passaic Valley Chapter of UNICO National and he credits his fellow members with helping him through his grief after the loss of his wife Lorraine in 2004. His friends there were some of the best people he could have hoped to have around him a time like that and he is forever grateful to each of them for their love and loyalty to him. Tom was also a charter member of the Coccia Foundation of Saddle Brook, dedicated to preserving Italian culture here in the U.S. and to say that Tom was a proud Italian would be a serious understatement.

Tom’s grandchildren also meant the world to him. They too are credited with helping through the tragic loss of his love, Lorraine. He poured his heart into those kids and was involved with them on a daily basis. He made every game, every practice, every party, every birthday. He was one of the loudest voices on the sidelines, cheering on his grandchildren at their games! He got to know all the other kids too, and their parents, and would cheer for each of the kids by name. Many of his grandchildren’s friends got to know him as “Tom” and they loved having him there at their games. He just loved being around the kids, and the energy that they all gave him could never be found anywhere else.

Tom is survived by his loving daughters; Kimberley Wilderson and her husband Duane of Wayne, Michele Murray and her husband Bryan of Pompton Plains, four grandchildren; Matthew and Nicholas Wilderson of Wayne, and Aidan and Colin Murray of Pompton Plains, his mother-in-law; Regina Adobody of Ridgefield Park, his dear cousin; Marilyn Bongiorno of Garfield, his sister-in-law; Helen Triolo of Basking Ridge, as well as his nieces, nephews and many dear friends. He was predeceased by his loving wife Lorraine in 2005, by his brother Joseph Triolo of Basking Ridge in 2002, and by his parents; Mario and Josephine Triolo.

Memorial donations in Tom’s memory would be greatly appreciated to Passaic Valley UNICO, PO Box 341, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or to the Coccia Foundation, 23 Leswing Avenue, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663.

Steven William Schoenfeld, 91 of Ponte Vedra Beach passed away Friday, August 21, at Memorial Hospital- Jacksonville. The world lost a wonderful, philanthropic and charming man that night.

Mourning his loss are his son Robert “Bob” Schoenfeld (Susan Brubaker) of Ponte Vedra Beach, one brother, George Schoenfeld (Toby) of Cresskill, NJ and 2 grandchildren Robert and Claire Schoenfeld of Jax. He was preceded in death by his wife Elaine, brother Miklos, and sister Shari Politzer.

Steven was born Sept. 26, 1923 to Andor and Maria Scheibel Schoenfeld in Budapest, Hungary. After he survived the Holocaust, being liberated from Dachau Concentration Camp, he came to the United States, first to Detroit where he worked for Nabisco, then to New York City. He became a jeweler and worked in the “Diamond District” of NYC until his retirement. He lived in Wayne, NJ where he raised his family.

He loved his family, his pets and his friends. Before and after his retirement, his passion to help others led him to volunteer with the Wayne Police Athletic League. For 25 years he coached the PAL Basketball Team, 8 to 10 yrs. old, winning championships 24 out of 25 years. He served the PAL in many other capacities, loving his ability to help. In his spare time he loved to play tennis. He was an avid NY Giants fan, NY Yankees fan and Duke Basketball fan.

We want to thank those medical professionals who gave us the last 12 wonderful years with Steven. The warm and compassionate care given by Pablo Pella, MD and Ahmad Kasraeian, MD went above and beyond the call to keep Steven with us. We also want to thank Dr. Peter Kuhlman, Dr. Michael Koren, Dr. Ana Jorquera and Dr. Dinesh Jayadevappa who all participated in working with us as a family, and not giving up, to help our dear loved one.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Steven’s name to the Jacksonville Humane Society.

William “Bill” Joseph Cahill, III of Wayne died peacefully at the age of 68 while on vacation in Aruba of Friday, July 3, 2015. His loving family was vacationing with him when he passed.

Bill was born on May 10, 1947 in Montclair, NJ to Regina (Cunnigham) and William Cahill. He was raised in West Orange and later moved to Clifton, NJ. William attended Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic where he was a varsity athlete in baseball and graduated in 1965. Following high school, he attended Wadhams Hall Seminary in Ogdensburg, NY with plans to become a priest. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1967 and served his country in Vietnam. Upon returning, Bill began a very successful career in the men’s apparel industry. He started as a road salesman with Gant, Polo Western Wear, and rose through the ranks to become president of Colours by Alexander Julian.

Bill met the love of his life, Barbara (Palatucci), when they were out for drinks one night. He took her to the Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove for their first date, where Bill assured her he had made reservations for a very special evening. Upon arriving, they found the Meadowbrook was closed that night and Bill was rather embarrassed. They ended up at a Chinese restaurant nearby, sitting on wooden folding chairs, which Barbara remembers all too well. Despite that first date, their romance blossomed and they married on July 14, 1973 at St. Mary’s RC Church in Pompton Lakes, followed by a wonderful honeymoon in Acapulco, Mexico. They continued to travel throughout the years on several cruises, Caribbean vacations, and even an excursion to Hawaii. Bill enjoyed eating out and treating himself to the finer things in life. He had a trademark laugh, infectious and loud, that his friends and family will surely miss for many years to come.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife Barbara of Wayne, two children; Todd Cahill and his wife Michelle (Hawkins) of Keswick, VA, Allison Harraka and her husband Brian of Wayne, six adored grandchildren; Katelyn, Connor, Matthew, Emma, Hayden, and Nicholas, two sisters; Gail Carter her husband Burke of Little Egg Harbor, Barbara Fox and her husband William of Bloomfield, his mother-in-law; Lucy Palatucci of Pompton Lakes, brother-in-law; Bud Palatucci and his wife Pat, nephews; Sean, William, Greg, Timothy, Kevin, Brian and nieces; Amy, Chrissy, Debbie, and Melanie. He was preceded in death by his father William J. Cahill, Jr. of Clifton and his mother; Regina (Cunningham) Cahill.

Teresa Nikovits, age 55 of Wayne died on Saturday, January 24, 2015.

Terri grew up in Fort Lee and graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Hoboken with the class of 1977. She went on to graduate from St. Peter’s College with a degree in Marketing. She worked at a dental office during college, to help pay the bills, and after graduating she stayed with it. She enjoyed many years as a secretary, working with Allen & Benkel in River Edge. She left her job for a more time consuming task, being a mother. She returned to work, half-time as another dental assistant at Teaneck Dental for Dr. Vero. Most recently, she was an administrative assistant for Dr. Mike Abrams in Clifton after taking more time off to spend time with her growing family after the adoption of another daughter.

Terri was raised with strong Catholic values since she was a little girl and remained active with the church her entire life. She was a regular fixture at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Wayne, where she directed the school fundraisers and was always helping out. She had been Troop Leader for two Girl Scout troops and would do anything to help kids. She was passionate about everything she did and threw herself whole heartedly into all her endeavors.

Terri was a tremendous hostess and always had something going on at her house. Summer barbeques and big parties were commonplace. She especially loved the Christmas season, decorating for the holidays and, of course, hosting parties! Among her favorites was the annual White Elephant gift swap which she held shortly after Christmas. Her guests knew to bring the most despised or ridiculous gift they had received that holiday season. As if the party wasn’t fun enough on its own, the gifts that were revealed made for some great laughs and fun memories.

She was a wonderful mom too, and her daughters meant the world to her. She spoiled them as much as any mom wishes they could. The family enjoyed several Disney cruises together, which of course was a big hit with the kids. Her husband, Gary, was the love of her life and the story of how they met is an interesting one. They chose a ‘destination wedding’ and were married on the island of Jamaica in 1994, just recently celebrating their twentieth anniversary. Their years together were filled with laughter, love, and memories to last a lifetime.

Terri is survived by her beloved husband Gary of Wayne, her two daughters; Christina Nikovits and Samantha Nikovits, one brother; David Bellizzi of Spring Valley, NY, as well as countless devoted friends and loved ones.

Theresa M. Turnyanszki, age 88 of Wayne, died peacefully on Friday, May 15, 2015. She had been a Wayne resident since 1966.

Theresa was born in Passaic and grew up primarily in Nutley. She graduated from Pope Pius VI High School in Passaic with the class of 1944. After attending classes at the Berkeley Secretarial School, she began a career as a medical secretary at the Passaic General Hospital as well as St. Michael’s Hospital in Passaic. She was very proud of her thirteen year career at the hospitals and reminisced fondly of those experiences over the years.

Theresa was a devout Christian and deeply loved her Savior, Jesus Christ. She prayed daily, often several times a day, for those she loved, those in need, and just about anyone else. Her children recall each evening, gathering together at home and kneeling down for their daily prayers. The Catholic Church was very important to her and after moving to Wayne in 1966, she became active at Our Lady of the Valley RC Church on Valley Road in Wayne. She sang in the choir there, taught CCD, and was a strong supporter of the organ fund. After her husband passed in 1985, she became the rectory housekeeper and cook for many years. She ironed more altar linens than anyone would like to recount, and enjoyed helping people needing Mass cards and other assistance. Theresa retired from her position there at the same time Fr. Rugel retired. All of her children attended the school at Our Lady of the Valley and she worked there as one of the ‘lunch ladies’ for years. Many of the former students of the Our Lady of the Valley School will surely recall her presence in the lunch room; she took charge and every student knew it, with absolute clarity!

Theresa met her husband Michael at a New Year’s Eve dance at their church in the 1950’s. They married on May 11, 1957 at St. Stephen’s Hungarian Catholic Church in Passaic and initially settled in Clifton. As their family grew, a larger home was needed and they moved to Wayne in 1966, the same home Theresa has lived in for the past fifty years. She enjoyed traveling and visited many memorable places. Among her favorites were Niagara Falls and the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. Theresa was truly a devoted homemaker, raising six children in their home on Valley Road. She was also a devoted grandmother who loved her grandchildren very much and prayed for each of them daily.

Theresa is survived by her six children; Teresa Raad and her husband Victor of Gaithersburg, MD, Catherine Presti and her husband Joe of Kinnelon, NJ, Margaret Kaplan and her husband Mike of Pickens, SC, Regina Neiger and her husband Frank of Greer, SC, Michael Turnyanszki and his wife Carole of Patterson, NY, and Frank Turnyanszki of Wayne, eleven grandchildren; Jackie, Gregory, Julia, Joseph, Kyle, Amy, Alison, Christina, Michael, Kevin and Brian, and one sister; Marie Kelly of NJ. She was predeceased by her husband Michael in 1985.

Suzanne B. Clements, age 68 of Wayne, died suddenly on Wednesday, February 18, 2015. She had been a Wayne resident since 1972, living in Packanack Lake.

Sue was raised in Wyckoff and graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson College with a degree in education. She enjoyed a lengthy career teaching at the Lincoln Middle School in Hawthorne before retiring a little more than ten years ago.

Sue was a talented crafter and was always working on something. She has an entire room designated to crafting with a trove of supplies all neatly organized. Spring time was her favorite season and she would spend hours toiling in her garden. Tending to her flowers was especially important and Sue was proud of the hosta plants that blanketed her yard, all propogated from a single plant many years ago. More recently, she enjoyed going fishing with her devoted companion, Bob Bauch. They would drive around to various area lakes and streams to cast a line in the water, and Packanack Lake was among their favorite spots. Sue is credited with catching a record size Pike in Packanack Lake that measured forty-four inches long.

Sue was a devoted mother too. She raised her two sons nearly single-handedly and did whatever it took to make ends meet. Her sons recall how their mom would drag them along when she hosted Tupperware parties, never realizing that she was doing it all to support their family. Later on, becoming a grandmother was pure joy for her and spoiling her grandkids became a top priority. She loved them all very dearly.

Sue is survived by her two sons; Robert Holdom and his girlfriend Dana of S. Orange, NJ, Thomas Holdom and his wife Kristin of Rutland, Mass., four grandchildren; Joseph, Elizabeth, and Charles Holdom of S. Orange, NJ and Jackson Holdom of Rutland, Mass., her two sisters; Joan Updyke of Chestertown, MD and Penny Robertson of Pawcatuck, CT, her dear companion of eighteen years; Robert Bauch of Wayne, two neices; Jennette Firlein and Maren Robertson, and two nephews; Geoffrey Wikel and Daniel Robertson.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be greatly appreciated to “Strengthen Our Sisters,” PO Box 1089, Hewitt, NJ 07421, or visit their website at www.strengthenoursisters.org.

Suzanne I. Hendershott (nee Ehrenzeller), age 71 of Clifton, died on Monday, December 28, 2015. Suzanne had lived in Wayne for many years before moving to Clifton in 1987.

Suzanne was raised in Wood-Ridge and her family also had a home at Rainbow Lake in Parsippany. She spent many summers there and enjoyed it very much. She later graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1962 and began a career at the local Dodge dealership as their bookkeeper. She worked her way into the sales department and became a very skilled salesperson. She eventually became the sales manager at Towne Cadillac in Union City, winning numerous awards, vacations, as well as the respect of her peers before retiring in 2007.

She enjoyed a loving marriage to Gordon Hendershott but sadly, Gordon died at an early age and Suzanne found herself widowed at just forty two years old. She moved to Clifton in 1987 and has lived there ever since. She also had a home in Vero Beach, Florida where she would join the other “snowbirds” and winter there with her mother. Suzanne was able to find joy once again when her granddaughters came along. Madison and Samantha breathed new life into her and she found countless ways to spoil the girls! She always bought them gifts and gave it her best effort to always be there for them at birthday parties and special events; she didn’t want to miss a thing! The girls recall Suzanne’s great sense of humor and the silly jokes she always told them. They will treasure those memories for years to come.

Suzanne is survived by her son; Scott Hendershott and his wife Anna of Wayne, by her two granddaughters; Madison and Samantha Hendershott of Wayne, two nieces; Gina Kayal and her husband George of Elmwood Park, Marianne Sportelli of Chester, and one nephew; Kenny Bucaro of Passaic. She was predeceased by her husband Gordon in 1986 and by her sister Marianne Otte.

Theodore “Ted” Charles Roehrs, age 93, a 66 year resident of Bloomingdale, died on Tuesday, November 17, 2015.

He was born in Passaic General Hospital in Passaic and raised in Wallington. After attending grade school and two years of high school in East Rutherford the family was notified that Ted was going to the wrong school. He was transferred to Lodi High School where he finished his junior and senior years graduating with the Class of 1939.

As a young man still in high school Ted worked on a yacht called the Betty R which was moored along the Passaic River at the Gregory Avenue Bridge in Passaic. The yacht would make day and evening trips along the Passaic River. It became common knowledge to the crew that Ted was not only a good help on board but also had skills in the kitchen as he was taking cooking lessons at East Rutherford High School. When he was just fifteen years old he was asked by a Mr. Charles W. Weston, who was an executive at the Manufacturers Trust Company in New York City, to help finish a yacht called the Gryphon. It was in dry dock in Englewood and Ted would go and help finish the exterior while the people at the boat yard worked on the interior. When the yacht was launched Ted assumed the roles of cabin boy, cook, and mate. They would take weekend excursions up and down the Hudson River from New York City to Poughkeepsie. Memorable cruisers were Helen Hayes and her husband Charles MacArthur, Guy Moneypenny, Groucho Marx, and Carey Grant. During his senior year of high school the yacht wasn’t used and Mr. Weston brought Ted to New York City to help at Manufacturers Trust. He worked at the bank’s main offices at Broad and Wall Street in New York. Ted was taught about being a teller, rack clerk, and the ins and outs of safety deposit boxes. Soon he was assigned to work at the bank’s office at 103 and Broad Street. Because there was no central accounting system each branch’s transactions had to be hand delivered, on a daily basis, to the main offices. It was 1940, and Ted did this for a salary of $15.00/week with his first year’s wages totaling $900.00. Mr. Westin saw great promise in Ted and sent him to the Stonier Graduate School of Banking in New Brunswick, NJ. Ted worked for Manufacturers Trust for two years until the passing of Mr. Westin, his “in” at the bank. Ted applied and was accepted at the Rutherford Bank in Rutherford, NJ where he did similar work for a few years.

Upon receiving a notice from the US Army he asked his boss for a day off and went to the Navy Recruiting Station and enlisted in the US Navy. World War II was ramping up and he figured it would be better to have a bed and a meal than be sitting in a muddy fox hole somewhere. Ted was told to report to the Navy recruiting Station at 9 PM on November 28, 1942. He was sent to Sampson, New York for training and eventually was one of twenty-two out of a group of fifty volunteers to be selected for Navy Dive Training. His dive training was done at Pier 88 in New York where he worked on righting the capsized SS Normandie. His on the job training involved placing special patches over port holes to seal them, torch cutting, welding, driving nails into wood, splicing cables, measuring with his fingers, tunneling into the muck under the ship with fire hoses, and jack hammering, all in the complete darkness of the underwater world of the Hudson River. He also remembers having to complete a dive of 150 feet in the waters of the Hudson River, just north of the George Washington Bridge. As he was being lowered into the depths, the dive master’s voice came over the radio to ask if all was ok - Ted replied “no…there’s no air coming in” the dive master replied “don’t worry…the pump is frozen…it should start up again in a few minutes.” Ted was able to commute back and forth from New York to New Jersey and would do so any time he had leave. He would simply put on his Navy uniform and stand by the Lincoln Tunnel. The officer stationed at the tunnel would ask passing cars if they were headed to Rutherford. He would do the same on his return trip, walking with his thumb up trying to hitch a ride back to Manhattan. He swore the uniform got him a ride every time.

Ted met his future wife, Lillian Kleiner, in eighth grade, but she didn’t like him muchafter he put tacks on her chair. As the years went by they fell in love. While Ted was serving in the Navy his ship hit a coral reef and was to be in dry-dock for three months. Ted was awarded a thirty day leave and called Lillian and told her to go buy a dress. Lillian, after receiving that collect call, didn’t go shopping. When Ted got home he had to explain to his mother that he could no longer send half of his military pay home if he was going to be married. Once this glitch was smoothed over they married at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in East Rutherford on May 3, 1945. They drove Lillian’s father’s car, a 1937 Dodge, to Niagara Falls, NY. Most people couldn’t afford the gasoline to go that far but Ted had pinched a few fuel rationing cards since one of his jobs was to burn any used fuel cards. On the way home from their honeymoon Ted picked up a hitchhiker who fell asleep on Lillian’s shoulder. Lillian soon made it very clear to Ted that they would pick up no more hitchhikers.

