Age 73 of Wayne, died on Friday, January 23, 2015. He was a Wayne resident, living in Packanack Lake for more than thirty years.

Asit B. Majumdar, age 73 of Wayne, died suddenly on Friday, January 23, 2015. He was a Wayne resident, living in Packanack Lake for more than thirty years.

Born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, Asit began his early career as a mechanical engineer in the auto industry. He worked for Tata/Mercedes-Benz before immigrating to America in 1970. Once here, he began working for Pioneer Industries designing fireproof doors. While working, he also attended classes at Steven’s Institute of Technology, earning his Master’s degree. Within twelve years of landing on the shores of the United States, Asit worked his way up from Junior Engineer to company President! In 1997, he and a partner purchased Sefi Fabricators in Amityville, NY and they have enjoyed much success in the custom stainless steel fabrication industry. He was a dedicated and hard working man who was also very kind and generous. He always put the needs of others above his own, had a great sense of humor and was always teasing or joking around.

In recent years, Asit was fortunate to travel extensively throughout Europe and had visited England, France, Italy, and Spain, but the cities of Paris and Florence were among his most favorites. He had just returned only a few weeks ago from a trip to India.

Asit is survived by his devoted wife of forty six years; Shukti of Wayne, one son; Arjun (A.J.) and his spouse, Scott, of Manhattan, a brother; Budha Majumdar and his wife Barbara of England, a sister; Joya Bakshi and her husband Joyjit of Calcutta, India, and a very large, extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

Arthur Joseph Leise, age 96, of Wayne, NJ passed on Friday, January 2, 2015.

Arthur was the son of Arthur J. Leise and Margaret Dolan and grew up in the Glendale section of Queens, New York with his two brothers, Joseph and Edwin, and his sister, Alice. The oldest of the four, Arthur graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and decided to defer engineering school in order to help support his family. He did so by working as a runner on Wall Street and also by working at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade where he marched holding ropes which were attached to the parade floats.

While attending St. John’s University at night, Arthur began working at Republic Aviation in Farmingdale, Long Island where he helped manufacture P-47 fighter planes for the Army. After basic training, he arrived in Scotland in 1944 with the U.S. Army’s 289th Infantry and participated in the invasion and survived battles through the end of the war. He was awarded the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the WWII Victory Medal. Arthur returned to Glendale and to his family after being honorably discharged with the rank of corporal on April 20, 1946.

After the war, Arthur found work as an accountant and attended college at night earning his B.A. from St. John’s University in 1952 and his M.B.A. from NYU in 1956. He also met Margaret Virginia Chaney, a young woman who had recently arrived in New York from Kansas City, Missouri. During their courtship, they traveled to horse races at venues from New York to Baltimore. After marriage, Arthur and Margaret raised their children as Arthur’s career at American Cyanamid took him to division controller jobs in Danbury, CT and Mentor, OH.

They moved to Wayne in 1974, and Arthur retired from American Cyanamid in 1981. During his many years of retirement, Arthur worked as a substitute teacher for the Wayne Board of Education and continued his role as Margaret’s partner in duplicate bridge. After Margaret passed in 2002, Arthur continued to play bridge and attend Mass at Our Lady of the Valley and Church of the Annunciation in Wayne. An avid golfer often seen at the Passaic County Golf Course, he was also a diehard supporter of the St. John’s Redmen. He volunteered at Eva’s Kitchen in Paterson and was a member of the Holy Name Society.

He was the devoted husband of the late Margaret V. Leise (2002); devoted father of Patricia Engrissei of Wayne, and Christopher Leise of Haddonfield; devoted father-in-law of Rebecca Leise; cherished grandfather of Tasmine Poole of Dayton, NV, Erik Engrissei and his wife Sheera Gartzman of Cherry Hill, Anna and Virginia Leise of New York, NY. His brothers Edwin and Joseph, his sister Alice Scott and his brother-in-law Edward Scott predeceased him.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 would be appreciated.

Arentine Nixon, age 89 of Rockaway and formerly of Clifton, died peacefully on Wednesday, September 2, 2015.

Arentine is survived by her son Michael and wife Nancy Van Bochoven of Pompton Plains, and her step-daughter Dinah Krenitski of Montville; five grandchildren: Erin Bennington, Scott Krenitski, and Ryan, Ethan, and Tyler Van Bochoven; her great-granddaughter Addy Mae; and her brother Henk Dirksen of Bilthoven, The Netherlands. She was predeceased by her first husband Samuel Van Bochoven in 1978 and second husband Frank Nixon in 1997; two brothers: Geert and Mik Dirksen; her sister Bina Dirksen; and her son-in-law Robert Krenitski.

She was born and grew up in Harderwyk, the Netherlands, and the oldest of five children. She studied home economics and worked for many years as a teacher in Appeldorn. Tine was a great cook, seamstress and could win any ironing competition. When WWII broke out the Germans came and occupied her town and she was forced to work as a secretary for the police department. After the war she spent several years in New Guinea working in a hospital there teaching the native people home economics skills. It was during this time period that she became an avid shell collector.

She moved from the Netherlands to the US after marrying Samuel Van Bochoven in 1966, a Dutch widower who lived in New Jersey. After her husbands passing in 1978, she was remarried many years later to Frank Nixon.

Tine loved gardening, flowers, bird watching and hiking in the Alps. Wow, could she walk fast. Everyone had trouble keeping up with her even in her eighties. When traveling with Oma, as we all called her, we could always be assured that she carried granola bars with her for a snack.

She loved her grandkids! She would attend as many of their events or activities as possible. Sports, music recitals, family vacations, the list goes on and on. We all knew that when “Oma” came to visit, she often brought goodies for everyone….almond cake, bags of gummy bears, or a bar of good Dutch chocolate were some of her favorites!

Her Christian faith was important to her – She always looked forward to going to church service, even doing all she could to get there by getting rides from others when she could no longer drive. She also regularly gave to God’s work and other Christian charities.

She will be sorely missed and fondly remembered by her family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Arentine’s name are asked to consider Focus on the Family, 8605 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 (www.focusonthefamily.com)

Anthony Lacatena, age 82 of Wayne, died on Thursday, October 1, 2015 with his family gathered at his bedside. Tony had been a resident of Wayne since 1965.

Born in Paterson, Tony was the second-oldest of nine children; seven boys and two girls. He grew up in the Stoney Road section and played football for the Stoney Road Tigers. When Tony was a young boy his life wasn't all fun and games, his family fell on hard times. Those years proved to be formative and his values became deeply rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ and the importance of family. Tony would begin his day with prayer and bless his children, he attended daily Mass before heading off to work. He was a charitable man, but also a humble one. He never sought acknowledgement for his efforts, but his family can attest to the countless hours and innumerable acts of kindness given selflessly over the years. He spent more than ten years doing construction projects onsite for the Bethlehem Hermits in Chester, NJ. His efforts came from the heart, and nowhere else. Tony made a difference in many lives, helped many people, and he graciously thanked the Lord for being blessed to do so.

Tony worked for many years at Semeraro Construction before starting his own construction company "Lacatena & Sons." He’s been described as “the hardest worker you’d ever meet” by many. He was well known for his quality and workmanship.

Tony did so much that his days must have consisted of more than twenty four hours. On top of all his hard work and charitable efforts, he made time for his beloved garden. He had over one hundred tomato plants and caring for his fig tree was pure joy. The figs were so delicious they would rarely make it back to the house before being eaten!

Tony met his wife Catherine (nee Murphy) when they were teenagers in Paterson. Tony’s car had broken down and Catherine was passing by with one of her girlfriends. Catherine recalls delightfully that Tony looked like Marlon Brando and he was strikingly handsome. She and her girlfriend circled the block a few times to catch a glimpse of him and she was successful at getting a date. They went to the movies and began dating. Their wedding followed on November 15, 1958 at St Brendans Church, Clifton. They settled in Paterson before moving to Wayne in 1965. Together they raised their nine children, have been blessed with fifteen grandchildren, and recently welcomed their first great-grandchild. Together, Tony and Cathy have enjoyed fifty eight years of marriage together and she will miss him dearly.

Tony is survived by his beloved wife Catherine of Wayne, his nine children; Mary Contini and her husband Joseph of Wayne, Catherine Faulkner and her husband Richard of Ramsey, Michael Lacatena and his wife Elisa of St. Thomas, USVI, Anthony Lacatena of Ithaca, NY, Nancy Sorrentino and her husband Alfred of Lincoln Park, NJ, Christine Massood and her husband Louis of Wayne, Lori Phelan and her husband James of Wayne, Theresa Lacatena of Eatontown, NJ, and Elizabeth Dowd and her husband Brendan of Wayne, fifteen grandchildren: Joseph and his wife Beth Contini, Michelle Contini, Ryan Christian Faulkner, Paschale Lacatena, Alfred and Anthony Sorrentino, George, Jordyn, and Kimberly Massood, Sean, James, Phoebe, and Lauren Phelan, and Lilyana and Ashley Dowd, one great-grandchild: Oliver Contini, and three brothers; Martin, Nat and Nicholas Lacatena. He was predeceased by five of his siblings; Marco, Frank, Pasqual, Lena Hallock and Marie Gaita.

Donations in Tony’s honor would be appreciated to the Bethlehem Hermits, 82 Pleasant Hill Rd., Chester, NJ 07930

Anne, J. Ross, age 92 of Wayne, passed away on Monday, March 2, 2015 with her family lovingly by her side.

Born and raised in Paterson, Anne had been a resident of Wayne since 1960.

Anne met her husband Eddie one evening at a local dance function. He approached her and asked her if she’d like to share a dance. She obliged and over the course of time Eddie learned that, while it was true that Anne was beautiful, she also possessed numerous other desirable qualities. They married down south in 1942 while Eddie was on leave in the states from his service in the U.S. Airforce.

Following marriage, Anne and Eddie settled in Paterson and remained there until they purchased their home in Wayne. During the course of their marriage of 58 years, they were blessed with three daughters: Nancy, Jacqueline, and Kathy. With three little girls entrusted to her care, Anne settled into a full-time role as a homemaker and mother. Once the girls were grown, she returned to school, attending Passaic County Technical Institute where she graduated as a licensed practical nurse. Anne eventually learned that nursing was not her calling so she entered into the banking industry and held various positions, retiring as a foreign money exchange officer with First Union Bank in Wayne.

After retiring, Anne volunteered at St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital in their business office. When she wasn’t there, she could often be found together with her friends playing a game of dominos or bingo. She was a long-time faithful parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church in Wayne and her faith was a foundational part of her life.

Anne enjoyed sewing and cooking. When her daughters were growing up, she sewed many of the clothes they wore as well as outfits for their dolls. She had a long-standing tradition of cooking a nice dinner on Monday nights, packing it all together and taking it to her daughter Nancy’s house where everyone enjoyed a delicious meal together. The tradition affectionately became known as Meals-on-Wheels night. Anne and her husband Eddie enjoyed some great times together traveling to Canada, Hawaii and on cruises in the Caribbean.

Caitlin, Abby, and Shae made their GG smile so brightly that it lit up the room. Anne loved touching their hands and kissing their cheeks. Her greatest joy was having them near and watching them grow.

Without-a-doubt, the most important thing to Anne was her family. Her daughters will always remember little things she’d say like “Call me when you get home,” or “I’ll call you if I need you,” and “Where’s your lipstick?”

Anne was predeceased by her beloved husband Eddie in 2000.

Surviving are her three loving daughters: Nancy and husband Norman Morley of Wayne, Jacqueline Ross of Bridgewater, and Kathy and husband Russell Smith of Whitehouse Station; five adored grandchildren: Michael and wife Jaime of Wayne, Dave and wife Melissa of Riverdale, Kimberly, Jennifer, and Deanna, all of Whitehouse Station; and three cherished great-grandchildren: Caitlin, Abigail, and Shaelyn.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Anne’s name are asked to consider the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Arlene Jane Franchino (Peffal) age 76 of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.

She was born in Paterson and raised on East 22nd Street of Paterson having graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson with the Class of 1956. Once Arlene married Philip Franchino, she lived at 460 Madison Avenue in Paterson downstairs from her parents. When her father passed away her husband realized that keeping the coal fired furnace running was going to be too much work so they decided to move to Wayne - that was forty-seven years ago.

Arlene’s first job, during her high school years, was to dress up as Mr. Peanut and stand outside the Planters Peanut Factory in Paterson. She later worked as a clerk for the Bell Telephone Company in Paterson and later in their Teaneck offices.

When she had her children she left the workforce and dedicated herself to raising her children. She attended William Paterson University in Wayne taking several courses when the children were young, and then worked for Suburban Bank, Anchor Savings Bank, and finally Valley National Bank all in Wayne before retiring in 2002.

Arlene will be remembered as being friendly, an optimist, compassionate, friendly, fun in a crazy way, person who always saw the good in others. She loved to read and would have four or five books going at the same time. A longtime member of the Red Hat Society she also enjoyed playing Mahjong at the YMHA/YMCA in Wayne. When she married Philip she didn’t know how to boil water but was taught by her mother-in-law to be a pretty good cook. Her special Thanksgiving dinners and her chicken cacciatore will be greatly missed.

There are conflicting stories about how Arlene met her husband. Philip’s version has them meeting at a party that neither wanted to go to. Arlene’s version is they met at a roller rink at the Paterson Rec facility where Philip broke her arm-she would show you the scar on her arm to prove her story. They married on May 18, 1963 at Saint Joseph’s Church in Paterson and drove to Florida for her honeymoon. Once in Florida they took a boat to the Bahamas. They have had over fifty years of a caring marriage.

Arlene was the loving wife of Philip Franchino; devoted mother of Phil and Debbie Franchino.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 27106, NY, NY 10087-7106 would be appreciated.

Anna Stadler (nee Pfefferkorn), age 76 of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, January 22, 2015. Born to the late Michael and Maria Pfefferkorn in Scheindorf, Romania, Anna immigrated to America in 1951, settling in the Passaic/Clifton area.

Anna had several jobs before retiring from Glaxo SmithKline twenty years ago. After her retirement, she enjoyed tending to her flower garden and was especially fond of her roses. She also enjoyed baking some of her European specialties. Anna enjoyed Polka dancing; in fact, she met her husband Frank while at a dance. They were married at St. Stephen RC Church of Passaic in 1964. They have enjoyed each other’s company for fifty years and Frank says he couldn’t have picked a better partner.

Family was Anna’s foundation and she especially loved spending time with her sisters; Hedy and Mitzi, her niece Debbie, and her sister-in-law Ann, who she was very close to. She also loved spending time with her daughter Sandy and grandchildren; Allie and Kevin. She was also a devoted parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church in Wayne.

Anna’s family would like to thank Frances Moteli, her Eucharistic Minister, who visited weekly, her aide Monica and the nurses who’ve helped care for her during this very difficult time. Your compassionate care was truly appreciated.

Anna is survived by her beloved husband Frank of Wayne, her devoted daughter; Sandra Weber and her husband Jeffrey of Randolph, two loving grandchildren; Alexandra and Kevin Weber of Randolph, a brother; Wendel Pfefferkorn and his wife Joan of Hamburg, NJ, two sisters; Hedwig Baumgartner and her husband Joseph of Elmwood Park, and Maria Stern of Clifton, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Antoinette Lamping, age 93 of Wayne and formerly of Paterson, died peacefully on Monday, September 21, 2015.

Antoinette was the youngest of three beautiful daughters born in Paterson to Arasmo and Carmella Forte in 1922. She grew up in Paterson and, following graduation from the Paterson school system, she met her future husband William Lamping. Soon after her dad’s passing, Antoinette and Bill married, continuing to live in Paterson where she remained most of her married life until moving with Bill to Wayne in 1990.

A consummate homemaker, to Antoinette homemaking wasn’t a chore, it was a calling! Her belief was that all of life revolved around the love of family and food. It was this conviction that helped Antoinette get through such mundane tasks as cleaning the house and doing the laundry for her husband and three sons. While chores were necessary, the most enjoyable parts of her life’s calling were creating delicious culinary delights and entertaining. Everyone especially enjoyed Antoinette’s delicious soups including split pea, pasta fagioli, navy bean, chicken, escarole and beans, and her leg-of-lamb dishes. You better eat it fast because Antoinette’s keen cleaning instinct often drove her to whisk your plate off the table for washing, often times before you even had a chance to empty it! While dessert usually was supplied by Deb Pam Bakery on Union Boulevard in Totowa, occasionally Antoinette would serve a wonderful rice pudding that she perfected from a recipe obtained from a local restaurant. You might like to try making it yourself!

Here’s the rice pudding recipe:

½ gallon milk

½ cup rice (uncooked, long grain)

Boil for 20 to 30 minutes

Add 1 cup of sugar

Boil for 7 to 10 minutes more, stirring constantly

Beat 2 eggs until fluffy with 1 teaspoon vanilla and cinnamon to taste

Fold into the rice

Cool to room temperature

Cover and refrigerate

During the Christmas season Antoinette loved to bake Italian cookies with her mother and two sisters Mary and Katherine. As was the tradition, family would gather to enjoy a cookie with some anisette.

During the summer the family would often times vacation down the shore at a rented house in Seaside Park. While the children enjoyed fun in the sun, surf and at the boardwalk, Antoinette and her sisters and mother stayed back to cook and clean.

In 1990 Antoinette and Bill moved to Sisco Village. She enjoyed the picnics, parties, bingo games and general sense of community that was so prevalent there.

Antoinette is survived by her three loving sons: William and wife Judy of Wayne, Robert and wife Linda of Haledon, and Richard and wife Cheryl of Woodstock, GA: nine adored grandchildren: Christine, Cheryl, William, III, Robert, Jr., Peter, Jennifer, Cybil, Richard, and Alex; and sixteen dear great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her beloved husband William in 1998, and her two sisters: Mary Azzarone and Katherine Begyn.

In lieu of flowers, as expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Antoinette’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 or Deborah Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 820, Browns Mills, NJ 08015.

Anne F Arthur, (formerly Evelyn Anne Fleming), 88 died November 19, 2015.

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, she lived in Wayne for more than 30 years and taught in the Wayne School system and at William Paterson College. She was a resident of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains for the last 14 years.

Mrs. Arthur earned her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1949. She earned a Masters in Education in 1955 at Columbia University.

She was a member of Wayne Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are her son Raymond and his wife Tracy, of San Francisco, California, and two grandsons, Thomas Carey Arthur of Burbank, California and Michael Raymond Arthur of Missoula, Montana. She was predeceased in death by her husband Edwin Foster Arthur III in 2009; and two sons, Gordon Holt Arthur and Lt. Carey Alan Arthur.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lt. Carey Arthur Memorial Scholarship at Wayne Hills High School in Wayne, NJ.

Alice J. Tassoni (nee Erickson) age 86 of Wayne passed peacefully at her daughter’s home on Saturday, July 18, 2015.

She was born in Jersey City and graduated from Henry Snyder High School with the Class of 1946. After high school Alice entered a religious order in preparation for formation as a nun. This was only for a short time as she met a cute man named Joseph P. Tassoni and it was love at first sight. Alice and Joe married on July 16, 1956 and honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York. They initially lived in Rutherford and moved to Clinton Lane in Wayne where they lived for forty years while raising their family.

Before her children came along Alice worked as an executive secretary for Howard Hughes at Trans World Airlines (TWA). Once the children came along she left the corporate workforce and dedicated herself to raising her family. Once her children were older she again entered the corporate life as an executive secretary for the Toshiba America Corporation in Wayne where she worked before retiring. When she retired she dedicated her time to being with her grandchildren. She was a great mother whose home cooked meals will be greatly missed. Her children have fond memories of summer trips to Bar Harbor, Maine where they visited for some thirty years. Alice loved to travel and had many fond memories and lasting friendships established with those trips. She loved being a grandmother and found great pride and joy in her grandchildren’s accomplishments. Alice was truly dedicated to her family and when asked where her favorite place to be was, the family responded: “she was happiest wherever her family was.”

Alice was a dedicated member of Saint Michaels Episcopal Church in Wayne where she truly felt the touch of the Holy Spirit. She was a long time member of the Alter Guild, Women’s Group, and enjoyed organizing various events at the church.

She was the loving wife of fifty-eight years to Joseph P. Tassoni, Sr. (1999); beloved mother of Elizabeth Jerlinski and her husband David of Harrisonburg, VA, Pamela Russo of Pompton Plains, and Joseph P. Tassoni, Jr. and his wife Maria of Dartmouth, MA; cherished grandmother of Bianca Rose Jerlinski and her fiancé Thomas Reynolds, Nicholas Tassoni, Elizabeth Tassoni, and Louis Russo; dear sister of Selma English of Wayne, Miriam Goldman of Daytona, FL, the late Elizabeth Bradford, Josephine Ciak, and Walter Erikson; devoted aunt to many loving nieces, nephews and their families.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Joseph P Tassoni Sr. Memorial Scholarship, checks can be mailed to “Alumni Association,” 185 south Orange Avenue, Medical Sciences Bldg, Newark, NJ, 07103-1709 or the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS, 66675 would be appreciated.

Ann M. LeMay (nee Cafasso), age 69 of Wayne died peacefully at home on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 with her family gathered at her bedside.

“Sam,” as she was fondly known by many, was raised in Paterson and lived in Haledon before moving to Wayne in 1999. She operated a hair salon out of her home in Haledon for many years, and was a waitress at Miranda’s in Wayne for the past nine years.

Ann met her husband Ernest LeMay when they were just teenagers. Ernie was working at the local service station and was sent to the Cafasso home to pick up their car for service. He knocked on the door and Ann answered – with her head covered in curlers! She was so embarrassed when she saw this handsome young man at the door that she ran back into the house, forgetting to give him the car keys. When Ernie returned the car late that day, Ann came to the door looking perfectly stunning, and she caught his eye this time. Sometime later she came to visit him at the service station, tapping him on the shoulder while he was hunched over working on a car. He replied “I’ll be right with you Sam!” When Ernie finally turned around, he was pleasantly surprised to see Ann standing there, and not his friend Sam. Nevertheless, her nickname was born that day, and she’s been affectionately called “Sam” ever since. After their first date to Falls View for hot dogs, they were married on October 22, 1966. They’ve enjoyed forty nine “very good” years together, including many memorable trips to Atlantic City where they would play the slots sitting right next to each other. Ernie will miss her dearly.

Besides listening to Kenny Rogers, Ann’s greatest joy was her family. She loved to get everyone together, even if it was just for a brief while or a quick meal. Holidays were very special to her with big gatherings at Thanksgiving, Easter, and of course Christmas. At Christmas, Ann was sure to buy too much for her grandchildren, she spoil everyone, and loved wrapping presents. She was blessed with eleven grandchildren and she dedicated herself to all of them. She was renowned for operating “Camp Nana” – ‘summer camp’ for her grandchildren hosted every summer at her home. The kids all have great memories at Camp Nana; swimming in the pool, hot dogs on the grill, and the occasional road trip when they would all pile inside grandma’s minivan. Ann even showed them how to use a hedge trimmer once…until she nearly cut her thumb off. The Wayne Police were kind enough to stay at the house and watch all the kids while the ambulance took her to the hospital for stitches. All the kids have special memories of their Nana and those stories will keep her memory alive in their hearts for many more years to come.

Ann is survived by her beloved husband Ernest “Ernie” of Wayne, by her four children; Jacqueline Tirella and her husband Michael of Wayne, Ernest III and his wife Christine of W. Milford, Christopher of N. Haledon, and David and his wife Cynthia of W. Milford, her loving daughter-in-law Tina, eleven grandchildren; Michael, Nicholas, Dominic, Jay, Mathew, Anthony, Joey, CJ, Donevan, Aaron, and Evan, and one brother; Louis Cafasso of New York, NY.

Ann’s family is particularly grateful to the nurses and staff of Valley Hospice. They are amazing people who provided comfort, care, and compassion above and beyond what was expected. Donations in Ann’s memory, if friends so wish, would be appreciated to support The Valley Hospice. Please send donations to: The Valley Hospital Foundation, 223 N. Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.

She had been a resident of Packanack Lake in Wayne since 1972 and moved to Sisco Village in the mid 1990’s.

Anna P. Hennig (nee Murphy), age 87 of Wayne, died peacefully on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. She had been a resident of Packanack Lake in Wayne since 1972 and moved to Sisco Village in the mid 1990’s.

Anna grew up in Union City, NJ and graduated from St. Michael’s High School. She was the youngest of seven children in her family and enjoyed a fun childhood with many of her cousins living throughout the neighborhood. She met her husband Fred during high school and they were married on March 31, 1951 at Holy Family Church, Union City. They lived in Matawan, NJ for a number of years before moving to Wayne in 1972, first in Packanack Lake and later in Edward Sisco Village where she had lived ever since. They traveled together over the years, visiting Hawaii, the Bahamas and religious sites in Europe. They were both selfless people, almost to a fault, and their children can’t recall them ever having a fight. Perhaps that was part of the reason they were able to celebrate 63 years of devoted and loving marriage before Fred passed away last year. Needless to say, they set a wonderful example for their children and grandchildren.

She enjoyed bingo at church, the Wayne PAL, and just about anywhere else there was a game being played. She also liked to keep her mind sharp and completed the New York Times Magazine crossword puzzle without fail. She finished it every day, which is no small feat. She was also an amazing cook and prepared Sunday dinner for at least twenty five years running. Her family recalls how delicious her meals were, almost always with a main course of chicken. These were meals you didn’t want to miss and the memories of those Sunday dinners will keep Anna’s spirit alive for many years to come.

Anna is survived by her five children; Mark W. Hennig and his wife Debra of Wayne, Daria M. Hoffman and her husband Gilbert of Maywood, Kurt F. Hennig of Spring Valley, NY, David J. Hennig and his wife Michele of Butler, and Diana Biesiada and her husband Keith of Cedar Grove; cherished grandmother of seven grandchildren; Erica Zisa and her husband Timothy of Jupiter, FL, Melanie Hennig and her fiancé Howard Remmich of Kinnelon, NJ, Kyle J. Hennig and his wife Tracy of Hamburg, NJ, Miles Hoffman of Morristown, NJ, David Hennig and his wife Michele of Butler, NJ, Emily Hennig of Butler, NJ and Olivia Hennig of Butler, NJ, and three great-grandchildren; Aidan, Matthew, and Jameson. She was predeceased by her husband Frederick in July of 2014.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Anna’s memory are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142, www.stjude.org

Andrew F. Andersen, age 83 of Wyckoff, passed away suddenly on Thursday, February 19, 2015 surrounded by his loving family. He had recently moved to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains.

Raised in Paterson, Andrew graduated from East Side High School at sixteen years of age. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cooper Union, New York City, graduating at just twenty years old. He became a licensed engineer and architect, beginning his career with firms in New York City before venturing out on his own. He founded the Andrew F. Andersen, Inc. engineering firm in 1968 and has been self-employed ever since. During his career, he’s been involved with more than four thousand projects here in New Jersey and throughout the U.S., as well as a few international projects. Most notably he designed the structure that suspends the whale from the ceiling of the Museum of Natural History in New York, as well as the supporting structure for the one hundred-foot-tall “Ad Astra” sculpture at the entrance to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. He belonged to several professional associations such as the Architects League of Northern New Jersey and the American Concrete Institute. He was a very bright man, a skilled engineer, and a talented architect who left his mark in countless places.

When he wasn’t working, Andrew enjoyed golfing more than just about anything. He had been a member of the North Jersey Country Club for many years and also at the Plantation Country Club in Venice, Florida where he played many rounds with his wife Phyllis. Golf was certainly his passion, but he also loved to travel. He had toured throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Israel and Egypt, the Far East, Ireland, Scotland and England, Russia, the Baltics, as well as many vacations to the Caribbean.

In 1952, Andrew joined the youth group at the Broadway Baptist Church in Paterson. The president of the youth group, Phyllis Read, introduced herself to him and they soon began dating. Her parents took a liking to Andrew right away, which surely provided the encouragement he needed to propose marriage. They exchanged nuptials on July 17, 1954 at Broadway Baptist and enjoyed a honeymoon in the Poconos. They first settled in Clifton, then Wayne, before Andrew was able to design his dream home which they built in Wyckoff. Together, they raised their family there and enjoyed their home for more than forty seven years before just recently moving to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains. Just last year, Andrew and Phyllis celebrated sixty years of loving marriage together. She will miss him dearly.