After being honorably discharged in 1945 he returned to his work at the Rutherford Bank. During a Federal Examination of the bank one of the examiners asked Ted if he would like a job as an examiner. He soon accepted the position and reviewed area bank records for just over two years before accepting a position with the Bloomingdale Bank. He soon opened the First National Bank in the Mountain View section of Wayne and then a second Wayne location at Preakness Shopping Center. Ted served as Vice President of First National Bank for 38 years before retiring in 1997. One of Ted’s greatest personal assets was his near photographic memory. As customers would enter the bank he could immediately recall their names, knew their handwriting, and specifically their signatures. He related a story about how he would review the signatures on checks the bank processed that day and noticed a woman had signed a check, the handwriting and first name were correct but the last name didn’t match. Ted proceeded to call this woman and ask her what her maiden name was; sure enough she had signed her maiden name after some twenty years of marriage. She made Ted promise he wouldn’t tell her husband.

Ted was dedicated to the community he lived in and belonged to: Pompton Lakes Kiwanis Club where he served as president in 1956, Butler/Bloomingdale Post 9458 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wayne Rotary Club where he served as President in 1965, worked as chairman of Rotary’s Foundation for the Handicapped, served on the Chilton Hospital board from 1987 through 1990, served as Past president of the Passaic County Chapter of American Institute of Banking, Past President of the Wayne Chamber of Commerce 1952-1953, was instrumental in helping organize a central post office for Wayne, served on the Bloomingdale Board of Education and the Bloomingdale Town Council, and served as Chairman of the Sister Kenny Foundation.

He and his wife Lillian loved to travel. Ted was able to take two private train trips across the United States, and felt privileged to have been on seventeen cruises with destinations all around the world. He remembers one cruise where one of their stops was in St Petersburg, Russia where Ted’s camera was confiscated by the authorities. On another cruise they had an encounter with Carey Grant. They briefly spoke and Ted brought up the fact that he knew Helen Hayes. Carey lit up and said I have a book about Helen…I will give it to you tomorrow. As Ted and Lillian sat with their friends on the ship Carey Grant walked up and said “here’s the book Ted” and walked away. As their friends stared in awe Lillian piped up that they were just old friends.

Ted was an avid golfer and was proud of acing three holes in his golfing days. He was a member of the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne.

Ted was the loving husband of the late Lillian (Kleiner) Roehrs (1/2015); loved father of the late Barbara Tintera (7/2015) and her husband John Green Tintera of Pompton Lakes; cherished grandfather of John Tintera and his wife Sally, Ashlie Garb and her husband Randy, and Ryan Tintera and his wife Sayyora; much loved great-grandfather of Andrew Tintera, Theodore Tintera, Jack Garb, and Martin Usmanov; dear brother of the late Julius Roehrs, Helen Buettner, RN, and Elizabeth Hasbrouck.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Foundation for the Handicapped, 30 Woodbridge Terrace, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Age 86 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Monday, March 30, 2015 with her family gathered at her bedside

Shirley Krusheski (nee Garrison), age 86 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Monday, March 30, 2015 with her family gathered at her bedside. She had been a resident of Wayne for fifty seven years and worked as a bookkeeper for Wine Imports of America in Hawthorne, retiring in 1988.

Shirley was born in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School. She loved Paterson, all that the city had to offer, and she always remembered it as a truly great place to grow up. In her high school yearbook she included a caption under her photo that read; “Looking for a blonde sailor.” Low and behold, she met Walter Krusheski, a handsome blonde young man who happened to be an Army veteran, not a sailor. That small detail didn’t matter much to her because he looked very sharp in his Army uniform. They married on July 17, 1954 and headed towards Lake George, New York for a honeymoon. As they were cruising up to New York State, Walter asked her; “wouldn’t you rather go to Florida?” Of course, they didn’t have enough money for the much longer trip to Florida, but they decided to head south anyway and see how far they could get. Before long, they made it to Miami Beach! After a brief but memorable visit there, an uncle provided the necessary means for them to make it back to New Jersey to begin their life together. Their marriage turned into a wonderful adventure of more than sixty years. They were a cute couple, completely committed to each other, and they enjoyed life’s simple pleasures in an ‘old school’ sort of way. Shirley didn’t need the latest and greatest gadgets or fancy things; she was wholly contented with her devoted husband and loving family.

Shirley was a huge Bingo lover and played as often as she could. She was the “Bingo Lady” at her Florida residence in Green Acres and played at the PAL in Wayne, as well as anyplace else she could find a Bingo game! She loved to gamble a little too, and was known to have organized a few casino trips throughout the years. Shirley enjoyed going on cruises and the best-guess is that she embarked on at least fifteen cruise excursions over the years. She also had a keen sense for business and if you ever needed to get something done, all you needed to do was call her. She knew people who knew how to get things accomplished and it often only took a phone call to Shirley and your tasks would be completed. She raised her children to live by the Ten Commandments in a home that celebrated both Jewish and Christian beliefs. Shirley traditionally cooked a big Easter dinner every year and she would invite her Jewish friends to join them as well. Lately, Shirley enjoyed eating out and the Outback Steakhouse was her most favorite place to dine. She and Walter have their own ‘special’ table there, and the restaurant staff knows them both very well, often sitting at the table and conversing with them during their meal. The whole team at the Outback Steakhouse will certainly miss Shirley’s frequent visits.

Shirley’s family was everything to her, especially her grandchildren. There wasn’t much that she missed when they were growing up, and Shirley even sat through the pouring rain at her granddaughter’s graduation like a trooper – she wasn’t going to miss that for the world! Her grandchildren truly were the light of her life and she loved them dearly.

Shirley is survived by her husband Walter of Wayne, her two children; Debra Blitzstein and her husband Steven of West Milford, Alan Krusheski and his wife Sima of Wilmington, DE, grandchildren; Brian Blitzstein of Erie, PA and Melissa Blitzstein of San Diego, CA, her sister-in-law; Betty Garrison of Wayne, NJ, one neice; Leslie Sorkin and her husband Kenneth of Wayne, NJ, and a nephew; Dr. David Garrison and his wife Amy of Milford, PA. She was predeceased by her brother; George Garrison in 2013.

Stanislawa "Stella" Drozdzyk (nee Malinowska) age 96 of Haskell and formerly of Wayne and Rutherford, passed Sunday, March 22, 2015.

Born in Warsaw, Poland, where she lived for the first 20 years of her life, she experienced the WWII Nazi occupation of her country and was compelled to contribute to its efforts against the Germans. Stella joined the Polish Underground Resistance at the age of 21, where she attained the rank of lieutenant. Her job in a telegraph office, and her fluent command of the German language, enabled her to pass classified German information to her compatriots. Eventually, Stella was captured by the Nazis; she was sent to Niederhagen Concentration Camp in Germany, and spent the better part of a year there.

That camp was liberated by the Canadians, who together with British and Polish forces of the Allies, had come through France during the invasion at Normandy. Her future husband, Zbigniew Drozdzyk, was part of that military invasion. His unit's subsequent attachment to the displaced persons camp where Stella was housed led to their meeting, falling in love, and marrying on June 9, 1946 in Aschendorf, Germany.

It was a small church ceremony, but with full military regalia, because of Zbigniew's rank as field captain. Stella would reminisce about the flowers that overflowed the church; Field Captain Drozdzyk had had them specially delivered from Holland for his bride.

Soon after, Zbigniew was transferred to England, where he remained with the British Army. He often told Stella about seeing Winston Churchill, because the Prime Minister visited the base frequently. After four years in London, Stella became pregnant and Zbigniew decided that they should move to America so their child could be born there and be a United States citizen. Stella was not happy to move again, having finally settled after so many years of displacement. But when she was eight months pregnant, opportunity arose and they crossed the Atlantic on the S.S. America, entering the United States through New York. At that point in her pregnancy most ships would not have let her aboard, but because she was thin and the pregnancy was not so obvious, she managed passage. Stella would relate to the family how she was sick from the minute she boarded the ship until it docked in New York, in September of 1951. Their daughter, Yvonne, was born one month later.

Stella and Zbigniew became American citizens in Hackensack NJ on December 10, 1956. Her love of this country was only superceded by the love she had for her family.

Stella was the devoted wife of forty eight years to the late Zbigniew; loving mother of Yvonne Kushnier and Yvonne’s husband Richard Kushnier of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Dr.Alexander Kushnier of Berkeley, CA.

Stephen J. Iczkowski, Sr. age 85 of Wayne passed peacefully on Sunday, April 5, 2015.

He was born and raised in Donora, PA and when he was just four years old his mother passed away. He was raised by his father and his aunt Catherine. After graduating from Donora High School with the Class of 1947 he began working at the local steel mill and soon enlisted in the United States Navy. Stephen served in the Medical Corps and spent much of his service time aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore D. Roosevelt during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1953.

After his military service Stephen lived with his sister Victoria in Paterson, NJ. He attended William Paterson College in Wayne having attained his undergraduate and masters degrees under the GI Bill. His first job after college was with the Rochelle Park Midland School teaching math and science there for four years before moving to the Wayne Board of Education. He was a teacher, known as “Mr. I,” for the Wayne Schools for thirty-five years having taught at Theunis Dey School, Colfax School, and finally the George Washington Junior High School before retiring in 1992. He will be remembered as a well-liked teacher who had a reserved, quiet, calm, easy going, “go with the flow” personality. He enjoyed bowling, horse shoes, tennis, fishing, and traveling to Europe.

Stephen and his wife Frances were founding parishioners of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church in Wayne. He was a Third Degree member of the Knights of Columbus Marian Council #3801 in Pompton Lakes for many years.

Stephen and Frances met when she was sweeping her sidewalk and driveway in Paterson. He was carrying groceries home when one of the local girls tried to catch his affection offering to have him over for coffee. He took notice of Frances and they soon fell in love. After receiving his undergraduate degree from William Paterson College Frances’ mother had a small family get together to celebrate. As all were eating at the table Stephen pulled a blue velvet box from his pocket and put it partway between himself and Frances. After a few minutes he said “well open the box” and inside was an engagement ring. They married on May 30, 1958 at Saint Marys RC Church in Paterson and honeymooned in Washington DC. They have enjoyed fifty-seven years of a loving and dedicated marriage.

He was the loving husband of Frances Iczkowski; devoted father of Jeanne Spinosa and her husband Richard of Succasunna; Stephen J. Iczkowski, Jr. and his wife Lorrie of Murrells Inlet, SC, Edward F. Iczkowski of Rockaway, and Daniel R. Iczkowski of Morris Plains; cherished grandfather of Brandon and Noelle Spinosa, and Matthew and Melissa Iczkowski.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Judes Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 or the Little Sister’s of the Poor, 140 Shepherds Ln., Totowa, NJ 07512 would be appreciated.

Sophia Mamakos age 92 of Wayne passed peacefully on Saturday, February 7, 2015.

She was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware and graduated from the Beacon Business College in Wilmington, Delaware. When she married Thomas Mamakos she moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey where they first lived in an apartment and then bought a home on Cleveland Avenue. In 1958 they moved to Wayne where they raised their family and have lived for the past fifty-seven years.

Sophia was the loving wife of Thomas Mamakos; devoted mother of Dean Mamakos of Wayne, Spero Mamakos also of Wayne; and beloved Tom Mamakos (deceased 1985); she was the cherished grandmother of Dean Mamakos, Jr.; she was the much loved sister of the late Theodore, William, Thomas, John, and Gregory Kramedas.

A letter to Mom 20 years ago

December 9, 1994

Dear Mom,

We live in a world where nothing remains the same. However, you are the constant in our lives.

My life has become bearable and livable due to you. Those enduring qualities you possess, others can only attempt to strive for.

Let’s set the record straight. If anyone knows the unspoken truths. I do. Embarking on board faced with all of this personifies your courage.

You've done an extraordinary job and remain a beacon of hope to all of us.

We are grateful.

Happy Birthday!

Love, Dean

An open letter from Sophia's son Dean Mamakos:

Sophia Mamakos

February 8, 2015

Last night at 10:40 PM our mother passed on in her own way and on her own terms.

She inspired us to see the nobility of helping others, the power

of personal courage and most of all the sanctity of family.

Her eternal wish was that her children turn out to be

extraordinary, honest, and unspoiled and with a character equal

to hers.

With admiration, love and gratitude, for the inspirations and the dreams she gave all of us, we say goodbye to Sophia today.

Stanley F. Obal, III age 61, of Wayne, passed suddenly on Monday, February 16, 2015.

He was born at St. Josephs Hospital in Paterson, N.J and was raised in Oakland, NJ. He graduated from Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale with the Class of 1971. He then went on to study at Ramapo College in Mahwah. He was a dedicated member of the Boy Scouts of America having belong to troop 369 and troop 49 in Oakland. He was one of the first scouts in his troop to fulfill the requirements to attain his Eagle Scout rank. Stanley’s dedication in scouting was evidenced in his working life as well. He was a hard working and loyal Assistant Manager of Inserra ShopRite Supermarkets for over thirty years. He was also a very giving person and continued to give even after he passed by donating his eyes.

He was the loving husband to Cathy (DeStefano) Obal; devoted father of Allison and Caitlyn Obal of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Hailie Englehardt whom brought a smile to his face no matter how he was feeling. He was the dear brother of Joanne Moloughney and her husband Joe of Pompton Plains, and Janet Zuendt and her husband Jeff of Mahwah. He was the son of the late Dr. Stanley F. Obal, Jr., DDS and the late Helen Obal. He was also the uncle to several nieces and nephews.

Stanley met Cathy DeStefano and began dating in November of 1987, were engaged in February of 1988. They were married on April 8, 1988 at Saint Josephs RC Church in Lodi, had their reception at George’s in Moonachie, and took a beautiful cruise for their honeymoon. They’ve had a loving and devoted marriage for twenty-seven years.

During the nice weather he was always outside. He truly enjoyed working in the yard, whether it was growing tomatoes, trimming the shrubs, cutting the lawn or relaxing in the pool. He took pride in his lawn and enjoyed making different patterns in the grass each time he mowed.

Stan looked forward to traveling. He enjoyed going to Disney World in Florida, and cruising to different islands. He also enjoyed going to the beach and swimming in the ocean. He had fond memories having spent much time in Wildwood and Island State Park at the jersey shore with his family. Stan loved watching sports on TV. He was a huge San Francisco 49ers fan and was very intense during Wii bowling tournaments with his father-in-law. He was an animal lover and had many pets over the years. He currently had a loving bond with his two cats Snickers and Skittles. Over the years he became very proficient with computers and was the go to guy for many people when they needed help with them. Stan also loved to celebrate the holidays, especially Christmas. He took pride in decorating the tree and outside of the house with lights and ornaments, in addition to cooking delicious holiday meals.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to the John Theurer Cancer Center, in memory of Stanley F. Obal, III, c/o Hackensack University Medical Center 360 Essex Street, Suite 301, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Stephen Yalicki, age 45 of Wayne, passed Friday, April 24, 2015.

Stephen "SteveO" P. Yalicki, age 45, of the Packanack Lake Section of Wayne, passed suddenly on Friday, April 24, 2015.

He was born in Montclair and raised in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne. Steve graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1987 and continued his education graduating from William Paterson University in Wayne with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance with the Class of 1995.

During his college years and beyond he worked for the UPS Corporation in Parsippany, first as a Package Handler, and working his way to Manager. He worked the last fifteen years for Union Local 807 in Long Island City as a driver for the Center Sheet Metal Company, Bronx, New York. One of his fondest work memories was being part of the construction of the new Yankee Stadium.

Steve had a big, strong, and robust personality that was softened by his huge, gentle heart. He was a walking encyclopedia that had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He was knowledgeable and well versed in politics and history, and always expanding his knowledge base with computer searches on just about anything. He taught himself all about home remodeling and with his - figure it out as you go along - way of doing things transformed his basement into a work of art. Steve’s soft side is evidenced by his rescuing two kittens from the South Bronx, and taking them into his home. His cats, Sylvie and Benny, have a warm, comfortable home all because of Steve’s big heart. Steve will also be fondly remembered for just showing up at family and friends home’s with his snow plow.

The Yalicki and the O’Connor families were mutual friends for many years. The families spent many holidays and gatherings together. All was well until Steve notice one of his flannel shirts had been stolen by Irene O’Connor. She had a bit of a crush on him and told him the only way he’d get his shirt back was to also take what was in it. Their first official date was to the Old Barn Milk Bar in Wayne and the two soon fell in love. Steve proposed to Irene on her birthday in 1995 while on the way home from dinner at Sneaky Pete’s in Oak Ridge. They stopped at Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon and while sitting on the rocks looking out over the lake there he popped the question. They married on June 29, 1996 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne and honeymooned at the Sandals Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Steve, who had a self-proclaimed knowledge of how to sail a boat, took Irene out for a sail. Unfortunately Steve flipped the boat in the ocean and had to be rescued by their Jamaican hosts. It soon came to light that this wasn’t Steve’s first time capsizing a sailboat in Jamaica as he had done the same thing on an earlier family vacation to the island. Steve and Irene have enjoyed nineteen years of a loving, best friends, marriage.

Steve was the loving husband of Irene (O’Connor) Yalicki; devoted son of Mikki Kelly and her husband John of Leland, North Carolina, and the late Eugene Yalicki (1999); loved brother of Sharon Lombardo and her husband Keith of Wayne and their children Jake and Chayse; much loved son-in-law of the late Mary (2010) and Jim O’Connor (2013); dear brother-in-law of Maureen and Joe Cretella, Patricia Szlembarski and her late husband Bob (2001) and their families.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations, honoring Steve's love of his country,  to the Wounded Warriors Project would be greatly appreciated.

Stanislaw “Stan” Sapinski age 63 of Wayne passed suddenly Sunday, December 20, 2015.

He was born to Maria and the late Henryk (1999) Sapinski and raised in Gostynin, Poland where he worked as an electrician. In 1979 Stan came to the United States to visit and re-united with a longtime family friend from Poland, George Rogacki. Janina lived around the corner from Stan in Poland and had immigrated to the United States in 1966. When they met again in 1979 they quickly fell in love. Their first date was to the Two Guys store in Lodi. Janina said she was going shopping and Stan said “I’ll join you.” The rest is history. Stan proposed at Janina’s mother’s home in Prospect Park and they married on July 18, 1979. They have enjoyed thirty-six years of a loving marriage best characterized as always being there for each other.

Stan worked as a landscaper for many years. He first worked for his wife’s uncle Anthony Rogacki, then with his father-in-law for a while before starting his own landscaping company in 1980. He has had his own landscaping company called Stan Sapinski Landscaping in Wayne for the past thirty-five years.

One of Stan’s hobbies was buying and selling cars at the auto auction in Pennsylvania. He also enjoyed trips to Lauderdale Lakes in Florida. Many will remember Stan for his sense of humor, he was a funny guy and always joking around, his neat and organized way, and being a Mr. Fix It.