Andrew is survived by his beloved wife Phyllis of Pompton Plains, his three children; James and his wife Elise of Wayne, Beth Andersen Pochtar and her husband Paul of Basking Ridge, and Barbara Andersen of Newton, MA , and four grandchildren; Darby and Hayley Pochtar of Basking Ridge, and Jacob and John Andersen of Wayne.

Donations in Andrew’s memory, if friends so wish, would be appreciated. Please consider the Hawthorne Gospel Church Mission Fund, 2000 Rt. 208, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 or the Salvation Army, 31 Van Houten St., Paterson, NJ 07505.

Angelo Edward Conticchio, 97 of Pompton Plains died on May 31, 2015. He was born in Mount Vernon, NY where he graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1936.

Angelo served in the United States navy during World War II (1942-1945) as a signalman First Class. His active duty took him to North Africa, Sicily, and Anzio. He took part in the invasion of Southern France and the Battle of the Bulge in Antwerp. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Angelo married Mary Calabro in 1947. After a honeymoon to Cuba, he worked for the Prudential Insurance Company for over twenty years and throughout his entire life, Angelo was also a Real Estate investor. During this time he moved to Verona, raised his family, attended Seton Hall University for 6 years and became a dedicated parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake Church. During his marriage of 59 years, he traveled extensively with his wife to over 130 countries around the world. Angelo also enjoyed summers at his home in Seaside Park. He loved walking the beach with his dog Gi Gi.

Later, Angelo moved to Cedar Crest Village where he became active in arranging social events for the residents and starting the first Happy Hour where he bartended. Angelo’s interests included dancing, eating, traveling, family and enjoying “The Good Life”. He will be remembered for his gentleness wisdom, and hard work. He was a devoted husband and father who will be greatly missed.

Surviving are his daughters; Mary Potter and Jim Potter of Wayne, Carole DeGregorio and her husband Dominick of Succassuna, Lynn and her husband Jim of Barnegat, 8 grandchildren; Yvette Nichols from Wayne, James Kratz and his wife Maura of Redondo Beach, CA, Edward DeGregorio and his wife Erin of Old Bridge, Stephen Potter and his wife Cheri of Oakland, Timothy Kratz and his iwfe Kimberly of Tampa, FL, Michael DeGregorio and his wife Corine of Landing, Richard Kratz of NYC, and Marc DeGregorio from Newton, 4 great-grandchilden; Heidi, Gianna, Madison, and Carli, and special family friend Claire Jenkins.

Former Chief of Police in Wayne Township.  

Alfred J. Hazelwood, Jr., age 83 of Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday April 8, 2015. He was born at his parent’s home in Wayne and remained a lifelong resident of the town.

Al was formerly the Chief of Police in Wayne and enjoyed a career of twenty five years with the Township police department before retiring in 1981. He was never one to sit still for long and immediately began working as Chief Corporate Investigator for Crum & Foster, a property and casualty insurer based in Morristown. He retired from Crum & Foster in 1994, after fourteen years of service.

Mr. Hazelwood was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, having received the Purple Heart. He remained a dedicated member of the Marine Corps League of Pompton Lakes throughout his lifetime.

Al was a member of the Christ Episcopal Church, Pompton Lakes, where his services will be held.

Surviving are his wife Barbara (nee Albinson) of Wayne, one daughter; Dr. Vikki Hazelwood of Wayne, one son; Al J. Hazelwood of Bloomingdale, and one sister; Audrey Smith of Haskell. He was predeceased by his brother Arthur in 2011.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Al’s memory would be greatly appreciated to the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474.

Alexander M. Niz, Jr. age 78 of Wayne, formerly of Paterson, passed peacefully on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at the Sunrise Assisted Living residence in Wayne.

He was born in Paterson having been raised on East 23rd Street in Paterson. He moved to Elmwood Park in 1969 to raise a family. In 2009 he moved to the Edward Sisco Village in Wayne. His friends at Sisco Village said that Alex made everyone laugh and he was very much missed after he moved to the Sunrise Assisted Living residence in Wayne two years ago.

Alex graduated from Eastside High School in Paterson with the Class of 1954. He soon enlisted in the US Army and served as a Military Policeman attaining the rank of Specialist Third Class before being honorably discharged in 1958. For many years he was a member of the Riverside Vets in Paterson.

As a young man he worked in a butcher shop in Paterson. When his father-in-law, Theodore Weiner, passed away in 1962 he went to work at the family stationary store called The 23 Shop in Wayne. Alex worked there with Theodore’s brother Isadore Weiner for many years. As the years progressed he stayed in the stationary store business before retiring in 1995.

Alex was an avid bowler having bowled at the Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park for many years. He even bowled a perfect 300 game there and always wore his trophy ring. He was also an avid golfer and belonged to the Paramus Golf Club for many years. He loved to read and could easily polish off a few novels per month. His children say he had an amazing mind for numbers and could recall the ID number for a pen refill or special type of ledger. He also loved watching all kinds of sports and his favoriste baseball teams were the Mets and Yankees.

He will be remembered as a loving and caring man who was extremely devoted to his family. He was always there to help you and to say he was strong willed and determined is a bit of an understatement. He was the ultimate grandfather and lovingly referred to as “Poppy.” His grandchildren adored him and they were extremely close to him.

Alexander was the devoted father of Barbara Michelson and her husband Mark of Wayne, Tracey Pollack and her husband Jeff of Wayne, and Troy Niz and his wife Denise of North Haledon; he was the cherished Poppy of William and Jessica Michelson, and Zachary Pollack; he maintained a long friendship with his ex-wife Cynthia Niz. He was predeceased by his brother Joseph Niz in 2014.

Those inclined to make a donation in Alexander’s memory are asked to consider: Compassionate Care Hospice,1373 Broad St #300A, Clifton, NJ 07013 (973) 916-1400 or the NJ Special Olympics

Alfred F. “Les” Isnardi, age 86, of Totowa, passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, December 5, 2015.

Born in Jersey City, he attended Jersey City schools, graduating from Ferris High School in Jersey City with the Class of 1946. Wasting no time, Les enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 4, 1946. Three months later he was in Sendai, Japan serving in the U.S. Army occupation force after World War II. Upon his honorable discharge in 1948, Les was decorated with the Army of Occupation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Always a proud American, he hung the stars and stripes out every day at his house in Totowa.

Les went on to enjoy a career as an engineer and program manager in the aerospace industry, most recently with Valcor Engineering of Kenilworth, retiring in 1995.

On May 12, 1956 the best-selling book on the market was Peyton Place, a very popular television show was The Edge of Night, and Godzilla was being released in American movie theaters for the first time. Few will probably recall what the weather was like that Saturday but for Les and a young lady named Margaret Carrig, something much more special was about to take place. You see, Saturday, May 12, 1956 was the day that Les and Margaret were united in marriage. They embarked on a beautiful adventure together that day – an adventure that would continue for the next fifty-four years until Margaret’s passing in 2010.

Les and Margaret began married life, for a short time, in Montclair. They soon moved to Totowa where the stayed for the rest of their happy lives together and where Les had remained for the past fifty-seven years.

Blessed with two boys - Alfred, Jr. “Ace” and Robert - Les invested himself completely into their boyish pursuits. He was so involved in all the things the boys did, from Totowa Little League, where he served as their assistant coach, to scouting, where he was with them on all their camping trips. When the boys entered high school, he and Margaret cheered them on at every wrestling match, even as Les filmed footage of those matches on his video camera. The boys will always cherish great memories of family trips to Florida and Sunny Hill Resort in Greenville, NY. They can truly say their times spent together were first rate!

Les had a lot of interests and he pursued them with great enthusiasm and dedication. An accomplished amateur artist, he took classes locally and many of his oil paintings adorn the walls in his house today. He also loved attending the opera – especially New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House and he loved sharing that passion with his sons. Les loved many operas but was most impassioned by the works of Giuseppe Verdi, including Rigoletto, Aida, and La Traviata. Les also satisfied his artistic passions through glass creations and through photography, taking classes at Wayne Valley High School. Always trying to maintain a sharp mind, he and Margaret loved the challenge of the daily crossword puzzles published in the local newspaper. Even on Fridays, the weeks toughest published puzzle, they usually could get it done.

Around 1985, Les and Margaret moved into an especially enjoyable phase of their lives and for the next fifteen to twenty years, it wasn’t unusual if they didn’t answer if you knocked on their front door. They got the travel bug, visiting over fifty countries together as well as the U.S from coast to coast. They also enjoyed lots of overnighters as well as day trips to Atlantic City and other bus tours. They enjoyed long walks and long talks around the lake at Essex County’s Verona Park or a simple lunch at the former Calico Kitchen on Route 46 in their own hometown of Totowa.

Les will always be remembered and appreciated by his family as being a great example of what a person should strive to be. Always rational, he was the voice of reason…..the family rock…..a great father and friend who loved to celebrate the triumphs and achievements of others.

Les is survived by two sons: Robert and companion Susie Premus of Lincoln Park, Alfred, Jr. of Tucson, AZ; and many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife Margaret, he was predeceased by two brothers: Anthony and Angelo; and two sisters: Mary Jane Woodbury and Sylvia Viola.

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

Alfonse J. Strumolo, age 86, of East Stroudsburg, PA and formerly of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Friday, November 13, 2015.

He was born and raised in Newark, NJ in the North Ward. The oldest of his parents Peter and Mildred Strumolo’s five sons, he graduated from Newark’s Barringer High School with the Class of 1947 where, being a proficient and enthusiastic trumpet player in the school’s band, he was voted “most musical”. In addition to playing in high school, Al would go on to play in a number of jazz bands during the 1940’s and someday play his trumpet at his grandson’s wedding.

After high school, Al sought further education at Seton Hall University. He majored in Education and graduated in 1951.

Al met his beloved wife Nancy Mazzuca when he was in college and working in a band at the Community Center for extra money. She spied Alfonse and asked a guy friend to subtly introduce them. The friend walked up to Alfonse and said “this is Nancy” and walked away. Their first date was to Nancy’s family home to teach Alfonse to dance. They fell in love and it only took three years for Alfonse to propose marriage. He asked her to marry him in June and in October enlisted in the US Army Infantry where he served in Korea. They married on March 23, 1952 at Saint Michael’s Church in Newark and had a three day honeymoon in New York City.

Their first home was 119 19th Street in East Orange. Their second home was 126 Beech Street in Nutley where they lived for five years. Their third home was 7 West William Street in Lincoln Park, and the fourth was 53 Burnside Place in Wayne where they raised their family. Their fifth home was in East Stroudsburg where they spent twenty-eight years before returning to Wayne in December of 2011. In 2012, after Nancy’s passing, Al moved back to East Stroudsburg to be with his daughter Lorraine.

Al enjoyed a teaching career as a physical education instructor with his hometown; the Newark Public School System. Newly married and fresh out of the US Army, he took his first job with Miller Street Grammar School where he taught for several years before moving to the South 17th Street Grammar School.

Al used to say that he loved spending his free time doing whatever Nancy wanted to do. His joy was family – being with his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and siblings. He loved having them over to swim in the family’s pool or to play family games like Rummikub and canasta. It was nothing for he and Nancy to throw a party at the drop of a hat with fifty to a hundred people in attendance. With Al being one of five kids and Nancy being one of fifteen, it’s no surprise that most of the people at the party were family.

Al loved all sports but his greatest passion was watching college football and basketball in particular. You could ask him any question about college teams and he’d have an answer. He also enjoyed listening to marching bands – especially the Caballeros.

Al’s faith in God defined him as a person. He was very active in Brookdale Baptist Church of Bloomfield where he especially enjoyed bible studies and hosted them often in his home.

Alfonse was the loving husband of Nancy who passed away in 2012; devoted father of Diane Markley and her late husband Walter (2015) of Riverdale, Peter Strumolo and his wife Maribeth of Wayne, Detective Sergeant Alfonse Strumolo of Riverdale, Ralph Strumolo and his wife Donna of Jefferson, and Lorraine Penton of East Stroudsburg, PA; cherished grandfather of twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Al's honor toward construction of Chilton Hospital's new Pediatric Center.  This will be part of the same fundraising effort in honor of Alfonse's son-in-law, the late Walter A. Markley II.  To make a donation please visit:  www.crowdrise.com/inmemoryofalphonsejs/fundraiser/.

Agnes M. McDermott (nee Pereira), age 71 of Wayne, died on November 11, 2015 with her family gathered at her bedside. She fought a relentless battle with cancer for more than two years, never surrendering hope, and she did it with uncommon courage, strength, and poise.

Agnes grew up in Hoboken, a cousin to world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney, and she had the occasion to hang out with Frank Sinatra from time to time; a perk of living in Hoboken during those days. The eternal optimist that she was, Agnes would find the silver lining in any situation. She took her first job at eleven years old and contributed most of her earnings to her family, helping them to stay afloat. After graduating from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Hoboken, Agnes attended Jersey State Teachers College in Jersey City. After graduation, she realized she could never be a teacher because it would break her heart to hand out grades to students. She had such a big, warm heart that even the thought of having to put “Needs Improvement” on a 1st grader’s evaluation was something she just couldn’t bring herself to do. Despite all of her education, she never taught professionally a day in her life.

Agnes began working at a department store in the Journal Square section of Jersey City. A woman shopping in the store one day was so taken in by Agnes’ kindness and warm personality that she asked Agnes if she might consider going on a date with her nephew. Agnes agreed and Neil gave her a call. On their first date, they went to New York City where they had a wonderful meal at Toffeneti’s and then took in a show. The evening was more than either had expected and Neil knew she was a great person right from the start. As he said ‘good night’ at her door step, he desperately wanted to give her a kiss, but rather than risk ruining a good thing he refrained and politely asked for a second date. They agreed to spend New Year’s Eve together at the “Fiesta” in Rutherford; 1963. They have been lovingly inseparable ever since. Neil’s family knew she was a ‘keeper’ too, as his mother threatened to kill him if he ever broke it off with her. After getting engaged, it took them two years to save up the money before they were married on November 19, 1966 at Our Lady of Grace in Hoboken. That entire week surrounding their wedding was defined by stormy, cold, November weather, but God always seemed to watch over Agnes and their wedding day was perfect; an unseasonably warm 70 degrees with sunny, blue skies! Their reception was remarkable as well; beginning at 1 PM at the “Union Club” in Hoboken, the party continued into the wee hours of the following morning, as any Irish wedding should, at McKelsey’s Pub! Anges and Neil didn’t have any money for a honeymoon, but Neil’s aunt (the same one who met Agnes in the department store and set them up in the first place), treated them to an all-expenses paid trip to Nassau, Bahamas. The only spending money they had was found in the wedding envelopes, which they stuffed in their pockets before leaving. They made it back home a week later with little more than 25 cents in their pockets! The love they shared on that honeymoon never diminished over the forty nine years since. The wedding song they chose so many years ago couldn’t have been more fitting; “Love me with all of your heart” by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Agnes and Neil settled into a home in Lincoln Park where they began to raise their family, eventually moving to Wayne in 1984. She was the consummate ‘mother’ and Neil did whatever it took to allow her to be home full-time raising their family. From early in their relationship, Agnes had planned to have thirteen children. She just loved babies and wanted to have lots of them. After her fourth boy was born, she had a change of heart and suddenly ‘four’ seemed like an adequate accomplishment. Her boys, the “four gorillas,” as they have been affectionately (and accurately!) referred to as, kept her plenty busy, to say the least. She had her hands full every single day but she did it with grace and confidence, raising each to be wonderful men she could be proud of. She was always there for them, at every school conference, sporting event, and honor ceremony. As she was blessed with grandchildren along the way, she stepped right in and took an active role raising them too, seemingly attending all of their dance recitals, softball games, and school events as well. Family was always the most important thing to Agnes, spending holidays and birthdays together meant so much to her. She always had a smile no matter what, and she was an unbelievable wife, mother, and grandmother. They will all miss her dearly.

Agnes is survived by her devoted husband Cornelius "Neil" McDermott of Wayne, her four sons; Kevin of Wayne, Scott and his wife Jennifer of Ridgewood, Keith and his wife Diane of Wayne, and Brian and his wife Shannon of Wayne, eight grandchildren; Erin, Madelyn, Ashley, Anna, Katie, Kelly, Carolyn, and Harris, one brother; Joseph Pereira of Florida, and her loving nieces and nephews.

Those wishing to make a donation in Agnes’ memory are asked to consider the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. Donations should be made payable to the “Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation,” 360 Essex St., Suite 301, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Angel was born to Catherine Lorette and Anthony Paliotta, the third of five Paliotta children.  She was raised at the family home at 523 Johnson Avenue in Brooklyn and later the family lived at 752 W. 178th Street in the Washington Heights section of New York City.

Angel met the “wild boy” on the block named Dannie Parler when he climbed a tree, hung upside-down, and called over to her shouting, “Hey wifie.” She looked at him and said “are you talking to me” and he said “yeah…someday you’re gonna be my wife.”  As you can imagine, she was less than impressed.  After forging his birth certificate to make himself older, Dan entered the Merchant Marines.  He was soon being led home with his mother holding him by the ear.  They met again and began dating before Dan enlisted in the US Marine Corps.  After his discharge from the Marines they married in July of 1953 and honeymooned at Lake Ronkonkoma, New York.  The young couple moved to Oakland, New Jersey in 1959 where they raised their only daughter Susan Parler.  They enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of fifteen years before Dan’s passing in 1969.

Angel was an exceptional mom. In 1965, she began coaching softball for the Oakland Recreation League’s Orange Sox Team.  Actually Betty Wisse was the coach and Angel’s daughter was on the team.  When Coach Wisse saw Sue’s mom at every game and practice, she asked Sue if her mom would be interested in keeping score at games…and that’s how Angel became a co-coach. Angel followed her daughter’s softball career to the high school level and coached the Oakland Bombers Recreation Softball team for several years. Angel fostered Sue’s love for softball that still continues today, having recently completed her 20th season of coaching softball at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne.

Angel grew up during the Great Depression years, forming her into a fiercely independent person and a Black Belt Shopper.  She could tell you the price of just about anything on the shelf of several stores down to the penny and would buy wherever it was cheapest.  She didn’t throw anything away and could fix just about anything. Her independent nature become obvious when at the age of 85 she was still mowing the lawn and, much to just about everyone’s dismay, climbing the ladder to clean the gutters.

The gutter cleaning was also a demonstration of her devotion as a mother.  Sue was extremely afraid of heights so mom would climb the ladder. But the truth be known, Angel also had a terrible fear of heights. That fear was overshadowed by her protective motherly instinct. That mom-first, all-else second was demonstrated on her final night.  Sue was sitting vigil by mom’s bedside when she fell asleep sitting with her head resting against mom’s protective bedrail.  Angel called for a nurse to check on Sue — her natural instinct – being a mom to the very end.

Angel called the shots, lived life on her terms, and was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back.  After Dan’s death, Angel took in her own mother, Catherine.  Catherine somehow wanted to  contribute to the house, so Angel graciously (and quickly) gave up her duties as cook to her mom.  With Catherine visiting family in Boston, Angel resumed the role of cook, serving hotdogs for dinner — unfortunately still frozen in the middle.  Realizing this, her eyes met Sue’s and she simply said, “When Grandma moved in, I forgot how to cook.”  Nonetheless, Angel had one specialty dish — her Sunday pasta dinners and wonderful Pepperoni Sauce will be forever remembered by those lucky enough to have had it

Angel was predeceased by her four siblings, Adele, Mary, Louie, and Billy.  In addition to her daughter Sue, she is survived by four nieces and nephews, Patricia Alford of Florida, Michael Rizzo of Pennsylvania, Robert Rizzo of Connecticut, and James Paliotta of Staten Island, NY, and her sister-in-law, Katherine Paliotta, also of Staten Island, NY.

All who know Angel will understand that contributions to the Sister Patricia Flarity Fund, c/o Depaul Catholic High School, 1512 Alps Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470, in lieu of flowers would be greatly appreciated.

Albert George Germann, 89, of Pompton Plains, passed away peacefully Sunday, March 22 at his home.

Born in Newark, NJ on March 7, 1926 the only child of the late Albert G. Germann and Therese (Harsch) Germann, he grew up in Union graduating from Union High School class of 1944 and lived in North Caldwell for most of his adult years before moving to Cedar Crest Retirement Community in Pompton Plains in 2006.

Albert worked at G&H Mechanical Laboratory, Wayne starting with the company in 1948 as a Toolmaker where he worked his way up to President. He was co-owner with his long time best friend Andy Morgade and they sold their successful business in 1987 and Albert retired in 1990. He was a member of the New Jersey Tool and Die Association for many years.

He was a long time member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, North Caldwell where he sang in the choir and joined St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Wayne in 1996.

Albert is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Eleanor Helen (Lenches) Germann and his children; Carol Larsen of West Caldwell, NJ; Albert and wife Marianne of Hummelstown, PA; Kenneth and wife Sandy of Cape May, NJ; Ronald and wife Ruth of Palm Harbor, FL; Diane Yennie and husband Bruce of Totowa, NJ; Brian Germann of Jeffersonville, NY; Janice Germann and husband Bernie of Brooksville, FL. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren; Kristen, Corey, Catherine, Elizabeth, Albert, Tyler, Rachel, Pepita, Anthony, Patricia, Sean, Jessica, Jason, Nicholas and 10 great-grandchildren; Molly, Hunter, Parker, Tyler, Robert, Justin, Ruth, Rebecca, Ronald, Sean Jr.

He was preceded in death by his youngest son, Martin in 2005.

Albert was successful in business but the joy of his life was his family. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and was happiest when surrounded by his children and their families. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 395 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470, or the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 4002018, Des Moines, IA 50340-2018.

Alberta M. Allen, age 91 of Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday, February 4, 2015. She had lived in Wayne for the past seventeen years, previously residing in Paterson, Lodi, and West Paterson.

Alberta worked at the Eastman Kodak developing facility in Fairlawn for thirty three years in their shipping department. During the years when cameras actually used film, she would receive thousands of rolls of film and ship out the finished prints, day in and day out. Alberta was frequently suggesting improvements to how the operation ran at Kodak, and as a result she was awarded several times for her streamlining contributions. She was even featured in the “Kodakery” company newspaper for her ingenuity, something she was very proud of.

Alberta was raised in Custer City, Pennsylvania, the youngest of eleven children. Sadly, two of her siblings passed away as infants and she lost both of her parents by the age of sixteen. She lived with her oldest sister for a short while before moving to Paterson, NJ and settling with her sister, Hazel. Paterson was a bustling city which starkly contrasted her rural childhood in western Pennsylvania, but Alberta enjoyed it. She lived there for nearly twenty years before moving to Lodi in 1960. She later moved to West Paterson in 1975 and joined the senior citizens group there. She was always happy and smiling, so they nominated her to be their “Sunshine Lady,” visiting locals who were housebound, hospitalized, or simply needed a compassionate visitor. With her personality, she turned out to be a fantastic Sunshine Lady and brought smiles and happiness to countless people she visited. She especially enjoyed those years and all the wonderful friends she made along the way. About seventeen years ago, Alberta retired to Siena Village in Wayne where she continued playing cards, dominoes, and reading voraciously.

Alberta enjoyed a very strong and loving bond with her sister Hazel. The two of them lived together for many years in Paterson. When Hazel became ill, Alberta took care of her every day and even did her laundry for her while she was in the nursing home. She kept after the nurses and doctors, making sure they were giving her sister the best possible care right up to the end. She shared a similar bond with her daughter Linda too. They two of them were like peas in a pod all throughout the years; best of friends. Alberta moved in with Linda recently and Linda took great care of her as well. When Alberta went to rehab, Linda was there every day checking up on her mom as well as the nurses – who often scattered when she arrived! The love they shared, and the relationship they were able to enjoy for so many years, is truly a gift that Linda will cherish for her lifetime.

Alberta is survived by her devoted daughter; Linda Cerbone and her husband Carmen of Wayne, Carmen’s daughter Susan George and her husband Robert of Toms River, and Susan’s children; Janelle, Robert, Abigail, and Daniel. She was predeceased by her siblings; Walter, Fred, Leon, Louis, William, Grace, Rose and Hazel, as well as Roy and Edna who passed as infants.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, P.O Box 608, Downers Grove, IL 60515, www.cureangelman.org, would be greatly appreciated.

Age 96, died peacefully on Friday, May 29, 2015 just one day shy of his 97th birthday. Al had lived in Wayne, with his wife Jay, since 1972.

Albert H. Frost, age 96, died peacefully on Friday, May 29, 2015 just one day shy of his 97th birthday. Al had lived in Wayne, with his wife Jay, since 1972.

Born in Dexter, Maine, Al was a standout pitcher on his high school baseball team and graduated with honors. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maine, where he also played baseball. He became interested in acting during college and performed in a few plays during those years. With a natural knack for public speaking, he was encouraged to enter a public speaking competition in Maine, in which he proudly took first place! He was invited to continue in the competition on a national level, but he grew up under very modest means in rural Maine and his family couldn’t afford to send him on the tour. He would have surely given the other competitors a run for their money.

Shortly after graduating from college, he was recruited by the Curtis-Wright Corporation in New Jersey. He was very adept at organizing and built a career there even as the company transitioned through mergers and name changes such as General Precision, Kearfott, and Singer. He worked his way up to be the Administrator of the “Zero Defects” program and was proud of his team’s accomplishments there. Not one to sit still, he earned his real estate license in the 1960’s and opened an office on Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne; Oxbow Realty. He operated with a partner, Frank Taylor, for many years as Wayne Township grew rapidly during that time. He was a ‘people person,’ very charismatic and made friends with just about everyone. He just had a way about him that endeared him to the people he met.

Outside of his professional career, Al kept very busy with many hobbies, countless good-causes to which he volunteered, and he belonged to several benevolent organizations. His church, Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC Church in Wayne, was very important to him. He sang in the choir, served as a lector, became president of the Council of Men, taught CCD and was a Eucharistic Minister bringing communion to many house-bound parishioners. He was also a Fourth Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus and a member of the “Prime Timers” senior group. At Thanksgiving, he would help package up baskets of food and then deliver them to the homes of needy families. He also enjoyed going to Eva’s Village in Paterson where he volunteered at the kitchen to serve meals to the homeless. Although he was very humble about his service, he couldn’t help but be overjoyed when the Bishop acknowledged him with the “Vivere Christus Award.” He was passionate about the history surrounding the Morris Canal and was Director of the Canal Society of Northern New Jersey. He helped to put together the guide with documents the canal’s path through Northern New Jersey and he also gave tours at the Canal Museum at Waterloo Village. He was an avid golfer for many years, enjoyed sailing, tennis, hunting and fishing, and he was also well-skilled at making stained glass windows, lamp shades, and jewelry. He didn’t simply dabble in these various hobbies; he was extremely competent at all of them. He loved life, lived it to the fullest, and he had a great deal of fun throughout the many years he was gifted with.

Al met his wife, Josephine Sisco, when they both worked at Kearfott. They had a wonderful marriage full of travel, adventure, and cherished memories. They visited Maine often to see Al’s family, Nashville on a few occasions, drove to Chicago, and journeyed across the United States in the 1970’s for a full month. They had been on several cruises, visited Bermuda a couple of times, and toured the Greek Isles and Italy. Among their most memorable trips was to Turkey and the city of Ephesus. They toured the Greek and Roman ruins there, visited the Church of Mary where it is believed that the Virgin Mary had lived, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world. Jay said she had a “blessed marriage” with Al and she will cherish the many great memories that they made together.

Al is survived by his beloved wife of forty eight years, Josephine  "Jay" of Wayne; and from his first wife he is survived by one daughter; Sandra Piatti and her husband James of Ringwood, one son; Gregory Frost and his wife Patricia of Wayne, and one granddaughter; Sarah Finizia and her husband Frank. He was predeceased by his brother Lee and two sisters; Orissa Kingsbury and Ruth Wentworth.

Agnes Franklin passed away at her home in Packanack Lake on August 11, 2015, surrounded by her loving family.

Agnes was born to Walter and Leontine Wirtman on July 26, 1927. She grew up in New Dorp, Staten Island and graduated with the class of 1944 from New Dorp High School. She attended business school in NYC and worked as an executive secretary at US Industrial Chemical in Manhattan.

Agnes met her husband to be, F. Ross Franklin, Jr. on the beach in Pt. Pleasant, NJ and they were married on October 27, 1951 in the New Dorp Moravian Church. They honeymooned in Lake Placid, NY at the Mirror Lake Inn where they also celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children in 2001.

In 1961, Agnes and Ross followed her parents and moved from Staten Island to Packanack Lake to the home they built and have resided in ever since. The family spent many summer days at the East Beach. She had a lifelong love of swimming that continued into her eighties and was a founding member of the Packanack Synchronettes and the Montclair Ripples.

The family loved the Jersey shore and spent many vacations in Harvey Cedars on LBI. A tradition Agnes and Ross continued with Beth and Dennis and their family for many years. After Ross retired they also enjoyed traveling to Bermuda, around the USA and Europe.

Agnes enjoyed watching professional tennis matches and had a love for reading mysteries and historical fiction novels. She also loved to sew, knit, crochet and quilt and made beautiful clothes, Halloween costumes, prayer shawls, baby caps and blankets for her family and friends. She loved animals and there were always dogs, cats and once even a pet raccoon.

Agnes was an active parishioner of the Preakness Reformed Church where she was involved with the Brown Bags & Bibles group. She loved to bake and cook delicious meals and published several Potluck Cookbooks with the Women’s Guild of Packanack Community Church in the 1970s.

Agnes’s parents emigrated from Estonia through Ellis Island and she was very proud of her heritage. She and her mother traveled back by boat when she was five years old and stayed for a year. In 1990 she and her daughter, Erika returned to Estonia and were united with relatives they had never met, attended the Estonian Song Festival and visited the birthplaces of her parents. She often said that it was one of the best experiences of her lifetime.

Most of all, Agnes will be remembered as a loving and caring daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, neighbor and friend. She was someone who was always ready to lend a hand and put the needs of others before her own.

She is survived by Ross, her husband of 64 years; children, Kris Pierce, Erika Binns, Beth McConnell and son-in-law, Dennis McConnell; grandchildren, Mercedes and EJ Binns, Ross Pierce, and Greyson and Waverly McConnell.

In lieu of Flowers, donations in Agnes’s memory may be made to: Preakness Reformed Church, 131 Church Lane, Wayne, NJ 07470, or The Seeing Eye, P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963-0375 or Packanack Community Church, 120 Lake Drive East, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Welcome “Woody” “Will” “Welcy” H. Williams, age 73, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Thursday, November 10, 2016.

He was born in Passaic and raised on Cottage Lane in Clifton. He graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1961. After high school he graduated from Union County Technical Institute in Scotch Plains with a Mechanical Engineering Degree.

As a young boy in high school Woody would go to the Fette Ford car dealership in Clifton and shine the salesmen's shoes. He later worked as a Produce Clerk for the Grand Union in Clifton. After he received his Mechanical Engineering Degree he worked for the Union Carbide Corporation in Linden as a Draftsman. During his career he also worked as a Draftsman for the Westinghouse Corporation in Bloomfield. Later in his career he worked as an Engineer for the Silicon Technology Company in Oakland. He retired in 1999 as a Senior Engineer for Howmedica Corporation in Rutherford after seventeen years of service.

During his high school days in Clifton, Woody met a cute girl named Toni Southern. They both attended Clifton High School and lived about a half mile apart. While on the school bus, Woody would tease Toni by pulling on her pocketbook and do all the little things boys flirtatiously do. Woody was a year older than Toni and was soon driving “Frosty” his 1953 white Ford convertible. Toni will tell you that cool car was the only reason she agreed to go out with him. Woody and Toni would hang out with each other and congregate with all the teens at Knollcroft Park in Clifton. Those evenings would often move from the park, to cars drag racing, then a trip to Bonds for an “Awful – Awful” milkshake.

For Toni and Welcome there was no formal marriage proposal however they were deeply in love and decided to make it official. They married on March 27, 1965 and had their reception at the Friar Tuck Inn in Cedar Grove. They honeymooned in Atlantic City and still have an Atlantic City toothpick holder to show for it. They have had fifty-one years of a devoted marriage and were lovingly inseparable.

Woody enjoyed wood carving and was a member of the Unorthodox Carving Club, the National Woodcarvers Association, and will be remembered for his Santa Claus carvings. He loved all kinds of other activities as well. Fishing, fly fishing, photography, bird watching, CB radios, police band radios, short wave radios, and craft beer were all part of his retirement resume. He also loved cars, boats, and even organized banquets for Ducks Unlimited to preserve habitat for wildlife. Many fond memories were made during annual summer trips to Ocean Beach at the Jersey Shore.

Welcome was the loving husband of fifty-one years to Toni Williams; devoted father of Kelly Browne and her husband Kevin of Chatham, and Suzanne Scott of New York City; dear brother of Harrison Williams of Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Beagle Freedom Project, Saint Josephs Indian School, or the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee would be greatly appreciated.

Pamela Ann Schweighart, age 70, of Wayne, passed away on Sunday, February 21, 2016.

Pam was born in Lynn, Massachusetts. She moved several times as a little girl – first to Jersey City, due to her father’s service in the U.S. Coast Guard, then to Pompton Plains where she stayed till she was ten. When she moved one more time, it was to Wayne and it was for keeps as Pam remained a Wayne resident for the next sixty years.

Pam showed interest in dance from a very early age. She loved taking dance lessons and, during one summer while in high school, she even got to dance with the world famous New York City Rockettes. Her talents also enabled her to teach younger girls how to dance.

Pam eventually graduated high school with the Class of 1962 – the first graduating class from the new Wayne Valley High School building. While there, she enjoyed her years as a cheerleader.

Pam went on to work as an executive’s secretary at First National Bank in Paterson. After marriage she was soon blessed with her firstborn – a baby boy named Robert. That was 1969 and Pam settled into a role that she loved as mother and homemaker. Soon after, she and her husband purchased a home in Wayne on Dubel Road. Before purchasing that home, they were living in the apartments that were within walking distance. They remained in the apartments for a time while getting the new house ready to move in. Pam would load Bobby in his stroller, along with some painting supplies, and walk from the apartments to the new house for a day of painting and decorating.

In 1974, Robert got a little sister named Elizabeth “Betsy”. Pam loved taking her two kids for summer vacations to Cape May. This was a tradition she grew up with herself, from the time she was just a little girl – vacationing with her parents and grandparents there. She loved Cape May so much, she wanted Bobby and Betsy to have the same great childhood experiences she herself enjoyed.

After divorcing, Pam eventually met a gentleman named Joseph Schweighart through her mother. Pam’s mom was widowed and occasionally needed help with home maintenance and repairs. Joe was her mom’s handyman and sometimes he was there when Pam came to visit Mom. As a result, Pam and Joe got to know each other and let’s just say that their chemistry was good. They dated and, after getting engaged, they were off to New York City for the wedding ring. They were married on Friday, May 2, 1980 by the Mayor of Wayne. The honeymoon was in Bermuda which posed a bit of a challenge for Pam since she really didn’t like to fly. After honeymooning, Pam and Joe settled on Dubel Road where they’ve enjoyed each other’s love and friendship for almost thirty-six years of marriage. One winter they vacationed in Florida’s Sanibel Island from December through February. For that trip, they avoided the plane and took the train. It was their goal to winter in Florida on an annual basis but that dream was dashed when Pam’s illness wouldn’t permit it. Pam and Joe continued the Cape May tradition, going in early summer and late fall.

Pam’s home was a great place for her to explore her creative side. She enjoyed decorating her house in various ways. For example, in one room she used a beautiful wall paper border that had an intricate bird house in the design. To tie the theme of the room together, Pam carefully cut out one of the birdhouses from that border. She than glued those pieces to one wall to create a beautiful accent wall. She also made beautiful wreaths out of dried flowers and enjoyed painting ceramic figurines including a yellow cat and an incredibly life-like mushroom, both of which decorated the outside of her home.

Pam loved to cook and bake and her family were some of her best “customers.” Everything she made was excellent but she really seemed to love making soups. She was always experimenting with recipes and she used a unique star rating system in her cookbooks – the more stars the better the soup! While the soups were great, the most requested food was her famous “Aunt Pam’s Cheesecake.” It was a secret recipe – a New York style cheesecake that was so good, it didn’t need any garnishments.

Above all else, Pam loved her family! She and her sister Susan were like best friends and accumulated a life-time of great memories including an exciting trip together to France and Greece. Again, the trip was worth overcoming that nagging fear of flying. Pam loved having family gathered at home and, as tradition would have it, Easter was always celebrated at her house and Christmas at her sister Sue’s house. She adored her grandchildren Robert and Lexie and they loved “Grammy” right back.

Pam will be remembered for her giving heart. If you had a need, Pam wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it until she could come up with a solution or fill that need.

Pamela is survived by her beloved husband Joseph; her son Robert and wife Melissa Daniels of North Haledon; her daughter Elizabeth “Betsy” and husband Romulo Morocho of Hawthorne; two grandchildren: Robert J. Daniels and Lexie Morocho; her sister Susan Sturgis and husband Joseph Murray of Wayne; her loving nieces and nephew; and three step-children.

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

Nicholas Lepore, age 90, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, August 9, 2016.

Born and raised in Jersey City, Nick attended W.L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City where he graduated with the Class of 1943. In 1944, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and proudly served in the European Theater while attaining the rank of Corporal in the 974th Air Engineer Squadron. For his service, Nick was awarded the Army of Occupation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

With the war over, Nick returned home to his family in December, 1946, just in time to celebrate Christmas. He began working full-time as a union mason. Then, in 1950, he was hired by Paradiso-Rosen, Inc. of Englewood Cliffs as a superintendent. An extremely organized man, He enjoyed his work and the camaraderie of his fellow workers during a thirty year career there, retiring in 1981. Nick may have retired but he wasn’t ready to quit working all-together. Instead, he took a job with the Township of Wayne as their building inspector. He served the town in this capacity for ten years before fully retiring in 1991.

Nick met his wife Rosalie in 1950 at a Thanksgiving celebration. They were married a year later and settled initially in Weehawken. They were blessed with two sons – Thomas and Richard, and one daughter – Janine. In 1963, they made the move to what seemed like country living when they relocated to Wayne. They quickly joined Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church which was a parish that had been started in 1960 near their home to provide for the hundreds of new families moving into new homes on land that had previously been farmland. Nick and Rosalie were married for 54 years until her passing in 2005 and they both remained residents of Wayne until their respective passings.

As a young father, Nick served as a Wayne little league coach with his two sons on his team and, as the boys were growing up, he loved to take them to Shea Stadium to see his favorite baseball team – the Mets. Nick also like to spend leisure times fresh-water fishing in Ringwood’s Erskine Lake, hunting small game, and league bowling with his buddies.

Nick’s family is grateful for his life and that he was able to live it fully with no lingering suffering in his later years. Always nurturing and supportive of his children and grandchildren, he was a good father and grandfather who will be truly missed.

Nick is survived by his son Thomas and wife Lynn Lepore of Flemington; his daughter Janine Regan and companion David Marienthal of Bloomingdale; four grandchildren: Richard, Mike, and Ashley Lepore, and Brian Regan; and his brother Gaetano and wife Lee Lepore of Edgewater, FL. In addition to his wife Rosalie L. (nee Ferrare), he was predeceased by his son Richard Lepore, Sr. in 2006 and his sister Ann Mangin.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Nicholas’ name are asked to consider the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675

(www.WoundedWarriorProject.org).

Marion E. Fockler (nee Rothwell), age 93, of Wayne, died peacefully on Sunday, January 3, 2016, with her three daughters gathered at her bedside. She had lived in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne since 1948.

A product of the Great Depression, Marion’s childhood was spent in the Delawanna section of Clifton. Her family was very poor yet managed to scrape by. She and her four siblings slept in one bed. She contracted Rheumatic Fever as a child, which often weakens the heart, yet hers grew strong and true. Growing up she was very involved with the Salvation Army as well as St. Stevens Episcopal Church, teaching Sunday School for many years. In high school she worked at a lingerie shop where she, at 5 ft. 1-1/4 inches tall and 98 lbs., was often requested to measure some of their bigger customers for bras. After High School she had “Comptometer” training, which was the earliest electronic form of the modern day computer and later began working at Givadaun.

She met her husband, William Fockler from West Virginia, at a singles social at the United Methodist Church in Passaic. They were married on September 11, 1948, arriving home from their honeymoon with fifty dollars to their names. They soon joined the Packanack Community Church, once again she began teaching Sunday School. She was also active in the church’s Women’s Guild – Circle I - for over 50 years as well as the Altar Guild.

Marion was written about twice in the newspaper. Once was about another group of church women she was involved in called “My Brother’s Keeper’ , a program that rescued frayed and holey blankets, quilts, and scraps of fabric and patch-worked them into toasty sleeping bags for the homeless. “Meet Your Neighbor” in the Wayne Today was her second claim to fame.

As her three daughters grew she also volunteered to be a Girl Scout leader for each of them. She enjoyed making crafts and was known to never pass up a pinecone or, for that matter, any penny, pencil or ball found on her walks. There was always a use for them.

She took up golf to spend more time with her husband. However, she enjoyed the camaraderie of the game more than serious skill development. That being said, her family was surprised when she came home from the Packanack Golf Club with a silver bowl, engraved “1968-1969 First Place Pack-a-Ladies.” When her family asked how that happened, her response was that she must have had a good partner!

She enjoyed family trips to Lake Floyd, West Virginia, each summer and once the family took a three week drive to the West Coast and back. Later she and her husband traveled through Europe, Alaska, and Hawaii as well as winter trips to Florida.

Her grandchildren were among her greatest joys. They recall how much she enjoyed spending time with them. A visit with Grandma meant playing dress up, having a tea party, going to the playground, and taking home another craft. They all have wonderful memories to cherish throughout their lifetimes, each knowing that they were her favorite.

The last four years she resided at Sunrise of Wayne and her wonderful caretakers called her “Little Momma.” There she continued to touch the lives of all who came to know her with her kindness, playfulness, strong will, integrity and compassion.

Marion is survived by her three daughters: Karen Rowe and her husband Christopher of Berwyn, PA, Kathy Jensen and her husband Michael of Hamilton, NJ and Koreen Fockler of Wayne, as well as five grandchildren; Amy Rowe, Lindsay Pauley, Jill Jeffers, Kristen Jensen, and Matthew Jensen, a great-granddaughter Elizabeth Pauley, her godson William Allbee and her great niece, Kimberly Ward. She was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, William Fockler.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Marion’s name are asked to consider Packanack Community Church, the Salvation Army or a charity of your choice.

Josephine “Joanne” Smith (nee Russo) age 86 of Mays Landing, formerly a forty-eight year resident of Wayne, passed peacefully on Saturday, July 23, 2016.

She was born, the youngest child of six, to Louis and Ann Russo in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised on Martha Place in Passaic, New Jersey before the family moved to Clifton where Josephine graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1947. After high school she graduated from Drake College in Passaic.

Beginning her working career with American Loose Leaf Company, Josephine’s soon joined the Curtis Wright Corporation in Clifton where she worked as a secretary for many years. Many will remember her unofficial nickname of “Mrs. Macy” as she worked at the Men’s Fragrance counter at the Macys Department Store in Willowbrook Mall for many years.

In 1960 Josephine married John “Jack” Smith and the newly married couple lived on South Parkway in Clifton with her brother John and sister-in-law Marie. After about two years, with encouragement from Josephine’s brother Tony and his wife Betty who lived in Wayne, they bought a home on Stonycroft Road in Wayne where Jack and Josephine would raise their family. After her husband Jack’s passing in 2012, Josephine moved to live in Mays Landing.

Josephine and Jack met when they were introduced to each other by a friend while attending a dance at the Genro’s Dance Hall. He was just back from his service in the United States Army in Korea. Their friendship grew into love and they married on January 16, 1960 at the Morningside Chapel in Haledon. They honeymooned in Atlantic City and have enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of over fifty years. Music was a part of their first date and followed them throughout their years together. They loved big band music and tried to go out dancing every Saturday night. If they weren’t able to go out they would put on music and dance the Foxtrot and Jitterbug in the kitchen. Now Jack was Irish and Josephine was the only one of her siblings not to marry an Italian. Jack was welcomed in to the family and was soon swept up into the traditions of a large Italian family. He was as Italian as an Irishman could be attending huge family meals, making wine, and spending every holiday together - he even did the seven fish dinners with the family on Christmas. Josephine truly loved Jack and he loved her.

When remembering Josephine you have to know she loved going to the Jersey Shore as often as possible. Many fond family memories were made with day trips to Belmar and visits to family in Ortley Beach. For several years, on August 15, they would stay in Bradley Beach for the Feast of the Assumption where friends and family would parade to the ocean, throw floral wreaths into the water, and return to a big barbeque and music. She was also an accomplished golfer having traveled all across the United States to play. Her home course was Passaic County Golf Course in Wayne where she served as the president of the Ladies League many years ago. She has dozens of golf trophies and truly loved the game. Most of all Josephine will be remembered as a character. She was fun loving, always had a smile, would kid with you constantly, and had a come-back line for just about anything you said to her.

She was the loving wife of fifty-two years to her husband John Smith (2012); devoted mother of John Smith and his partner Barbara of Lyndhurst, Laura Keiter and her husband John of Somers Point; cherished grandmother of Patrick and William Keiter; dear sister of the late Mary Cioce, Alma Camolilia, Tony, John, and Frank Russo. Much loved sister-in-law of Patricia Hakusa. She will also be missed by loving nieces, nephews, and many caring cousins.

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

Henry J. Okken, age 76, of Wayne, passed Monday, May 23, 2016.

He was born in Paterson and raised in Pompton Plains having graduated from Butler High School with the Class of 1959.

Henry’s first job was working as a mason for his uncle John Driesse. He then served in the United States Army from 1962 – 1964. As a young man, just out of the service, he purchased an Arnold Bread Route which he operated from 1964-1999. All who knew Henry can picture him in either his Arnold Bread truck or with his Arnold Bread Jacket. After retiring in 1999 he enjoyed a few years working for his son Stephen at the Stone Hedge Growers in Fredon.

It was when Henry was just out of the service that he and Betty Hoogmoed met at church. Their first date was ice skating on the lily ponds in Franklin Lakes. They dated for a while and one day while driving on Route 23 Henry leaned over and asked Elizabeth to marry him. They married at the Free Reformed Church in Clifton on June 12, 1964 and honeymooned in Virginia. They have had fifty-one years of a loving and devoted marriage.

Henry will be remembered for his ability to easily make friends, his perpetual smile and of course his ability to talk to just about anyone. He enjoyed family time, especially when it involved his grandchildren. At home he enjoyed a cup of coffee and was always doing something to his work truck. Henry was dedicated to his Christian faith and a member of the Ebenezer Netherlands Reformed Church in Franklin Lakes.

He was the loving husband of Elizabeth (Hoogmoed) Okken; devoted father of Dorothy Kahlau and her husband Hans of Bridgewater, Robert Okken and his wife Susan of Oak Ridge, Stephen Okken and his wife Leah of Fredon, and Kevin Okken and his wife Cathy of Newfoundland; cherished grandfather of fifteen grandchildren and loved brother of John Okken and his wife Sarah, Terrie Okken of Pompton Plains, and the late: Alice Williamson, George Okken, Fred Okken and his surviving wife Barbara, Margaret Cucci, Jacobus Okken and his surviving wife Joanne, and Jacoba Okken.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Ebenezer Netherlands Reformed Church Endowment Fund, 164 Jacksonville Road, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 would be appreciated.

"Uncle Bill" and "Yosh" as he was well known, age 96 of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains

William VanNiewal, age 96 of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains, died peacefully on Friday, May 13, 2016. He was the beloved “Uncle Bill” to his large family and countless friends, and was affectionately known as “Yosh” among the Dutch circle. Bill was raised in Prospect Park, NJ and lived there for nearly fifty five years before moving to West Milford. He moved to Cedar Crest Village just seven years ago.

Bill often reminisced about his childhood in Prospect Park. Those were simpler times when kids were happy shooting marbles on the sidewalk or playing stickball in the vacant lot down the street, and Bill had countless memories of such fun that he often shared with his family. After high school, Bill found himself in the U.S. Army fighting World War II. During his thirty nine months abroad, he saw conflict from Africa to Sicily, Italy and eventually into Germany where he met up with his brother on the battlefield. Bill spoke frequently of his time in the Army and the campaigns he was engaged in during the war, and he also enjoyed visiting West Point whenever the occasion presented itself. After returning from war, he started his career with Curtiss Wright in Wood Ridge. He retired in 1981 after more than thirty years with Curtiss Wright.

Bill was a beautiful person, loving, kind, and never uttered a cross word. Selfless to a fault, he often gave away the finest produce from his garden and kept only the bruised and less-desirable crops for himself. When he moved to Cedar Crest Village in 2009, he quickly reacquainted with old friends from his childhood and many who grew up in his old neighborhood. He always had a company of friends to socialize and enjoy a meal with. He took good care of his health, ate well, exercised, and was especially fortunate to be able to drive a car up until just a few short months ago. He was a handsome man with his blue eyes and white hair, was very easy-going, and he was loved by many people. His family and friends will all miss him dearly.

Bill is survived by his nieces and nephews; Lorraine DeJonge and her husband John of Wilmington, NC, Adrian Slootmaker and his wife Claire of Fredon, NJ, Leonard Slootmaker and his wife Nancy of Moraga, CA, and Janet Vandenberg of Pompton Plains, NJ, his great nieces and nephews; Nancy Davis and her husband Dee of Atlanta, GA, Douglas DeJonge and his wife Aundrea of Charlotte, NC, Jeffrey DeJonge and his wife Gorana of Switzerland, Andrew Slootmaker and his wife Michele of Pompton Plains, Matthew Slootmaker and his wife Leslie of Hawaii, Rebecca Busch and her husband Robert of White Plains, NY, Robin Slootmaker of Taiwan, Sean Slootmaker of Moraga, CA, Alan Vandenberg of Oak Ridge, NJ, and Beverly Anzelmo and her husband Jason of Bloomingdale, NJ, as well as many great-great-nieces and nephews.

William “Bill” Visser, Jr., 78, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2016, at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was the loving husband of Patricia Visser.

Born on December 15, 1937, he was a lifelong resident of Wayne, living on the same street his entire life. He was the son of the late William and Elsie (Arp) Visser.

He attended school in Wayne, graduating from Wayne Valley High School in 1955. William graduated from Rutgers University with an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice. He attended William Paterson College and received a Bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Administration. He went on to receive a Master’s degree in Urban Education and Community Affairs from William Paterson College graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Upon High School graduation, he worked for the United States Postal Service for several years. He served his country as a member of the United States Army National Guard. In September of 1960, he was hired by the Wayne Police Department. He retired from the police department as Captain in 1989. He later joined AAA of North Jersey where he worked as Manager of Public and Government Service until his recent retirement.

He married his sweetheart Patricia Ryder on May 19, 1962. Together they raised two wonderful children.

William enjoyed traveling the world, visiting Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, England, France, and many other countries. He enjoyed spending his retirement years with his five grandchildren, whom he loved very much.

Throughout his life, William worked hard and gave his time, knowledge, and dedication to his family and community. He was a past member of the Bloomingdale Cornet Band. He was a longtime member of Wayne United Methodist Church as well as Mountain View Masonic Lodge, Salaam Shriners, Scottish Rite, Wayne PBA, Bergen County Police Chiefs Association Passaic County Police Chief Association and the Tri County Chamber of Commerce.

William was dedicated to his family and leaves behind his wife, Patricia (Ryder) Visser and their two children; Kurt Visser and his wife Jacqueline of Stroudsburg, PA, and Sherry (Visser) Tanski and her husband Patrick of Wayne. His grandchildren included William Timothy and Nicholas Visser of Stroudsburg, PA, and Madison and Skylar Tanski of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or by calling 1-800-272-3900, or to the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607, www.shrinershospitals.org.

William L., Schreiber age 71, of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne for over 25 years, passed suddenly on Sunday, October 9, 2016.

He was born and raised Washington Heights Section of NYC and graduate of the New York School of Printing with the Class of 1963.

For many years he worked three jobs simultaneously. He was a long time building superintendent and drove an oil truck for Teamsters Local 553 for 30 years most recently for Castle Oil Corp. His oil deliveries all over the five boroughs of New York gave him an intimate knowledge of where to go for just about anything you could think of – pastry shop, pizzeria, bagel – he knew where to go for the best New York had. He was loved by many all across New York and anyone who knew Bill knew he was the best at telling a story.

In 1989 he moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne.

He was the devoted father of Laura Schreiber and her sister Jessica; he was the loving companion of Fay Cruz; dear brother of Marion Clifford of Chestnut Ridge NY, Jane Enders of Middletown NJ, Dorothy Richards of Long Beach NY, and Laura Maffei of North Bergen NJ; predeceased by brothers Thomas Schreiber and Louis Schreiber and loved his grand-dog Lily.

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

William W. Koegler, age 93, of Wayne and formerly of Clifton, died on Tuesday, January 26, 2016.

Born in Passaic, to William and Ethel Koegler, he was the first of four children-three boys and one girl all born within five years. The family recalls the many white hairs Ethel attributed to her three boys antics around Paterson. Bill was a resident of Clifton for many years before moving to Wayne over ten years ago.

A shop worker for Curtiss-Wright Corporation, Bill started working there when he was just sixteen years old. When he retired, he clocked over 55 years with the company. He proudly served in the European Theater during World War II in the U.S. Army with the 64th Medical Depot Company. For his service he received the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Veterans of Foreign Wars and was active in the Boy Scouts of America.

In his spare time, Bill liked to work on clocks and watches. He and his brother Fred learned the trade from their uncle who was a master watch repairman, working on only the finest watch brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex, for all the prestigious stores on New York’s Fifth Ave. Bill had quite a nice collection of watches and clocks himself.

Bill was a great guy who was always there for you. His life was a testimony of dedication to his family and friends. He will be remembered as gentle, kind, caring, sensitive, selfless, emotional, and sentimental person. He still referred to his younger sister as his “baby sister.” Even though his brother Robert was younger he always felt he needed to protect Bill because he was so sensitive. “Uncle Bill,” as he was known to all nieces and nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, and great-great nephew, was more like a grandfather figure than an uncle. Bill was also the caretaker for his parents over the years. He lived with them, cared for them, and stayed with them through their autumn years.

Surviving are his three siblings: Robert and wife Betty of Mahomet, Ill., Frederick and wife Gladys of Hope, NJ, and Ethel Holder of Wayne; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great nieces and one great-great nephew.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in William’s name are asked to consider Hospice of NJ, 400 Broad Acres Drive, 1st Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003.

Yolanda Tedesco, 87 of Wayne, died peacefully on Saturday, January 9, 2016.

Born in Cordoba, Argentina, Yolanda lived there for the first half of her life. She met her husband, Salvador, when they were just teenagers. They grew up in the same neighborhood together and were married on April 25, 1948. They owned a pizzeria in Cordoba, which they operated for the better part of twenty years. Yolanda did all the cooking and her empanadas were a local favorite. An opportunity arose and she moved to the United States in 1971 with her husband and young son, settling in Paterson.

Yolanda had always been a very caring and nurturing woman, so with her ‘fresh start’ here in the United States, she began working at the Daughters of Miriam nursing home in Clifton. She absolutely loved working there and caring for the residents brought true joy to her heart. She had the patience of a saint and would always go the extra mile for those in her care. In recent years, when she required nursing care herself, she held her own nurses to a very high standard and made sure they didn’t cut any corners.

In her retirement, Yolanda took on the role of ‘full time grandmother’ to her two grandchildren. She was with them almost daily and did everything she could with them. Her grandchildren recall how ‘hip’ their grandmother was; the life of the party, always singing or dancing, and listening to loud contemporary music in the car. They also looked forward to her cooking, especially when she made those famous empanadas. In the year 2000, Yolanda and her husband moved back to Cordoba, Argentina to enjoy their retirement. They traveled back to the U.S. each summer to visit family.

Yolanda is survived by her son Bernard and his wife Amy of Wayne, her two grandchildren; Gabriella and Robert Tedesco of Wayne, a sister; Loris Flores of Cordoba, Argentina, and her brother; Horatio Flores, also of Cordoba, Argentina. She was predeceased by her husband Salvador in December of 2012, and by her sister Carmen Flores in July of 2015.