He was the loving husband of Janina Sapinski; cherished father of Diana Scanlon and her husband Bryan of Bloomingdale; devoted son of Maria Sapinski of Poland and the late Henryk Sapinski (1999); dear brother of the late Jan Sapinski (2004) and the late Anna Sosnowski (Nov. 2014).

Ruth Elizabeth Roth Jasinski age 92 of Lakewood, formerly of Wayne, passed at home on Monday, January 26, 2015.

She was born in Beaver Falls, PA and had the distinction of being delivered by the same doctor who delivered her mom and a few aunts all at the family home on 6th Avenue in Beaver Falls, PA. Ruth was baptized at the First Lutheran Church in Beaver Falls, PA and raised in Boardman, OH before returning to Beaver Falls graduating Valedictorian from Beaver Falls High School with the Class of 1940. She went on to attend Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA.

Ruth’s father fell ill and to supplement the family income she went to work at the Curtis Wright Corporation’s Beaver, PA location where she was to oversee twenty women in the international mailing department. It was here that she met a cute man named Walter Jasinski. Their first date was to a movie in Beaver Falls and Ruth fell asleep during the movie – although this may have been an excuse for when her parents asked her what the movie was about. They eventually fell in love but had to run away to marry as Ruth was Lutheran and Walter was a Roman Catholic. They married on May 13, 1942 at the Notre Dame RC Church in Caldwell and lived in Verona, NJ. Ruth’s mom didn’t convey her blessing on the marriage and was very concerned that her daughter was living in poverty in New Jersey so she sent one of her other daughters to scout out Ruth’s living arrangements. Eventually her mom came to love Walt as a son. Ruth was paying $38.00 per month rent and she told Walt it was too much. They started looking for a home to buy and wound up in front of 20 Chestnut Drive in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne. Neither Walt nor Ruth even went into the house, they said it was perfect and for a purchase price of $6795.00 they signed on the dotted line. They raised their family in Wayne where they lived together for sixty five years. After Walt’s death Ruth moved to Leisure Park in Lakewood in 2010.

Ruth was a founding member of the Packanack Community Church in Wayne. Along with raising five children Ruth was a member and past president of the Fire Ladies Auxiliary, worked on the Pack-A-News, coached girl's softball, was a Brownie Scout Co-leader, taught craft classes at the church and was seen daily walking the beautiful route around the lake. She was a volunteer for the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad for fifteen years, a certified Red Cross instructor, a member of the Wayne Historical Commission, and the owner of Ruth’s Flower Basket in Wayne for over ten years.

She was the loving wife of sixty-six years to the late former Wayne Township Mayor (1978-1986) Walter J. Jasinski (2008); devoted mother of John P. Jason and his wife Sharyn of Goodyear, AZ, the late David W. Jasinski (2009) and his wife Nancy of Wayne, JoAnn Shoemaker and her husband Dr. Ritchie of Pocomoke, MD, W. James Jasinski and his wife Marilyn of Toms River, and Elizabeth Catherine “Katie” Jasinski of Salisbury, MD ; cherished grandmother of nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; dear sister of the late Joseph Paul Roth, Phyllis McKenzie, and Dorothy Swisher.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Packanack Community Church, 120 Lake Drive East, Wayne, NJ 07470 or the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad would be appreciated.

Santo J Mignini, age 91 of Wayne passed away peacefully in Pequannock while receiving the loving care of his family.

Santo was born in Corona, NY lived in Clifton and Garfield until moving to Wayne about forty years ago. After graduating high school, Santo attended St John University. He was studying sciences such as Chemistry and Anatomy during his first couple of years in college. He then heard the call to serve his country in World War II. Because of his background, and what he had been studying in college, the United States Army made him a Medical Technician. Just a few of the duties as a Medical Technician included giving injections, prepping wounded soldiers for surgery, and working with other medications such as penicillin. Santo was also Ward Master of the 93rd General Hospital in London England from 1943 – 1946.

After returning home from the war, Santo completed his education, thanks in large part to the United States Military. After graduating from St John and receiving his degree, Santo worked as a chemist for various companies including Faberge. In 1978 he married the love of his life Irmgard Mehnert, a woman who he had been working with for a few years. Although Irmgard and Santo did not have any children together, Irmgard had two daughters which Santo considered his own. Santo and Irmgard cherished 34 years of loving marriage until Irmgard’s passing in 2012.

Santo loved all types of sports including Basketball, Baseball (particularly the New York Mets), and Soccer (particularly team USA in the World Cup). He was also fond of gardening, cooking and fishing at Oak Beach Long Island in New York. Santo lived a full rich life and had a lot to be thankful for. He was an extraordinary man and will be sincerely missed by all who knew him. Santo was part of a group of people in our society who have become lately known as “The Greatest Generation”. These are people who grew up during the deprivation of great depression, and who later as adults, helped and fought for the country during World War II. One of the reasons they are called the Greatest Generation is because these people did the things they did for our country, not for fame, fortune, or recognition, but because they thought in their hearts and minds that it was the “right thing to do.”

Santo is survived by his two daughters; Regina Longo and her husband Ronald of VT, and Gisela Meier of CA, one sister; Michelina Dughi of IN, one niece; Jean Marie Wolenski and her husband Walter of IN, and one nephew; Joseph Dughi Sr. and his wife Linda of PA, two grandsons; Mark and Bruce, and four grand-nieces and nephews, he was predeceased by his loving wife Irmgard in 2012.

Age 80 of Montville, passed suddenly on Tuesday, July 28, 2015.

Shirley (Vander May) Green, age 80 of Montville, passed suddenly on Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Mrs. Green was born in Passaic and raised in Little Falls. She lived in Oakland, Packanack Lake, and Towaco before moving to Montville in 2007. Shirley and her husband Bob were third generation and life long summer residents of Green Pond, NJ.

Shirley graduated from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania with a BS in Early Childhood education in May 1955. Shirley married Robert Green, the love of her life on July 9, 1955. She taught school for 1 year before starting her family and dedicating her life to raising their 4 children. After their children were grown she worked with her husband Bob and was the CFO of Health Facilities Design, Inc.

Bob and Shirley were childhood friends at Green Pond where their parents were also friends. They hung out in groups together, water-skiing and making life-long friendships at Green Pond. They had summer romances which developed into an inseparable relationship. They did everything together, were true soul mates, and complimented each other perfectly. Their fifty-three years of a loving and caring marriage were filled with joy, laughter and love.

Shirley and Bob loved to travel and always had a story of adventure from their trips. Having four young children did not stop them. The family took a cross-country train trip to Seattle and Disney Land. Shirley made sure Pam's 8th birthday, spent on the train, was special. The family traveled to many places, the Florida Everglades, Niagara Falls, the "North Pole" and they rented a Winnebago to experience the NJ shore. Day trips were a blast too, like going to PA to dig for Indian arrowheads and overnight campouts on Whip Poor Will and the rocks. Once the kids were grown they expanded their travel excursions going to Italy, Spain, Portugal and thrived on spending winters in Mexico. However, Green Pond was where Shirl loved to be most. When their children where young she would take them in the boat to the beach, to march in the many parades and to visit their grandparents and other family members who also lived at the Pond. Many hours were spent in her bathing suit sitting on the "cottage" deck gazing at the beautiful water and mountains and greeting their neighbors and friends as they walked by. "Pondering" around the lake was also a favorite activity.

Mrs. Green was a loving and devoted Mother to her children and grandchildren and was an exceptional role model. She always inspired them to think of others, be happy and spread the joy to everyone around them as she always did. Shirley was a Brownie and Sub Deb leader and would spend countless hours helping her children with their homework. She was gifted with a very special selfless personality that was always concerned about others and had a smile that could light up any room.

Her children, grandchildren and friends will remember Shirley’s love of games. She was a card shark and loved to play Yahtzee, Sorry, Bonanza, Nintendo and would spend countless hours playing computer games. Mrs. Green would always have a game to play during family holidays and even after the grandchildren where grown they still looked forward to playing Grandma's games. Shirley loved to play Mahjong with the ladies at Green Pond and truly valued the friendships. All the niceties of a loving wife, devoted mother, endearing grandmother, and devoted friend went out the window when Shirley put on her game face.

Shirley will be remembered as a sweet lady who was understanding, put others before herself, was easy going, positive, and chose to be happy. Her dedication to her family was an inspiration. She was loved by all and will be missed greatly.

Shirley was the loving wife of fifty-three years to the late Robert Green (2008); devoted mother of the late Bradford Green (2010) and his surviving wife Elizabeth of South Plainfield, Wendy Herbert and her husband Jimmy of Fannettsburg, PA, Pamela Jacobs of Pine Brook, and Suzanne Green of Lake Hiawatha; cherished grandmother of Nicholas Green and his wife Tori, Sarah Pagliara and her husband Matt, Kendall Green, Logan Green, Jack Green, Cody Herbert, Janna Herbert, Jennifer Jacobs, and Allison Jacobs; her sisters Ruth Van Tatenhove, Doris Kent, and Joanne Linck all predeceased her. Shirley was anticipating, with great excitement, to meet her first great grandchildren in October and November this year.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Green Pond Volunteer First Aid Squad, PO Box 251, Newfoundland, NJ 07435, would be appreciated.

Ruth Isabelle Sandi, age 87 of Wayne, passed peacefully on Sunday, April 5, 2015.

Ruth was born and raised in Easton, PA. Following graduation in 1945 from Easton High School, she went on for further study and became a registered nurse. One day, while working at Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospital as what was known as a nurse “probe” or trainee, one of Ruth’s patients was a young gentleman named Joseph Sandi. The nurse trainee and the patient began a beautiful relationship that led to a beautiful marriage that spanned over sixty years.

After the wedding followed by their honeymoon at a New York State resort, the newlyweds settled initially in New York City. Ruth continued serving as a registered nurse until the blessings of children – first a girl named Cheryl followed by a boy named John, led Ruth to focus her attention on being a full-time mom and homemaker. After her children were born her family moved to Wayne in 1957 where Ruth lived out the rest of her life.

Ruth eventually returned to full-time nursing, serving for many more years at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson until retiring in 1983.

Ruth always loved to travel, and she and Joe traveled a lot after Joe retired too – the same year as Ruth. They enjoyed two trips to Europe; first to London, Paris, Rome and Madrid, and later to Italy. They also traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Las Vegas, and closer-to-home in Atlantic City. As a member of the Golden Age Club from 1983 to the present, Ruth also took Wayne Parks and Rec sponsored trips to New Orleans, Mount Rushmore as well as an Alaskan cruise.

As much as she enjoyed traveling, Ruth could entertain herself just as well at home. As a young mother, she could often be found outside tilling the soil and watering and caring for her beautiful flower gardens and vegetable gardens. She loved to cook and bake and, although she was a Dutch girl, she made some of the finest Italian dishes with family favorites being lasagna and tomato sauce. For dessert, everyone gave rave reviews to her crullers and shoe-fly-pie, and after all the dishes were clean, you could often find Ruth curled up in a comfortable chair reading a favorite book – most likely a romance novel. On Sunday mornings, Ruth could often be found worshiping at Preakness Reformed Church of Wayne where she had been a long-time faithful member.

Ruth will be remembered as a generous, sweet, caring, loving wife, mother and friend. She was also a good listener with a great sense of humor. If you’d ask her if she needed anything, her usual response was “I’d like a pound of twenty-dollar bills.” FYI: there are 494 twenty-dollar bills in one pound.

Surviving is her beloved husband Joseph; her dear son John and wife Janet of Oak Ridge, her dear daughter Cheryl Bandarek of Vernon; and her brother Robert Loomis of Pottstown, PA. She was predeceased by her sister Grace Nyce.

Sandra "Sandy" Fitzgerald (Reardon) age 66 of Butler passed, peacefully at home with the comfort of her family by her side, on Monday, August 3, 2015.

She was born in Paterson and raised in Riverdale and Bloomingdale before moving to Butler in 1969. Sandy graduated from the Butler High School with the Class of 1967.

As a young high school student she got a job working at the Bloomingdale Sweet Shop. While in high school she met a cute boy named Dennis Fitzgerald and they fell in love. They got engaged on Valentine’s Day in 1969 and married at Saint Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes on November 2, 1969 and honeymooned in Bermuda. They returned to Bermuda to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary.

After high school she worked as a secretary for the DuPont Corporation in Pompton Lakes. She left work when she was just about due to give birth to her first daughter Denise. When her younger daughter Lindsay entered first grade she became a secretary for the Masessa & Cluff Attorneys in Butler. She worked for them for almost thirty years, having stopped earlier this year for health reasons.

Friends and family will remember her as being giving, loving, and always there for them. Christmas Eve at her home was an open invitation to family and friends - everyone got a gift. Many family memories were made at the backyard pool, summer vacations to the Jersey Shore, trips to Disney with her children, and years later with her grandchildren. She especially enjoyed the trips she took with Dennis and dear friends to St. Maarten and Florida over the winter months.

Sandy was the loving wife of forty-six years to Dennis Fitzgerald; devoted mother of Denise Segedin and her husband Brian of Pequannock, and Lindsay Fitzgerald of Butler and her fiancé Tim Hedenhag of Ramsey; cherished grandmother of Meggie, Jennie, and Bradon Segedin; dear sister of David Reardon of Butler, the late Fred Reardon (2003) and the late Michael Reardon (2010). She was also dearly loved by many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors.

Memorial donations to the American Brain Tumor Association, 8550 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Suite 550, Chicago, IL 60631 would be greatly appreciated.

Sonya Nazaruk, age 81 of Wanaque, and formerly of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne and Caldwell, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 7, 2015.

Sonya was born and raised in Peabody, MA, the oldest of four children born to James and Marion Kushkowski.

Sonya had fond memories of growing up in Peabody with her family and cousins and was active in the church from a young age. She spent many winter days skating on the pond near her house with friends. As a young woman, Sonya was an avid Boston Red Sox fan and enjoyed going to Fenway with her girlfriends. One of her favorite memories was meeting Mickey Mantle in a local restaurant after one of the games.

Soon after graduating from Peabody High School with the class of 1951, Sonya met the true guy of her dreams – a fine U.S. Army man named Paul Nazaruk. Sonya and Paul first met at a church conference in Cromwell, CT. Upon meeting, Paul threw Sonya into the lake just to get her attention. Needless to say, it worked! Not only did Sonya fall in the lake, she fell in love that day too! A short time later, they re-united at a wedding and started going steady. Sonya and Paul wed on Sunday, May 17, 1953 at the Calvary Baptist Church in Peabody, MA.

After Paul's time in the army in Kentucky, the couple settled in Caldwell, NJ where they raised their family.

Sonya was a loving and dedicated mom for her and Paul’s two children, Michael and Paula. She balanced her responsibilities of being a great mom and working as a secretary and an office manager at several companies in NJ. In 1983, they moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne.

Sonya treasured her time spent at the Jersey Shore and the whole family enjoys great memories of renting a house every summer in Lavallette.

She also enjoyed lovingly tending to her flowers and growing vegetables, doing cross word puzzles published in the New York Times, and reading books of all genres. Sonya developed a love of knitting, especially nice warm snuggly scarves and hats and over the course of time she knit literally hundreds which she happily gave to her children, grandchildren, friends, and donated many to needy causes.

After retirement, Sonya and Paul enjoyed many trips. Among some of their favorites were trips to Hawaii with their children and grandchildren, a trip to the Canadian Rockies and a wonderful cruise to the Baltic states.

Sonya derived her greatest joy when she could be with her three grandchildren. She and Paul looked forward to spending time with Lily, their first grandchild, almost every weekend at their house in Packanack. When Aidan and Jared came along, Sonya and Paul were all too happy to host them on weekends too. They would pick them up from school on Friday afternoon and do all sorts of fun stuff with them, like take them to Farms View on Black Oak Ridge Road to see the chickens, or to Wendy’s Restaurant where they would see “Mr. Ralph” the greeter, or just letting them swim in their pool in the backyard in Packanack Lake. Everyone was a winner when Nana and Papa had the grandkids for the weekend! She was extremely proud of her grandchildren.

Sonya will always be remembered as a kind and loving woman who was greatly loved by her family and friends. She loved her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and kept Him first in her life. We are comforted by the knowledge that she now rests in His loving arms.

Sonya was the beloved wife of Paul who predeceased her in 2008; loving mother of Michael and wife Karin Nazaruk of Boca Raton, FL, and Paula and husband Joseph Vaccarella of Montville; cherished grandmother of Lily Nazaruk and her fiance Justin Mackler, and Aidan and Jared Vaccarella; dear sister of Peter and wife Salme Kushkowski of Connecticut, Olga and husband Dim Werenko of Texas, and John Kushkowski and companion Marion O'Brien of Massachusetts; and dear aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Santa Lombardo age 83, a forty-seven year resident of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Friday, February 27, 2015.

She was born and raised in Solarino, Sicily, Italy. It was here where she met, fell in love with, and married Giuseppe Lombardo on April 22, 1948. Santa was just sixteen years old and Giuseppe was twenty-four. She was a naturalized citizen of the United States as her father was a US Citizen.  After having three children in Italy she told her husband she was moving to America. Giuseppe agreed to come to America, but only wanted to live here until he made $2,000.00. After that he was going back home.Santa boarded a ship from Italy and did one of the most difficult things a mom could do; she left her family behind and after a ten day trip across the ocean settled into Paterson, New Jersey. It was here that her host family helped her find a job sewing in the Paterson textile mills. It took Santa nine months but she got all the paperwork approved to bring her husband and three children to America. With the money she made working she rented an apartment and soon bought their first home in Paterson, with Giuseppe’s brother Carmelo, they called Paterson home until moving to Wayne in 1967. Many will remember the family garage farm-stand where Giuseppe and Santa sold all kinds of vegetables and Zinnias, Marigolds, and snap dragon bouquets of flowers for many years.

Santa was an accomplished seamstress having made dresses, her daughter Maria’s wedding dress, coats, pants, skirts, shirts. She did detail beading on dresses, made table cloths, curtains,enjoyed knitting, and crocheting, and made all kinds of items for her family. Her prowess in the kitchen was incredible. She made her own pasta, canned her own tomato sauce, preserved all types of vegetables, and every week she baked bread. Her children can’t remember ever buying store bought bread until very recently when health issues simply prohibited her from doing these things. Her special touch on pizza and scaittiata with Swiss chard, spinach, potatoes, and sun dried tomatoes will be greatly missed. She accomplished all these things having never driven a car.