Wilber S. Myers, “Coach” age 87, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Monday, June 27, 2016.

Born in 1928 and raised in Yukon, PA, the son of the late Mary and Steven Myers, Wilber first tasted athletic success in high school football, basketball and baseball while working in the coal mines and lumber yards. After graduating from South Huntington High School in Pennsylvania with the Class of 1946, he immediately pursued and, in 1951, earned his B.S. degree in Health and Physical Education from Slippery Rock College in the town in Pennsylvania that bears the colleges name. While there, he discovered his skill of soccer, also dabbling in semi-professional soccer, baseball, basketball and bowling.

Immediately after earning his bachelor’s degree and drawing upon his athletic experiences, the U.S Army was the place where Will really put his leadership skills and courage on the line. Serving as a platoon sergeant with the 7th Infantry Division in the Korean War, he valiantly served on the front lines, losing his hearing in one ear due to an explosion. For his bravery Will was awarded three Bronze Service Stars, the Combat Infantry Badge, U.N. Service Metal, and the Good Conduct Medal. In all, he served from 1951 to 1953 and then until 1959 in the U.S. Army Reserves where he was a judo instructor.

Upon his return home to the U.S. and civilian life, Will was accepted into the master’s program at Penn State University. There he earned his Master’s degree in Physical Education and, as part of that pursuit, spent a summers in attendance at Alfred University, NY and Indiana University.

Mr. Myers first job was as a physical education teacher with Elkland High School in Elkland, PA. He taught there for 7 years. During his time at Elkland, he met his wife Helena. They were blessed with three children: Weldon, Tammy, and Steven.

By now, Will was known and referred to as “Coach” by anyone who knew him. He turned the page and began the next chapter in his life when he embarked on a new roll with William Paterson College – known today as William Paterson University. Coach served in numerous rolls as Director of Athletics, Director of Intramurals, Head Coach of the school’s golf program where teams under his leadership won ten division championships, J.V. Basketball Coach, Baseball Coach and, most important to him, Head Coach of WPC’s soccer program. Throughout his soccer coaching career, his William Paterson Pioneer teams won numerous NCAA titles and multiple alumni under his program were honored with induction into the college’s Hall of Fame. If the subject of athletics and health came up at William Paterson College, you could be sure that Coach Myers was part of the conversation. He also served there as Professor of Health and Physical Education and taught many health-related courses including first aid, CPR, and Red Cross courses. Even Coach Myer’s daughter Tammy took one of his classes and has good memories of some of the concepts she learned from her dad that she still uses to this day in her career as a registered nurse. Coach’s career with WPC spanned 25 years, from 1962 to 1987 and he always considered it a great joy and honor to go to work. Those that served under Coach Myers were well-aware of his competitive nature and that playing for him was not going to be easy. Some can remember the years of the moped craze in NJ. Coach bought a moped too and drove it to campus every day. He also used it to chase the players as he made them run all over the college’s campus as part of their training regimen. Coach inspired them to work hard for the victory and he enjoyed the utmost respect from his players and colleagues. He was a regular speaker at numerous sports banquets and award dinners and, during summers, he ran soccer and swimming day camps, some in New York State where he drove the bus full of sports campers himself. He was also heavily involved in the WPC Special Olympics program where he was instrumental in establishing the sport of soccer as one of the Special Olympic events. Maintaining his connection with the university as a member of the Retired Faculty Committee, Coach could always be found among the spectators at school sports events.

When Coach wasn’t at work, he loved spending time at home in his gardens. He designed and planted them himself, building rock walls with boulders he took home from the woods around William Paterson College. What a sight to see him driving home from school, his trunk full of rocks to build those walls, causing the back end of his car to drag dangerously low to the ground. With a degree in botany, the gardens around his house would have given NY Botanical Gardens a run for their money. Coach also regularly enjoyed playing golf at the Passaic County Golf course and with his buddies at the North Jersey Country Club. You could never keep his competitive nature down so he also bowled in competitive leagues at T-Bowl of Wayne and traditionally returned to Elkland High School in Pennsylvania to take part in the annual national softball championship.

Music was a big part of Will’s life too, and he especially enjoyed polkas, big band, country and popular music from the 1950’s. An accomplished dancer, he and his companion Helena Congers were regulars on the dance floor at lunches held at the Paterson Brownstone House which were sponsored by the Old Timers Association. They also danced at VFW, American Legion, and Wayne Golden Ager functions. Even playing cards, an activity the Coach enjoyed on a weekly basis with family and friends, he always wanted to win.

Above all pursuits and pleasures of life, nothing was more important to Coach than his family. He and his friend Helena always looked forward to visiting his sister Lillian in Florida and he adored the ground his grandchildren walked on. When they were toddlers, he’d, get right down on that ground to play with them and wow them with his animal impersonations. Ask any of those grandchildren about their favorite memory of Pops and they’ll more-than-likely tell you the story about the time the whole family gathered up at Coach’s son Weldon’s house in New York State. It’s lucky, Coach survived that weekend. First, a carpet tile sample, sitting unsecured on the front rack of an ATV, blew up into Coach’s face causing a deep gash. Next, while playing horseshoes, he dislocated his shoulder. He moved on from there to take the kids berry picking and promptly fell face-first into a blueberry patch with lots of thistles. That night, while sitting by the fire, the wind blew causing sparks to fly toward his face. That was the last straw! He got up and exclaimed, “I gotta go home.” Despite that particularly unfortunate weekend, there were plenty of great memories with family at Weldon’s house. While all the adults would stay in the house, Pops always chose to be in the camping trailer with his grandchildren.

Until about a year ago, Coach still worked out about three times a week, regularly mixing swimming and biking into that exercise regimen.

Wilber is survived by his two dear sons: Weldon Myers of Wayne, and Steven and wife Audrey Myers of Lake Hiawatha; his dear daughter Tammy Poshkus of New Hyde Park, NY; five adored grandchildren: Jessica Myers, Kimberly Myers, Steven Myers, Michael Poshkus, and Jennifer Poshkus; two cherished great-grandchildren: Dante Ferreria and Madison Myers; his dear sister Lillian and husband Louis Calpey of Winter Park, FL; his much-loved companion Helena Congers of Wayne; and multiple nieces, nephews, and close friends. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his dear sister Anna Marie Myers.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Wilber Myers' name are asked to consider the William Paterson University Foundation, Scholarships, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 or by clicking on the following link below (Make sure you include Wilber's name in comment section):

William Paterson Scholarship Foundation

Tunis Ackershoek, age 84 of Wayne, died peacefully on Friday July 15, 2016. He had been a resident of Wayne since 1962.

Tunis Ackershoek was born on October 19, 1931 in Paterson, NJ. He was the youngest of 10 children. His siblings were Kryn, Margaret Ackershoek Todd, Trina Ackershoek Rhinesmith, Leonard, Nicholas, twins Edward & Matilda, Matilda Ackershoek Dunning, & Thomas.

Tunis Ackershoek grew up in the People’s Park section of Paterson. He attended School 16 and School 25 in Paterson. He then attended Paterson Tech and Vocational & Technical High School. He was later trained as a mechanic at the Lincoln Technical Institute. He eventually owned his own company, A&V Transmission of Clifton, and he retired after having worked as a mechanic for the County of Passaic.

Tunis had a love for all animals throughout his life - especially his pony and horse, cats, dogs, and birds. Growing up he used to take the bus from Paterson to Wayne to go horseback riding and fishing in Pompton Lakes. He was an avid fisherman. He is known for calling everyone “Harry” and his unique sense of humor.

Tunis served in the United States Marine Corp from April 1952 to April 1954. He attended basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. He was stationed at Cherry Point in North Carolina and assigned to an Air Wing. He was a Private First Class/Corporal in the 2nd wing. He was a mechanic on the F1F fighter and he inspected fighter jets every morning. One of the most remarkable stories he recalled was having helped rescue a pilot after a plane crash.

Tunis met his wife Nellie Vet in the People’s Park neighborhood of Paterson. His first date with Nellie was on December 28, 1954 when they went to the movies and then to Luciano’s Bar in Lodi. Their second date was a boat show, which should have been an early clue to Nellie that he had a deep love of boats and fishing!

Tunis married Nellie Vet on March 31, 1962 at the Reformed Church in Lodi followed by a reception at the Robin Hood Inn. They had eighty-five guests, of which thirty-eight were young children! They embarked on a ten day honeymoon to Bermuda, where they stayed at the Reef’s Hotel. His siblings always said “Nellie changed his life.”

On February 1, 1962 they purchased their first home in Wayne, and they lived there throughout their lifetimes. Together Tunis and Nellie had three children, William, Patricia, and Thomas. As a father, Tunis enjoyed roller skating every weekend, being an assistant Boy Scout master, and teaching his children his love of fishing and boating.

Tunis is well known in his family for making the Dutch traditional baked pastry called Butter Letter. Over the years he had watched Nellie make Butter Letter, and continued the tradition every Christmas. This was a tradition for his children, grandchildren and even nieces and their families to enjoy every year. He even started teaching his grandchildren to make it at Christmas, his way.

They also had eight grandchildren whom they enjoyed and loved very much. Grandchildren are Taylor, Amy, Thomas, Michael, Emily, Alyssa, William and Marissa. Each grandchild will always cherish their special memories with their grandfather.

Tunis and Nellie vacationed every summer with their children down the Jersey shore with family. They also enjoyed family road trips to NY State and Disney World. When their children were older, they started enjoying trips to Atlantic City and even annual cruises.

Sadly, his wife Nellie passed away in 2005. Tunis continued to travel with his family though. He vacationed to Cape Cod, Florida, Hawaii, Bahamas, North Carolina, South Carolina and even a two week road trip to Disney! Most recently he took a cruise by himself in October 2015 to the Caribbean with the Wayne Travel Club. He was never one to sit still for very long.

Miraculously, Tunis survived a terrible car accident in 2014 when he was 82 years old. He totaled his brand new Dodge truck but was able to walk away from the accident – an accident that would ironically prove to save his life. After the accident, and considering his advanced age, the hospital wanted to keep him for observation and run some tests. They discovered he needed a pacemaker and was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, which had spread to his brain. He underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor just weeks later. Four days after surgery, he was out fishing again! He was treated with chemotherapy and radiation and less than a year later he was in remission. This was all at 82 years old don’t forget. Needless to say, Tunis set a wonderful example of strength and perseverance for his family and they will all miss him dearly.

Tunis is survived by his three children; William and his wife Barbra, Patricia Contreras, and Tom; eight grandchildren, Taylor, Amy, Tommy, Michael, Emily, Alyssa, Billy and Marissa; as well as one sister-in-law Irma Ackershoek of Wayne; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Nellie (nee Vet) in 2005, and by all of his siblings; Margaret, Trina, Leonard, Nicholas, Kryn, Edward, Matilda and Thomas.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Wayne Animal Shelter, 210 Pompton Plains Crossroad, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Walter R. Krusheski, age 84 of Wayne, died on Sunday, July 31, 2016. He had been a Wayne resident since 1958, living in the same home on Church Lane.

Walter grew up in Passaic and during his high school years, his enthusiasm to join the U.S. Army could not be contained. At the age of 15 he enlisted by ‘fudging’ his birthdate a few years. He had a grand plan to see the world, but most of all he wanted to visit Hawaii. He knew that his service would take him to Korea at some point, and that meant passing through Hawaii along the way. He was very excited when his ship finally departed from California destined for Hawaii…but as fate would have it, his ship was rerouted and they bypassed Hawaii! Well, he wasn’t so terribly concerned because he knew he’d have to stop there on his way home eventually. However, fate intervened once again and his ship was rerouted, sailing directly to California without a stopover in Hawaii! He crossed the Pacific Ocean twice and missed Hawaii both times!

After being honorably discharged in 1950, he went to college on the GI bill and landed a job with Singer-Kearfott in Totowa. His career with Singer-Kearfott lasted nearly forty years and he retired as a Human Resources Manager in 1993. He truly enjoyed his career and made many good friends along the way.

Walter met his wife Shirley when he happened into a tavern that she owned. She had put a caption in her high school yearbook stating that she was “looking for a blonde sailor.” Although Walter was a soldier, not a sailor, she happily approved of this handsome, blonde, blue-eyed man-in-uniform. Their marriage was special, indeed, and never lacked excitement. It was defined by their love and devotion to one another, including a very healthy portion of patience. Since exchanging vows on July 17, 1954, they enjoyed countless trips together, over fifteen cruises, and more trips to casinos than anyone could count. They ran the Bingo down at their Florida community; Green Acres in West Palm Beach, and organized many casino trips. They did everything together for over sixty years and when Shirley passed away in 2015, Walter’s heart seemed irreparably broken. He’s missed her dearly every day since.

At their home in Green Acres, Florida, Walter and Shirley were very active in the social scene. Walter was the men’s club. When he came north for the summer, all activities stopped until he came back. He ran the BINGO game and organized much of the activities. The same was true here in Wayne, where the two of them were fixtures at the Wayne PAL BINGO games, organized trips to the Pennsylvania casinos, and he was also active with Passaic County C.E.R.T. squad; the Citizens Emergency Response Team.

Walter and Shirley were also strong believers in the value of family. They raised their children with the Ten Commandments as their foundation and celebrated both Jewish and Christian holidays. Walter was raised Catholic and Shirley Jewish and they made sure their children understood and celebrated both. They loved their grandchildren immensely and many family vacations included everyone, even their Caribbean cruises! Walter never missed a softball game or track meet with his grandchildren. He was also like a father to his son-in-law, Steve. He embraced him into their family like few people do and together they shared a powerful, loving bond. Walt could bring calm to any situation, he was a fantastic mediator, and his presence will be greatly missed by many.

Walter is survived by his two children; Debra Blitzstein and her husband Steve of Wayne, and Alan Krusheski and his wife Sima of Wilmington, DE, two grandchildren; Brian Blitzstein of West Milford and Melissa Blitzstein of San Diego, CA. He was predeceased by his dear wife Shirley in 2015, and by all three of his siblings.

In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make donations in Walt’s memory to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312, www.diabetes.org

Vivian DiPietro, age 73, of Paramus and formerly of Haledon and Wayne, passed away on Saturday, June 4, 2016. She was an extraordinary mother, grandmother, and special friend to countless who will forever be inspired by her radiant smile, win against any odds spirit, and give-all approach to life.

Vivian was born Vivian Marchiano in Brooklyn, NY where she was raised and where she graduated from Bay Ridge High School. After graduation she worked for a time as a secretary on Wall Street before marrying and moving to Paramus where she raised her two children, Chuck and Vicki. With a love-of-life attitude she lovingly cared for her young children and they have fabulous memories of a mom who, amongst countless other things, could do amazing things with wooden spoons. Of course, while she used the spoons to cook and wasn’t above using them on occasion to discipline, it was the way Vivian could play Simon and Garfunkel’s 1970 hit Cecilia with the spoons, and how she could wrap one in tin foil and give it to her daughter Vicki and have Vicki sing along with Barry Whites 1974 hit You’re the first, the last, my everything, that gave you just a little sense of what made her such an unforgettable mom.

As the kids were growing up and attending elementary school, she met Lois Friedman, another school mom, while the two were serving together on the school’s PTA. To say the least, this encounter spawned a life-long friendship.

A true entrepreneur and visionary - qualities Vivian shared with Lois, the two eventually became business partners. They started companies including Classic International Management Corporation, First Impression Talent Management Corporation and First Impression Promotional Products. Vivian believed in the time-tested adage that “You never get a second chance to make a First Impression.” Extremely persistent, hard-working, and detail oriented – the paper clips in her desk stood at attention when she opened the drawer – Vivian and Lois enjoyed great success in their business endeavors.

Vivian was a member of the Preferred Stock Networking Group, the Specialty Advertising Association of New York and the Third Thursday Ladies Club (TTLC).

The success was great! But it was Vivian’s work as cofounder of the Columbia University Colleen Giblin Foundation, providing funding for the advancement of research on childhood neurological diseases, and serving as Co-President of Hackensack University Medical Center Tomorrows Children’s Fund, a loving organization founded to help children with cancer and serous blood disorders, that meant the most to Vivian!

Best friend Lois and her husband Eric Friedman and their children Amy and Todd became family to Vivian and her family. They treated each other’s kids as if they were their own and they all did life together. Thanks to God’s protection, their kids can have wonderful memories of traveling to Florida and Canada all together in a thirty-six-foot Winnebago and Vivian and Lois taking turns driving but literally never stopping the vehicle to change drivers! Instead they traded seats as the multi-ton motor home careened at high speeds down the highway.

Vivian loved to cook and was excellent at it! Her son Chuck’s favorite was her veal parmigiana, her daughter Vicki’s favorite was her St. Joseph’s Pasta – a recipe handed down from Vivian’s great grandmother, and everyone else’s favorite was her linguine with clam sauce. Vivian loved music and her favorite song – Forever Young by Rod Stuart, summed up the way that she viewed her life. She also enjoyed the simple things of life like having a cup of tea with her daughter Vicki and singing Sonny and Cher’s I got you babe together. She loved the sun and surf and consequently, while Punta Cana and beaches in Italy were among her favorites, Vivian really never found a beach she didn’t like. She and her girlfriends escaped there often. One of those friends was Patricia Mikel, a woman Vivian met while trying to get her foot in the door at Kings Supermarkets where Pat was an executive. Pat finally gave Vivian a chance because of Vivian’s relentless persistence. Another great friendship was born. During a weekend at the beach, between Vivian, Lois and Pat, all the world’s problems could be solved. Yes, they did business deals, but at the end of the day, the most important aspect of their relationships were simply the time spent being friends.

Despite all of her accomplishments, Vivian was deep-down-inside old school Italian. She had a sincere faith in God and attended mass regularly at Annunciation RC Church in Wayne for numerous years. At the end of the day, it was her family that she held closest to her heart and she had a special relationship with each of her grandchildren. At least twice a year Vivian would fly to Chicago to visit grandchildren Rachel and Daniel for their birthdays. When visiting, she always brought two suitcases for them, one filled with food and one filled with clothes. Vivian was always giving granddaughter Rachel encouraging advise. While Rachel was pursuing her master’s degree in biology, Vivian loved coaching her about how to present and carry herself and how to be a great communicator. No one had a relationship with grandson Daniel like Vivian. Daniel’s autism left him low functioning and non-verbal, but Grandma Viv connected the deepest with him. When he had back surgery, she stayed with him while he was at Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House to recuperate. Daniel knew that no one treated him like Grandma V. She also loved attending granddaughter Giana’s plays and she was always encouraging her toward a fashion career. She’d say, “Follow your dreams and always keep looking up!” Giana surely had some of her grandmother’s blood in her. She made all the costumes for the school play. And then there was grandson Justin. Justin liked to play football and Grandma V loved to cheer him on. She’d tell him “You’re my champion!” and she’d say, “Now go kick some A#$!”. It seemed to have paid off because Justin’s team, the Galloway Renegades were three-time champs.

Vivian will truly be remembered in a unique way by each person whose life path crossed with hers. She had an inspiring and motivating energy and all who knew her could not help but be drawn to her. It’s not that she didn’t have challenges in life. It’s that she was resilient through those challenges that was such an inspiration and she always conveyed that with positivity. The word “can’t” just didn’t exist in Vivian’s vocabulary. She used to say, “We don’t say can’t!” At the end of the day, she will be remembered for the genuine love she showed to truly anyone she met. She treated everyone like they were a CEO and she never asked for anything from anyone but she always gave of her own time, talents, and treasures to help.

Vivian is survived by her two adored children: Victoria “Vicki and husband Bill Curcio of Galloway Township, and Charles “Chuck” and wife Lisa DiPietro of Chicago, IL; her four cherished grandchildren: Rachel and Daniel DiPietro, and Gianna and Justin Curcio; best friend Lois and husband Eric Friedman and their children Amy and Todd, and Amy’s children: Alexa, Blake, Harley, and Logan; and her dear Maltipoo puppy dog Bella.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Vivian’s memory, are asked to consider Tomorrows Children’s Fund, 30 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, NJ 07601 (www.tcfkid.org)

Wayne Thomas Kasper, Sr., age 65, an almost life-long resident of Wayne, NJ, passed peacefully, with his family who adored him, by his side, on Sunday, April 17, 2016.

Wayne was fittingly born in the township of Wayne and spent the earlier years of his childhood on Briggs Avenue - a street off of Berdan Ave which no longer is traveled. One of four homes - Wayne’s mother’s family – four sisters and their husbands – together built their homes after World War II. This was the start of an incredible relationship between families setting an example of love and commitment. The homes on Briggs were bought out by the government under the eminent domain laws so that a reservoir could be put there to supply water for the growing Wayne population. As a result, Wayne’s parents moved the family across town to Jackson Ave.

After graduating from Wayne Hills High School with the class of 1970, Wayne began taking college courses at Atlantic County Community College and there too, he excelled at soccer. Unfortunately, during his second year, his father Henry took ill and quickly passed away. Suddenly his mom needed Wayne to put his college plans aside so he could get a job to help the family with financial support. The Kasper family was extremely close-knit so, while he didn’t want to leave school, he didn’t hesitate to do the right thing! He was given the opportunity to work for Golten Marine Company on Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn. This was a family business owned by his sister-in-law Carol’s family. He loved his work there and stayed for a many years before taking on other pursuits.

Wayne met Arlene Majka and the two later married in September 1977. They settled for a short time into a second-floor apartment in Rutherford and were soon blessed with the births of their first two children – Tara and Wayne. This growing family of four eventually moved into their first home which was purchased from a long-long friend - in Pompton Lakes. Here they welcomed another sweet little baby girl which they named Kaitlin. Wayne would move heaven and earth to be together with his three children. One could debate who was blessed more – Wayne or his children – as he enthusiastically taught all three of them from a very young age how to ski, and to play golf, soccer, baseball and softball. As a coach in the organized Pompton Lakes youth-league sports that they all participated in, Wayne was always patient and encouraging and, as a result, his children, their team mates and Wayne’s nephews and nieces really gravitated towards him.

After divorcing in 1989, Wayne started driving eighteen wheelers and, over the span of twenty-plus years drove for various companies – most recently for Grocery Haulers of Woodbridge, until cancer forced him to retire in 2013. He only hauled short distance delivery runs because long-distance trucking would have kept him on the road for days at a time and that would have separated him from his family.

When his daughters and son entered their high school years, they continued to participate and excel in sports. Wayne worked the night-shift so that he literally never had to miss even one of their afternoon games – even Wayne, Jr’s bowling matches. Highly devoted to their welfare and happiness, Wayne always made sure to provide the kids with good positive experiences growing up. There were trips to Niagara Falls and marathon one-day ski trips to Mount Snow in Vermont.

There were also many trips to Little High Point in Wanaque where he was proud to tell them that as Boy Scouts, he and his brother Henry and his father helped build some of the very hiking trails they were hiking on. His last hike was just last summer – this time with three generations as his little granddaughter Kayla joined them.

Speaking of little Kayla, Wayne did what any proud adoring grandfather would do for his granddaughter – he spoiled her. Just a little bit. In addition to feeding Kayla ice cream for breakfast, he fed her knowledge by reading books to her, pushing her on the swing and taking her to the park.

While Wayne did enjoy a little dabbling in the world of penny stocks, by now it’s probably abundantly clear that his biggest interest was spending time with his family. He enjoyed a long-standing tradition of hanging out with his brother and sisters and their spouses. On Friday nights they would all go out or stay in for dinner together, then play board or card games. A strong sense of family love and closeness was modelled to Wayne and his siblings by their parents. They passed it on to their children. As a result, Wayne’s children remain extremely close to their cousins to this very day. In fact, when Wayne’s extended family first learned of his admission into hospice, those who lived far away immediately flew home to be with Wayne.

Wayne fought an oftentimes painful battle with cancer that lasted almost three years. Throughout his ordeal, he never gave up the fight and he always fought with a smile on his face. He never complained and when asked how he was doing he would typically reply, “It could be worse”. His children, siblings, nieces and nephews counted it a privilege and honor to be by his side, night and day encouraging and helping him through. Ironically, in many ways, Wayne helped them through too and they will be forever grateful for his example.

Surviving is one granddaughter Kayla and her parents Tara and John Dechert; his second daughter Kaitlin Kasper of Harrisburg, PA; one son: Wayne T. Kasper, Jr. and husband Harry Musto of Rockaway, NJ; four siblings: Henry Kasper and wife Carol of Wayne, Kathy Warfield and husband Brad of Lake Hopatcong, Debra Kutcher and husband Robert of Wayne, and Darlene Uber and husband Gregory of Milford, PA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Wayne’s name are asked to consider Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-7106, or Compassionate Care Hospice 1373 Broad Street, Suite 309, Clifton, NJ 07013.

Timothy Sean Sweeney, age 44 formerly of Wayne passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at his home in Texas on March 5th, 2016.

Timothy was born and raised in Wayne, after he graduated high school he attended a few years of college and then became a Stock Broker. He left New Jersey and moved to San Diego, California where he worked as a stock broker for a time. While Tim was out there, he enjoyed attending San Diego Padre games with his friends. Timothy always had an interest in sports, his first sports interest was swimming. He actually won the very first swim meet in which he participated. He later swam competitively for the Wayne Hills High School swim team, he also became a life guard for the Jewish Y which later became the Wayne YMCA. Not only was Tim a lifeguard, but was also a swimming teacher as well. His hobbies included model trains and he also learned to play guitar at an early age.

Timothy was very dedicated to his faith and served as an altar boy when he was young. His family remembers him being proud to be an altar boy for the local Bishop. Timothy was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by his family and friends alike.

Timothy is survived by his mother Dorothy Sweeney (nee Suchon) of Wayne, his father George T. Sweeney of

Lafayette, two brothers Shannon and Matthew, and four cousins; Sandra, Susan, Jean, and Jennifer.

Vincent E. Coyle, age 89 of Wayne died on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. He had been a Wayne resident since 1956.

Vincent grew up in Paterson, NJ. He left high school early to join the U.S. Navy and he served proudly before being honorably discharged in 1946. He returned to Paterson and finished high school before taking advantage of the GI Bill and attending college. He earned his degree in engineering from Newark College of Engineering before earning his Master’s degree from Stevens Institute of Technology. He began his career with IBM in California before joining Singer-Kearfott in West Paterson, where he worked in the aerospace industry. He retired in 1986.

Vincent was one of the most intelligent people you could have met. Not only was he an accomplished engineer, but he also mastered many other skills. He played guitar, learned all the trades of home improvement, he could fix anything, was computer savvy and had digitized his entire music library onto his computer. He was also an avid chess player throughout his life. Vincent was always casual, never stopped learning new things, and he had a great sense of humor. He even made good-humored jokes about ‘old people,’ something he never considered himself to be, even at 89 years old. Vincent had a sweet-tooth and nothing made him happier than a good cupcake from Gencarelli’s Bakery. He savored such things and enjoyed his life each day.

Vincent met his late wife, Edith (nee Savage), when he returned from the Navy to finish high school. He spied her from across Hinchliffe Stadium one day and told his friends; “that’s the girl I’m going to marry.” They began dating, and marriage followed in September of 1950. They moved to Wayne in 1956 where they brought up their family. Sadly, Edith passed away in 1999 after forty nine years of marriage and Vincent missed her dearly ever since. They shared a great love together and set a wonderful example for their family to follow.

Vincent is survived by his three children; Patricia Seidel and her husband Richard of Wayne, William Coyle and his wife Patricia of Cary, NC, Robert Coyle and his wife Jill of Travelers Rest, SC, four grandchildren; Kevin and Steven Coyle of NC, Becky Randazzo and her husband Ally of Montclair, and Matt Seidel and his wife Whitney Sperrazza of Bloomington, IN, and two great-grandchildren; Evelyn and Gavin Coyle of NC. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Edith in 1999, and by two sisters and one brother.

Virgil J. Salviano, age 65, of Wind Gap PA, and formerly of South Paterson, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, August 14, 2016.

Born to Virgil James and Claire (nee Huntington) Salviano, he was the oldest of five sons and consequently always referred to himself as “#1 Son”. As a young boy growing up in South Paterson, Virgil excelled in sports – especially baseball. He was a star pitcher for the John F. Kennedy High School team and graduated with the Class of 1968 which he always referred to as “The Great 68”. He also was a champion bowler having scored at least two perfect games of 300 during competition.

Virgil’s first full-time job was with American Cyanamid in the computer department, back in the time when computer use was in its infancy. Throughout his days as a young man he worked various jobs including moving furniture with his buddy Pete and working as a taxi driver. Unless you wanted peace and quiet, you could only wish that you would end up having Virgil’s taxi cab pull over to pick you up. Once settled in the car, Virgil’s friendly, magnetic personality would take over, insuring that, in addition to being driven from point A to B, you would be entertained with a good conversation too. Most of his career was spent with Yellow Freight Trucking Company as a driver and, later, as a distribution manager, most recently in the Richfield, Ohio distribution center. He retired in 2009 but stayed active working part-time delivering uniforms and sporting goods to local schools for Riddell Sports Equipment.

Virgil met his second wife Mary (nee Schmidt) – the love of his life, as a patron of her delicatessen in Palisades Park. Back in those days he was sporting a beard which would have easily qualified him to stand in as a member of the famous long-bearded 1970’s and 80’s rock band ZZ-Top. Virgil made it a regular practice of coming into Mary’s deli and wow her with his charming, funny stories. She recalls how he gave an entertaining account of falling down a set of stairs while making a delivery and asking her at the end of this story, “Do you want to see my boo-boo?” Virgil ultimately asked her out and Mary gladly accepted. On their first date they went dancing at Casey’s in Clifton. They enjoyed a beautiful friendship that ultimately led to marriage on Saturday, January 21, 1989 at the Robin Hood Inn in Clifton. Even that occasion was charged with humor as the mayor of Paterson, who officiated the vows, asked Virgil questions for which he could not recall the correct answers. Everyone laughed and chocked it up to a small case of the wedding jitters. They enjoyed twenty-six years in a loving marriage. An old-fashioned traditionalist at heart, he loved Mary so very much and worked really hard so she could be home. When he retired in 2009 his time freed up and he loved spending that time with Mary, going for walks and taking trips with her to the casino. Like everywhere else, he’d strike up conversations with perfect strangers and, referring to Mary, he’d crack jokes by saying things like “You’d better check her I.D.”

After the wedding, Virgil and Mary purchased a home in Dingmans Ferry, PA. Gifted in so many ways, he added an addition to the home which included a beautiful deck. He loved being outside and, through hard work and a lot of sweat, he established the most beautiful flower gardens which made the view from that deck that much more spectacular. Not only did he love to grill, Virgil loved to take his daughter Jacqui to the local butcher and show her all the delicious cuts of meat that he could grill, and he’d go into great detail about how to properly prepare his culinary delights. Of course, in all these domestic pursuits, Virgil could always count on his faithful companion Frankie, his cute little Shih Tzu with a personality as big as his, to be by his side. If you asked, Virgil would tell you that Dingmans Ferry was the perfect setting to call home because it was quiet and secluded enough to relax after a hard day’s work, yet populated enough to adequately feed his need to socialize. Upon moving there, he quickly got to know all kinds of interesting details about the history of certain landmarks and anyone that lived near him and Mary could tell you that if Virgil ran for mayor, he’d surely be a shoe-in. It wasn’t just people that fed his love for life though. He had a soft spot in his heart for wildlife and never saw a squirrel, chipmunk, bird or deer that he didn’t want to feed. In the summer and fall, Virgil could be found outdoors chopping wood and building his stockpile of logs to burn in the fireplace over the cold winters. His wife Mary recalls how he’d keep it so hot in the house that she’d need to wear a bathing suit just to keep cool. Smart man! The arrival of cold weather also brought the arrival of Virgil’s favorite holiday – Christmas. To him the season was magic! Recently, he played the perfect Santa for all the children in the family, and he would dote over how Mary would decorate the house with all the Department 56 Christmas Village decorations turning it into a “Christmas Fairyland.”

Outside of home, Virgil was a huge Yankees and Raiders as well as Giants fan. While he watched many games at home, he always made sure to occasionally get to the stadium to cheer them on too. Virgil also spent a lot of time at the shooting range improving his marksmanship. It’s not that he was a hunter. Remember, he loved animals! It’s just that Virgil felt strongly about the protection of his second amendment right to bear arms. He would constantly talk about the importance of owning a gun, citing an unending litany of scenarios to justify their importance in case we needed to protect ourselves. Needless to say, it’s not surprising that he also liked to talk about politics.

Above all else, Virgil loved his family, and to him, everyone was family – even the stranger he’d meet on the street. His cherished granddaughter summed it up best in this following reflection of her Poppy:  

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Victor C. Palumbo, age 92 of Wayne and formerly of Brooklyn, NY, died on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Victor was born and raised in Brooklyn, residing nearly seventy years in Borough Park.

After graduating high school, Victor enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during World War II for the next three years in the Army Signal Corps. His service as a radio and teletype operator took him throughout the Asiatic Pacific Theatre, including the New Guinea Campaign. He was awarded several medals, including the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal.

Upon his discharge in 1946, Victor worked full time while putting himself through Baruch College in New York where he earned a degree in accounting. He began his career with United Artists in New York as an accountant and later enjoyed over twenty five years with Merrill Lynch, retiring in 1989. His family recalls that he was a very hard worker, but he did it gladly for the benefit of his family.

Victor met his wife, Margaret (Giarratano) while they were just teenagers living in Brooklyn. Victor’s sister had married Margaret’s brother and this brought the two of them together. They married on November 13, 1954 and have enjoyed sixty one years together. Victor and Margaret were a good team, strongly focused on their family and they passed on good values to their children. His children recall fun family day trips to Coney Island when their mother would pack a cooler and they would each be carrying more than they could handle. They would get on the subway with all of their gear and head to Coney Island to enjoy the sun and sand. The day was never complete until they each had a few “Nathan’s Famous” hot dogs in their bellies before boarding the subway for the trip back home again. His family never realized back then just how special those memories would be today. Victor was fortunate to enjoy a lengthy retirement and he and Margaret truly enjoyed themselves. They fondly remembered touring Italy with Victor’s sisters Mary, Anna and her husband Sam. They moved to New Jersey in 1992. Victor was involved almost daily with his grandsons. Victor was a wonderful husband, a great dad, and a very kind and loving grandfather. His family will all miss him dearly.

Victor had many interests including music (especially opera), gardening, old movies, animals and anything and everything Italian. He enjoyed translating Italian songs from Italian to English and vice versa. Of course his biggest interest was doing anything with his family. Sitting down with his family for dinner was just about his favorite thing to do.

Victor is survived by his loving and devoted wife; Margaret (nee Giarratano), his son Victor Palumbo and his wife Elizabeth of Wayne, daughter Carol Rawa and her husband Donald of Lyndhurst, son Robert Palumbo of Lewisville, Texas, two grandsons; Brian Vacante and his fiancée Leonella, and Eric Vacante and his wife Tina, and his sister; Anna Joseph and her husband Sam of West Islip, NY. He was predeceased by two sisters; Mary Scherer and Louise Giarratano.

Dear Dad

This is the most painful experience your family has ever had to face. The pain of losing you is unimaginable.

You were the strongest man we have ever known and the very best dad anyone could ever have wanted. You are and will always be our hero.

Your family was always your priority and we know you loved us dearly.

We were so blessed to have you in our lives as long as we did but it was not nearly long enough! We never could have believed you would be taken away from us. We wanted you to be with us forever.

Losing you is like a bright light going out…a candle that burned brightly and was extinguished way too soon as far as your family is concerned.

You went through so many obstacles in your life and came through all with flying colors, including working full time in the day while putting yourself through college at night. Volunteering for the army and proudly serving your country. Raising and supporting your family…you were always there for us even though you worked long into the evenings. Never complaining how tired you must have been.

The numerous illnesses that you had over the years and you got through them all…Victor always called you his energizer bunny. You kept on going and going with only an occasional complaint about pain…oh how we wish you were here now to tell us about your aches and pains.

We miss hearing your voice and seeing you all the time. Your special laugh will stay in our memories forever. It is so hard to comprehend that you are not here with us anymore. Not a day will go by that we will not think of you and speak of you.

Dad, we are all so proud of you. We looked up to you and learned so much from you. You will stay in our hearts forever. You are our shining star and you will always be.

WE LOVE YOU DAD…until we meet again!

Tunis DeHeer, age 95 of Wayne passed peacefully on Sunday, October 16, 2016.

He was born in Paterson and lived in Oakland, West Milford, Glen Rock before moving to Wayne 60 years ago.

Tunis served in the US Army during WWII and attained the rank of Corporal. During his military service he stayed stateside as Military Policeman transporting prisoners from Syracuse to Buffalo, New York. He received the American Service Medal and World War II Victory Medal for his service. He was honorably discharged from military service the day before Christmas in 1945.

He served in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) and was sent to Idaho to be a forest firefighter. Tunis was a Union Ironworker in the Bronx, New York for many years.

Tunis was a faith filled man who was a member of the 2nd Reformed Dutch Church of Totowa that later moved to Paterson calling itself the 2nd Reformed Church of Paterson. He was introduced to his wife Dorothy by a cousin at the church and they married there on September 6, 1941.

Tunis and Dorothy lost a son Lonnie when he was just seven years old. Lonnie wrote in his school journal how he loved to slide on the ice by the Great Falls in Paterson. He was sliding on the ice and went through and drowned. His passing left a huge hole in both Tunis and Dorothy’s heart.

Tunis was the loving husband of the late Dorothy DeHeer(2004); devoted father of Dorothy Hope and her husband Tom of Wayne, Shirley O’Rourke and her husband John of Wayne, Ricky DeHeer and his wife Debbie of Maywood, and Margaret “Peggy” Kronke of Kenilworth; cherished grandfather of ten grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. He was predeceased by four brothers Albert, Abe, Marty, and Henry.

Virginia “Ginny” K. Gray, age 89, of West Milford, formerly of Wayne, passed Sunday, November 20, 2016.

She was born in Bryan, Ohio and graduated from Hicksville High School with the Class of 1945. During her high school years Ginny worked as a soda jerk at Jim’s Sweet Shop in Hicksville and at the Five & Dime store across the street as well.

After graduating high school, Ginny was ready to leave life on the farm behind. She passed the Civil Service Exam and boarded a train for Washington, DC. Where she soon landed a job in the government typing pool, quickly advancing to executive secretary at the Pentagon. One particular night while working in Washington, Ginny's path crossed with a young US Air Force man named Raymond Gray. He was immediately infatuated with the girl with the “big brown eyes.” Here began their journey and Ray and Ginny married on May 31, 1947 and honeymooned in the Poconos.

After Ray completed his service in the Air Force they moved to Ray's home state of New Jersey where Ginny was a Telephone Operator for New Jersey Bell Telephone in Newark. Ray started his career in electrical contracting and they bought their first house in Wayne where Ginny became pregnant with their son, Glenn. The young couple felt it was best to have Ginny at home and for many years she dedicated herself to raising their family. She also had two daughters, Gayle and Donna, and waited until her youngest was a sophomore in high school before returning to work. For two years she worked and became a manager at the Meyer Brothers Department Store in Wayne. With Ray's encouragement, Ginny soon returned to her phone company roots in 1977. Ginny's strong work ethic aided her in establishing her phone company career until her retirement in 1993. Ginny and Ray had a loving, caring, supportive marriage. She always spoke of how Ray was a great provider for his family. Sadly Raymond passed away at the early age of fifty-eight.

Ginny will be remembered as a private, giving, warm hearted, loving, strong willed independent woman who was a passionate New York Yankee fan. She loved to bake, knit, crochet, sew, garden and read but most of all she loved spending time with her grandchildren who affectionately know her as "Grandee." She loved cardinals, hummingbirds, and her late Norwich terrier “Mickey” who she would give a saucer of milk to before bedtime. She had a huge soft heart for animals and up until the other day was always asking about the family dog Tucker. When her children were young, she volunteered as a Girl Scout Leader, served as Hot Dog Mom at Holy Cross Church and Pizza Mom at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne, and volunteered at school and church whenever a caring mom was needed. She loved traveling; especially trips to Monterey Beach at the Jersey shore, and even enjoyed binge watching the television series Breaking Bad.

Ginny was the loving wife for thirty-eight years to the late Raymond Gray; devoted mother to Glenn Gray and his late wife, Cheryl (2008) of Branchburg; Gayle Jones and her husband, Robert “John” of Wheaton, MD; and Donna Buchalski and her husband, Michael of West Milford. She was the cherished grandmother of Lauren Buchalski, Robert Jones, Michael Buchalski, Matthew Jones, Stacey Noto and her husband Chris, and Cameron Gray. She was a dear sister of Lester Kinzer and his wife Emma of Edon, Ohio, and the late Max Kinzer.

Walter R. Cunningham, age 85, of Pequannock, passed peacefully, with his loving family by his side, on Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

Born and raised in Rutherford, he was a resident of Clifton until moving to Pequannock in 1966.

After proudly serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Walt worked as an assembler for Kearfott Aeronautics in Little Falls for 37 years, retiring in 1996.

Surviving are his beloved wife Johanna; daughters: Audrey Iracane of Fredericksburg, VA and Carol Nicosia and husband Dr. Leonard Nicosia of Montville; one son: Thomas Cunningham of Point Pleasant; and eight grandchildren: Christie Giusti and husband Frank, Kristen Pickett and husband Justin, Jessica Sules, Korri Iracane, Daniel Sules, Paul Iracane, Eric Nicosia and fiancée Megan Quinn, and Jeanine Nicosia. He was predeceased by his brother Frank Cunningham and his sister Doris Cunningham.

Thomas K. Coppo, age 78, of Wayne, formerly a Paterson Fire Dept. Battalion Chief, passed Friday, Feb. 26, 2016.

He was born in Paterson and raised at 177 Arlington Avenue in the Hillcrest Section of the city. He attended Central High School with the Class of 1955. As a young man he was a caddy at the North Jersey Country Club, and worked at the Van Stein’s Nursery in Wayne. During his senior year of high school Tom enlisted in the US Air Force. He served during the Korean War and was stationed in Bitburg, Germany where he trained dogs to guard the missile silos. After his service Tom returned to Paterson where he found work with the Paterson Police Department. He served four years with the department before transferring to the Paterson Fire Department in 1964. He served with the Paterson Fire Department and worked his way up to Battalion Chief before retiring in 1991. During his tenure with the Fire Department Tom was honored with a Valor Award for scaling the icy Paterson Falls to save a woman who had fallen to the base of the falls.

Tom married Julia and moved to Wayne in 1965. He lived in Wayne for forty-two years before moving to the New Jersey Fireman’s Home in Boonton nine years ago. The loving care of the staff and comradery amongst his fellow fireman is something the family credits for giving him almost nine great years at the Fireman’s Home.

Tom loved his family, was especially proud of his grandchildren, was fun to be around, and had a great sense of humor. He enjoyed fishing and the many annual fishing trips to Canada with his friends. He found comfort and enjoyment in getting his hands dirty in the soil of his vegetable and flowers gardens in the yard, and had a huge spot in his heart for the area critters. He had several dogs through the years but also fed the local cats, rabbits, squirrels, birds, turkeys, and a legion of chipmunks. He enjoyed golfing at the Passaic County Golf Course where he had a hole in one, and no life story about him would be complete without mentioning his love of sweets.

He is survived by Julia Coppo; devoted father of Frank Coppo and his wife Connie of Pottstown, PA, Thomas Coppo and his wife Lisa Coppo, MD of Wyckoff, and Timothy Coppo of Little Falls; cherished grandfather of Meghan, James, and Julia Coppo; dear brother of Corrine Squatritto of Belleville, and the late Barbara Jean Duffy (2007).

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the New Jersey Fireman’s Home, 565 Lathrop Avenue, Boonton Twp., NJ 07005 would be greatly appreciated.

Timothy Samuel Lindstrom, age 26, of Pompano Beach, FL and formerly of Wayne, NJ, passed away suddenly on Monday, September 5, 2016.

The youngest of Roy and Nancy Lindstrom’s three boys, Tim was born in Pequannock and raised in Wayne. Tim exhibited an inventive nature from a very early age. While most kids would follow the diagrams to put a Lego design together exactly as instructed, Tim chose to dispense with those directions and just trust his own creative instincts. When he went to Wayne Valley High School, he was awarded the Vo-Tech award for a really cool guitar that he designed and built. And yes! It worked.

Tim was always fascinated with airplanes. He loved to fly remote-controlled models and he often read airplane manuals when he was just a kid. After graduating from high school in 2009; he served in the US Navy, and after returning he enrolled in the Teterboro School of Aeronautics where he excelled, making the dean’s list. After graduating in 2013 he stayed on at the school and taught classes while maintaining the school’s fleet of airplanes. Teterboro School had one particular disassembled airplane that they were going to scrap and, while Tim was happy to take it off their hands, you’d have to ask his parents if they were happy when he took it home to work on in the driveway. Federally licensed as an aircraft mechanic, Tim was certified to work on any airplane or jet that was registered in the U.S. He later moved to Michigan to take a job with Kallita Air, an American cargo airline where he worked on the company’s fleet of big jets. Most recently, he was working as an airplane mechanic for Paul Kramer’s Learn to Fly Center in Pompano Beach, FL. He was also working on getting his own single-engine pilot’s license and taking classes to attain the next level of a mechanic’s license which would qualify him as an aviation inspector.

Tim had a gentle, quiet, thoughtful nature and was highly attuned to the feelings of other people and all living creatures. When he was just five, two little girls moved into the neighborhood. He wanted them to feel welcome so he picked some dandelions and proudly marched across the street to present them to them. As a youngster, he would go to garage sales on his bicycle and bring home thoughtful gifts for his mom.

Most people have heard of Cesar Millan – better known as The Dog Whisperer for his ability to handle the behavioral issues of his client’s dogs. Well, Tim could better be described as the Animal Whisperer because his ability to commune with all kinds of creatures. He was in tune with animals on a different level than most people are with their pets. As a little boy, he made

friends with the gardener snake that lived in the family’s basement window well. Tim had an ability to communicate with wildlife on a whole different plain. Once there was a wild turkey causing traffic to stop on Garside Ave. every morning. As crazy as it sounds, Tim would get out of his car and talk to the turkey saying the he needed to get out of the road and let people drive by. He did hat several times and the turkey decided to move on and never crossed that road again. Tim always loved to go fishing. He’d always catch and release and, one time, while fishing, a little bird landed and stayed right on his finger.

Tim’s love of caving and mining were displayed as early as the age of two or three when he communicated this fascination by constantly looking down manholes and sewers along the side of the road and in parking lots. As he got older, he spent lots of free time in earth’s dark, inner core and here too, his inventive nature manifested itself as Tim crafted his own mining helmet complete with all the features a miner would want in such a helmet.

Tim had other loves like watching the History Channel and going to libraries. He was especially well-read on U.S history and he liked to focus on reading about World War I and II. Never going with the whims of the crowd, he ultimately had aspirations of living off the grid and producing his own food and energy.

Probably Tim’s most notable interest was that of ghost hunting. Of course, this was partially inspired by a naturally curious nature, but it was equally inspired by Tim’s already spoken of sensitive nature. He truly cared about the feelings of all creatures and that sensitivity knew no bounds leading him into the spirit world. He even had special equipment for finding old spirits and he filmed and audio recorded all of these excursions and uploaded them to social media. Many of his searches took place in old cemeteries and abandoned mines and hospitals and he always prayed before he would enter, and then he would respectfully ask them if they would like to speak. The television show Ghost Hunters once approached him regarding his work, and in 2014 Tim wrote a beginners guide to ghost hunting available in hardcover and called “So you want to be a Ghost Hunter?”

Despite his quiet nature, since his passing, the many postings on his mom’s social media page speak of countless testimonies of how Tim touched the lives of many. This has been a real surprise to Tim’s family who, because of his humble nature, never knew of his impact until now. For this, they are extremely grateful.

Tim is survived by his loving parents: Roy and Nancy Lindstrom of Wayne; his two brothers: Eric and wife Nicole Lindstrom of Oak Ridge, NJ, and Christopher and Kristen Lindstrom of Wappingers Falls, NY; his dear niece Madison; his Aunt Helen, Aunt Jean, Aunt Rosanne, Uncle Ron, his cousins Diane, Donna, Danny, Danielle, Matthew, and Nicole.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Timothy’s name are asked to consider: Paul Kramer’s Learn to Fly Center, 1111 NE 10th Street, 11 W-O, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, 954-946-4400. A scholarship fund is being set up in Tim’s name to help and encourage flight students. pklearntoflycenter.com

Thomas R. O’Connell, age 75 of Wayne died on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 with his family gathered at this bedside. He had been a resident of Pines Lake in Wayne for the past twenty years and had lived in Wayne for nearly forty years.

Tom enjoyed a lengthy engineering career in the aeronautics industry, working for such firms as Allied Signal and Bendix. He retired in 2005 from Honeywell in Teterboro.

Tom was an avid fisherman and was most content with a line in the water. He had always enjoyed deep sea fishing and was on a first name basis with many of the charter captains along the Jersey Shore. Filling his cooler with fluke or blue fish was fun, but he also loved going right down to Pines Lake and landing a bass or two. He simply loved fishing and he successfully passed that passion on to his son, Kevin. Tom was also an avid photographer often getting his subjects to do crazy things while he captured the action from behind the lens.

Tom met Christina Patlen, a realtor who sold him his current home nearly twenty years ago, and they struck up a pleasant friendship. Christina found Tom to be a charming guy and she set out to find him a girlfriend. As fate would have it, they ended up falling in love with each other! Christina loved Tom’s enthusiasm and zest for life. The two of them enjoyed many adventures together including several cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean, vacations to Florida, and local road trips. They were members of the Pines Lake Seniors and went on just about every outing with the club, including countless trips to Atlantic City where Tom would play the slots and blackjack. Tom was president of the Pines Lake Senior Club for eight years and his fellow members will recall how he started every meeting with a joke! Somehow he had an endless supply of jokes! Tom was also a very proud grandfather. He loved his grandchildren very much and naturally shared his love of fishing with them.

Tom is survived by his devoted spouse; Christina Patlen, by his two children; Karen McCarthy of Oak Ridge, NJ and Kevin O’Connell and his wife Jennifer of Valrico, Florida,  five grandchildren; Alison and Ryan O’Connell of Florida, and Amanda, Meredith, and Brian McCarthy of Oak Ridge, NJ, by his sister; Irene Lechner of Springhill, Florida, and by Christina’s family; Deborah Pellegrini and her husband Jim of Wayne, Lisa Apgar and her husband Rick of West Milford, Michael Pellegrini of Wayne, and Raymond and Pat Patlen and family of Arizona.

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

Thomas S. Maione, age 85, of Toms River, formerly a forty-four year resident of Wayne, NJ, passed peacefully on Saturday, July 9, 2016.

Tom was born and raised in Newark having lived on Parker Street, Mount Prospect Avenue, and 3rd Street in the city. From the age of twelve Tom took an interest in playing the saxophone. He was very talented and during his high school years the famous Louie Prima asked Tom to travel with his band. However, Tom was focused on getting an education and turned down the offer. He played in bands for several years and even cut a record with the Velvet Tones. Tom gave up playing the saxophone because in his mind’s eye the life of a musician was not an occupation that lent itself to marriage and family. After many years of not playing he picked up his old sax and played at his sister-in-law Lucy's party. Tom’s children were mesmerized as they had no idea their dad possessed this talent. Tom’s saxophone was drowned in seawater during hurricane Sandy, but with many hours of work he got it back to playing shape.

Tom graduated from Central High School in Newark with the Class of 1949. Just out of school Tom found work as a Tool and Die maker for the Robert Battistta Company in West Orange. He worked there until he was inducted into the United States Army on January 6, 1953. He served in Korea and was honorably discharged as a PFC (T) on January 5, 1955 having received the National Defense Service Medal. After his service Tom enrolled in the Newark College of Engineering and graduated as a Tool & Die Designer with the Class of 1960. He worked for the Industrial Retaining Ring Corporation in Irvington for over forty years before retiring in 1995.

Tom loved life and loved to be around people! He was happiest when surrounded by family and friends. He enjoyed a good party and could talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything. He was an avid bow hunter, and loved fishing, crabbing, swimming, the beach, and boating on the ocean at the Jersey Shore. He was very mechanical minded and could fix just about anything. If he didn’t know how to fix something he would soon figure it out. He loved telling jokes and one of his favorite holidays was April Fools Day. Tom was especially proud of the outdoor shower he built on the house in Toms River. Upon exiting the shower he would ask you “nice shower…huh” and “nice shower head…huh?” He even talked to the nurses caring for him about wanting to go home and take a shower in his outdoor shower. It was truly his pride and joy! Speaking of Tom's loves, he adored his wife Esther. Heaven forbid Esther left the room. If she did Tom was soon asking "where's Est." Tom also took tremendous pride in the accomplishment of his children and grandchildren.

During Tom’s service in the Army he met up with another soldier named Ralph Mazzuca. Because their last names both started with “M” they were often paired together. Tom and Ralph eventually became close friends, especially after realizing that they only lived blocks apart in Newark. After being discharged from the service Ralph invited Tom to his house saying “make my home you’re home.” Tom took him quite literally and after the first visit he said to Ralph “I’m going to marry your sister.” Their first date was to the Paramount Theatre in Newark to see Frank Sinatra. The venue was so crowded Tom and Esther had to sit on a step during the show. Tom approached Esther’s oldest brother John and asked for her hand in marriage as her father had passed away. Tom asked John if he would “give his sister away and walk her down the isle?” John, half-joking, responded “I would rather give you away!” Tom and Esther married on a rainy May 11, 1958 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark. They honeymooned at The Castaways Hotel in Miami, Florida. This was Esther’s first time on an airplane and she was a bit scared. She kept waking Tom to tell him “I think the wing is broken” and “the motor is smoking and on fire.” They eventually made it to Miami and Esther called her mother crying and homesick. Tom hung in there through all the initial drama and they have had a loving, caring, and adoring marriage of fifty eight years.

Through their years of marriage Tom and Esther were blessed with a daughter Linda Bongiovanni and her husband Anthony of Egg Harbor Township, a daughter Janet Fiumefreddo and her husband Mike of Wayne, and a daughter Lisa Mulligan of Totowa. Through their children they have been additionally blessed with eight grandchildren Tommy, Raymond, Brendan, Amanda, Angelina, Christina, Kieran and Julianna.

Tom was predeceased by his father Sam in 1979, by his mother Rose in 1993, and by his brother Nunzio in 1989.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the People’s Pantry, 1700 Hooper Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753 would be greatly appreciated.

A Facebook note posted by Tom’s grandson Raymond Fiumefreddo:

“A Husband, a Father (of 3), a Grandfather (of 8), a Musician (sax), A U.S. Military Veteran (Korean War), a Pioneer in the Tool & Die Manufacturing Industry (Industrial Ring Retaining Co.), A Sportsman (fisherman/hunter), and above all, a devoted and beloved Family Man. To say we lost a legend today is an understatement.

Grandpa Tom, thank you. Thank you for some of my best childhood memories. Thank you for teaching me how to fish. Thank you for sharing your epically hysterical stories of when you were young. Thank you for your positive influence to succeed in anything I want to achieve. In your 85 years on this earth, you have accumulated invaluable wisdom & I am so grateful you were able to share it with me.

I am truly going to miss watching old “pictures”, playing cards, catching fish/crabs, eating Grandma’s food, and hanging out with you… You made a damn good run Pop. Even on your way out, you were happy, joking around with the nurses, and fighting like a champ. I love you, and I’ll miss you. Rest In Peace Grandpa Tom Maione”

Thomas F. Guzzo, age 83, of Vernon, formerly of Clifton, passed suddenly at home on Thursday, February 18, 2016.

He was born and raised in Passaic. He graduated from Passaic High School with the Class of 1950 and Tom would often tell you that he attended school with Loretta Swit. He attended Seton Hall University in Madison for one year and then enlisted in the United States Army and served as an MP. He confided in his family that he was very nervous about being sent to Korea, but thankfully the war ended before he was ever called to go there.

After his service Tom found work at the Shulton Plant, later the American Cyanamid Plant, on Colfax Avenue in Clifton. He was a proud member of the General Warehousemen’s Union Local 892 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and was proud of the fact that he never took a day off from work. He worked for thirty-five years in maintenance and as a fork lift operator before the company closed it’s doors in 1991 forcing his retirement.