She will be remembered as being a dedicated mother who was always worried about her kids, took care of everyone, and always considered the needs of others before her own. This motherly love and dedication seamlessly transitioned to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom she adored. Family gatherings with innumerable Italian specialties at Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and New Years Eve were long established traditions at her home. Another tradition involved trips to Italy where they would bring home Italian olive oil, cheese, and sun dried tomatoes.

Santa was the loving wife of sixty-seven years to Giuseppe Lombardo; devoted mother of Salvatore Lombardo and his wife Donna of Butler, Josephine Vittorioso and her husband Gennaro of Wayne, Carmen Lombardo and his wife Sharon of Wayne, Maria Gilberti and her late husband Steve(May/2014), and Paula Ciaravino and her husband Steven of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Donia and her fiancé Rich, Anthony, Lucy and her husband Vinnie, Emanuele and his wife Rosanna, Santina and her husband Bill, Jarrod and his fiancé Ayla, Adam and his wife Ann, Danielle, Michael, Christian, Sophia, Sabrina, and Steven; much loved great-grandmother of fourteen great-grandchildren; dear sister of Paolo Lombardo and his wife Carmela, and Salvatore Lombardo both of Italy.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005 would be greatly appreciated.

Scott George Gelok, 28, of Wayne, NJ, passed away on Friday, July 31, 2015. A lifelong Wayne resident, Scott was born in 1986. He attended Wayne schools throughout his childhood and was a 2004 graduate of Wayne Hills High School. Scott enjoyed playing a variety of sports throughout his youth, but his favorite was football beginning at age 7 at Wayne PAL, followed by winning two State Championships over his four years at Wayne Hills High School.

Scott then attended Rutgers University where he had a passion for business and culinary arts. He loved sports, especially the Yankees, Giants, and Celtics and went to countless games with his uncle Alan Pinajian. Scott also enjoyed writing music and listened to an assortment including reggae, hip hop and rock. He was an avid reader and movie connoisseur, but his ultimate zeal was for cooking, which was proven regularly by his pure joy in preparing a special meal for others.

Most importantly, Scott valued his family and friends and made a positive impact on all in which he came in contact. Scott expressed daily how much he loved his family and couldn’t wait to “make babies” of his own. Scott was a humble, funny man who enjoyed pranks, emanated charm and compassion, class and beauty, which shined through his golden smile, “smiling eyes” and bear hugs.

Scott is survived by his parents Cliff and Cindy Fisher of Wayne; sisters: Tracy Gelok of Wayne, and Kimberly Fisher of Wayne, nephew; Giorgio Robert Olmo, grandmother; Shirley Pinajian of Wayne, grandparents Clifford and Elaine Fisher of W. Melbourne, Florida and Marvin and Marilyn Rosen of Bradley Beach, NJ; Uncle Alan Pinajian of Wayne, Uncle William Rosen and his wife Kristin of Neptune, NJ, Aunt Arlene Lerman and her husband William of Hackettstown, NJ, Uncle Mark Fisher and his wife Sharon of Hawthorne, NJ, Aunt Cathy Young and her husband Brian of Deland, FL; and cousins: Brianna, Rebecca, Matthew, Sebastian, Matthew, Danielle, Christy, Jennifer and Alex; and many dear friends who were like brothers and sisters to Scott.

Scott was predeceased by his grandfather George Pinajian in 1983, by his aunt Ellen in 2005, his cousin Jessica in 2008, his cousin Liam in 2009, and his cousin Stephen 2012.

Memorial: C/O Cindy Fisher, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 for Wayne Hills High School students who will be attending Rutgers University or studying Culinary Arts.

Roseann M. Majuri, age 79, of Wayne, passed away on Monday, December 21, 2015.

Roseann was born in Paterson and grew up in Clifton. As was customary of her era, Roseann’s parents thought it best that she not finish high school so she could go to work sooner. She obliged them and got a job for Bell Telephone Company “Ma Bell” in Paterson, as a telephone operator. While working however, Roseann’s unquenchable hunger and thirst for knowledge drove her to devise a plan that would help her get that high school diploma after all. She would tell her parents she was going shopping but in reality, she started attending night school so she could get her G.E.D. Her instructor was so impressed by her performance, he encouraged Roseann to go on for further education, which she ultimately did, after her children were old enough to be somewhat independent.

Roseann met the love of her life when she was just fifteen. As the story goes, she was walking down the street in Clifton one day, with bleach blond hair and wearing a cute pair of red shorts. Along came a car with an eighteen-year-old behind the wheel by the name of Martin Majuri. Upon seeing Roseann he rolled down the window and shouted her a compliment! Roseann’s dad wouldn’t allow his fifteen year old daughter date this eighteen year old boy, but when she turned seventeen, he gave Roseann and Martin the green light. For Martin, the two year wait was definitely worth it. Their first date was to a dance hall in Clifton where they danced so well together, you could say they owned the dance floor. As a couple, they won many competitions dancing together to classics like “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller. Their love grew and Roseann became Mrs. Roseann Majuri on Saturday, October 8, 1955 when she and Martin married at St. Philip Church in Clifton. Their honeymoon was going to be in Niagara Falls but when they got there, they discovered a spider in their bed. Terrified of bugs, Roseann made Martin take her home. They initially settled into a small apartment in Paterson equipped with not much more than a hot plate. Who needed luxuries when they had such a great love for each other? A couple years later, they moved to Totowa where they welcomed their first two children, Doreen and Frank. They eventually moved to Wayne in 1968 and soon after welcomed their third child – another girl which they named Donna. Roseann and Martin have lived in Wayne ever since and just this past October, they celebrated 60 years in a loving marriage together.

Roseann was a great wife and a dedicated mother to her three kids. She clearly looked out for them and always had their best interests at heart. When all three faced one sort of health issue or another, she was their greatest advocate, researching the best doctors for them and always encouraging a second opinion. In the late 1970’s she got that chance to go on for more schooling, eventually graduating from Montclair State College (as it was called then) with a B.S. degree in administration. She continued in pursuit of her Master’s degree in social work at Rutgers University but had to stop because of the effects of the early stages of Parkinson’s. A real people person and always active, Roseann got her real estate license and went on to enjoy a number of successful years as a realtor with Weichert Realtors, Coldwell Banker and Re/Max Associates. She also worked as an ad sales representative for that golden oldies station on AM radio, 1500 on the dial - WGHT.

In her spare time, Roseann loved to play tennis. She even had a tennis court in her back yard in Wayne where she and Martin played doubles matches with friends or Roseann played one-on-one with her girlfriends. Later on she became a member of the Red Hat Society where she got to enjoy time with other ladies going to teas, luncheons and other events like shows.

Roseann was quite fastidious about her looks – so much so that Martin rarely saw her unless she was dressed like she was going to the finest of events. She loved to wear three inch heels just to elevate her petite self and some of her favorite stores to shop included Marielle’s in the Wayne Hills Mall and Cache’ dress store in Atlantic City. While she loved to shop for clothes, the truth is Roseann just loved to shop in general! She and her daughter Donna used to take trips to New Hope, PA, Chester, NJ and Sugar Loaf, NY, just to explore the quaint little shops in search of the perfect crafty treasures to decorate Roseann’s home. Roseann really loved her two grandchildren, Tina Rose and Doren. While their mom Doreen went to work, Roseann and Martin were all too happy to watch these two dear grandchildren. They would all go to lunch and do other fun stuff and Grandma Roseann and Grandpa Martin were always at their school to pick them up at the end of the day.

Roseann will always be remembered for her upbeat, bubbly personality. Even as the symptoms of her Parkinson’s grew, Roseann always just kept on keeping on. Now she rest’s in Jesus’ loving arms.

Roseann was the beloved wife of Martin to whom she was married for 60 years; loving mother of Doreen Majuri, Frank Majuri – both of Wayne, and Donna Majuri of Long Branch; dear grandmother of Tina Rose Calafiore and husband Eduardo Cortes, and Doren Calafiore; and sister of David Quinn, Jr. of Pompton Lakes.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Roseann’s name are asked to consider donations for Parkinson’s research by mail to Donation Processing, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 or at www.michaeljfox.org

Rose Mineo, age 92 of Wayne, died peacefully at her home on Sunday, October 11, 2015.

Born and raised in Passaic, Rose resided in Clifton before moving to Wayne in 2006.

Rose was a homemaker and long-time parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Clifton.

Surviving are her two dear daughters: Josephine and husband Alan Pyzyna of Wayne, and Maria and husband Paul Kelly of Manahawkin; two cherished grandchildren: Carla Parisio and Paul Salvatore Kelly; three adored great-grandchildren: Sophia, Ella, and Pearla; her brother Carmelo and wife Lisa Scangarello of Hewitt; cousin Frances Branca of Rochelle Park; and sister-in-law Mary Scangarello of Boonton, many nieces and nephews, and her family of friends at Siena Village. Rose was predeceased by her beloved husband Salvatore “Sam” in 1980, her brother Carmelo Scangarello in 1939, and her brother Thomas Scangarello in 2002.

Rose’s family would like to offer a special word of thanks to her dear and dedicated caregivers, Genowefa Cholewa and Elisabeth Toczek.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Rose’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).

Late on the evening of January 27, 2015 the angels opened the gates of heaven for her arrival.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother Rosa L. Conte. Late on the evening of January 27, 2015 the angels opened the gates of heaven for her arrival. Although we will miss her deeply, we know that she would not want us to *mourn or feel so bad because she believed she was going home to all the long lost friends and family that are waiting for her above. Our Mom felt that *to die was not the end of life, but a passage through a door where aging bodies no longer exist, there is no such thing as pain, and there is an eternal life of love and bliss, where she will be waiting to welcome us one day, again.

Rosa is survived by her loving children…Sandra Conte, Anthony Conte, Michael Conte, Kristy Scola and her sister Anna Marie Rosado from Florida. She also leaves behind four grandchildren, Jonathan Gambino, David Fusco, Dominic Scola, and Gianna Scola, two sons -in-law, Dave Fusco and Zak Scola, as well as many other relatives and friends.

*excerpts from poem “Going Home” by Jenny Genovese

Rose J. Rolando (nee Townsley), age 91 of Haledon and formerly of Paterson died peacefully on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.

The Funeral Service, scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2015, 10:00 AM at the funeral home is still scheduled to take place, despite the snow storm.

Rose J. Rolando (nee Townsley), age 91 of Haledon and formerly of Paterson died peacefully in the early morning hour on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.

Rose was born and raised in Paterson and lived in Haledon most of her life. Rose greatly enjoyed riding motorcycles. She and her husband Aldo rode Harleys, Indians, and Triumphs and in their younger days were longtime members of the Cycle Alley Riders of Paterson. More recently, Rose enjoyed being with her friends at Haledon Seniors gatherings. She always displayed a joyful heart and could often be heard singing to herself. She also loved to dance and did so every chance she got.

Rose spent much of her life helping others and providing loving care and assistance. Many people died in her arms as Rose provided loving company and care to Seniors. She would often be heard on the phone fighting for benefits and care for those who had no advocate for themselves. She will be sadly missed by all who knew her, especially her family. The best friend and Mom one could ever have.

Rose’s children will hold forever the memory of a “truly dedicated mother” who loved each of them to pieces. She made a point of providing undying love and caring. Throughout her children’s lives she was always there for them.

Surviving are her two sons: Robert and wife Diane Rolando of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Arnold “Doc” and wife Anna Rolando of Hewitt; two daughters: Dixie and husband Thomas Moran of Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Arlene and husband Frank Coviello of Wurtsboro, NY; ten grandchildren: Bryan and wife Michelle Moran, Thomas and wife Cortney Moran, Tara and husband Craig Cowden, Amy Trader, Robert and wife Erin Rolando, Christopher and wife Dawn Coviello, Anthony Coviello, Jessica Rolando, Robert Rolando, and Christian Rolando; seven great-grandchildren: Camrin, Carson, Cager, Kevin, Ashton, Caleb, and Carmella; and her brother Hugh Townsley of Haskell.

Rose was predeceased by her beloved husband Aldo Rolando in 1987; three brothers: Vince, Johnny and Eddie; and one sister: Betty.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rose’s name are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834.

Ruth Margaret Conlan (nee Shauger) age 99 of Wayne on Monday, May 4, 2015. Her passing was quiet and peaceful but she would like everyone to know that she now rests in the arms of her Lord and Savior and that there is a new name in Heaven today and it is Ruth Conlan.

She was born in Denville and had lived her formative years in Lyons. After her marriage to Jack Conlan she lived in Morristown, Montclair, and Passaic before moving to Wayne in 1950.

Ruth received her formal education at Bernardsville High School graduating with the Class of 1934.

Jack and Ruth Conlan where high school sweethearts having met at a Christmas party, and they married in 1937. They had fifty years of “loving marriage” together until Jack’s passing in October, 1987.

Ruth was a member of Grace Bible Church in Pompton Plains and previously was a member of the Calvary Gospel Church in Wayne.

It is historically notable that the Conlan’s arrived in Wayne in 1950 after reading an advertisement by Kadel Builders of a new housing development in Wayne. They purchased their home for $10,000. A princely sum in that day, the purchase was made possible by the GI bill, a special government mortgage program for WW II veterans. That development was alongside the east side of Church Lane in Wayne. Historically this was the beginning of a big change for Wayne from a farm community to a residential community.

Perhaps the highlight of Jack and Ruth Conlan’s life was the adoption of their daughter Nancy Conlan. A distant family member in Massachusetts had a situation that she could not raise her new baby and allowed Jack and Ruth to adopt their little girl. Ruth at first did not know a whole lot about babies but she soon learned and Jack and Ruth were wonderful parents. They loved Nancy with all of their hearts.

Ruth had hobbies including sewing, gardening, and travel. Her favorite activity was travel and she visited almost all of the United States, China, Japan, Africa, Russia, Hawaii, islands of the Caribbean, all of Europe, and many other places. Wherever Ruth went throughout the USA and many other countries, she always witnessed, so she will have many people in heaven waiting to see her.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Ruth’s memory are asked to consider The Grace Bible Church, 150 Sunset Road, Pompton Plains 07444.

Rosario “Pat” Patane, age 92 of Pompton Lakes, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 with the comfort of family by his side.

Pat was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. The second of Dominick and Sebastina Patane’s four children, he loved playing all kinds of sports including baseball, football, basketball, tennis, handball and even a game called fistball. If Pat was nowhere to be found there was a real good chance he had picked up a game of sandlot baseball or football in the street between the parked cars with the other neighborhood boys.

Soon after graduating from Brooklyn’s Alexander Hamilton High School with the Class of 1940, he received what he described as “one of those Dear Pat letters” from Uncle Sam. Pat and was drafted into the U.S. Army on December 12, 1942, and inserted right in the middle of World War II. He remained on U.S. soil in Florida and served in the Coast Artillery Corps as a medic where he and his comrades were responsible for coastal and harbor defense. Eventually, he was assigned to Virginia Beach and ultimately to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. While at Fort Bragg, Pat played baseball for the Fort Bragg team. He recalled coming up to bat against Max Lanier, a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who, like Pat, was also drafted into the Army. Pat described Max as a really tough pitcher to hit…..so tough that the only way he could get on base was by bunting. Pat was awarded the American Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal upon being discharged on February 2, 1946.

After Pat was honorably discharged from the Army, his friends Joe Gomez and Jack Jackavino brought Pat to one of their gatherings where he met a beautiful and charming young lady named Gloria Sbert. The two of them hit it off that night and they had their first official date a short time later at a famous restaurant in New York City where they shared a meal together out on the veranda. They fell in love and one night Pat asked Gloria, “If I ask you to marry me, would you marry me?” As she looked into his eyes and smiled adoringly she exclaimed….. “Yes!” They exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends on Saturday, April 15, 1950 at St. Stephen R.C. Church in Brooklyn, then they enjoyed a simple reception at a local hall where sandwiches and coffee were served. Their honeymoon followed in Virginia Beach, VA and they were just one day shy of 65 years of blessed marriage!

For a few years Pat worked at his brother John’s auto service station in Brooklyn, NY. His shop was just around the corner from the family’s 2nd Street home. He soon found work in New York City having worked in the offices of Chase & SanBorn Coffee. Life’s journey took Pat into the insurance industry and for many years he worked for Murphy & Jordan Insurance in Rutherford, NJ. He commuted to New Jersey from Brooklyn but was so tired when he got home he wouldn’t even eat dinner before going to bed. Since the children were all young he and Gloria decided to move to New Jersey. They found a home in Pompton Lakes where they raised their family and have lived for the past fifty-nine years. After moving to New Jersey Pat worked for the William Romano Insurance Agency in Short Hills, and Kenilworth before retiring in 2002. Never being one who could completely retire, he took a job as a school crossing guard where he was entrusted to cross the children at Riverview Road and Ramapo Ave. in Pompton Lakes. He took this responsibility very seriously and came to love the kids he crossed, often referring to them as “My children.” He described being at his post as being like a shepherd, counting the kids as they went to school and as they came home. Pat safely crossed the kids for twelve straight years, from 2002 until October, 2014.

The family will never forget station wagon vacations all over the place. Pat would drive just about anywhere. The only problem was his whole family had to listen to his opera music on the journey. On a few occasions they went to destinations such as Gettysburg and Hershey Park, PA but most of these station wagon trips involved a location where Pat could get his fishing line wet. Fishing and crabbing trips on the Saint Lawrence Seaway, Lake George, NY, Brielle, Point Pleasant and Sandy Hook, NJ were where many memories were made. Annual apple picking trips to Warwick, NY were again serenaded by opera music. The family would tailgate in true Italian style by eating lasagna while sitting on the back of the car. The kids fondly remember squirreling apples under the seats of the car to avoid having to pay for all the apples they picked.

Like any good fisherman, Pat had some great fishing stories. Like the time he took his 17 1/2-foot Sea Nymph up the St. Lawrence Seaway with his son-in-law Rich. They were fishing for salmon that day and like any other fishing trip, when you got a bite, the code was to say “Fish on Hook.” When you said that, everyone else pitched in to help. On this particular trip, Rich uttered the code….”Fish on Hook” and he and Pat went to work. Well, this salmon was the mother of all salmon. As other boats stood by, this fish dragged Pat’s boat causing it to crash into another boat. The fish eventually lost the battle but while bringing the boat out of the water, the engine prop hit a rock and busted. When they got to the cabin, Pat questioned “What could happen next?” Before he could finish uttering his question, the chair he was sitting in broke.