Tom met a pretty girl named Nancy Zignorski through the unofficial Passaic neighborhood matchmaking-mother-network. When they first met Tom said “maybe I’ll take you out some night, but not tonight ‘cause I gotta go to a Halloween Party.” Nancy was not impressed but Tom made it up to her on their first date. They went to the Belvedere Restaurant on Piaget Avenue in Clifton for an elegant dinner and then to Frank Dailey’s Meadowbrook on Route 23 in Cedar Grove for drinks. After dating for about a year Nancy asked Tom “when are we gonna get married?” Tom agreed it was time and they bought a ring and got engaged on Christmas Eve of 1966. They married at Saint Marys Church in Passaic on April 22, 1967. Nancy was twenty-one and Tom was thirty-two years old. They honeymooned at the Jersey Shore in Point Pleasant and coincidentally ran into a group of friends while on the boardwalk. Tom broke his toe trying to impress his new bride by knocking down milk bottles and win her a prize. The guys brought him to the emergency room. Meanwhile, Nancy and the girls decided to go out for drinks . Tom and Nancy enjoyed a loving, loyal, and dedicated marriage.

Tom was a pretty good baseball player in his day. He tried out for the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. As with most towns in that day the neighbors, for blocks around, knew about his tryouts. When a family friend, who was a US Postal employee, saw a letter coming from the Yankees addressed to Tom, he hand delivered it to him with hopes for the best. Unfortunately he didn’t make either team, but all were proud of him non the less. Tom remained a lifelong New York Yankee fan and idolized Joe DiMaggio.

Tom was very proud of his Italian Heritage and loved history. His father Calogero Guzzo came from Palermo, Sicily, and his mom Serafina Geraci emigrated from San Cataldo, Sicily. They met here in the United States and had absolutely nothing when they started out. They both worked very hard and were proud of being able to purchase a home on Madison Avenue in Clifton.

Tom was the loving husband of forty-nine years to Nancy Guzzo; devoted father of Charles Guzzo and his wife Yadira of Pompton Lakes, Nancy Guzzo of Butler, and Joann Machado and her husband Izzie of Clifton; cherished grandfather of Angelina Guzzo; dear brother of Joseph Guzzo and his wife Barbara of Pompton Plains, and Charles Guzzo and his wife Pauline of Clifton.

Thomas Patrick Whitney, Sr., age 86, of Wayne, passed on Sunday, October 30, 2016.

Tom was born to the late Frank and Catherine Whitney in New York City and raised in Brooklyn. His family moved to Paterson, New Jersey where he graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1948. Just out of high school Tom worked for Leschel Buick and soon after enlisted in the United States Navy. He served during the Korean War aboard the USS Ingraham, a guided missile frigate. He was honorably discharged on December 21, 1954 and received the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal for his service.

After his service in the Navy Thomas settled back into life in Paterson and again worked for Leschel Buick in Paterson as a mechanic. When they closed the dealership he went to work for Sears Repair Center in Maywood where he fixed appliances and garden equipment before retiring in 1995.

Tom will be remembered for his good sense of humor, being extremely frugal, and an ability to build or fix just about anything, and his carpentry skills. He loved to tinker and never believed in throwing anything out if it could be fixed. One of the loves of his life was caring for his lawn. “Keep off my grass” was often on the tip of his tongue. He enjoyed deep sea fishing with his wife Mae and would often climb aboard a party boat in Point Pleasant for day trips. He also had a huge soft spot in his heart for animals. His cat “Kittie Cat” would often sleep on him.

He was the beloved husband of forty-nine years to the late Mae Whitney (2006); devoted father of the late Timothy J. Whitney (2005); Thomas Whitney of Wayne, Frank E. Whitney and his wife Toni of Milford, PA, Joseph Whitney and his wife Doris of Wayne, Mae Minarovich and her husband William of Pompton Lakes, and Jane Moore of Neptune; cherished grandfather of eleven grandchildren: Ryan, Danielle, Ashley, Shannon, Sean, Kayla, Kimberly, Brian, Christy, Katelyn, and Alysa and two great-grandchildren: Dylan Jordan “DJ” and Andrew Jr. “AJ”. He was also predeceased by his sister Mary Clarke.

Sylvia D. Carey, age 58 of Wayne, died rather suddenly on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. She had successfully battled breast cancer for more than seven years before succumbing to a conspiracy of complications on Wednesday.

Sylvia had worked as a paralegal at CT Corporation in Manhattan up until the tragic events of September 11, 2001. On that day, she walked from lower Manhattan to the George Washington Bridge, then managed to hitchhike her way back home to Wayne. That was the last day she ever worked in New York City. She soon found a new position with Continental Corporate Services in Nutley and was currently working there.

Sylvia grew up in Passaic and at the age of eleven her family moved to Wayne. Moving to a new town is often difficult for kids her age and fitting in at her new school presented the usual challenges. The school bullies never let her forget how tall she was, unusually so, but she excelled in school nevertheless. She joined the Ecology Club at Wayne Hills High School and compelled her family to start recycling years before it was in vogue. She bundled up newspapers from all around and had her Mom bring them to the school for collection. She was also a member of the marching band in high school. She played accordion, clarinet, as well as the organ. Sylvia was an excellent accordion player and had taken lessons since childhood, winning several State competition trophies along the way. She went on to earn her college degree and was fluent in three languages; English, Spanish and German. She spent many summers in Germany with her extended family and even spent a year abroad at Marburg University in Germany, which surely helped polish her skills with the language.

To say that Sylvia was a devoted Catholic would be an understatement. She felt truly in touch with the Holy Spirit and attended Mass at many of the local churches. She knew all the priests at each of the local churches, and she even traveled around to other area parishes to feed her spiritual need for God’s word. Sylvia spent much of her free time tending to the infirm and elderly at nursing homes, particularly at the Llanfair House and was a regular Eucharistic minister at numerous facilities. She was endearingly referred to by a local priest as a “roaming Catholic,” a moniker she was not particularly fond of, but accurate nonetheless. Truth be told, Sylvia was inspired by one of the nuns at her childhood parish in Passaic and she likely wished she could have been a nun herself. She had taken no less than three pilgrimage-type journeys to Italy and loved the religious atmosphere in Rome. She was currently learning the Italian language with a dream to becoming a religious writer for the Vatican someday. She was very much the ‘church lady’ and sought spiritual reinforcement daily.

Sylvia was also devoted to her family. She lived just a block away from her parents and visited them daily. She played an integral role in caring for her ailing mother over the past few years, despite battling her own cancer. Sylvia also took an active role in the upbringing of her two nieces and nephew and also served as Godmother to Audrey and was the confirmation sponsor for Henry. She loved Audrey, Grace and Henry as if they were her own children and they will all miss her dearly.

Sylvia is survived by her father; Walter Auth of Wayne, by her sister; Dorothy Auth and her husband Stephen Edgington of Montclair, and her brother; Ron Auth of Cedar Knolls, her two nieces; Audrey and Grace Edgington of Montclair, and nephew Henry Edgington of Montclair, as well as her very special aunt and godmother; Maria Burkard and her husband Bernard of Germany. Sylvia was predeceased by her mother, Elisabeth, in April of 2016.

After her diagnosis more than seven years ago, Sylvia was grateful for all the new treatments which became available and aided her in the battle against this disease. She credits modern medicine and her her deep spirituality for all those years she was able to remain here with her loving family. In her memory, donations would be greatly appreciated to “The Breast Cancer Research Foundation,” 60 East 56th Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10022 or visit www.bcrfcure.org for more information.

Shirley May Heisler (nee Weber) age 90 of St. Augustine, FL and formerly of the Pines Lake section of Wayne, died on Thursday, January 14, 2016. At the moment of her passing, she was receiving the love of her family who were faithfully by her side.

Shirley was born in Clifton, the oldest of four children of Fred and Harriet Weber. Spending her earliest years on Clifton’s Crooks Ave., the family eventually moved around the corner to Christie Ave. The house on Christie Ave. was right by the Vanderworth farm where Shirley and her brother Fred would be sent by their mom or dad to get fresh milk. They would knock on Mr. Vanderworth’s farmhouse door and he’d come out in his Dutch wooden shoes (klompen) and go to the ice house to get them the freshest milk in Clifton.

Shirley was a born leader. Even when attending School Number 11, right down the street from her house on Christie Ave., she earned the position of a junior police by helping the crossing guard safely get her classmates to school. It was in this elementary school that she met August J. “Gus” Heisler, Jr. She didn’t know at that time, but she was someday going to marry him. At home, Shirley was a wonderful big sister to her younger siblings. Being the oldest child helped her practice for her future roles as mother and homemaker and, while known around the home as “Sarge” she instilled much love, kindness and generosity to all.

When Shirley became a teenager, she moved again, this time to Crestwood Avenue in Nutley. She and Gus Heisler parted ways but only for a while. She attended Nutley High School, then went to work as a pharmacy manager at Bay Drug on Franklin Ave.

One night while at a dance at a place called the Cliftonia, Shirley and Gus were reunited. They started dating but Gus had a hard time getting to first base with Shirley because Fred Weber, her father was, let’s just say, not very accepting of Gus. Not to be dissuaded by this challenge, Fred and Gus’ relationship actually started to warm up when Shirley’s father learned that Gus had a case of low brass shot gun shells. You see, that’s when these two men discovered something that they had in common - a love of hunting. A case of shot gun shells was an exciting prospect to Fred because of that love of hunting, but, with the second world war going on, shot-gun shells were in short supply. After that, Gus and Fred actually became good buddies, often hunting and fishing together on Gus’ parents farm in Callicoon, NY.

It was on that Callicoon, NY, 80-acre farm on a beautiful day in 1948 that a local pastor united Shirley and Gus into the holy bonds of matrimony. After the wedding ceremony, their family and friends helped the newlyweds celebrate with a grand reception at the nearby Olympia Hotel. They settled in under the same roof for the first time, moving into the second-floor apartment of Gus’ parents’ house on 4th Street in Clifton. Gus worked every day in the family business – Heisler Machine – a shop right behind that house. Shirley, settled into the role, she had unwittingly groomed herself for, as a homemaker and mother of three beautiful children. A few years later, the shop moved and Shirley and Gus moved into their first own home on Broad Street. Soon after that, in 1961, they moved to the Pines Lake section of a newly developing town called Wayne.

First of all, Shirley was a great cook! In the early days of her marriage, she would often have the opportunity to cook many of Gus’ favorite childhood recipes with her mother-in-law. Since Gus’ mom was from Hungary, it was hard for her to convey the recipes for these Hungarian dishes to her daughter-in-law Shirley. Being as resourceful as ever, Shirley had the solution. As Gus’ mom made the dishes, Shirley would stay right by her side and she’d patiently write down all the ingredients, how much of each, and the method by which “Mom” prepared Gus’ favorites. Before long, she had them all recorded and Gus was a happy guy!

The Pines Lake community was also blessed by Shirley’s organizational skills as she always stepped up to the plate to help plan the annual Pines Lake 4th of July and Labor Day picnics. She also loved family time up at the Callicoon Farm. Now in its 5th generation of Heisler ownership, Shirley loved being there to pick berries and make fresh jams, and every Thanksgiving and winter weekends too.

Shirley thought nothing of regularly hosting dinners for thirty or more members of her family and friends. Very giving, she was always there for anyone in need with a pot of her delicious chicken soup. She enjoyed giving back to the community through volunteering weekly at the Junior Exchange.

Shirley was a big shopper. She and her girlfriends loved clothes shopping at Little Marci’s in West, NY and doing their annual weekend holiday shopping sprees at the outlets. She and Gus enjoyed the friends they made at the North Jersey Country Club and when they moved permanently to St. Augustine, Florida in 1992, they became members of the Plantation Country Club. Shirley and Gus made a great team. Together they were blessed to travel the world to destinations including Africa, Alaska, Bora Bora, all of Western Europe, in fact every continent in the world except Antarctica.

Shirley’s greatest joy was truly caring for her family and friends. Her role as the Sarge was such an integral part of her life and it continued to span the generations from her siblings to her children and right on down to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as she always made it her business to lovingly look after their safety and welfare. For over ten years, Shirley and Gus had the joy of taking the whole family to the Colony in Long Boat Key, Florida.

Shirley is survived by her beloved husband of 67 years, August J. Heisler, Jr. of St. Augustine, Florida; one son: August J. Heisler, III of Ponte Verde, Florida; two daughters: Shirley L. and husband Jack Howard of Frenchtown, NJ, and Judy H. and husband Jack Morgan of Charlotte, North Carolina; eight grandchildren: Michael Ryan Holcomb, Kimberly Holcomb-Cooper, Jack Calvin Morgan, Carter August Morgan, Clayton Weber Morgan, August J. Heisler IV, Brendan Heisler and Thorsen Heisler; eleven great-grandchildren: Mackenzie, Aidan, Morgan, Rylie, Hunter, Caroline, Addison, Jack, Maddox, Charlotte, and James; one sister: Harriet Palmer and her companion Paul Maymon of Vero Beach, Florida; and two brothers: Fred Weber of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Russell and wife Barbara Weber of Matawan, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Shirley’s name are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834 (www.alz.org/nj) or Community Hospice of NE Florida, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257, Attn: Community Hospice Foundation.

Theresa Mariconda (nee Manzo), age 85 of Port St. Lucie, Florida, died on Friday, September 9, 2016. She was born and raised in Paterson, NJ, before retiring to Florida in 1978.

Terry grew up on Cross Street and attended Paterson Public Schools #2 and #13 before working at the DuMont Television Company. She began dating Michael Mariconda, a family friend, when he returned home from serving in World War II. They married on October 29, 1950 at St. Joseph Church and honeymooned in Washington, DC.

Terry and Michael eventually settled into their home on Rossiter Avenue (Paterson) where they raised their family. Terry loved to entertain at her home, which was built for celebrations of any kind. The Maricondas' large yard, complete with a big swimming pool, was always overflowing with family, friends, great food, laughter, and good memories. Terry also loved hosting the holidays, most especially putting on a feast for Christmas Eve.

Terry and Michael were able to retire early and moved to Florida in 1978. They lived in Ft. Lauderdale for 20 years before heading north to the King’s Isle in Port St. Lucie, where they lived for nearly 18 more years. The Maricondas enjoyed a very active lifestyle in their retirement; Terry especially never sat still and was always “on the go.” She loved Bingo, the lottery and all things “arts and crafts.”  In recent years she became a huge Miami Marlins fan, which came as a surprise to all who knew her because she'd never showed any interest in sports of any kind before.

Terry always set the standard for how to live a fun-filled life, with lots of love for her family and friends.

Terry is survived by her husband Michael of Port St. Lucie, three children; Paul Mariconda and his wife Carol of Brick, NJ, Mary Ann Mariconda of Port St. Lucie, Michael Mariconda and his wife Linda of Ft. Lauderdale, two grandchildren; Dayna Lavin and her husband Charles of Toms River, India Mariconda and her husband Tim Dannwolf of Ocean Township, four great-grandchildren; Luca and Jovie Dannwolf of Ocean Township, and Theodore “Teddy” and Juniper Lavin of Toms River, one sister; Carmen Salotti and her husband Louis of Port St. Lucie, and two beloved sisters-in-law; Lisa Manzo of Montville, NJ and Nina Hundt and her husband George of Wayne. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents Albert and Marion Manzo; and her brothers Albert “Tiny” Manzo and Frank Manzo.

Terry was a devoted volunteer and ambassador for the Deborah Hospital Foundation throughout her lifetime and she was passionate about their mission and their philosophy that “there can be no price on life.” In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to please donate to the Deborah Hospital. Foundation in Terry’s memory. Mail your donations to; Deborah Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 820, Browns Mills, NJ 08015.

Shirley Ann Buwalda, age 72, of Wayne, passed Thursday, March 17, 2016.

She was born in Paterson and raised in Hawthorne and Wyckoff having graduated from Eastern Christian High School with the Class of 1961.

As a young girl just out of high school Shirley found work as a secretary at the First National Bank in Paterson. She would take the bus each day from Wyckoff to Paterson. She met a handsome and tall young man named Donald Buwalda while hanging out with a group of kids from various churches after evening worship services. The group would go sleigh riding, bowling, and often played board games together. Initially Don and Shirley were friends and eventually fell in love. They married on October 15, 1966 at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church and had a reception with about 250 people at the American Legion Hall on High Mountain Road in North Haledon. They honeymooned at the Birchwood Resort in East Stroudsburg, PA. Shirley borrowed her brother-in-law's movie camera and while filming a canoe trip on the lake they flipped their canoe and the camera went to the bottom of the lake. They eventually recovered it but it never worked again. While at the Birchwood they met three other couples who had just been married. They would become life-long friends and for many years the four couples would get together for dinner, family vacations, and to celebrate their common anniversary. It’s also interesting to note that Shirley’s husband Don was the only police officer at the time of their honeymoon but the husbands of the other three couples would all secure careers in law enforcement. Shirley and Don were blessed with four children and have enjoyed a loving, devoted, and faith filled marriage of forty-nine years.

Shirley dedicated herself to being a stay at home mom during her children’s youth and once they matured she returned to work as a secretary for a local law firm, dentist, and finally for Vanguard Plastic in Paterson.

She was devoted to her Christian faith and for many years was active with the Prospect Park Christian Reformed Church where she sang in the choir. In recent years she belonged to the Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne where she previously sang in the choir, was active with the fellowship committee and the coffee break ministry, and attended many bible study classes.

Shirley will be remembered as a reserved, patient person who was very supportive of the crazy hours of her husband’s job and rotating shifts. She was compassionate, loved to play the piano, enjoyed ceramics, belonged to the Wayne PAL Ladies Auxiliary for many years, and was a member of the Wayne Rec Volleyball League. She was a great cook and baker who had a sit down family dinner ready every night. Her banana bread, mashed potatoes, almond paste butter letter, pot roast, chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream icing, vegetable soup with meatballs, and sun tea are just a few of her specialties that will never be the same without her special ingredient of love.

Shirley was the loving wife of Donald Buwalda; devoted mother of Donald Kenneth Buwalda, Jr. and his wife Nadine of Wayne, Donna Lynne Cook and her husband Ray of Ringwood, Dawn Lynne Janecek and her husband Rob of West Milford, and Debra Lynne Garay and her husband Pedro of Bloomingdale; cherished grandmother of Dianne and her husband Michael, Donald, Dana, Steven, Sean, Andrea, Amanda, Julie, Raymond, Daniella, and Leonardo; dear sister of Peter Orbeck, Jr. and his wife Martha of Jennison, MI, and the late Wilma Bouman and the late Angie Van Dongen.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Eastern Christian Children’s Retreat, 700 Mountain Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481 would be appreciated.

Stanislaw “Stash” Rodzen, age 70, of Lincoln Park, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 18, 2016.

Born in Kamien, Poland, Stash’s parents moved north to Grudziadz, Poland when he was just a year old. There, he spent the formative years of his life. After receiving his formal education, Stash proudly served in the Polish Army from 1966 to 1968. It was there that he learned the trade of mechanic – a trade that he would go on to master and which would help him provide for his family in the ensuing years.

Stanislaw met the girl of his dreams – Barbara Wojcik, through his cousin Teresa who worked with Barbara. Their first date was out to a local coffee shop in Poland and, it was over that cup of coffee that a loving relationship was born which led to marriage on April 27, 1974 in St. Andrews Church in Grudziadz, Poland. Stanislaw and Barbara enjoyed a loving marriage of 42 years. While still living in Poland, they welcomed the blessings of two daughters – Joanna in 1975 and Izabela in 1980.

While in Poland, Stash was an executive with a prominent heating company but, wanting a better life than communist Poland could offer, he escaped alone to the United States in 1984. For the next 13 years, separated from the ones he loved, Stanislaw worked hard in the U.S. to get established so Barbara and his daughters could join him. During those 13 years, it wasn’t until 1993 – nine years after escaping that he received his papers which allowed him to go back to Poland and visit them for the first time. In 1996, Stash became a proud U.S. citizen and a year later his daughter Izabela joined him in the U.S. follow a year later by his wife Barbara and daughter Joanna. The family lived in Wallington until moving to Lincoln Park in 2001 where Stash had remained ever since.

In the U.S. Stash drew upon the mechanic experience gained in the Polish Army, becoming a car, truck and machinery mechanic with various companies, most recently maintaining the trucks and other equipment for the Wilbert Burial Vault Company in Wayne. He worked there for 12 years until retirement in 2013. Throughout his career, Stash always worked extremely hard, often holding two jobs at a time to help his family have a better life.

When his time freed up a bit more, Stash took to traveling. Barbara and he enjoyed trips to Hawaii and Canada and, when she didn’t want to travel, Stash joined a Polish touring group and took trips with them to China, Japan, Peru, Ecuador, and throughout the U.S. including Alaska. Stash had a unique and adventurous palate, once even eating spiders he purchased in Ecuador. When it came liquid refreshment, he always felt that quality was much more important than quantity. Thus, he typically purchased high quality, limited edition vodka, whisky and other liquors. It would be nothing unusual to see Stash spending time relaxing by savoring a fine glass of spirits while dreaming of and contemplating new inventions in his very active mind.

Being with his family was one of Stash’s greatest delights, especially after being separated from them for thirteen long years while paving the way for them to join him in the U.S. The family enjoyed the simple day-to-day activities like attending mass together at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Wallington followed by the tradition of gathering at home for a meal together and enjoying each other’s company. Before the affliction of Alzheimer’s, Stash took great delight in his granddaughters. His face would beam as he held little baby Julia and he loved taking her and Chloe for walks. He was extremely generous to them too, regularly spoiling them with gifts from Grandpa.

Stash’s family and friends will miss this man who they lovingly and affectionately described as somewhat stubborn but generous and very good-hearted. He loved helping others – no strings attached, especially fellow Polish immigrants who, like himself, needed help getting settled, finding jobs, and finding their way in this new land of freedom that he was so grateful for.

Surviving are Stanislaw’s beloved wife of 42 years, Barbara (nee Wojcik): two daughters: Joanna Rodzen-Hickey and husband Frederick of Green Township, and Izabela Rodzen-Olesinski and husband Przemek of Fort Lee; and three adored granddaughters: Julia, Chloe, and Charlotte.

Sydney Crane (nee Dwyer) age 95, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Wednesday, February 17, 2016.

She was born in Paterson where she lived before moving to Wayne fifty-seven years ago. She graduated from Saint Marys High School in Paterson with the Class of 1938. Sydney continued her education at Saint Marys School of Nursing where she received her certification as a Registered Nurse with the Class of 1941. After becoming an RN she worked her way to becoming the Head Nurse of Obstetrics at Saint Marys Hospital. In 1968 she began a seventeen-year career as a School Nurse with the Paterson Board of Education before retiring in 1985.

On January 17, 1945 Sydney married the love of her life Harold Crane at Saint Marys Church in Paterson. Harold was on leave from the Army Air Corps and they had a small window of opportunity to get married. The day of their marriage there was a snowstorm and the family had to shovel out the church in order for the wedding to proceed. Sydney and Harold had a happy and loving marriage of twenty-eight years before his passing in 1973 at the age of fifty-three.

Sydney will be remembered for always being particular about her appearance. Outfits had to match shoes, nails had to be done just so, and many would remark they couldn’t believe her age because of her up to date looks and style. Most of all Sydney loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a huge part of their lives and they were her inspiration. She even learned to bake cookies for them! Now to many baking would seem like a normal grandma’s duty. But those who know Sydney know that all through her married years Harold was the family cook and the kitchen was a place for Sydney to avoid.

At the age of 92 macular degeneration got the better of her and she had to give up driving. That was a difficult thing for her because she loved to shop and keep her wardrobe up to date. Her grandchildren stepped in and helped her to learn how to shop online. Another memory of Sydney would be her Saint Anthony Statue with its New York Yankee batting helmet. If the Yankees won the statue was fine, if they lost she would turn and punish the statue, making it face the wall until the next game.

Sydney was the loving wife of the late Harold Crane (1973); devoted mother of Robert Crane and his wife Suzanne of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Sean Crane and his wife Janet, Kimberly Hammermueller and her husband Kurt, Kristin Crane and David Hansen, and Jonathan Crane; much loved great-grandmother of Aiden Crane, Remington Crane, and Kayla Hammermueller.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Preakness Volunteer Fire Company #4, 1739 Ratzer Road, Wayne would be greatly appreciated.

Sophie V. Westfield (nee Kaminski), of Lincoln Park, died peacefully on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 with her family gathered at her bedside. She had lived in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne for many years. Sophie was one of eight of the Kaminski Gang. She was the glue that held the siblings together, the oldest, a daughter, sister and a friend. She was always there for you in times of trouble (sometimes even to help you cause the trouble), and to help you through tough times. She always had words of honesty and encouragement.

Sophie was currently working for the County of Morris in the employee training services department. Here, Sophie took pride in providing training and support for the unemployed and underemployed. She had also worked at Belart in Pequannock as the communications director, in Macy’s shoe department, and at the Paterson Coalition for Housing as a grant writer and director of program operations. While at the Paterson Coalition, Sophie provided programs to assist many of the underprivileged residents of Passaic County obtain a better life through job skill training, housing, and food. She was honest to a fault, a little ‘bossy’ at times, and one of the most organized people you’d ever meet.

She was born in Hoboken and her family moved to Packanack Lake in 1952. A devout Catholic since childhood, she attended elementary school at Holy Cross in Wayne before finishing at the new Immaculate Heart of Mary School. As a young woman, she answered a higher calling and joined a convent, but that didn’t turn out quite as she had imagined. Along with six other women, Sophie plotted her escape from the convent. Aided by a security guard, they were successful and Sophie came back home. Her faith in the church never waned though, and she remained deeply involved. She has since served as a Eucharistic Minister, CCD teacher, and volunteered in various capacities throughout the years.

Sophie attended William Paterson College and studied abroad one semester in London. While there, she toured throughout Europe and caught the travel bug. She took many trips over the years to such destinations as Russia, Alaska, Hawaii, Rio de Janeiro, she attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans, had been through most of the United States, and even a few cruises. She certainly knew how to enjoy herself!

Sophie would take you under her wings and guide you by her kind ways and words. She always tried to push you harder and make you go deeper to find yourself. Sophie will be remembered for her words spoken through her eyes or a look that could make you laugh...A smart, snappy remark or sarcastic comments...Sophie.. a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin Sophie a FRIEND ... A WONDER...A KAMINSKI

Sophie is survived by her son Jonathan Westfield of NY, NY, her father; Peter Kaminski of Wayne, seven siblings: Nicholas Kaminski and his wife Maria of Tampa, FL, Walter Kaminski and his wife Jan of Greenwood Lake, NY, Patricia Weninger of Clearwater, FL, Mary Ann Sernau and her husband Richard of West Hills, California, Lucy D’Anna and her husband Joseph of Budd Lake, NJ, Pauline Kaminski of Wayne, and Therese Vollmin and her husband Craig of Oakland, NJ, as well as many nieces, nephews, and dear God children. She was predeceased by her mother, Sophie Kaminski, in 2007.

Theodore Romanowski, age 96 of Fairfield and formerly of Whiting, died peacefully on Wednesday, December 14, 2016. He was raised in Garfield and had lived in Paterson until 1982.

Ted had lived in Paterson and worked at Athenia Steel. He was ambitious and never missed an opportunity to earn overtime pay. He enjoyed a career spanning thirty three years there before retiring in 1982.

Ted’s formative years were largely shaped by the events of the Great Depression. To earn pennies, you used to walk to Passaic on Friday evenings, with his baby brother in tow, and go door-to-door in the Jewish neighborhoods turning on appliances and stoves for the Orthodox Jews who were not allowed to touch these devices after sunset on the Sabbath. He also worked briefly at the local bakery where he learned to put stuffing in donuts, and at the area dairy where he churned buttermilk and was trained as a ‘pasteurizer.’ He was able to see much of the U.S. while in the Civilian Conservation Corps.

When World War II began, Ted enlisted in the Army. Before long, he was joining the fight as a gunner aboard a B-24 Liberator with “Ken’s Men” based in Australia. Ted served for more than three years, with much of that time spent throughout the islands of the South Pacific Theatre. He spoke often of his time in the Army Air Corps and was proud of his service. During his retirement years, Ted was interviewed by a local TV station and he gave tours of bombers at airshows. On one particular occasion, Ted was concluding a tour with some elementary students when one of them approached him and asked for his autograph! He was overwhelmed with emotion and gladly accommodated. He was a member of the VFW in Whiting.

Ted met his wife Lorenza during the late 1940’s. Lorenza had actually been dating Ted’s foster brother Hank for some time before they realized their mutual affection during a Christmas party. They were soon married on June 24, 1951 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson followed by a bus ride to Cape May for their honeymoon. They settled in Paterson where they raised their daughter and lived until Ted’s retirement. In 1982, they moved to Crestwood Village #7 in Whiting, NJ where Ted began to enjoy a very busy retirement. He and Lorenza were active at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Manchester, with the local Polish Club, the Hungarian Club, and various other charities. He was particularly passionate about delivering food to the Mt. Carmel Guild in Trenton, helping to feed those less privileged. He also worked part time at the Carmona-Bolen Funeral Home in Whiting where he made some great friends and enjoyed helping in any way he could. Even after Lorenza passed away in 1998, he didn’t slow down at all. At age 93, he moved to Sunrise Assisted Living in Fairfield. It’s no surprise that he remained active while living there, and he was among the most beloved residents.

Ted is survived by his loving daughter; Maryann Re and her husband Tom of Wayne, two nephews; Paul Nardone and his wife Darlene of Mcafee, NJ, Ray Romanowski and his wife Linda of Cornwall, NY, a niece; Judy Romanowski of New York, his beloved Brittany Lester and Chelsea Lester, and his step-grandchildren; Matthew, Rachel and Lauren. He was predeceased by his wife Lorenza in 1998, and by all three of his siblings; Eddy, Paula, and Hank.

Memorial donations in Ted’s honor would be appreciated to the Mt. Carmel Guild, 73 N. Clinton Ave., Trenton, NJ 08609, or visit  mtcarmelguild.org.

Tessie Sokolowski, age 93, of Wayne, passed Sunday, August 28, 2016.

She was born and raised in Bayonne having attended Bayonne High School. She was the last surviving child of the eight children of John and Honorata Bajor. Tessie’s first job was working at the Western Electric Corporation in Kearny’s assembly line. She assembled electric communication components for military radios and telephones. While working at Western Electric she was introduced to Stanley Sokolowski by his brother Walter who worked at Western Electric with Tessie. They fell in love and married on November 27, 1947 at Mount Carmel Church in Bayonne. They honeymooned in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and Stan would recount how his car had bald tires and he wasn’t sure if they were going to make it. They were married for forty-six years before Stan’s passing in 1993.

She was devoted to her Catholic faith and was a long time parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne.

Tessie will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her formative years had their foundation molded during the Great Depression. This influenced Tessie to be frugal, thrifty, and a collector of just about anything. Nothing went to waste. She was always there for family, friends, or others in need. She was fluent in Polish, loved word search puzzles, and had a love of knitting and crocheting.

She was the loving wife of the late Stanley (1993), devoted mother of Nora Sokolowski , Stanley and his wife deAnna Sokolowski, and Robert Sokolowski all of Wayne; she was the cherished grandmother of Mindy and her husband Ryan Musillo of Howell, and Lauren and her husband Scott Stelzer of New York City; she was the much loved great-grandmother of Willem and Sydney Stelzer, and Grayson Musillo.

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

Russell (Russ) E. Kennedy age 71 of Wayne passed peacefully on Monday, February 1, 2016.

He was born in the Bronx, New York and raised on 44th Street in the Astoria Section of Queens, New York. He attended Saint John’s Prep in Brooklyn and after freshman year transferred to William Cullen Bryant H.S. in Queens. He received his undergraduate degree from Quinnipiac University with the Class of 1972. He went on to get his MBA for the University of New Haven with the Class of 1975.

During his years at Quinnipiac University Russ worked as a salesman for the General Electric Corporation selling audio products such as CB radios, 8 track tape players, and he recounted having the first G.E. version of a “Walkman” while living in Wallingford, CT. After college, he moved to Liverpool, NY then to Fairfield, CT where he continued to work for the G.E. Corporation in their Marketing Division. He has also worked for SK Tools as a VP of Marketing in Wheaton, IL, the Black and Decker Corporation in Easton and Phoenix, MD as VP of Marketing, before moving to Wayne, New Jersey where he worked for the ColorRite Corporation in Ridgefield Park as General Manager, the GAF Corporation in their roofing division as head of Sales and Marketing, the Hastings Corporation in Freeport, Long Island as VP and General Manager, the Eagle Corporation in Long Island City, NY as VP of Marketing, Super Products of New Jersey, and ENAP, Inc. of New Windsor, NY where he served as President and CEO. Although retired, Russ continued to consult for business.

He will be remembered for his phenomenal sense of humor, his calm and compassionate way, his great business sense, and the way he made people around him feel at ease. He was a mentor, knowledgeable and trusted confidant and sounding board for friends and family, and an all-around great communicator.

Russ met the love of his life, Cathy Gomoka, at the library on the week of her 14th birthday. They would both rode the train as freshman in high school. Cathy would get off for Saint Albert’s H.S. in the Williamsburg Section of Brooklyn, and he would get off for Saint John’s Preparatory High School in Brooklyn. The first official date was to a play at Saint John’s called “No Time for Sergeants.” Russ proposed marriage to Cathy at the Copa Cabana Lounge on July 4, 1963. They married at Most Precious Blood Church in Astoria Queens on September 26, 1964 and honeymooned at the Mount Airey Lodge in Pennsylvania.

He was dedicated to his Catholic faith and a devoted parishioner, Eucharistic Minister, and Usher of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC Church in Wayne.

Russell was the loving husband of fifty-one years to Catherine (Gomoka) Kennedy; devoted father of Russell and his wife Christina of Havre de Grace, MD, John and his wife Marcy of Orlando, FL, Brian and his girlfriend Kathleen Collins of Farmingdale, Long Island, NY, the late Kimberly Sgammato (2001) and her surviving husband Joseph and his wife Lynn; cherished grandfather of Jack, Katie, Meagan, Nicholas, William Russell Kennedy and Timothy and Dominic Sgammato; and dear uncle to many nieces, nephews and great nieces.

He was predeceased by his parents Edward and Agnes Kennedy, in-laws Walter and Kay Gomoka, brother Lawrence Kennedy, and nephew Terence Kennedy.

Russ is the much loved brother-in-law to Walter and Marianne Gomoka, Marilyn and Richie Miller, Bernadette and Bill Jaros, Frank and Alka Gomoka.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the College of Mt. St. Vincent (In memo place “The Kimberly Fund”), 6301 Riverdale Ave., Riverdale, NY 10471-1093 would be appreciated.

Sherin W. Favocci, age 61, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, August 23, 2016.

Sherin was born and raised in Amman, Jordan. It was a beautiful place to grow up with her parents and her siblings. When she was sixteen, her parents decided to move the family to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream.

Sherin’s family settled in North Arlington. She tested into North Arlington High School and consequently was able to skip a grade, graduating with the Class of 1971, then she earned her associates degree at Bergen Community College.

Sherin’s first job was with the Panasonic Corporation in the old Pan Am building in New York City. The company later relocated to Secaucus, NJ and Sherin enjoyed a long and prosperous career there from 1974 to 2005. While with Panasonic, she met Rudy Favocci at a holiday party in 1983. They worked together in the IT department and soon after the party, Rudy asked Sherin out for dinner. Six months later, on June 30, 1984, Rudy proposed marriage at her parent’s house before taking Sherin back to the restaurant to celebrate where they had their first date. Exactly one year later, On Sunday, June 30, 1985, they exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at Queen of Peace Church in North Arlington. A beautiful reception followed at The Manor in West Orange where Sherin and Rudy danced their first wedding dance to Always and Forever by that one-hit-wonder band Heatwave. After a honeymoon in Hawaii they settled in Lincoln Park.

While living in Lincoln Park, two children arrived – first Rudy III and then Rebecca. Sherin poured herself into her kids, taking them to activities like sports, cheerleading, Scouts, and dance lessons, all while continuing to work part-time at Panasonic. Along the way she managed to earn her bachelors degree from Montclair State University in 1988. In 1992, the family moved to Wayne first to Kuiken Court and then in 1995 to Thorne Hill. In 2008 Sherin took a new job as an auditor with Toys R Us in the Wayne corporate headquarters where she worked until 2016. She had just begun a new job this past June as Assistant to the President of William Paterson University and she was loving it.

Sherin had boundless energy. She worked out on a regular basis and had done so since the days when Jack LaLane had a health club in Wayne. More recently she was into taking Zumba and Pilates full body work out classes. Extremely health-minded, she never met a fruit or vegetable she didn’t like. It should come as no surprise that Sherin also loved to dance and if she was at an event where dancing was on the menu, you could bet she’d only sit in her chair with that antsy look for so long before dragging someone onto the floor to dance. She loved competitive shows like Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, and The Voice, and she loved watching her daughter Rebecca’s dance recitals, cheerleading competitions and dancing for Muhlenberg.

Sherin loved being with people and it didn’t matter who you were. You could be a total stranger staying at the same resort and Sherin would ask, “You’re staying at the same resort as us? Great, let’s have dinner tonight!” She would talk to anyone. She had such an infectious and magnetic personality. She would host an affair at her home just to get people together for socializing and chit-chatting. Sherin loved the beach and, in the summer, she and Rudy would spend almost every weekend at the Favocci family summer home in Toms River. Sherin would sun by the pool, catch up with her sister-in-laws, play a few rounds of Words with Friends on her iPad – a game she was obsessed with and would sometimes play till what seemed like five-o-clock in the morning, then maybe visit her brother Emil who had a shore house nearby.

Above all, Sherin adored her family and would do anything for them, always putting their needs and wants ahead of hers. When her son Rudy got a dog that wasn’t allowed to stay at his apartment, the dog ended up at Sherin and Rudy’s house. Not a huge dog lover, Sherin would often say of Stella, a very large German Shepherd, “I never signed up for this.” But she must have loved Stella because you could invariably spot Sherin in her kitchen, cutting the fat off the evening chicken and putting it in a separate bowl marked in the refrigerator “for dog”. Once she made a cake for a 4th of July picnic and Stella devoured the whole thing. She calmly made another cake. She was a coupon queen, so there would typically be piles of magazines laying around from which she would find great recipes and clip coupons. Sherin loved all and consequently was loved by all who had the privilege of having her in their life.

Surviving are Sherin’s beloved husband of 31years – Rudy, Jr.; her dear son Rudy, III and his fiancée Cristina Michnea; her dear daughter Rebecca Favocci and her boyfriend Marc Brookland; and her dear siblings: Fuad and wife Khaloud Werr of Anaheim, CA, Norma and husband John Stickel of Springfield, VA, and Emil and wife Dawn Werr of Wayne, Along with 12 nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her loving parents: Nasim and Salwa Werr.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Sherin’s name are asked to consider Autism Speaks, ATTN Web Gift, 1060 State Road, 2nd Floor, Princeton, NJ 08540 please mark your checks as "The A Team". Or donate online: www.autismspeakswalk.org

Am Always With You

When I am gone, release me, let me go.

I have so many things to see and do, you mustn’t tie yourself to me with too many tears, but be thankful we had so many good years.

I gave you my love, and you can only guess how much you’ve given me in happiness.

I thank you for the love that you have shown, but now it is time I traveled on alone.

So grieve for me a while that we must part, then let your grief be comforted by trust that it is only for a while that we must part, so treasure the memories within your heart.

I won’t be far away for life goes on.

And if you need me, call and I will come.

Though you can’t see or touch me, I will be near and if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear all my love around you soft and clear and then, when you come this way alone, I’ll greet you with a smile and a “Welcome Home.”

Sean Michael Sullivan, age 36, of Wayne, passed at home on Monday, June 13, 2016.

He was born in Hackensack and raised in Elmwood Park and attended Saint Leo’s School until 5th grade when the family moved to Wayne in 1988. Sean graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1997.

As a young man he worked with his dad for a few years at the Willowbrook Golf Center in Wayne until he found work in the food service industry. Sean loved to cook and worked for a time at the Lonestar Steak House and Cheesecake Factory and several other eateries in the Wayne area. Sean worked side by side his brother in law and best friend, at Quinn Plumbing & Heating. Up until recently, he began working as a machinist for the GTC-Kinetics in Fairfield. He was dedicated in excelling in his counseling course work and expected to graduate this Fall.

Sean will be remembered for being a thoughtful, caring person with a huge generous heart. He had a passion for cooking and was relaxed and in his groove while in the kitchen. He would make meals at home that he would elegantly plate, display, photograph, and upload to Facebook before you were allowed to eat. He won the hearts of many with pictures of his creations and even more once they actually tried his cooking. He was a loyal friend, sincere listener, confidant who loved nutrition and going to the gym. Sean also enjoyed travel, especially Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and was looking forward to an upcoming cruise. In the last two years he found true love in his niece Riley. She would cuddle in close to him and pat him on the back. She felt great comfort in his arms and her trust and love melted his heart. Sean always looked out for his sister, Danielle, and she always looked out for her big brother each sharing warmth, loyalty and trust.

Sean was the loving son of John and Marguerite (Capouet) Sullivan; devoted brother of Danielle Quinn and her husband Nicholas of Ridgefield Park; cherished uncle of Riley Quinn; and much loved grandson of Charles Capouet and John Sullivan both of Elmwood Park.

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

Ruth Stueber age 89 of Wayne passed Sunday, September 4, 2016.

aged 89, of Wayne, passed Sunday, September 4, 2016.

Ruth was born in Passaic to Joseph and Emma Skvarla. She graduated from Passaic high school with the class of 1945 and continued her education at St. Mary's hospital nursing school. She worked her way through nursing school while working at a factory in Passaic, making lipstick tube. She received her RN and immediately went to work as a nurse.

It was while working as a nurse that she met a handsome man named Robert Stueber. Ruth was caring for his aunt and it was she who helped to introduce the two. Robert was working for Mobile Oil Corporation and working in South America. He had taken a leave from work to visit his aunt. Ruth sand Robert soon fell in love and the two maintained a long distance relationship when he returned to South America, on August 14, 1948, the two were married at Saint Mary's RC church in Passaic. Once married, the two moved to Bogota, Columbia. They had the first child, Richard in Bogota. Robert and Ruth then moved to Caracas, Venezuela, where their second child, Sharon was born. Robert then retired from Mobile oil and the family moved to 24 Valley View Terrace in Wayne. Their third child, Janet was born shortly thereafter. Most recently, Ruth moved to Dallas, Pennsylvania to be close to her daughter, Sharon.

Ruth was a dedicated mother and grandmother who loved children, especially babies. She was extremely skilled in the kitchen, and her family would liken her to Julia Childs.

She will be fondly remembered for her shrimp spaghetti, Spanish rice and cherry pie. Ruth was a very giving person and would volunteer for for just about anything. For many years, she was an Eucharist Minister at the Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains. She was a dedicated member of the Wayne first aid squad for 35 years, having joined the squad in 1968.

Ruth was for loving wife of the late Robert Stueber's; devoted mother to the late Richard Stueber, Sharon Biehner and her husband Bruce of Wilkes-Barre, Pa and Janet Durborow and her husband Thomas of Tuckerton; cherished grandmother of Holly Shotto and her husband Jamie, Lindsey Crowley and her husband Joseph, and Kristin Ridgway and her husband Jake and Thomas Durborow; much loved great grandmother of Hudson, Korren, Gabriella, Jolene, Cadence, Aveleen and Saoirse.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wayne First Aide Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, New Jersey 07474 or the Alzheimer's New Jersey, 400 Morris Ave,  Suite 251, Denville, New Jersey 07834.

age 93 of Lexington, MA, formerly of Wayne, NJ, passed away on October 1, 2016.

Sheila Ann Micek (nee King), age 80 of Columbus, NJ and formerly of Port Charlotte, Florida & Wayne, NJ, died Saturday, January 9, 2016 after a brief illness. She had lived in Port Charlotte for twenty three years before moving to Columbus, NJ just last year.

Sheila was raised in Paterson and graduated from Eastside High School. She was a homemaker completely devoted to her family, worked at Malan Dying & Finishing in Paterson, NJ, and Realtor in Wayne. She was blessed with the gift of gab and could talk endlessly! Always keeping a positive attitude, making friends came easy to Sheila, and she had the charismatic ability to make everyone feel special. Despite her age, she loved to use the computer and she was often using Facebook to keep in touch. She made more new friends playing Candy Crush than you could count, and she was thrilled to meet even more. She belonged to several book clubs and loved to read mystery novels. She was also a member of the “Woman of Irish Heritage” where she experienced one of her best vacations to march in Naven, Ireland Saint Patty's Day Parade in 2005.

Sheila is survived by her loving husband of thirty two years; Bob Micek of Columbus, NJ, four children; Michael Petruska and his wife Helen of Wayne, Lori Ellicott and her husband Jack of Wayne & Toms River, Frank Ricciardi of Wayne, Niki Lanza and her husband Tom of Wayne, step-daughter Laurie Opolin of Orlando, FL. Eight grandchildren: Michael (wife Sandy), Eric & Jared Petruska; Ryan (wife Kristle) & Adam Ellicott; Danielle & Alex Lanza; Stacey (husband Chris) Carney. Four great-grandchildren: Madelyn & Olivia Petruska, Aiden Ellicott & Dylan Carney. Sheila's survived by loving sister; Arlene Forte, her partner Bea Guida of Columbus, NJ & nephew Kevin Forte & wife Mari.

Sheila is predeceased by her parents Russell & Helen King of Paterson, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to American Diabetes Association, Alzheimer's Foundation of America or Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad.

Sheila C. Kelly, RN, Wayne Township Public Nurse, age 82, of Wayne, passed away on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Her family was present by her side at the time of her passing.

Sheila was born in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, New York and when she was a child her family moved out to the country to live in Lincoln Park, New Jersey. She graduated from Boonton High School with the Class of 1951 and went on to get her nursing degree from Saint Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in 1954. She later continued her education at Seton Hall University in South Orange where she earned her B.S. degree in nursing. During the span of days as a nurse, Sheila remained very active in the Greater Passaic County Public Health Nurses Association.

Sheila met the love of her life, Dr. Francis Edward Kelly, MD, while working in the operating room at Saint Joseph’s Medical center in Paterson. On their first date, Frank took Sheila to dinner, and then to an archery range where he taught her to shoot a bow and arrow. They hit it off, and were married on November 7, 1959. After a honeymoon trip by train to Miami Beach, they settled in Wayne in 1960 and raised their family. Sheila and Frank had a wonderful marriage of fifty-two years before his passing in November of 2011.

Sheila will be remembered as a strong willed, independent person who always strived to be self-sufficient. She was a career minded person and put that all on hold to raise her four boys. Being the only woman in a five-man house had Sheila doing things that weren’t necessarily her choice. Camping, a favorite activity of the boys, wasn’t her idea of a good time. She endured sleeping in tents, bugs, clothes that smelled like a campfire, and all the other joys of camping to be with her family. The family always felt safe as field stitches and wound care was always at the ready with Sheila’s nursing background and dad’s physicians training. Sheila and her husband truly enjoyed traveling together and have enjoyed vacations to Hawaii, Canada, and Ireland just to name a few. While she loved to go whale watching in Massachusetts, the closest place to heaven on earth for her was Sanibel Island in Florida.

Once the boys were old enough she resumed her career aspirations and eventually worked as the Public Health Nurse for the Township of Wayne for twenty years before retiring in 2006. Sheila was very proud of her nursing career and maintained her license as an active Registered Nurse right up until the day of her passing.

Sheila was the loving wife of the late Dr. Francis E. Kelly, MD (2011); devoted mother of Francis Kelly and his wife Dana of Wayne, John Kelly of Wayne, and Michael Kelly and his fiancé Tara of West Milford, and the late James Kelly (1990); cherished grandmother of James, Rebecca, Brooke, Megan, and Morgan; loved sister of the late Mary Smith and the late Margaret Demkowicz.

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

Rosemarie “Rosie” Russo, age 79, of Wanaque, passed away peacefully with loving family by her side on Monday, July 4, 2016.

Born and raised in Paterson, where she attended Eastside High School, she had been a resident of Fair Lawn, Hawthorne and Wayne before moving to Wanaque in 2007.

When Rosie was growing up in Paterson, the city always had a real sense of community feeling to it. She’d regularly get together with the kids that grew up in the neighboring homes. One of those kids was a young boy named James “Jimmy” Russo. For Jim it was love at first sight! They would often-times get together and maybe see a movie. Over time Rosie’s love for Jim caught up with his love for her. One could say that their first official date was with friends Joe and Mary when Rosie was fourteen and Jimmy was sixteen. The four of them went for a ride in Jim’s 1936 Dodge which had a rumble seat in the back. It didn’t quite work out the way Jim hoped as Rosie and Mary ended up sitting in the back in the rumble seat while he really wanted Rosie sitting next to him in the front seat. It must have all worked out in the end though. Rosie and Jim ultimately tied the knot on Saturday, April 3, 1954 at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson. After the ceremony and reception, they took a road trip to Washington DC in their 1948 Chevy convertible. Upon their return, their first official home was in Fair Lawn in a home with Jim’s parents.

Blessed with three healthy baby boys, Rosie settled comfortably into the role of full-time mom and homemaker. She gave her boys a wonderful environment to grow up in. Always showing her love and affection, she was the best wife and mother anyone could ask for. Her family benefitted from her many talents, one of the best being her great ability to cook and bake delicious food and desserts for them. The boys especially loved Mom’s lasagna, manicotti, and meatballs, and every Friday night was home-made pizza night. Everyone enjoyed watching Rosie and her mother-in-law as they skillfully made cavatelli, and the memory of the delicious aroma of fresh-baked bread wafting through the house will be recalled for the rest of their lives by those who got to enjoy a slice or two. For dessert, everyone’s favorite was Rosie’s Grandma cookie, Italian cheese cake, and chocolate cream pie and the boys will always remember how she’d say, “Don’t touch that pie until your father gets home!” As the family grew older and the boys married, they always had a sense that coming home for a visit was welcomed. She loved it when they called and asked if they could stop by with their family. Give her about an hour and you could be sure that when you arrived, you’d be greeted with a kiss and a delicious meal complete with dessert. Nothing made Rosie happier than having her family gather at her home for the holidays and enjoying her boys talking and laughing while she cooked all their favorites like Easter pizzagaina and Christmas struffoli and Christmas sfogliatella.

Rosie was also a skilled seamstress, who could take the beautiful material her husband could bring home from his job in the Paterson dye houses, and turn that material into a beautiful dress or nice curtains to decorate the house with.

When her boys were old enough, Rosie took various jobs – first working part-time at a local bakery in Fair Lawn on River Road and selling Avon and B-Line products in the evening. She later worked for Shop-Rite and then Rockaway Sales, all in Fair Lawn. When Rockaway Sales closed Rosie went to the local Fair Lawn Pathmark food store. They hired her and never regretted it for the next twenty years. Rosie held the position of front-end manager and earned a great reputation as a hard-working dependable employee that became beloved by her co-workers and customers. Everyone was sad to see her go when she decided to retire in 1999.

After retirement, Rosie and Jimmy got to spend some good times together. They especially loved traveling and took three trips to Italy as well as an Alaskan cruise and visits through England, France, Switzerland, Hawaii and Alaska. One of Rosie’s greatest joys was the blessing of grandchildren. She especially enjoyed spoiling them and she had a great trip to Disney World with her son Jimmy and grandson Richie. Babysitting was never a chore but more of a delight for Grandma Russo. There was always an open invitation to come to her home on Sundays for lunch and when the grandkids came, to Rosie, it just made it that much more special. When she began to suffer from the early on-set of Alzheimer’s in 2005, she lamented on how much she was going to miss the enjoyment of her grandchildren.

Always happy, it seemed Rosie had a permanent smile. Her family held the place of highest esteem and she would always have time for you. Rosie was a great listener if you needed a listening ear and her sense of hospitality never took a vacation.

Surviving are Rosemarie’s beloved husband of 62 years, James: three sons: Richard and wife Lisa Russo of Dumont, James G. and wife Kathleen Russo of Wayne, and John and wife Sharon Russo of Wayne; nine grandchildren: Richard, Kimberly, Kevin and wife Christina, James Jr., Michael, Anthony, Steven, John Michael, and Abigail; and her brother Anthony and wife Irene Bruno. She was predeceased by her great-granddaughter Faith Catherine in 2015.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rosemarie’s name are asked to consider Alzheimer’s NJ, 400 Morris Avenue, Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834.

Ruth H. Kohler, age 89 of Naples, FL, and Wayne died on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 with her family at her bedside. She had lived in Wayne since 1959 and also resided in Naples, Florida for twenty years. She was a founding member of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.

Ruth grew up in Jersey City and graduated from Dickinson High School. Her family moved to Lyndhurst, NJ and she began working in New York City as a stenographer for AT&T. While commuting to New York on the train one day, she met a handsome young man named Charlie Kohler and she asked him “Do you have a light?” From the moment he struck that match, their love blossomed. They married on October 4, 1952 at Sacred Heart RC Church in Lyndhurst and enjoyed a honeymoon to Quebec, Montreal, and Niagara falls. They settled into a small apartment on 2nd Ave in Lyndhurst before moving to Wayne in 1959 and starting a family. In 1975, she and Charlie started their own company together, Universal Bunker Services, supplying fuel to the shipping and cruise line industry where they worked together until they retired in 1997. After retirement, they moved to Naples, Florida where they enjoyed time with friends, walking the beach and boating along with dabbling in golf and tennis. Over the past twenty years, while spending the summer months in Wayne, they travelled frequently to Europe - Venice was her favorite destination. Ruth and Charlie also were avid cruisers and since many of the cruise lines were customers of theirs, they would often receive special accommodations while onboard ship, such as complimentary champagne and dinner with the captain, which made their trips that much more memorable. From the day the met on the train, Ruth and Charlie were inseparable and celebrated their sixty third wedding anniversary last October.

Besides being a devoted wife, Ruth dedicated herself to raising her children, and she did it with grace. Her children recall how supportive and helpful she always was and how she was simply a great mom. She made their house a ‘home,’ where all felt welcome. Holiday and birthday dinners were among her favorite to host, when their house was often filled with family and friends. Ruth was an excellent seamstress too, making professional grade draperies for the house. After retirement, she took up painting. Her paintings will be treasured by her family.

Ruth is survived by her loving husband Charlie of Naples, FL and Wayne, by her daughter; RuthAnn Kohler of Boonton Township, by her son; Chuck Kohler and his wife Janet of Bernardsville, NJ, and three grandchildren; Eric Kohler of Memphis, TN, Chelsey Kohler of New York, NY, and Andrew Kauf of Boonton Township. She was predeceased by her sister; Iris Hurley and her brother; Jim Hurley.

Robert “Bob” Otto Linck, age 89 of Green Pond, passed Monday, September 12, 2016.

He was born and raised in Montclair. After graduation from Montclair High School in 1945, Bob joined the United States Navy and served during WWII.

Bob worked for his father at the O.E. Linck Chemical Company in Clifton. He helped with the family business at a young age and continued after his tour of duty on the U.S.S. Iowa. Newly married to Joanne Vander May in 1952 they moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico so he could manage the Linck Manufacturing Plant and start a family.

Joanne always said that after three years and three kids with a fourth on the way, they needed to move back to NJ. Shortly afterwards, his father sold the company which invented/produced glitter glue and TAT Ant Traps and Bob went to work for Krementz & Co., a jewelry company in Newark. Bob started the Diana Division, the wedding and engagement ring division, for the company. He was a corporate vice president of the Company when he retired in 1989. Bob developed and patented methods to “bond” certain metals which became a standard process in the jewelry industry.

Bob will be remembered as an avid hunter. He traveled all over North America in search of big game. Anyone who has been to his home knows about his big game trophy mounts all around the house. He loved the outdoors and fishing as well. One of his hunting excursions brought him to Colorado’s Stapleton Airport in 1987.