Before another fishing trip to Cape Vincent in New York State, Pat had his big green Plymouth station wagon checked over mechanically. With everything in seemingly good order, he and the guys with him headed up the highway. Not far on their way, the oil light on the car’s dashboard came on and before he knew it, that old Plymouth was completely void of oil. A Good Samaritan stopped and gave Pat two quarts of oil, just enough to get him to a gas station so he could have the car checked. The mechanic took Pat and the other guys to a bungalow to sleep, then called the next day when the car was ready. With the station wagon fixed, Pat and the guys continued toward their fishing destination. Everyone was smoking cigars in the car, when all of a sudden, there was smoke coming up from under the seat and soon the whole car was engulfed in smoke. They never fished that weekend. Too bad! If they caught salmon and were coming home when the car filled with smoke, at least they could have had smoked salmon.

Pat was one of the New York Yankees’ biggest fans. He could remember listening to games on the radio, hearing legends like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, Tony Lazzeri, and Phil Rizzuto make Yankee history. Pat also loved to play golf (he had six sets of clubs dating back to 1950), and he was a member of North Jersey Country Club during the 1970’s. He also was a pretty good bowler, playing with the Knights of Columbus for many years.

Pat was very sincere in his faith. He was a faithful parishioner of St. Mary’s RC Church where he served as an usher for almost fifty-five years. He loved going to church and spoke about how he loved all the priests in his parish. Rest in Peace Pat, in the arms of your Lord and Savior!

Pat is survived by his beloved wife Gloria (nee Sbert); his five loving daughters: Diane Schmiedhauser of Butler, Patricia Patane of Pompton Lakes, Joann and husband Kevin Maurer of Little Falls, Lisa and husband Rich Rayment of Lincoln Park, and Theresa “Terry” Patane of Butler; nine cherished grandchildren: Melissa, Eric, Chris, Kim, Katie, Kyle, Andrea, Shawn, and Noel; and four adored great-grandchildren: Ryan, Mia, Caleigh and Michael. Pat was predeceased by his two brothers and one sister: John and Salvatore and Agatha “Ida” Patane, and son-in-law, Michael Schmiedhauser.

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

Age 73 of Haskell, died on Thursday, March 26, 2015 with his family gathered at his bedside.

Rudy Siano, age 73 of Haskell, died on Thursday, March 26, 2015 with his family gathered at his bedside. He had been a resident of Haskell for twenty six years and a Certified Nurse’s Aide at Lakeland Health Care Center in Haskell for twenty seven years and Wayne View care center for 20 years.

Rudy’s childhood was anything but typical. He was born in the Philippines in 1941, while the nation was under siege by the Japanese Imperial Army. He recalled many occasions as a small boy when his family would hide from the Japanese patrols by jumping into a nearby river and hiding in the water under a bridge. His mother was an amazing woman, giving birth to thirteen children, with nine of them surviving to adulthood of which Rudy was the eldest.

Rudy graduated from college in the Philippines and began studying law at the local university. On one particular occasion in February of 1970, he was invited to a local officials home for dinner where he met the official’s beautiful young daughter; Jaily Ragos. He was smitten with love at first sight and within weeks he dropped out of law school to get married. Their wedding was on June 6, 1970, just three months after meeting! Rudy then began working as a school teacher. In the 1980’s, the economic conditions in the Philippines caused Rudy to answer a call for teachers in Nigeria, Africa. He took the position and taught history in Nigeria for six years. He absolutely loved Nigeria and the people he befriended there. In the late 1980’s, conditions were right for Rudy to move his family once again, this time to America. They had no plan and no employment lined up when they arrived, but adequate savings to get an apartment and start looking for work. He didn’t want to teach in America because he knew the attitude of the students was much different than in Nigeria…and in Nigeria the teacher was equipped with a very effective whip. Rudy soon entered a program to train as a nurse’s aide and before long found employment at the Lakeland Health Care Center and Wayne View care center. He was a dedicated, hardworking individual and proved to be a dedicated employee. He spent much more time at Lakeland than he did in his own home; caring for his patients with true compassion. Rudy was a wonderful provider to his family, a strict but truly loving father to his daughters, and a dear friend to untold numbers of friends. He will be missed dearly.

Rudy loved to travel. One of the perks of his employment in Nigeria was that travel expenses were paid for teachers and their families! With his family, he enjoyed vacations touring throughout Italy, Switzerland, Holland, and many other destinations around Europe, all paid for by the Nigerian government. He continued traveling throughout his lifetime, cruising in the Caribbean and he just returned from a trip to London and Brussels this past September. He had always dreamed of visiting Paris and wanted to return to the Philippines to see his brother’s rice patties.

Rudy is survived by his wife Jaily of Haskell, his two daughters Ruby Siano of New York, NY, and Judy Clidoro and her husband Paul of Haskell, four grandchildren; Johanna, Joram, Jules, and Phoebe Jade, as well as many dear friends.

Ruth Helen Maltman, age 84, of Wayne, went to be with her Lord and Savior peacefully at her home, surrounded by her family, on Monday, May 11, 2015.

Born in Paterson, Ruth was raised in Fair Lawn. After graduating from St. Joseph’s High School in Paterson with the Class of 1949, Ruth continued her studies at Paterson State Teachers College. In the era when she attended, the college was located on 21st Avenue and Market Street in Paterson. It’s known today as William Paterson University, located in Wayne. She majored in Elementary Education and she graduated with her teaching degree in 1953 at the campus in Wayne. The second class to graduate from there.

While attending college, Ruth met a fine young man named David Maltman who was also a student there. Their first date was to the movies. David doesn’t remember what they saw but he does recall that they took a great liking to each other! Since David enjoyed ice skating, he also took Ruth skating on Greenwood Lake. David left school early and went off to serve in the U.S. Navy. They continued to date and one weekend, while he was in boot camp in Newport Rhode Island, Ruth came to visit along with David’s parents. Looking for an opportunity to be alone, Ruth and David went for a walk on the beach. While walking, he asked Ruth for her hand in marriage. They exchanged their wedding vows before family and friends at St. Anne’s Church in Fair Lawn on Sunday, July 12, 1953. After a reception celebration at the Wayne Manor, they spent their honeymoon traveling through New England, including a stay in Martha’s Vineyard.

The following September Ruth began her career as a second grade teacher in the Hillsdale Public School System. She taught for one-and-a-half years, then retired temporarily so she could raise her newborn baby girl, Patricia. Over time, Ruth and David were blessed with two more daughters and two sons. Ruth dedicated herself to raising her five children and providing a loving home for her family. In 1957, the family moved to Wayne where Ruth has remained to the present.

In 1973, Ruth returned to teaching, this time as a substitute teacher in the Wayne Schools. She enjoyed educating for fourteen years, retiring again in 1987.

Ruth and David had some great retirement years together traveling throughout the U.S. In 1992, they purchased a home in Sarasota, FL. While she loved being with her family, Ruth increasingly grew to dislike the cold winters, so when winter arrived, she and David would say goodbye to their family and head south for a few months. She and David enjoyed their Florida home until selling it in 2013. She spent her childhood and teenage summers at Lavallette.

Ruth was blessed with some really special friendships in her life. She stayed in contact with a group of six girlfriends she met during her years in college. Once-a-month they all got together to do something fun like take a trip to Peddler’s Village or some other destination, and through their friendships, their families also got to know each other and spend good times together too.

Most of all, Ruth enjoyed her family. When her children were young she dedicated her life to raising and providing a loving home for them. She especially loved having them gathered all together for Christmas and her children have fond memories of that most-special holiday. She also planned and hosted 4th of July picnics for family and friends for over 50 years.

Ruth was a quiet, strong woman. Her husband David described her as the glue that held the family together. She was a positive role model for her children and other family members and she never said anything negative about anyone. She forgave people that hurt her and continued to be their friend. She was a positive, loving person who inspired others who knew her to be better people.

Ruth is survived by her beloved husband David, to whom she was blessed to be married for 61 years; her five dear children: Patricia Costello of Totowa, David M. Maltman of Wayne, Kathryn Alvaro and husband Al of Hillsborough, Jayne Maltman of Lawrenceville, and Christopher Maltman of New York City; seven adored grandchildren: Michael Costello, Katelyn Costello, Allison Alvaro, Nicholas Alvaro, Christine Di Bella, Frank Di Bella, and Robert Di Bella; one cherished great-grandson: Evan Di Bella; and one brother: Howard Wilkes of Bloomingdale.

Ruth was predeceased by her parents: Frank and Ruth Wilkes; her brother Charles Wilkes; her aunt Letitia Poirier; and her son-in-law Thomas Costello.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Ruth’s name are asked to consider Valley Hospice, 223 North Van Dien Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450.

A resident of Packanack Lake for fifty two years.

Robert H. Acker, age 76 of Wayne, died peacefully at his home on Friday, May 1, 2015. He was surrounded by his loving family who had gathered at his bedside. He has been a resident of Packanack Lake for fifty two years.

After receiving his Master’s Degree from Stevens Institute of Technology, Bob enjoyed a fulfilling thirty-five year career with Singer-Kearfott. He retired in 1995 as Senior Vice President of Operations. Not one to sit still, Bob began a second career as a management and technical consultant, then he returned to Stevens where he began working full time as the Associate Dean of Corporate Programs. He retired from Stevens in 2005.

Bob was raised in Union City, NJ and truly enjoyed the simplicity and wholesome lifestyle of his childhood during the 1940’s and 50’s. Stickball games in the street, three-on-three basketball games in the park, and the occasional trip over to Ebbets Field to see the Dodgers, were all experiences he cherished during his formative years. At 6’-6” tall, he became a standout All-Hudson County basketball player for Emerson High School in Union City and was very proud of his accomplishments on the court, which included a few State Championships. Just a few years ago, a ceremony was held to induct Bob into the Emerson High School’s Hall of Fame. He cherished the honor and was truly proud to be recognized. Of course, he was quick to point out to his fellow alumni that he was the only one still able to fit in his varsity jacket, which he proudly wore that day.

Bob met his wife Bettyanne while summering at the Jersey Shore. She was from Westchester County, NY and was on her first visit to the Jersey Shore when they met at a Labor Day, end-of-summer party. Bob was smitten and there began a loving courtship. On one occasion, Bob really wanted to visit with Bettyanne, but there was a terrible snow storm which had shut down the Lincoln Tunnel and all the roads. Bob walked from Union City, through the Lincoln Tunnel to the train station in Manhattan, hopped a train to Scarsdale, then walked several blocks, in deep snow, to knock on her door. Bettyanne had no idea he was even coming, but quickly realized that he was very serious about their future together! They married on July 7, 1962 and enjoyed a two-week long honeymoon in Bermuda. Well, ‘enjoyed’ may not be the right word to use, as Bob was not accustomed to the tropical sun; he ended up in bed for five days with a blistering sunburn! The second week of the honeymoon proved to be much more enjoyable. Together with Bettyanne, they have celebrated nearly fifty three years of a very solid marriage where they truly complimented each other. Their children describe their marriage as a true example of a loving and devoted couple. Bettyanne described their relationship as wonderful. She felt that although they had many ups and downs they had a complete love for each other and that complete love is what will always be with them. It certainly helped them get through many a football game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

Living in Packanack Lake was like a dream for Bob and he described it as being like no other community on earth. The family oriented and friendly atmosphere, coupled with all the available activities, made Packanack the perfect place to raise a family, and together with his wife, Bettyanne, they settled here in 1963. Even before his children came of age, Bob coached the IHM-CYO high school basketball team to two league championships during the 1970’s. He continued coaching with the PLAA; baseball, softball, and naturally basketball with his own children. Bob and Bettyanne enjoyed square dancing at the clubhouse, Sunfish sailing, and attending the Packanack Players shows. His election to the Packanack Board of Governors was an honor and enlightened him to many more wonderful aspects that Packanack had to offer. He was invited to join the Packanack chapter of the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out – Saturdays), which exposed him to some great camaraderie with a diverse group of fellow Packanack residents.

His spirit of involvement and service in the lake community continued in the Adirondacks. There he joined Friends of Mount Arab Fire Tower Association as a board member and served as both past president and current board member of Mount Arab Preserve Association (MAPA)

He truly enjoyed all of his experiences and the wonderful friendships he was blessed with during his years in these lake communities.

Although he was not initially a dog lover, Bob loved all of the dogs and pets that came home. Chasing them through the woods on Easter morning, retrieving a leftover stolen turkey or just taking an afternoon nap with them were some of the events that created their bonds. Bob was a very involved father. He was focused on education and his children recall him reviewing their homework often and providing encouragement for their higher education and career goals. He also felt that, as a father, it was his duty to teach his kids to be independent and self-sufficient in many ways. All of the kids learned home repair, basic car repair, did their own oil changes, tune ups and tire changes. Bob could fix anything and he passed that along even to his grandchildren. The first ‘new’ car he purchased was a 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang stick shift, which each of his children learned to drive. Besides the basics of learning to drive, Bob also taught each kid how to jump start the car by popping the clutch in second gear. That wasn’t just a lesson, but more of a necessity; it was the only way to start the car! With the odometer surpassing 200,000 miles, it’s safe to say he got his money’s worth out of that Mustang.

Summers at their camp on Mount Arab Lake outside of Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks also served to create some great memories for Bob and his family. Aboard his boat he would become “Capt’n Bob,” with the yellow captain’s hat atop his head, he would joyfully tow his grandchildren around on the tube and entertain family and friends. That boat was another labor of love, like the Mustang, and required a healthy dose of tinkering to keep it operational, but Bob loved to tinker with it. His family and loved ones will cherish those fond memories, boat rides, and lessons learned for years to come.

Bob shared some words of wisdom in his bio, which was published in the Packanack ROMEOs book in 2009. His words seem poignant at a time like this. He suggests that we all “get back to basics,” spend less time texting and emailing each other and have more personal time with those we love at the “eyeball to eyeball” level, be a good parent by planning daily family time together, and finally; family and love are the most important values.

Bob is survived by his loving wife of fifty three years; Bettyanne (nee Breitenbach) of Wayne, three children; Robert and his wife Carolyn of Highland Lakes, NJ, Betsy Cassini and her husband Chris of Pipersville, PA, and Katie Sikorski and her husband Dave of Wayne, seven grandchildren; Erin, Kevin and Emily Acker of Highland Lakes, Lauren and Christopher Cassini of Pipersville, PA, and Hannah and Riley Sikorski of Wayne, and two cousins; Henry Acker of Pennsylvania and Joan Makwinski of Wayne and several nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Passaic Valley Hospice, 783 Riverview Dr., Totowa, NJ 07512 would be greatly appreciated.

Robert "Bob" John Wiltshire, age 66 of Wayne and Lincoln Park, passed at home on Monday, October 5, 2015.

He was born in Jersey City and lived in Wayne for most of his life before moving to Lincoln Park ten years ago.

Bob was a professional auctioneer mainly in the antiques and specialty rug industry for many years. He began his career in 1974 and ran auctions in every one of the United States except Hawaii. For the past ten years he has worked in operations for Passaic County in Paterson.

He was a US Navy Veteran and member of the American Legion Post 174 in Wayne.

He was the devoted father of Robert Wiltshire, Jr. and his wife Kimberly of Rockaway, Christopher and his wife Luisa of Wayne, Marc Wiltshire of Fort Lauderdale, FL; loved step-father of Jennifer Novak of Totowa; cherished grandfather of Gavin, Gabriel, and Hope Wiltshire, Bella Novak, and Alex Hart; dear brother of Kathleen McCann and her husband Brendan of Warwick, NY, Kenneth Wiltshire and his fiancé Linda of Bordentown, Joseph Wiltshire and his wife Francine of New Egypt, and Thomas Wiltshire and his wife Cheryl of Oakridge.

In lieu of flowers, and in recognition of the fact that at the age of three Bob had the first open heart surgery performed in New Jersey, memorial donations to the Deborah Hospital Foundation, 212 Trenton Rd., Browns Mills, NJ 08015 would be greatly appreciated.

Engineer of photoelectronics and Packanack Lake resident for over 40 years, dies at 81

Ronald Henry Goehner Sr., an innovative scientist and engineer of photoelectronic technology and a longtime resident of Packanack Lake,Wayne, NJ died peacefully in his home on July 24,2015 . He was 81 and suffered from advanced Parkinson’s disease.

Ronald was born in Jersey City, NJ on April 14, 1934. A first generation American, Ronald was the second son of John Goehner and Sophia Gerhardt. His father was born in Steinau, Poland in 1904 and his mother was born in Germany in 1906.

Ronald’s father arrived in the United States in 1926. His father worked both as a welder for Jersey City Welding founded by Ronald’s Uncle, William Goehner, and as a farmer.

Ronald’s mother arrived in the United States in 1923. Before marrying, his mother worked as a nanny for families in New York City. As a nanny she was never paid in wages. She was only provided room, board, and one dress a year from her employer.

Ronald grew up in Jersey City, NJ, and lived for many of his formative years at 17 Van Nostrand Ave. As a boy during World War II, he sat on the rooftops and watched the mandated blackouts turn a lighted city skyline into darkness. This is when he formed his love of amateur radio as it allowed him to hear war news and communicate with others all over the world. Ronald built his own radio antennas giving him an early love of radioelectric technology and science that would last a lifetime.

Ronald graduated Henry Snyder High School in 1952. He received a B.S. in chemistry from Wagner College, Staten Island NY in 1957 where he won the Dreyfus Prize for Chemistry. After college, Ronald served as a research chemist at the U.S. Army Chemical Center in Edgewood Maryland from 1957 to 1959, working on development and dispersal methods of chemical weapons during the cold war. He continued his studies and earned a M.A. in Science/Physics from Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ in 1969.

Ronald met his wife, Jessie Anne Stanzel through his cousin, Marianne Gehrhardt, in 1957. While dating, Ronald shared his love of classical music with Jessie and together they enjoyed many concerts at Carnegie Hall, always in the two center seats of the front row. He married Jessie on February 20, 1960 at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield, NJ. Together they resided in South Plainfield, NJ, Lawrenceville, NJ, and Saratoga, CA before settling in to Packanack Lake, Wayne NJ where he resided for over 40 years, raising his three children.

Since 1957, Ronald was employed as an engineer and applied scientist focusing on the development and advancements of photoelectric technologies. He managed research and development of image tubes, x-ray image converters, x-ray image intensifier tubes (which made CT scans possible), and photomultipliers. He received multiple patents for his work to advance photomultiplier technology. Ronald was employed by Tung-Sol Electric, EMR Photoelectric, Varian - EMI, Dumont Electronics Corp., Thorn EMI Gencom Inc, Electron Technology Inc., and The Fredericks Company.

In 1979 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Electron Technology Inc. (ETI) and was responsible for the successful development and sales of infrared glassware. In 1982, in addition to serving as President of ETI, he was promoted to President of Thorn EMI Gencom, Inc. which was responsible for the North American sales of English made photomultipliers, image tubes, cathode-ray tubes, and nuclear instrumentation. From 1992 –1999, approaching retirement, Ronald served as Vice President of the Fredericks Company and managed the Electron Technology division. He was a member of both the British and American Society of Scientific Glassblowers since 1981.

For over 60 years, Ronald worked in the field of applied science and helped pioneer and advance technologies with practical applications such as; UPC code scanners, infrared technology, glassware and night vision goggles, medical blood testing, regenerative braking for hybrid engines, vacuum tubes and high speed cameras for the television and motion picture industry, gamma ray detection for those at risk to nuclear radiation, and launching mechanisms for space exploration.

In some instances, it has taken a lifetime for his research and development to be implemented. For example, he worked on developing automobile hybrid engines with regenerative braking in the 1970s, and it took over 20 years for the technology to be integrated into the marketplace. In other instances he worked to reverse his prior work. While his career began with developing chemical weapons, later in life he advised and developed methods to accurately locate and safely dismantle those weapons.

Ronald was also an active member of his community and a loving supportive father and husband. He was a member of Packanack Lake Community Church where he served as a Trustee and as President of the church choir. He took great joy in singing as a tenor in the church choir. He supported his children’s endeavors including football, swim team, and theater. He served with his wife as President of the Packanack Lake Swim Team in 1981-1982, and also assisted his wife in volunteering for Healing The Children, a non-profit organization that provides critical medical care for children worldwide. He was an avid astronomer and took his family on trips to planetariums, observatories or simply the front lawn, to learn the constellations and watch for meteor showers.

Through his work and in his retirement years, he was able to enjoy many travels and adventures that included a boating adventure down the Snake River canyon, riding camels in Egypt, and several visits to England and Europe. In 1992 Ronald and Jessie were able to purchase a beach bungalow in Ocean Grove, NJ that had been the home of Jessie’s Great cousin, Anne Bain Forrester. There they were able to spend many happy summers at the Jersey shore continuing and forging new friendships.

Ronald held a deep appreciation for the opportunities available to him in the United States and revered the chance to apply himself fully. In all of his roles he strived to give others the same opportunities he was given. He gave many people from all walks of life, a chance to rise up from difficult circumstances and succeed. While his contributions to his field of applied science are remarkable, it will always be Ronald’s strength of love, compassion, and generous support that will endure in the lives of those he touched.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jessie Anne Stanzel Goehner, Wayne, NJ his children Ronald Henry Goehner Jr., Wayne, NJ, Thomas Bain Goehner Washington DC, Janet Marie Goehner-Jacobs, and son in law David Scott Jacobs, Haddonfield, NJ. He is survived by his grandchildren, Philippe Kallagov Ridgewood NJ, Heidi Anne Jacobs, Haddonfield, NJ and a great-granddaughter, Alicia Philippe Kallagov, Ridgewood, NJ. He is survived by his brother Raymond Phillip Goehner and sister in law Linda Wnuk Goehner, Schaumburg IL, sister in law, Jean Kelly Goehner, Oceanside, CA, sister in law, Margerite Stanzel, Ft. Myers FL, Cousin Carol Schumacher John, Juniper, FL, Cousin, John Gerhardt McCormick, SC, Cousin Marianne Gehrhardt Knapp San Clemente,CA and several nephews and nieces. He also is survived by lifelong friends; Ray Martin, Alan Palmer, Jim Pepling, and Robert Ziolkowski.

He is predeceased by his older brother John William Goehner Oceanside, CA, his brother who died as a young child, George Goehner Jersey City, NJ and his dear Cousin, Helen Gehrhardt Lincoln Park, NJ.

The family would like to especially thank Ronald’s niece, Rosemary Goehner, for her wonderful care and support provided to Ronald and his family as his life came to a close.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations would be appreciated to:

The Michael J. Fox Organization to advance research of Parkinson’s disease. www.michaeljfox.org or the Packanack Community Church 120 Lake Drive East Wayne, NJ 07470 (973) 694-0608

Age 84 of Wayne died on Sunday, May 17, 2015. He had been a Wayne resident since 1962.

Robert E. Conklin age 84 of Wayne died on Sunday, May 17, 2015. He had been a Wayne resident since 1962.

Bob was born in Sloatsburg, NY in 1931, when the nation was still struggling from the Great Depression. His family included eleven children, all raised under rural and difficult conditions. Despite the difficult times and the challenges he faced, he succeeded as a wonderful Father, Husband, Grandfather, and a successful Ironworker.

Robert went to Suffern High School for two years before transferring to Stevens Institute in Hoboken where he finished high school and learned a trade. He then became an Iron Worker with International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, Local 483 in Hackensack. He was always very proud of his career and the many structures he worked on throughout the years, not to mention the great camaraderie he enjoyed with his fellow iron workers. He was a registered Life Member of Local 483 and worked for his son’s company, Sun Valley Erectors in Pequannock before retiring in 1993.

Bob was a member of the Pompton Lakes Elks Lodge BPOE #1895, where he served as Exalted Ruler in 1997-1998.

Robert first spied his wife, Florentina “Flo” Templin, at the American Cyanamid Corporation in Pearl River, NY. He didn’t even know her name when he said to his fellow coworkers; “that’s the girl I’m going to marry”. Their first date was to the Palisades Amusement Park with her two boys from a previous marriage. Robert thought the world of her two young boys and he raised them as his own, avoiding such terms as “stepsons” or “stepfather.” They were his boys too and he cared for them very much. Bob and Flo married on Valentine’s Day in 1955 and he would tell you that “she was the best Valentine I ever had.” They settled in Closter and had four more children, of whom he couldn’t be more proud. Sadly, his oldest son Robert McManus was killed in Vietnam in 1968 and that heartache never left their family.

Robert is survived by his children; Gary McManus and his wife Mary of Wayne, Philip Conklin and his wife Susan of West Milford, Florentina “Tina” Iskra of Rockaway, John Conklin and his wife Vicki of Pequannock and Renee Budz and her husband Frank of Sussex; cherished grandfather of thirteen; loved brother of Eugene Conklin of NY State, William Conklin and his wife Susan of Suffern, NY, and Harriett Sargine of Ramsey. He was predeceased by his wife Florentina in 2013, and by six sisters and one brother.

Rosary (Accardo) Gaffney-White age 75 of Hamilton, formerly of Wayne, passed Sunday March 29, 2015 at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born and raised in Paterson having lived on Jersey Street in Paterson. When she was just nineteen years old she married the late James Gaffney (1994). Once married they moved to Wayne where they lived and raised their family for forty years. She lived in Bluffton, SC for seven years before moving to Hamilton five years ago to be closer to family.

Rosary was a secretary for Social Services in Paterson before being married. Soon after she married she stopped working to dedicate herself to raising her family. Once the children were of age she returned to the workforce as a secretary first at the Fairfield Industrial Center in Fairfield and later for Cytec Industries in West Paterson before officially retiring in 2001.

She was very dedicated to her Catholic faith and was a parishioner at Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne for many years. Rosary will be remembered as a great cook, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who had a great smile and loved to ballroom dance.

She was the loving wife of the late James Gaffney (1994) and the late Ray White (2005); devoted mother of Elizabeth Proszynski and her husband Mirek of Hamilton, Michael Gaffney of Randolph, and Patricia Gaffney of Chatham; cherished grandmother of Jessica Proszynski, Juliane Proszynski, Jacqueline Proszynski and Meagan Howarth. She will be sadly missed by her furry companion Sweetie.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Xaverian Missionaries, 12 Helene Court, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Robert J. Heberling, age 75 of Wayne died suddenly on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 from complications related to his recent hip surgery. He had lived in Stockholm for twenty two years before moving to Wayne in 1990.

Bob was a teenager when his parents moved to Wayne, during a time when the town was still comprised mostly of farms and a lot of horses. He graduated from the Passaic County Vocational & Technical High School and soon thereafter started working for the U. S. Postal Service in Wayne. Over the years, Bob had several routes throughout town, currently working out of the Sheffield office, marking an unprecedented fifty six years as a letter carrier! His most recent delivery route was along the Newark Pompton Turnpike where many of the residents know him personally. Bob loved his job and had no intentions of retiring anytime soon. Just days ago he was making plans to get back to work with his new hip.

Bob was a real character too, with a nutty sense of humor and he never complained or took anything too seriously. He was an ambitious prankster and you always had to be on your guard with him. It was often difficult to know when he was being serious or not. Even his doctors weren’t safe from his humor and when they would ask Bob “how do you feel?” he would quip back “With my hands. How do you feel?” Despite the wise cracks, Bob was a genuine and caring individual. He was always helpful towards anyone in need, sometimes to fault, even when he didn’t have the means himself.

Bob was devoted to his family. He met his wife, Elizabeth “Bunny” McGrogan, at Hinchman’s Beach in Wayne when they were just teenagers. Although it wasn't love at first site, their relationship grew stronger and they married on June 13, 1959. He’s been making her laugh for fifty five years now. Bob was a great husband and a wonderful father,too. Loving the kids so much, he even changed dirty diapers and helped Bunny out with the babies however he could. He’s the funniest “Pop-Pop” his grandchildren could have ever hoped for and he loved all of them dearly.

Bob is survived by his wife Elizabeth “Bunny” Heberling of Wayne, three daughters; Theresa Martin and her husband David of Dingmans Ferry, PA, Mary Whitehead and her husband John of Plano, TX, and Denise Kane and her husband William of Whitehouse Station, NJ, five grandchildren; Sean, Ryan, Michael, Kayleigh, and Brianna, and two brothers; Donald of Eatontown, NJ and Richard of Mooresville, NC.

Donations in Bob’s memory would be greatly appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or visit www.stjude.org.

Robert “Bob” Young age 83 of Wayne passed on Saturday, February 28, 2015 in Williamsport, PA.

He was born and raised in Williamsport, PA and came to New Jersey in 1965 as work was scarce in Pennsylvania. He established a home in Wayne, NJ where he lived for the past fifty years. In 1972 he purchased a farm in the Williamsport, PA area as he felt his roots belonged there. He worked for the Frank A. McBride corporation in Hawthorne and had been the construction foreman for the old Giants Stadium. His apprentice back then was appointed as the construction foreman of the new Giants Stadium and even gave Bob a tour of the new facility during its construction.

Bob served in the Army National Guard of the United States and the Army National Guard of New Jersey during the Korean War and was Honorably Discharged on November 30, 1960 having attained the rank of Corporal. For his service he received the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

Bob enjoyed fishing in the Florida Keys. He and his loving significant other, Pauline, loved to fish together in the Florida Keys. Bob would tow his boats the “Cork” and the “Cork II” from Wayne down to Florida each year. He will be remembered as a caring and giving man.

He was the loving “significant other” of Pauline Grieves. For many years they were next door neighbors that developed into a loving relationship for over forty-five years. Bob was a father figure to Arnold Grieves, Jr., Donna Carey, Glenn Grieves, and Tom Grieves. He also was a loving grandfather figure to Freddy, Gary, Glenn Jr., Gregory, and Matthew.

Robert W. Heykoop, age 83, of Pompton Plains, passed peacefully, lovingly surrounded by his family, on Monday morning, April 20, 2015.

Bob was born in Wayne, the fifth of six children. He grew up on Ratzer Road, and his childhood home, the first house on the right immediately as you exit off of Route 23 North, still stands. His father Nikolas owned a family nursery – Heykoop’s Nursery- in Pompton Plains. Bob attended Central High School in Paterson where his curriculum focused on agriculture. He graduated in 1950. A pretty good athlete, he was a star on his high school baseball team. He could really hit the ball far. A few years after high school, Bob played ball for a local Wayne softball league. The ball field they played on was literally on the circle of what was the old intersection of Route 23 and Ratzer Road. One night, Bob hit the ball so far, it struck the neon sign on the old Circle Bar and Grill, which was located where the old Fuddruckers stands today.

After high school, Bob worked at his father’s nursery and became interested in stock car racing. He bought a racecar but he was initially too young to race it himself so he had his buddy drive it for him. They raced his car at Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson.

In 1951, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Given the option, he opted to be the ship’s cook. He chose this position because he said it was too loud working in the engine or boiler room. His granddaughters enjoyed hearing stories about his time as a cook. One of their favorite stories was about the oval pancakes he would make when the ship rocked side to side and the motion of the ship would cause the pancake batter to spread into an oval shape. He served his country proudly from 1951 until being honorably discharged in 1955. Upon completion of his service, he was awarded the National Defense Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

In 1953, Bob came home on leave from active duty. He was driving down Black Oak Ridge Road in Wayne, on his way to his girlfriend’s house, when a friend of his, Mabel, saw him and flagged him down. Mabel and her friend Rita Zimmerer were outside shoveling dirt for Mabel’s father. When Bob and Rita laid eyes on each other, it was love at first sight! Bob never did make it to his girlfriend’s house that day. He returned to his Navy service but kept in touch with Rita from that time on. After nine months of dating, Bob asked Rita for her hand in marriage. She said yes! Then, being the honorable man that he was, Bob asked Rita’s father for permission to marry her. With permission granted, on Saturday, March 6, 1954, family and friends gathered at St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes to witness Bob and Rita’s wedding promises. After the reception and honeymoon in Florida, the newlyweds made their first home in Connecticut where Bob was completing his Navy Service.

Soon after, in 1955, they celebrated the birth of their firstborn, a cute little baby girl named Linda. Shortly after, they moved in with Rita’s parents in Wayne and lived there for two years. During that time, Bob and Rita were blessed with a baby boy whom they proudly named Robert, Jr. By now, Bob was working with his father at the family nursery. In 1956, he and his family moved into their new home, which they built on the nursery grounds in Pompton Plains. The nursery was a wholesale and retail business that produced mostly shrubs and trees. Bob enjoyed his work and was very conscientious about it, often working seven days a week in the spring and fall seasons.

In his spare time, Bob enjoyed playing softball and competing with his buddies in the Wednesday night bowling league at Butler Bowl. One of the teams he played for was called the Royal Master Grinders – named after the company that sponsored them. Bob’s league bowled at 9:00 PM and he was pretty good, sporting an average in the 180’s. Bob was a real family man and he always cherished time he could spend with them. Every summer, he spent a week with Rita and the kids down the Jersey Shore at Seaside Park. He loved the beach and the sun and surf – especially riding the waves on his canvas raft. Throughout the years, he loved, loved, loved the family picnics at Ringwood Manor and Darlington Park in Ramsey! Those picnics were frequent and they always involved extended family. A man of tradition, Bob considered having his family gathered for the classic holidays – Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, to be times where he felt like he was “living the dream.”

In 1989, Bob sold a portion of the land that comprised the nursery so that he could purchase his own Pepperidge Farm bread route. For the next eight-to-ten years, his days began with delivering bread and other Pepperidge Farm products to the local food stores, then coming home to work at the nursery. Years later, after retiring, Bob would still run into people in the stores he serviced. He always appreciated the warm greetings and friendships he was able to establish over the years.

It was around this time that Bob also pursued another endeavor……horse racing. Not just going to the track, but going to the track to see his very own horse compete. Bob bought a race horse. The horse’s name was Drummer’s Best and, while no U.S. Triple Crown winner like Secretariat, that horse afforded Bob and his family lots of enjoyment and good times. Drummer’s Best raced at Monticello, Pocono Downs, and of course, The Meadowlands. Rita always joined Bob for a night of racing and betting, with Linda, Robert, his grandchildren, and friends joining them to cheer on Drummer’s Best.

Bob didn’t ask for a lot out of life. He enjoyed simple activities like communing with nature while working in the nursery, going to parades, chasing down whatever town was hosting July 4th fireworks, playing horseshoes, getting together with Rita and friends for a night of friendly poker or a card game of Nertz, or enjoying dinner at a restaurant with his family. When dining out, if asked how his food was, Bob’s usual response was “Good, but not as good as Mom’s.”

Bob loved his beloved wife Rita and together they enjoyed a loving marriage of just over 61 years. In later years, Bob had the privilege of becoming a grandfather to three precious girls – Rhonda, Kelly and Kaitlyn. Later, he was blessed to become a great-grandfather to Lily, Hannah, and Laila. All of these girls adored their “Poppy” and have wonderful memories of him making them his famous blueberry pancakes and taking them to the orchards in New York State for apple picking and hay rides. His granddaughter Rhonda considered Bob to be far above and beyond an average grandfather. He held such a special place in her heart. The two of them enjoyed a special bond of mutual love and admiration for each other.

Bob was known to be a quiet man who never sought to be the center of attention. While that was the case, his honesty, integrity, and likeability spoke loud and clear as to the man he truly was. If a family member happened to meet someone who knew Bob, as soon as they realized that “you were related to Bob” they always spoke highly about what a great guy he was. No one ever had a bad word to say about him.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife Rita; his dear daughter Linda Van Wingerden and husband Vincent Intindola of Pompton Plains; his dear son Robert Jr. and wife Nancy Heykoop of Lincoln Park; three adored granddaughters: Rhonda, Kelly, Kaitlyn; and three cherished great-granddaughters: Lily, Hannah, and Laila.

Bob was predeceased by his four brothers: Johannes, Orrie, Gus, and Richard Heykoop; and his sister Adriana Cleary.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Bob’s name are asked to consider the The Salvation Army, New Jersey Division, P.O. Box 3170, Union, NJ 07083.

Ronald J. Rosen age 74 of Wayne passed Monday, January 26, 2015.

Ronald J. Rosen aka “Ducky” age 74 of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne for 20 years passed Monday, January 26, 2015.

He was born in Jersey City at the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital, son of Abraham and Betty Rosen. Ronald lived on Pleasant Avenue and later moved to Hauxhurst Avenue in Weehawken where he lived until he got married. He graduated from Weehawken High School with the Class of 1958 where he played basketball for the Clover’s and also participated in some theater. As a young boy, Ron delivered groceries on his bicycle for Max’s Deli in Weehawken. Ron grew up across the street from his childhood sweetheart, Rosemarie. They began dating in high school.

After completing high school, Ron enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on April 1, 1958. He served in active duty for almost 3 years and then was in the Reserves for an additional 3 years. He was discharged on March 31, 1964. Ron and Rose Marie were engaged to be married for two years before they married at Saint Rocco’s Church in Union City on June 3, 1961. They honeymooned at the San Souci Hotel in Miami Beach Florida. They lived in West New York in their early days of marriage. They had two girls before moving to Palisades Park where they raised their family for over 20 years. Ron was very involved in his town, school, and church. He was councilmen for 4 years. He was a member of Saint Michael’s church where he was on the council and lector. Ron was known as Uncle Ron by most of the kids in the town. Later on, Ron and his family moved to Teaneck and then in 1994 they moved to Wayne, New Jersey.

Ron worked for the G.A.F. Corporation for forty-three years as a Risk Management Specialist, at first in New York City and later in Wayne, NJ. In his younger days, Ron worked as a salesmen in Macy’s in New York City, a banker on Broadway, and Burns and Roe in New York City.

Ron was a family man at heart. He was a proud grandpa to Taisha and Tanner. He loved his grandchildren more than life itself. He was known as “Ducky” by all which was the nickname given to him by his grandchildren. He would light up whenever he talked about them. Ron also enjoyed spending time with his daughter, Donna and his son-in-law, Charlie. They frequently vacationed together, their favorite being Disney World where they were Vacation Club Members. Whether it was taking Rose Marie into lower Manhattan for breakfast, playing board games with his grandchildren, going to the movies, his grandson’s hockey games, or seeing Rose Marie and his granddaughter collaborating on their blog “Taisha’s Table with Granny and Family”, he could never get enough of. He was always found in the circle of six with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. He had the patience of a saint, was very lovable, always had a kiss for the women, would give you the shirt off his back, and never had a bad word to say about anyone. Ron also loved to eat! Ron could eat a meal and snack before and after. His favorite restaurant was the Paris Inn in Wayne. Ron enjoyed fifty-four years of a marriage described as “inseparable” and “forever lovers” with the love of his life Rose. Ron later became a member of Saint Timothy’s Lutheran Church.

He was the loving husband of Rose Marie (Latronico) Rosen; devoted father of Donnamarie Purcel and her husband Charles of Wayne, and the late Debraanne Rosen (1989); cherished grandfather of Taisha and Tanner Purcel; dear brother of Daniel Rosen and his wife Carol of Osprey, FL; loved uncle of Kimberly Zalkin and David Rosen; brother-in-law of Father Phil Latronico, Richie and Anne Greten and their children Denise and Nicole Greten; brother-in-law of Phil and Jennifer Gagliardi; Godfather of Kimberly Zalkin and James Mussara.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Saint Timothy Memorial Fund, 395 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Randolph “Randy” Fila age 58 of Wayne, formerly of Wallington, passed Wednesday, November 11, 2015.

Born in Passaic, Randy grew up in Wallington graduating in 1975 from Wallington High School where he remained friends will many of his classmates to this day, forty years after graduation. Randy was a dedicated husband to his wife, Linda Fila (nee Ward). The couple lived in Wallington after their marriage until they purchased their home in Wayne in 1997.

Randy followed his father into the painting trade in 1980, joining the International Painters Union & Allied Trade, eventually serving as the past Treasurer and current President of DC 711, Local 1007. Randy spent the majority of his career painting the team logos on the field for the Giants and Jets, first at Giant Stadium and then the new MetLife Stadium. In addition to the Giants and Jets, his other professional credits included painting logos for Super Bowl XLIII and the World Series logo behind home plate at Yankee Stadium during one of their many appearances in the World Series.

One of Randy’s passions was big game fishing. During his honeymoon in Hawaii, Randy found time for a short fishing trip where he landed a trophy sized marlin less than an hour into the trip. Other deep sea excursions included Costa Rica, Mexico, Florida and Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

Randy was blessed with an easy going nature that naturally attracted people to him. Quick witted, he had the ability make people laugh and make them feel as if they had known him for years, moments after meeting him. Randy was a friend to all, happy to help all those who needed him, usually going unmentioned.

Randy was introduced to his beloved wife, Linda, through a mutual friend on Memorial Day weekend and they never looked back. Their first date was to the 52nd Bomber Squadron Restaurant in Fairfield follow by a helicopter ride. Randy proposed marriage on one knee as they dined at Jerry’s restaurant in East Rutherford, a favorite haunt of Randy’s, Randy and Linda married on June 7, 1996 on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. They honeymooned for three weeks in Hawaii and have enjoyed a loving, caring, dedicated, “old fashioned” marriage for the past nineteen years.

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

Richard T. “Dick” Mahoney, age 84 of Wayne, died peacefully on Friday, October 9, 2015. His family waited lovingly by his bed side at the time of his passing.

Dick was born in Rockville Center, NY. He lived for a short time in the Bronx before moving to Woodside Queens where he spent the bulk of his childhood. Dick attended William Cullen Bryant High School in Astoria Queens, and it was there that he met the girl of his dreams. Her name was Helen Revel and she was one of Dick’s classmates. Along with other students Dick and Helen often went to the local soda fountain after school. They took such a fond liking to each other, as was the custom of the day, on April 18, 1948, they declared that they were going steady.

After high school, Dick worked for a time with United Parcel Service. In 1952 he answered the call from Uncle Sam and was drafted into the United States Marine Corps. The war was going on in Korea and Dick served as a helicopter mechanic at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia. Separated from each other during the war, Dick and Helen kept in touch primarily through written correspondence. In one of his letters, Dick asked Helen to be his wife. Then, as was their custom, every Sunday night Helen would walk from her house down to the corner where there was a pay phone. There she would wait for Dick’s weekly call. When the phone rang, Helen excitedly answered and accepted Dick’s marriage proposal. During his next two-week leave, Dick came home and on Sunday, July 13, 1952, he and Helen were joined in marriage before family and friends at St. Mary’s Church in Woodside Queens. With a two-week military leave, they took a bus to their honeymoon vacation in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. One of Dick’s favorite honeymoon memories was riding horses with Helen because for some reason, her horse always refused to go forward. After the honeymoon, Dick returned to Quantico Marine Base and Helen continued to live with her parents. She eventually followed them from their home in Queens to a new home in Lodi, NJ. There she waited for Dick to finish his Marine service. He was honorably discharged in 1954 – a proud recipient of the National Defense Service Medal. He and Helen could now begin their married life together.

Dick and Helen quickly moved back to New York City where Helen had a good job with an insurance company. Meanwhile, Dick got a job with 7 Santini Brothers Moving and Storage Company. In 1955 Dick became a proud Papa when Helen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl which they named Nancy. They were living in Jackson Heights at the time but soon after moved back to Lodi where Dick and Helen’s sons Kenny and Bob were born. Dick had been working for an overhead door company but in 1958, he obtained his iron workers book and joined the Iron Workers Local 580 in New York City. This was the beginning of a long and prosperous career that would span over three decades and include work on the Pan Am Building as well as a big project at the 1964 World’s Fair. In 1985, Dick became the proud founder and owner of Professional Entrances, a company he ran until retiring in 1994. The family moved to Wayne in 1962 where they have remained to the present.

Dick’s retirement in 1994 blessed him with many years to enjoy leisurely times with family and friends. He liked playing golf so you could often see him working on improving his handicap at Passaic County Golf Course because it was so close to his house. He also loved getting outdoors and playing in Myrtle Beach. Dick was also a connoisseur of fine wine, and to him, the finest wine he ever had was the wine he made himself. He labeled his homemade wine “Seneca Vineyards” which was actually produced in his garage with grapes purchased from Corrado’s in Clifton. Dick started this hobby in 1987 and, continuing the tradition for the past twenty-eight years, he was all-too-proud to favor you with a bottle.

Twenty five years ago, Dick and Helen purchased a home down the shore in Long Beach Island (LBI). On the older maps it was ocean front property but capitalism must have motivated someone to build two houses in front of it before they purchased it. Ocean front property or three houses in from the ocean – it didn’t matter that much to Dick because the sun was just as beautiful and that’s what Dick really liked. Dick got to spend all his retired years enjoying the sun, surf and most importantly, making memories with his wife, children and grandchildren at LBI. Dick was very handy and always eager to help his kids with any projects around their houses. He also built a beautiful family room off the back of his own house by himself! He and Helen had the privilege of traveling extensively with cruises being their favorite way to travel. In all they took twenty-four cruises including trips to Alaska, Bermuda, the Caribbean, up the east coast of the U.S. and two cruises to Hawaii. Dick really loved Hawaii – so much so that, in addition to the two cruises, he and Helen took seven additional trips there.

Dick was the loving husband of Helen (nee Revel) for 63 wonderful years. He was the loving father of Nancy Mahoney of Pequannock, Kenneth and wife Linda Mahoney of Jersey City, and Robert and wife Suzanne Mahoney of Wayne; dear brother-in-law of Joyce Mahoney of Long Island and Marie Tishy of Pequannock; cherished grandfather of Nicholas, Shannon, Jake, and Lia; and dear uncle of several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his two brothers: Harold and Kenneth Mahoney.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Richard’s name are asked to consider American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 (www.cancer.org) or The American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005 (www.heart.org).

Richard A. Stansfield (Dick), age 73, of Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday, February 26, 2015.

Born in Attleboro, MA, Dick grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and graduated in 1963 with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Rhode Island. While there, he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and, as a member of ROTC, he attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

Following graduation, Dick joined the U.S. Army and proudly served in Vietnam in the 1st Calvary Division Air Mobile Unit. Upon his return from Vietnam, he served as a Reservist with the NJ National Guard, then with the 353rd Civil Affairs Command in New York from 1985 to1995, serving tours of duty in Cameroon, West Africa, Germany and Norway. He was a member of the Army Reserve Officers Association. He retired from the military after thirty-two years of proud service to his country, having attained the rank of Colonel. Over the course of his military career, he was the recipient of the Vietnam Service Metal, Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and Legion of Merit.

Dick also enjoyed a career that spanned 33 years in various management positions with Brooklyn Union Gas Company (now Keyspan). After retiring, he operated a furniture repair and refinishing company in Butler for several years. Being the perfectionist that he was, he repaired and refinished each piece of furniture as if it was going to be used to furnish the White House.

Dick was a resident of Pompton Plains for almost thirty years and served on the Pequannock Twsp. School Board in 1982. He moved to the Packanack Lake Section of Wayne in 1995. He was a member of Wayne Presbyterian Church and served on the Board of Deacons for many years.

Dick was a man with many hobbies and interests. With his gift for playing the piano, friends and colleagues loved having Dick at their parties and get-togethers. He’d gladly get behind the keyboard and apply his own personal musical style and interpretation to whatever he played. Dick loved to be outdoors working in his gardens. As a member of the Master Gardeners Association of Passaic County, he grew both flowers and almost any vegetable you could imagine. Of course, with great gardening comes a plentiful harvest and with that comes the opportunity to cook. Dick enjoyed spending equal time in the kitchen, preparing meals from his fresh produce. He also had a keen interest in learning about his family’s history and once while being engrossed in a time of genealogical research, he learned that he was a descendant of the founder of Dick’s home state of Rhode Island and staunch advocate of religious toleration and separation of church and state – Roger Williams. Dick subsequently became a member of the Roger Williams Family Association.

Of course, when one considers how many places his military life took him, it’s no surprise that Dick was also a travel enthusiast. During the course of his lifetime, he traveled to many parts of the world including Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Dick also enjoyed cruising with his wife and family and the most recent cruise took him to Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain and France.

Dick was an avid skier and enjoyed skiing in New England in his early years and then later in Colorado and Utah. He was proud to have been a member of the National Ski Patrol.

Dick is survived by his beloved wife of 18 years, Ruth (nee Friesema); his daughter Susan and husband Tracy Cole of Butler, and his son Douglas and wife Sally Stansfield of Stillwater, NJ; his wife Ruth’s three sons: Jeff and wife Mary Goudsward of Woxall, PA, Kevin Goudsward of Green Lane, PA, and Todd and wife Jennifer Goudsward of Harleysville, PA; and eighteen grandchildren.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Richard’s name are asked to consider the Wayne Presbyterian Church or the Lustgarten Foundation, 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714.

Mike Otterbine age 30 of Wayne passed suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Sunday, August 16, 2015.

He was born in Montclair and raised in Clifton until the age of eight. The family moved to Wayne in 1993. Mike graduated from Wayne Hills High School with the Class of 2003. He played on the 2003 Championship Football Team at Wayne Hills and was the Passaic County Heavyweight Wrestling Champion that year as well. Mike attended Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut.

He will be remembered as having a larger than life personality and attitude. Mike had an awesome smile and could make friends with just about anyone. He was extremely lovable and crazy stubborn at the same time. As a friend Mike felt like the brother you never knew you had; he always had your back and was loyal to a fault. He loved online gaming and went by the name “Cousin Mikey” in the video gaming world. Mike was a natural athlete who loved weight lifting, wrestling, and mixed martial arts. Mike truly loved the beautiful blue eyes of his Siberian Husky named Diesel. When he first brought Diesel home from Pennsylvania he had a friend in the backseat of the car with Diesel on one side of him and a pet alligator on the other. Mom said: “the dog stays – the alligator goes.” Mike will also be remembered as a lifelong New York Jets fan. Many will remember Mike as a security guard. He worked at many places including Joey’s in Clifton, Pub 46 in Clifton, Joey Harrison’s Surf Club in Seaside Heights, and most recently Mother’s Ale House in Wayne.

Mike was the loving son of Kathleen Otterbine and her loving companion John Gardner, and Frank G. Otterbine and his wife Christine; devoted brother of Frank H. Otterbine and his wife Danielle and Kara Otterbine and her boyfriend Rory Stanley; he was the cherished uncle of Lucy Bernadette Otterbine and loved nephew of John and Pam Borowski.

Those considering a memorial donation for Mike are asked to send a contribution to his niece Lucy Bernadette Otterbine’s education fund. She was very dear to him and this is something he would truly appreciate. Please make checks payable to “Frank Otterbine” and be sure to put “Lucy Bernadette Otterbine Education Fund” in the memo of your check. Please mail to Lucy B. Otterbine Education Fund, c/o Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Robert C. Grahn, 75 of Wayne, died peacefully in his home on Monday, November 09, 2015 with his family gathered at his bedside. He had been a resident of Wayne for sixty years.

Bob is survived by his devoted wife Jean of Wayne, his son Jamie and Jamie's girlfriend Renee of Wayne, and his siblings: Theodore and Arthur Grahn, Susie Grahn, Lorraine Knoller, Marie Van Zant, and Carol Mayer.

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

Richard “Rick” Meyers, age 83, of Wayne, died unexpectedly on Thursday, March 5, 2015.

Born in Garfield, Rick was raised in Clifton and had been a resident of Wayne for the past 53 years.

When Rick was just thirteen years old, his father passed away. Rick was just finishing eighth grade, but with a need for new breadwinners to replace his dad, Rick never returned to school. Instead he got a job working as a milkman. It wasn’t an easy way to make money at first. Rick would tell his family stories of one-time dropping a whole case of milk, getting stuck in an elevator while delivering, and hitting a snow bank with his milk truck. He eventually went to work for two of his brothers, Al and Louie at a gas station they owned in Clifton. He started out pumping gas, and assisting his brothers with auto repair. He then ended up working for Sadewitz Service Garage in Clifton, strictly doing auto repair.

About this time, Rick met a sweet and pretty girl named Helen, also from Clifton. Everyone called her Heidi. Well, Rick and Heidi’s love for each other grew brighter and brighter each day, so they made their vows, marrying on Saturday, July 12, 1952 at Athenia Reformed Church in Clifton. The church was newly built and Rich and Heidi hold the distinct notoriety of being the first couple married there. Following a honeymoon in Florida, they initially settled in Clifton.

Soon after getting married, Rick and Heidi welcomed their firstborn, a baby girl which they named Gale.

It didn’t take long for everybody’s Uncle Sam to figure out Rick and Heidi’s new address. One day Uncle Sam sent Rick a letter, telling him he was drafted to serve in the Army. The United States was involved in the Korean War so off to service Rick went. That was 1952 and Rick served in the U.S. Army for two years, returning home in 1954, welcomed by his beautiful bride and his baby girl Gale. He came home a corporal and very proud to have had the opportunity to be a defender of the freedoms that all Americans enjoy. For his service to his country Rick was bestowed the Korean Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, the United States Service Medal, and the National Defense Medal.

After returning from Korea, Rick and Heidi were blessed with their second child – another girl which they named Leslie. This growing family moved to Wayne in 1962 and they’ve called Wayne their hometown ever since. Eventually, Rich and Heidi were blessed with that little boy they were probably waiting for and they named him Alan.

Rick continued working for Sadewitz Service Center before moving on to Schumacher Chevrolet in Little Falls. He eventually landed a job repairing engines for All Service Contractors Equipment in Pompton Plains. He enjoyed a career there that spanned twenty years until his retirement in 1995.

Rick’s mechanical gifts extended beyond his ability to make engines run well. While many people brought their cars to his house to be serviced or repaired, Rick was also a talented electrician, plumber and carpenter and he did most of the work on his own house. His family dubbed him the “king of home remedy.”

Rick was a good man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it more than him. He often fixed people’s cars for them, most-of-the-time refusing any sort of compensation for the work he did.

Rick loved to fish, and his son Alan recalls great times as Rick took him fishing every weekend during his growing-up years. Favorite fishing holes included Wawayanda State Park, Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, and Lake Musconetcong. They usually rented a boat and they never, ever missed opening day of trout season.

Rick also loved the peaceful act of communing with God’s creation, spending time growing and cultivating his gardens……and beautiful gardens they were! He enjoyed flowers, especially roses, and fruit trees – both peach and cherry. He also grew prize-winning tomatoes and peppers. On Sundays Rick would prepare all the family meals for the coming week and you can bet they included some of the bountiful crops from his own garden. His daughters and son describe Rick as “a great cook” who made family favorites including lasagna, pork roast, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa on Sundays for the Giants game, and some kind-of Hungarian soup recipe that was given to him by his mother whose name no one could pronounce, so they just called it “Hungarian Hooshfalosh.”

Rick enjoyed watching Yankee and Giant games and sometimes while rooting them on, he’d entertain himself by sketching and doodling. He was actually very talented and typically enjoyed sketching birds and people.

While deeply saddened by his parting, his family takes comfort in the fact that he’s once-again reunited with his beloved wife Helen Florence, “Heidi” who passed away just a little over two weeks ago on February 17, 2015. They were blessed with a happy marriage that spanned 62 years and now their relationship continues.

Surviving are Rick’s three dear children: Gale Meyers of Hopatcong, Leslie and husband Bill Seltmann of Green Township, and Alan Meyers of Bloomingdale; and three adored grandchildren: Matthew and wife Larissa, Samantha, and Jake Seltmann. He was predeceased by all of his siblings.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rich’s and his wife Heidi’s name are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association 400 Morris Ave, Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834, or Passaic Valley Hospice 783 Riverview Drive, Totowa, NJ 07512.

Richard Christie of Wayne passed away May 20, 2015 in Morristown, NJ.

Richard Christie of Wayne passed away May 20, 2015 in Morristown, NJ. Dick was born to W. Donald and Dorothy Bensen Christie at the family home in Ridgewood, NJ just as the 6 am trolley passed behind the house. He was raised in Ridgewood and married Jean Anne Grebenstein in 1954. Dick and Jean Anne lived in Bergenfield, Allendale and Ridgewood before moving to Pines Lake in Wayne in 1981. A graduate of Ridgewood High School, the University of Michigan (BSE), and Yale University (ME), Dick worked at Hardesty and Hanover, a bridge design firm in New York City, for 50 years, retiring as a partner in 2001. He was a faithful member of the Pompton Reformed Church, Pompton Lakes, NJ and a volunteer on its Monday morning work crew.

Dick’s life-long passion was boats. He began building boats at age 14, earned a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan, and constructed 18 wooden rowboats, sailboats, and canoes over his lifetime. He also built over 35 major pieces of furniture and countless smaller projects and made many wooden furniture repairs for friends and family.

Dick was active on the Planning Board in Ridgewood and as a Boy Scout leader. He was a charter member of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association. He served on Committee 15 of AREMA (The American Railway and Maintenance-of-Way Association), the American Welding Society, the Canada Public Works/Canadian Standards Association, and was the recipient of over a dozen prestigious bridge engineering awards.

Dick was predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Jean Anne, in 2006, and his sister, Kittie C. Kessler in 2014. He is survived by his son Douglas W. (Michelle) of Wayne, daughters Susan E. (Lane) of Ardmore, PA, and Martha A. Shankler of Matamoras, PA; also granddaughters Erin, Emily, and Laura Christie, grandson David Shankler, and dear friend Corinne Tyndall of Pompton Lakes as well as nieces and nephews.

Contributions can be made to Project LINC (transportation program), c/o Catholic Charities, 24 DeGrasse St, Paterson 07505 or University of Michigan, George L. West Jr. Memorial Fund 371610, 3003 South State Street, Suite 8000, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1288.

Phyllis Kurtz, 93, passed away on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains, NJ.

She was born in Union City, NJ to William G. and Lillian (Bahrenburg) Pierson. Phyllis was a graduate of Union Hill High School, Union City, class of 1939, and received her RN degree from Christ Hospital in Jersey City in 1942. She attended post graduate training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She returned to Christ Hospital and took a position on the faculty of the Nursing School to teach operating room procedure. Phyllis resided in Pequannock Township for 64 years. She devoted her life to family, friends, and to her nursing career at Chilton Memorial Hospital, where she worked as a labor and delivery nurse for over 26 years. Prior to her position at Chilton Hospital, she worked at the Barnert Memorial Hospital in Paterson, NJ as well as several area nursing homes.

In her youth, Phyllis was a member of the Rainbow Girls organization, serving as a Worthy Advisor. She then entered the Order of the Eastern Star and is currently a member of the Mountain View #205 Chapter. She would have been a 75 year member of the Eastern Star this year.

In addition to her parents, Phyllis was predeceased by her husband Walter C. Kurtz of 55 years and a brother; William B. Pierson. She is survived by her daughter Lillian Blair and her husband Kenneth of Rockaway, NJ, daughter Susan Lindeblad and husband David of Lafayette, NJ and daughter Barbara Howland and her husband Charles of O’Fallon, MO. Phyllis is also survived by grandchildren; Christopher Franco and wife Jessica of Ewing, NJ, Keith Franco and wife Christine of Dover, NJ, Michael Franco and wife Patricia of Succasunna, NJ and her five great-grandchildren; Juliana, Benjamin, Maximus, Nicholas, and Brynne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Dial-A-Ride, 520 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312 would be greatly appreciated.

Peter R. Blake, Jr., age 73, of Vernon died on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at his home. He had been a pharmacist throughout his career and owned Mark Pharmacy in Wayne for over twenty two-years.

Peter was born in Newark, NJ and grew up in Lincoln Park. He graduated from Boonton High School with the class of 1960 and was passionate about maintaining alumni relations and organizing class reunions. He began his college career at Columbia University learning to be a pharmacist. The tuition was very expensive and he worked his way through one course at a time. He even won a boat in a raffle on the Jersey Shore boardwalk but took the cash prize instead to pay his college tuition. He was eventually persuaded to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville where the tuition was much less expensive. He graduated with his degree in Pharmacy in 1967. After a few years of practice, he became a partner in a pharmacy in Franklin, NJ and eventually purchased Mark Pharmacy in Wayne in the mid-1970’s. As the business grew, Pete bought the former Park View Funeral Home building at 38 Mountain View Boulevard, Wayne and transformed that into the new Mark Pharmacy which operated there until 1997. Pete proudly built that business not by making ‘customers,’ but by making ‘friends’ with the countless people who depended upon him. Of course, it also helped that he was a great talker and took a personal interest in getting to know everyone. He was a selfless man, which many of his customers know through his acts of kindness.

Pete was also a very skilled craftsman. He could do plumbing, electrical, carpentry... just about anything. He built his own log home up in the Adirondacks, starting with the excavating. He had no plans of hiring someone to dig and move dirt – instead he purchased two broken machines; a bulldozer and excavator. He read repair manuals, fixed them up, and did all the excavating work himself. He acted as his own general contractor and saw the project through every phase of construction. He loved that home and he, his family and his friends created many wonderful memories there.

Pete met his wife, Peggy MacQueen, in early 1964. They were set up on a date by mutual friends and they hit it off from the start. Pete took Peg to a dance at Columbia University for their first date and the rest is history. They married on December 4, 1965 at the First Reformed Church in Pompton Plains with a reception that followed right there in Friendship Hall. There was no time for a honeymoon; they packed up and moved to Florida so Pete could start classes in Gainesville that same month. They would have been celebrating their fiftieth anniversary this coming December. Pete and Peggy remained deeply in love throughout their marriage. They were not just husband and wife. They were best friends.

Pete’s family was his greatest joy. Pete is survived by his loving wife Margaret “Peggy” Blake of Vernon, his three sons; Kurt Blake of York, PA, Scott Blake and his wife Janel of Ramsey, NJ, and Jeff Blake and his wife Jeannene of West Milford, NJ, eight grandchildren; Spencer and Marita Blake of York, PA, Ben, Jeremy, and Maggie Rae Blake of Ramsey, and Liam, Hannah, and Riley McGill of West Milford, and by three sisters; Alice Arvilla Blake of Rockledge, FL, Cynthia Costello of Cedar Creek, TX, and Elizabeth Moscatello of Lincoln Park, NJ, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased in April by his daughter-in-law; Angela N. Dobrinoff-Blake of York, PA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Pete’s honor would be appreciated to the Healing NET Foundation, 817 3rd Ave N #306, Nashville, TN 37201, www.thehealingnet.org, or to Pete’s church; The First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains, 529 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

Paul Komarnicki, age 82, of Wayne, passed away peacefully while in prayer…on Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Paul was born, raised, and lived in Chester, PA before moving with his wife, Kim, to Wayne 54 years ago.

Paul was a teacher for the Wayne Board of Education and taught at Schuyler-Colfax Jr. High School for 25 years until his retirement in 1991. He was a member of the Pines Lake Seniors and an active member of the Preakness Baptist Church in Wayne.

Paul's teaching career started in Harlem, working with students to receive their GED. Always one for a challenge, this helped shape his 25 year education career at Schuyler Colfax Jr. High in Wayne, NJ. Many of his fellow teachers became friends for life. He felt responsible for every student he taught. While he never let this affect his wife and three children, his family became much larger. He had a way of looking each student in the eye, letting them know they were important and that he was there for them. This, essentially defined his life.

While his accomplishments are many, most are understated.

An all star basketball player in high school and college, who continued to play in leagues in his 40's. He loved skiing, teaching his family on many a toe freezing nights at Campgaw Mt. in NJ. He ultimately graduated to enjoy skiing with his family in Utah. While he visited every ski area around Salt Lake City, his favorites were Alta, Park City and Deer Valley.

While skiing was his winter pleasure, his springs, summers and autumns were consumed with golf. It wasn't unusual for him and his golfing cronies to play 18 holes in the morning and decide to go back out for another 9 or 18 after lunch. His favorite golfing partner was his wife, Kim, who he taught when they retired. When he wasn't on the golf course you could find him at the beach. He never missed an opportunity to swim in the ocean...even when the water was too cold for the sandpipers to get their feet wet. When he sat in a chair with his sunglasses on, it was easy to imagine him being chased by the paparazzi on the French Riviera.

He explored the U.S. with his family, one summer driving and camping across the country. After retiring, he visited Europe and enjoyed cruises with friends. The laughs were many. The experiences unforgettable. The friendships, for a lifetime.

A scholar, he was knowledgeable on many topics. He taught math and science in school. He achieved his master’s degree and was well on his way to his doctorate. He was extremely well read, able to discuss any topic presented to him. His favorite book was the Bible, which he read every morning with a passion. He modeled his life after the Lord, using his word to help guide his path and others. While not knowing it, he became a mentor for many people.

Paul had the unique ability to light up whenever someone entered the room, making that person feel like the most important person in the world. Because, to Paul, they were. He recognized the innate beauty in every soul, and brought out the light within.

The most important thing was his family. His brothers and sisters. His wife, three children and four grandchildren. His nieces and nephews. His family extended well beyond this. So many considered him family, as he did them. A father figure that made everyone he met feel comfortable. His hugs were memorable and can still be felt.

Paul, Dad, Poppy will be missed, but never forgotten.

Paul is survived by his Wife Kim (nee Manship), 2 sons; George and his wife Janet of Millis, MA, and Joe of Salt Lake City, UT, 1 daughter; Karen and her husband Stan of Salt Lake City, UT, and 4 grandchildren; Kyle, Casey, Micah, and Hope.

Paul M. Lenoir “Junior”, age 52, of Riverdale, passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2015.

Paul was born in Hackensack and raised in Lincoln Park. He attended Boonton High School before going to work in his family’s bus business. Along with his wife April, he later became co-owner of D&J (School Bus) Transport and King Coach Charter Bus of Garfield.

He met his wife April in 1980 at the carefree age of seventeen. They dated for five years, marrying in 1985. Initially settling for a short time in North Haledon they later moved to Pompton Lakes. In 2007, they moved one more time – this time to Riverdale.

Junior was a truly fun-loving guy who was somewhat of an old-car enthusiast. He had a 1953 Ford coupe which he restored from the ground up. He’d take that car to shows and once he even trophied! He also owned a couple of Rat Rods.

His family often affectionately referred to Junior as Rain Man because of his quirky “OCDish” tendencies, like always having a banana and a container of Activa yogurt (it had to be Activa) every day at 11:00 AM. He had a fridge in his garage which was full of beer – all in order by brand of beer and the garage was meticulous too. The garage was his man cave. Every day he’d come home from work and the neighbors always knew when he was home because they’d hear music coming from the garage.

Junior was a huge NASCAR fan who always rooted for Dale Earnhardt, Junior’s and Kevin Harvick’s team, and he greatly enjoyed spending time at the beach with his family, especially the beaches in the Caribbean.

Surviving are his beloved wife April; two dear children: Dean and Jenelle Lenoir; his mother Mary Lenoir; six siblings: Cheryl Norton, Ronald, Marc, Danielle Gravatt, Heidi Lenoir, and Matthew; many nieces and nephews; his mother-in-law Rita Rome; sister-in-law Tammi Caddell; and niece Valerie Caddell. He was predeceased by his father Paul L, Lenoir in 2014 and his niece Ashley Caddell in 2010.

Norman J. Gravino, age 93, of Haledon, died peacefully at home with his family lovingly by his side on Monday, February 16, 2015.

Born in Carbondale, PA, Norman was raised in Paterson. From the time he was just a little boy, Norm was a hustler. At age eight, he figured out that if he polished shoes, people would pay him. When he was twelve, he got a job setting up bowling pins – manually! He was as sharp with his hands as he was with his mind so, after ninth grade, he transitioned from traditional high school to vocational technical school.

When his school days were past him, Norm initially worked various jobs including delivering for a local optometrist, a dress shop, and working for Wright Aeronautical. About this time in his life, he met a sweet young girl named Catherine DiPaola. He was interested in dating her but she wasn’t an easy catch. As she put it, “I couldn’t be bothered” but Catherine didn’t realize how focused Norm was on getting what he wanted. He finally got her to go on their first date – a walk to Paterson’s Westside Park. After that first date she was sort of sold…..sold enough that when he visited her at the local Kresge Five and Dime where she worked part-time, and asked her out again, she obliged. After work, they went on that second date – another walk to Westside Park. This time though, Norman had a secret weapon, namely Fanny Farmer brand candy. This was the crème de la crème candy in its day and it helped Norm win Catherine’s heart. They settled into a nice courtship and one night while Catherine was babysitting for her cousin’s child, Norm stopped by with a ring and asked Catherine to marry him. She said yes but the wedding would have to wait. Read on to find out why.

Norm was seventeen at this time and, while he loved Catherine, he was hungry for some of life’s other pursuits too, so he decided to enlist into the U.S. Navy. There was one problem though; you had to be eighteen. Undeterred and never taking no for an answer, seventeen-year-old Norm came up with the perfect plan. He needed a letter from one of his parents certifying that he was the legal age to enlist. Since he knew his parents wouldn’t cooperate and because he had a friend who also wanted to enlist but was underage too, Norman proposed to his friend that they forge each other’s father’s signature on that required letter. It worked! When he got his notification to report, Norm had his brother stand between him and his father when he told him because he figured his dad would probably want to kill him before the enemy could. So, at seventeen years of age, Norm was on his way to defend his country – a country that he loved so much. He proudly served for three years during World War II aboard the U.S.S. Wilkes 441 in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. As he looked back on his Navy days, Norm often said, “I got to see the world aboard the luckiest ship.” He dubbed it the luckiest ship because, while destroyers were sinking, the U.S.S. Wilkes 441 never sunk and there was never a casualty.

While on leave from his Navy service, early one week, Norm suggested to Catherine that they get married “this Saturday!” Believe it or not, she agreed. What a week it was! Blood work, marriage license, wedding gown, aaaaarph! It was crazy but they pulled the wedding off, marrying that following Saturday, August 14, 1943 at St. Michael’s Church in Paterson. The honeymoon was only one night in Stroudsburg, PA, and then Norm had to return to his Navy ship to finish out his service.

After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1945, Norm came home, hung his trousers on the bedpost and nine months later, he became a father for the first time. Catherine gave him a beautiful girl which they named Virginia. They were still living in Paterson at that time but, in 1946, they moved to Haledon. After welcoming a baby boy named Norman, it was time to move into a bigger home, so they built a brand new one, also in Haledon. Norm was personally involved in the whole process of construction, from design to actually rolling up his sleeves to help. They moved into the new house in 1957 and, over the next few years, three more children were added to the family ranks: Mariann, Michael, and Kathryn. Norm and Catherine continued to live in that home to this present day.

Norm’s first job when he got out of the Navy was working as a custodian in the Haledon Schools, but as always, he longed for greater adventures. He often saw the milkmen delivering their dairy products so one day he asked a milkman what it would take to get his own milk route. “A truck and a lot of initiative” was the reply. Well Norm had the initiative, he just needed a truck. He borrowed money to get that truck and he worked hard. It was a risky venture but Norm had enough confidence in himself to be successful and, successful he was! He canvassed door-to-door and built up a large base of customers in the Lions Head Lake section of Wayne and beyond. Over the years, the wheels kept turning in Norman’s head. He began to realize that instead of working for a local dairy, he could start his own dairy. He got a bunch of other milkmen to agree and he helped them all to establish Westbrook Farms. He went from “working for the man” to “being the man!” Westbrook Farms prospered until stores started selling milk. Before stores, milk was always delivered in quarts. The stores started selling it by the gallon. Norm always said, “The gallon killed door-to-door delivery.” He saw the writing on the wall and one day, while on the way to a Westbrook Farms meeting, he and another guy passed the old Sharry’s Tavern in Oak Ridge. It was a run-down bar and it was for sale. Always a visionary, Norm said to his partner, “Hey, we should buy it.” Long story short, they did buy that tavern. They added on to it and called it the Milton Inn. Eventually, Norm bought out his partner and brought his two sons into the business. Norm always felt that the tavern needed a restaurant, so eventually, while still running the original Milton Inn, he and his sons built a brand new building, right on the same property as the old one. The new Milton Inn opened on November 17, 2004. Then they tore the old one down. This was the culmination and fruition of all of Norman’s dreams. It was his rags-to-riches story. He loved being the proprietor of the Milton Inn. He never really wanted to retire but health issues forced him to slow down when he turned 88.

To Norm, working was his main hobby but he also liked to go fishing and hunting. He especially liked freshwater fishing and deer, pheasant and grouse hunting. He and Catherine owned a home down the Jersey shore in Lavallette. Norm would take his family down to the house, stay a day or two, and then go back to work. When he was a young guy, Norm was very athletic. His kids have fond memories of when they were little and he’d take them ice skating. They were amazed at his skating skills. He’d also take them sleigh riding down Haledon’s Mason Ave. He loved having his wife, children, and grandchildren together and New Year’s Eve was always a great occasion for family celebrations. In the early years, Norm always shot a shot gun to usher in the new-year at midnight. While the shotgun tradition eventually had to be stopped, the New Year’s Eve get-togethers went on for many years.

Norm loved going with Catherine to his Navy reunions. They occurred all over the U.S. and they gave him the opportunity to maintain friendships with his former comrades. Always giving, he also helped build the Haledon Veterans Hall on Mason Ave. and he marched in the holiday parades, always carrying the American flag.

Extremely generous, Norm encouraged excellence in his children and grandchildren. He had a soft spot in his heart for nuns and he regularly donated dairy products to St. Gerard Church in Paterson. It wasn’t unusual for him to invite orphans to his family’s Thanksgiving dinners. This made his children feel a little uncomfortable but it also taught them valuable lessons about counting your blessings and caring for those less fortunate.

Surviving are his beloved wife of 71 years, Catherine; five dear children: Virginia Bator of Lincoln Park, Norman and wife Jane Gravino of Oak Ridge, Mariann and husband Albert Bisaccia of Essex Fells, Michael Gravino of Oak Ridge, and Kathryn and husband Steven Unger of Wayne; ten cherished grandchildren: John, Leann, Catherine, Vito, James, Jessica, Mariann, Norman, Karyn, and Nickolas; eight adored great-grandchildren: Owen, Mariann, Sarah, Jackson, Kendall, Leo, Caroline, and Anna; and his dear brother Patrick Gravino of Toms River.

Norman was predeceased by his two brothers: Sebastian and Carmen Gravino, his sister Rose Fusco, and his son-in-law John B. Bator.

Those wishing to make a donation in Norman’s memory are asked to consider Passaic Valley Hospice, 783 Riverview Drive, Totowa, NJ 07511.