During the blizzard, his plane was de-iced and had to wait 20 minutes to take off. Unfortunately, when the plane was 50 feet in the air and going 175 miles an hour it crashed, flipping and breaking into three pieces. Bob survived Continental Flight 1713 with burns, ligaments torn in his knee, and his scalp torn back. Through sheer force of will, he survived for over an hour trapped in the wreckage during the snow storm until help reached him. His ability to talk about the trauma of the event drew journalists to him and he was featured in People Magazine and TV shows for years afterwards.

He enjoyed following his children and grandchildren’s sports and had their photos and trophies all over his home, he was always proud of their accomplishments. Although proud, he never hesitated to assert that you should strive for first place!

He was proud of the four door Ford F-150 pickup truck he bought at age 87, and was an avid Western movie buff. Bob enjoyed pushing the limits in all aspects of his life. The stories of his antics and adventures will live on for years.

When thinking of Bob many will recall him as a gregarious, strong-willed, charismatic, tough guy who spoke his mind. He really didn’t like turning older and held the opinion that if he couldn’t hunt he wanted to be with his wife Joanne who predeceased him. His family was very proud when, in his autumn years, Bob came to faith. He was baptized and joined the Green Pond Bible Chapel where he rarely missed a Sunday service. He truly enjoyed his church family and found great comfort in knowing his Lord and Savior.

Robert was the loving husband of fifty-nine years to the late Joanne (Vander May) Linck who passed on October 24, 2011. He met Joanne on the beach at Green Pond where both his and her families would summer. Bob recalled how they would go square dancing at the dance hall at Egbert’s Lake. Bob was training to be a float plane pilot and “buzzed” her home at Green Pond when Joanne was entertaining a suitor he didn’t approve of. Bob’s history as a pilot was short lived as he decided it was a good idea, and the Federal Aviation Administration thought it a bad idea, to fly under the George Washington Bridge. Bob and Joanne married on January 19, 1952 and had a loving and adventurous marriage. Bob always said “I married the best girl in the whole world.”

Robert was the devoted father of Beverly Farrand and her husband George of Green Pond, Robert Linck and his wife Bonnie of Little Falls, Grant Linck and his wife Jayne of Riverton, WY, and Karen Matheny and her husband Timothy of Ringoes; cherished grandfather of Amanda, Brigham and his wife Lauren and Cole Farrand, Meghan and Jim Camb, Catherine, Adam and his wife Meggan, Aimee, Andy and his wife Tiffany Linck, Kenzie and Kevin Matheny; much loved great-grandfather of Brice, Christian, Lexee, Austin, Camden, Kinley, and Beau Linck, and brand new great-granddaughter Quinn Farrand. He was predeceased by his sister Joan Sullivan in 2015.

Those inclined to make a memorial donation in Robert’s memory are asked to consider the Green Pond Volunteer First Aid Squad, PO Box 251, Newfoundland, NJ 07435 and the Green Pond Volunteer Fire Department.

Rosemarie A. Baumann (nee Hennessey), age 86, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 13, 2016.

Rosemarie was born at home on Jackson Street in Paterson with delivery entrusted to the capable hands of Dr. Charles J. Murn. She was raised in the Stoney Road section of Paterson. Skipping a grade in school, she graduated from St. Bonaventure High School when she was just sixteen, then furthering her studies, she graduated from the Sherwood Secretarial School and went on to attend the McDowell School of Fashion Designing before going to work in New York City for the Bank of Manhattan Company.

Unlike today, when Rosemarie was growing up as a child, kids actually played outside. There were strong ties between families living together in close community and, for the most part, everybody knew their neighbors. One of Rosemarie’s friends who lived a few blocks from her house was a boy named Joseph M. Baumann. As a young man, Joseph went off to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II, but when he returned home, like Rosemarie, he too commuted to New York City where he had a job with the Home Insurance Company in Manhattan. Since Joe took a liking to Rosemarie, he made an offer to her mother to pick Rosemarie up every morning to give her a ride to the train station. From where they would park the car the two would take the train, then the ferry boat to get to the city. They soon settled into a nice relationship including a routine where, once exiting the boat, they would first attend daily mass at Our Lady of Victory Church located on the corner of William and Pine Street, then grab a cup of coffee together at a Chock full o’ Nuts coffee shop.

Rosemarie and Joe’s first formal date was to the Biltmore Hotel to listen and dance to the rich musical sounds of Russ Morgan and his orchestra. Over time, their friendship turned to love. Just being together put a smile on their face and seemed to make their steps a little lighter. Coming home from a barbeque one day, Joe asked Rosemarie if she’d like to spend the rest of her life with him. As he predicted and to his delight, she wholeheartedly said yes. Now Joe had to ask Rosemarie’s mom for permission to marry her daughter. Fortunately, that went well too. Rosemarie and Joe exchanged their vows before God, family and friends on Saturday, May 28, 1955 at St. Bonaventure Church in Paterson. After a reception at the Brownstone Hall in Paterson, catered by the local police and firemen (this is the same Brownstone House that’s grown into a massive operation over the years), they hopped into Joe’s Grey and Blue 1950 Dodge Wayfarer and drove to Daytona Beach, FL, then took a Pan-American flight – a prop plane - to Nassau, Bahamas.

Life in those first years of marriage began in the Stoney Road section of Paterson. Soon the blessings of children came – first a son, then another son, then a third son, and finally……….yup – the fourth son! Rosemarie adored her little boys and provided the most nurturing and loving care that a mother possibly could, but as the saying goes, “Don’t put little boys to bed because they’ll always grow up a day older”, her and Joe’s sons were no exception. Once they were old enough, Rosemarie took a part-time job with New Jersey Bank in Paterson and then as an executive secretary with the Grand Union Company working in Elmwood Park and Wayne until retiring in 1996. That house in Paterson remained home for the first 36 years of their marriage before moving to Wayne where they’ve remained to this day.

Rosemarie was proud and fond of her Irish heritage so it should come as no surprise that she visited Ireland three times. She loved the scenery and overall landscape of the country as well as the delicious food – especially tea and scones in the afternoon and a nice dinner with lamb as the main course in the evening. In all her visits, she visited almost every town in the whole country. She and Joe also enjoyed traveling to other destinations and consequently took trips throughout the United States as well as vacations to Bermuda with close friends. A little nearer to home, Rosemarie was active in her bowling league at Wayne’s T-Bowl and also loved to swim whether it be at the Wayne pool or at the Jersey shore in Lavallette.

Rosemarie always remained grateful for God’s blessings in her life, namely her faith, family and friends. She was a very sociable person who loved to be surrounded be her family and friends in her home. Her happy and outgoing disposition was a blessing to many.

Rosemarie is survived by her beloved husband of 61 years – Joseph M., her four loving sons: William and wife Sabrina Baumann of Toms River, Robert Baumann of Little Falls, Joseph and wife Cheryl Baumann of Rutherford, and Thomas and wife Vanessa Baumann of Montclair; ten adored grandchildren: Marybeth, Matthew, Michael, Katie, Stephen, David, Lauren, Morgan, Colleen, and Philip; and one cherished great-grandson: Jackson

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

http://www.stjude.org

Robert R. Rasp, age 78, of Pompton Plains, passed away on Tuesday, February 9, 2016.

Born in Wallington in the year that Amelia Earhart was lost at sea, Benny Goodman and Guy Lombardo were enjoying musical success with their bands, and the Hindenburg crashed, Bob was the oldest of four sons born to Herman and Stella Rasp. He was raised in Clifton where he graduated from Clifton High School with the Class of 1955.

Following high school, Bob tried several different jobs – first with Curtiss Wright Corporation, the then with the A&P store in Paterson. When he went to work for American Airlines, he really began to hit his stride. He started as a keypunch and soon got involved with the new technology that American Airlines was launching called the Sabre Reservation System – the first computerized flight reservation system ever used in the airline industry. He went on to truly enjoy a long career in information technology culminating with the position of Vice President of Electronic Data Processing Audit with Republic National Bank of New York. While working full-time Bob persistently continued his pursuit of a college degree by taking classes in the evening at Fordham University. He graduated in 1991 with a B.S. degree in psychology.

One of the facets of that job that Bob loved so much was being able to travel the world as he conducted those audits, mostly in Latin America, Asia and Switzerland. Once while on a business trip in Mexico City, he was kidnapped by a gypsy taxi service. They took him to a bank ATM machine but Bob refused to punch in his personal identification number (PIN). Then they tried to take his wedding band but he was able to talk his assailants out of that too by tugging on their heart strings. In the end, he got stabbed in the leg and the taxi assailants fled. Bob simply hailed another cab to take him to a hospital – this time a legitimate cab. It should be noted that Bob also served as a member of the U.S. National Guard. While he was never called to official action by the Guard, the training he received was likely very helpful in handling this altercation he experienced in Mexico City.

Bob met Rita Mafull when they went out on a double blind date set up by Rita’s girlfriend. The two couples went to a restaurant near Greenwood Lake. Bob was all dressed up in a three-piece suit and was acting very sure of himself. Rita saw through that faux confidence and, while it wasn’t love at first sight for her, this couple soon became steady partners and love grew. They were married on Saturday, April 27, 1963 by Father Henry at the Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield. After a great reception at the Rock Spring Corral in West Orange, Mr. and Mrs. Rasp honeymooned in Acapulco. Since Bob was working for American Airlines at that time, they flew first-class and the airline tickets were only ten dollars each! They lived in various places throughout their almost 53 years of marriage, most recently in Wayne before moving to Pompton Plains in 2012.

Bob’s love of travel didn’t stop when he and Rita moved into their retirement years. That sense of adventure was still there and he and Rita began to travel the world. They toured much of Europe including a trip to Italy where they had the opportunity to meet part of Rita’s family. They also enjoyed trips to Greece, Israel and to the sunny Caribbean Islands. Bob was never into having the trip all mapped out, preferring to “wing it” seeing each day as an adventure to unfold.

Bob and Rita were regular parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Church of Wayne. They always went to the Saturday night mass and had a long-standing tradition of going out with friends for dinner after mass. Since Bob loved to sing, he also attended mass every Sunday morning at Our Lady of Good Council Church in Pompton Plains where he had the opportunity to help lead the parishioners in worship as a member of the church’s choir.

Surely Bob’s greatest love became the joy of being with his cherished grandchildren who all left their special footprints on his heart. His daughter Lisa adopted four girls from Latin America. Bob and Rita were even able to go on some of those trips when Lisa went there to pick up the girls. Those trips made a real impression on Bob and they gave him a real heart for kids who lived in the orphanages. Bob’s grandsons were his proudest name sakes – Justin and Braden Rasp. He loved being present to cheer on Justin at his basketball and football games and Braden at his soccer games and, when both boys were younger and involved with the Boy Scouts, he loved going to events like their pinewood derby races. The boys were always welcome and were oftentimes at Grandpa and Grandma’s house. Bob was a softhearted guy and enjoyed also the company of his rescued pets – his dog T.J. and his Persian cat Abigail. He became very concerned about their care when he was too sick to care for them himself.

Bob was a great guy and his family and others who knew him enjoyed his great sense of humor and optimism. He had cancer for many years but he never complained about it. When friends called and asked him how he was doing, no matter what shape he was in at the time, the answer was always “I’m doing great!” He was a real people person and his warmth and friendliness made him a wonderful family member and a friend to many.

For now, Bob leaves behind his beloved wife Rita; his two dear children: Lisa and husband Michael Chalkan of Lincoln Park, and Jeffrey and wife Dana Rasp of Parsippany; seven adored grandchildren: Michael and wife Jessica, Ingrid, Gisella, Adrianna, Justin, Gianna, and Braden; and his brother Gary of California. Bob was predeceased by his two other brothers: William and Rich Rasp.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider Hospice of NJ, 400 Broadacres Drive, 1st Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003.

Rosemarie Greco (Vitale) age 82 of Wayne passed Thursday, July 28, 2016.

She was born and raised in Paterson before moving to Wayne in 1959. Just out of high school Rosemarie worked for the John Hancock Company in Paterson. Rosemarie Vitale met Frank Greco while he was conducting the Saturday collections for furniture purchases people had made on credit. One of the families Frank was collecting from urged him to meet Rosemarie. Their first date was to Coney Island in Frank’s blue Ford. They married on February 13, 1955 at Blessed Sacrament RC Church in Paterson and they honeymooned in Mexico City and Acapulco. This was the first and only time Frank took a two week vacation from work. Frank and Rosemarie enjoyed fifty-eight years of loving marriage.

She was dedicated to her Catholic faith and was a founding parishioner of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wayne. During her many years serving the church she was a Eucharistic Minister, sang in the choir, helped co-ordinate Thanksgiving food collection, and donated many hours to the annual church picnic. She was also the current treasurer for the Little Sisters of the Poor in Totowa and for many years she was a member of the Passaic Valley Elks Lodge 2111.

Rosemarie will be remembered as a giving, thoughtful, charitable, faithful woman who loved animals. She was very proud of her grandchildren and loved her grand-dogs and cats very much. When her children were young the family made many annual summer trips to Wildwood to a family house. She liked going on cruises and enjoyed several cruises to the Caribbean and the Bermuda.

Rosemarie was the loving wife of fifty-eight years to the late Frank Greco (2013); loving mother of Frank Greco, Jr. of Clifton, Dana Hampson and her husband Bill of Hawthorne, Melissa Greco and her partner Lisa Rapone of Union, and David Greco and his wife Lisa Szegedi of Hawthorne; cherished grandmother of Stephanie Greco, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Danielle and Jacquelyn Hampson; loved sister of Joseph Vitale of Wayne; dear sister-in-law of Elinore Vitale of Rockaway; much loved aunt of Stephen Vitale and his wife Lily of Thousand Oaks, CA, Thomas Vitale and his wife Florence of Wyckoff, Donna Feil and her husband Jim of Wading River, NY, Yolanda Sisco and her husband Ira of Brick, and Adrianna Scott of Portsmouth, NH; devoted great-aunt of Samantha, Adeline, Gianna, and Ava Marie Vitale.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Little Sisters of the Poor, 140 Shepherds Ln., Totowa, NJ 07512 would be appreciated.

Rose Kassack (nee Cellier), went home to be with the Lord on July 12, 2016.

She was born in Knoxville, Tenn. On March 29, 1923. Her parents returned to Switzerland when she was three years old. After several years in Switzerland, the family returned to America and settled in Fair Lawn, NJ where she spent her childhood. She moved to Wayne upon her marriage in October 1954 where she resided until her death.

She was a charter member of the Franklin Lakes Baptist Church, Franklin Lakes, NJ from 1961-1987 and subsequently attended the Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church. She served on the staff of Evangelical Baptist Missions, Paterson, NJ from 1961-1973 when the headquarters was moved to Kokomo, Ind. Following that, she took the position of Office Manager for Control Sales, Wayne, from 1973 until her retirement in 1989.

Rose is survived by her brother Emil Cellier of Ohio, and sister Simone Cook of Wayne. She was predeceased by her husband Stanley September 17, 2010.

(Vecchione) age 87 of Pequannock passed Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

She was born in the family home in Garfield to Anthony and Lena Vecchione. The family moved to First Street in Lodi where Rose spent her formative years. She graduated from Lodi High School with the Class of 1947.

During her high school years she worked as a trimmer for Duco’s Dress Shop in Lodi. After high school she worked in the offices of Liberty Fast Freight in Lodi and later the Charles Fields Plastics Company on Garibaldi Avenue in Lodi.

Rose met a cute boy named Emil Zangrilli through family friends. When he first set eyes on Rose she was wearing a large coat that went all the way to her ankles. She was petite but initially thought Emil was too skinny to entertain as a suitor. Emil took her on a first date to Wagners Farms on Passaic Street in Paterson. He bought her a soda and he ordered a large buttermilk as that is what he saw his fellow employees drinking all the time. Well Emil gagged on his first sip and Rose enjoyed her soda. His attempt to woo her was unsuccessful.

Nevertheless they soon fell in love and married just six months after meeting. They married on September 25, 1948. After the wedding they had a reception at Johnny’s Tavern in Passaic. Their reception was considered a “football” Wedding where if you wanted a sandwich you yelled “ham sandwich” and they would put a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on a large roll and toss it across the room to you. Emil and Rose’s honeymoon was a trip through New England. They drove to Emil’s mom’s trailer home in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Rose and Emil had an unwritten rule that he would make any large decisions and she would make all the small ones. According to Emil he never got a chance to make a large decision as nothing big ever came up.

A big family was next on the horizon. After her first son Richard “Ricky” was born Rose dedicated her life to raising her family. She would be blessed with a daughter Linda, a son Mark, and twin daughters Kim and Karen.

Sentiments from Rose’s children:

Standing 4 foot 11 inches and weighing in at best 100 pounds, my mom was a giant to some. Her teeny stature was a joke from God saying good things come in small packages and little girls rule. (sorry, mom, for the shameless plug). We would often joke that grandma was the same height as their youngest grandchild. Poppy always said that she stood 4 foot tall but when she opened her mouth she was more like 7 feet…and those that knew her know she was large and in charge right to the very end.

She was the CEO of the household and ran it like a well-oiled machine. She meticulously cared for the inside of the house and maintained cleanliness at all times. Housework was her job seven days per week and she never missed a day of work in just shy of 88 years.

Her meticulous record keeping could put the most experienced accountant to shame. She was as sharp as a tack and an amazing historian. I called her house countless times to be told by dad that “mother was doing paperwork.” I would often joke that she was running a business on the side that no one knew about.

She was married to my dad her whole life it seemed. They were two peas in one pod. She explained that when it came to marriage she dated my dad and this guy Cosmo. I think daddy won by default, as Grandma Vecchione liked him but thought he was a little too skinny. It was a simple story that was rare in this day and age. Her death just preceded their 68th wedding anniversary on September 25.

Mom kept dad in order and trained him in the ways of husbandry. This, she should have taught classes on. She never, ever liked when Pop would say their marriage “was supposed to be a temporary thing”…or that he “wasn’t sure if it was going to work out yet…” One time he actually crossed over the line and called it a “fling” and she found this filthy. She had a quick response for every one of his one liners.

She was the boss of all things big and small. She managed to raise five kids. Mom sacrificed a career to raise us full time. She ruled with an iron fist and we knew better than to misbehave. She ingrained in us good values of compassion, kindness and hard work. Mom would never, ever accept anything but our best.

Honesty was probably one of her most notable traits. Pop always joked that “if I robbed a bank, Rosie would call the cops.” This, I believe was no exaggeration. She always told it like it was – good or bad...you’d hear it loud and clear. And, this, made a very traditional old lady really quite contemporary.

Roey was a caretaker. She was the ultimate matriarch. She was the first on the scene of a 9-1-1 and cared for five children and nine grandchildren with what seemed like ease. Taking care of my father was different - as we all know how “difficult” he can be.

Three daughters and four granddaughters will now take on the job of this feisty little lady. Cecelia is the only one that I know who can take this on single-handedly.

Her deaf whisper, innocent nature, and insane medical knowledge will remain the butt of many jokes and stories for years to come. Mom and Linda shared a bond by practicing medicine without a license.

She remained large and in charge until the bitter end. I’m sure she’s one of the CEO’s up in Heaven maintaining order and wellness. And probably diagnosing and dispensing medical advice while simultaneously administering first aid care.

She is at last with my brother Mark (her second favorite only to me). She is scolding Uncle Johnny for his cigarette smoking and not backing down to the banter with Uncle Eddie. She is reunited with her parents and siblings. And her weary little body is now at rest. Her gigantic heart lives on and cannot be forgotten.

Rest easy mom…thank you for all you’ve done…until we meet again.

Rose was the loving and devoted wife of 68 years to Emil Zangrilli; cherished mother of Richard “Ricky” Zangrilli of Pequannock, Linda Spinella and her husband Charlie of Wayne, the late Mark Zangrilli (September 11, 2001) and his surviving wife Jill of Pompton Plains, Kim Colvin and her husband Mark of Pompton Plains and Karen DeRosa of Pinebrook. Rose was the cherished grandmother of Lynette, Lauren, Joseph, Alexander, Nicholas, Michael, Mia, Mark Emil, and Cecelia.

Those inclined to make a memorial donation are asked to consider a trust fund being established for Rose’s son Ricky. Please make donations to Emil Zangrill, and mail to Vander May Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Robert F. Mulvihill, age 92 of Wayne died peacefully at his daughter Mary's home in Manasquan on Tuesday May 17th. 2016 after a brief illness. Bob was born and raised in Washington, D.C., one of four children of James and Nellie Mulvihill.

He attended Gonzaga H.S. on a scholarship and flourished in academics while playing football, basketball and baseball. He was later inducted into Gonzaga's Hall of Fame.

After being offered a number of basketball scholarships, Bob chose Fordham University in N.Y. While pursuing his education and playing big time college basketball, he was ultimately inducted into Fordham's Hall of Fame and was named “All American” for 1947-48.

His time at Fordham was interrupted by WWII, where he served in the United States Marine Corps. His stories regarding both were endless yet interesting, although he would tell you the most important story of his college tenure was how he met the love of his life Leona Rizzo.

After college Bob was signed to play professionally in the National Basketball League with the Oshkosh Allstars. This took Bob to Wisconsin where he married Lee and ultimately started what would be a loving 60 yrs. of marriage.

An injury ended a brief pro career so Bob and Lee headed back to the East Coast after the birth of their 1st. child Joseph in 1950. They then settled in Clifton, N.J. where Bob took a teaching job at St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City. He spent 37 yrs. at The Prep and was awarded the honor of "Legend of Prep".

After 10 yrs. in Clifton with 7 more children, they moved to Wayne where they spent over 45 yrs. Bob and Lee started two successful businesses together; a summer camp and a tour company which took school age children on trips to Washington, Boston, Canada and Florida to name a few.

Bob touched many lives and will be remembered for his love of family, his quick wit, his jokes and his numerous stories.

Despite all his achievements and successes, Bob never lost touch with his faith. He was eternally grateful to God for his many blessings and he was devoted to the Catholic Church. He attended daily Mass up to just a month ago when his health prevented him from doing so. He was generous almost to a fault, giving whatever was necessary to anyone and everyone who asked for help. He found joy and peace in sharing what the Lord had blessed him with so generously.

Bob was the loving husband of Leona Mulvihill for 60 yrs. before she passed in 2009. Also preceaded by his brother James Mulvihill, his sister Doris Shanahan, his granddaughter Ralene Mulvihill Smith and his great-granddaughter Samantha Jablonski.

He was the devoted father of Joseph Mulvihill of Wayne, Ellen Monahan and her husband Tim of Glen Mills, PA, Diane Wilson and her husband Peter of Toms River, Mary Brophy and her husband Kevin of Manasquan, Christine Jablonski and her husband Dave of Cranford, Laura Iurato of Wayne, Dr. Robert Mulvihill and his wife Rosanne of Colts Neck, and Stephen Mulvihill and his wife Susan of Wayne; cherished grandfather of 25; great-grandfather of 24; great-great grandfather of 5 and dear brother of June Williams of Md.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Embracing Hospice Care, 2101 Highway 34 South, Suite-B, Wall, NJ 07719.

Robert Lubarsky, age 59 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday September 30, 2016.

Robert was born in Passaic and was raised in Wayne. He graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1975. After graduating high school, Robert attended Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA. He began his career in the construction industry and spent the last 15 years as an estimator. He lived in Effort, Pennsylvania until 2006 before returning to Wayne.

Robert was an avid fisherman at one time owning his own fly fishing shop called The Jonas Angler in Kunkletown, PA. His family has taken annual fishing trips to Seaside Park, NJ for over 25 years, even spending Thanksgiving holidays at the shore with close friends and family. In 1992, Robert set a world record which still stands today for the largest Albacore Tuna to be caught on a fly rod using a 20 lb test. Robert was a hard working individual and poured himself into everything that he did.

In college, Robert met Maryanne Hamilton. They cherished fifteen years of marriage and over twenty-three years together, in northeast Pennsylvania where they raised their four children. Sadly, in 1999 Robert and his family lost Maryanne to cancer. In 2006, Robert found love again with his now wife Jennifer (nee Lloyd). Robert and Jennifer were married in 2011 and honeymooned in Siesta Key, Florida. They shared a home together on Packanack Lake.

Robert had a huge heart and would give the shirt off his back to anyone that needed it. There was always an inside joke in the family about who was going to show up at Christmas dinner. For many years, all you had to do was cross paths with Robert during the holiday season and you would receive a very cordial invitation to the family Christmas dinner. Robert was great at many things, but his greatest accomplishment and his deepest passion was for his family and the people that he loved.

Robert was a very special person, touched the lives of countless people and will be sincerely missed by all who knew him.

Robert is survived by his wife Jennifer, his son Max and fiancée Kendra of Arlington, VA, his three daughters; Nicolet of New York, NY, Maryanne and Emily both of Wayne, one brother; Keith of Wayne, and one sister Lisa of West Milford along with four nieces and nephews; Keith, Andrew, Sam, and Amy. He was predeceased by his first wife Maryanne Hamilton Lubarsky in 1999, his father Robert Lubarsky in 1998, and his mother Eleanor Seifert in 2011.

In lieu of flowers, friends and loved may consider making donations to assist with the college expenses for his youngest daughter, Emily. Donations may be made online via YouCaring: https://www.youcaring.com/emily-lubarsky-college-fund-661375

Alternatively, checks can be mailed to:

Emily Lubarsky

8 Packanack Lake Rd.

Wayne, NJ 07470

Robert James Zollner, 74, of the Villages, FL, formerly a resident of Doylestown, PA, lost his battle to cancer on February 26, 2016.

Bob (also known as Rob) is survived by his wife Celia of 50 years, daughter Beth (Joe) Brennan, daughter Christine (Jack) Harney, daughter Jennifer (Steve) Borst, sisters Kathryn (Peter) Meany and Barbara (Donnie) Batten, and his loving grandchildren, Kyle, Shannon, Paige, Grace, Michael, Sydney and Avery. Bob was a loving father, husband, papa and friend to all.

Bob was an active member of the Knights of Columbus throughout his life. He served as Grand Knight at St. Anthony’s in New Jersey. He was also president of his local Lion’s Club. He retired from IBM after 35 years and began a second career as a real estate agent. Bob was an active volunteer in every community that he lived. He enjoyed spending his free time on Long Beach Island and with his family.

A special thank you to the Lane Purcell Hospice House in Sumpterville, FL for their loving care and support. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Lane Purcell Hospice House, 2452 CR 526 E., Sumpterville, FL 33585.

Ritha Leon, age 70, of Bloomingdale, entered into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, August 22, 2016.

Ritha was born in Boucan-Carre’, Haiti. As a single mom, she raised her two sons and three daughters in Haiti and always kept two life principals in mind – work hard and trust God in all things. When her children would tell her about opportunities for socialized help she would always say “We don’t need handouts. God knows our needs and he will supply them abundantly beyond anything we can imagine.” Ritha used her God-given talents as a seamstress to carve out a living. She enjoyed a very excellent reputation and ran her dress-making business out of her home so she could always be there for her kids. Never needing a store-bought pattern, you could simply show her a picture of a dress out of a magazine and she would make it for you, exquisitely! There were times growing up in Haiti, when Ritha was forced to send her children to school with no food in their stomachs because she had none to give them. She’d always find a way to provide, sometimes by selling a dress and other times by taking a loan. Then she’d cook some food and bring it to the school, which had no cafeteria, to feed her kids during their breaks. As with any family, dinner time was a wonderful opportunity to gather together and it was always a treat for Ritha’s family to enjoy her excellent meals. She was an amazing cook who could take a few meager ingredients like rice, water, garlic and a little oil and serve the most delicious dinner! Her fried eggs, which she loved to prepare for her grandchildren, were like anything you ever tasted, and On New Year’s Eve, her family always enjoyed the tradition of smelling delicious pumpkin soup simmering on the stove and gathering as family and friends on New Years Day to enjoy a hot steaming bowl. Ritha always cooked with love and passion, just like everything else she did in her life.

Ritha had two main passions in her life: praying to God on behalf of those in need, and enjoying her family which was God’s greatest gift to her on earth.

In Haiti, Ritha had a thriving, established prayer ministry and she would intercede on behalf of countless souls who would come to her with the concerns of their lives. It says in the bible that if you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you can move mountains. That’s a hard concept for most people to embrace because we all think we have to do everything on our own power. But not Ritha. While she believed in hard work, she also knew that there were always going to be situations that hard work alone would not solve. That’s where Ritha’s faith that God could move mountains came in. So if you had a need, you asked for Ritha’s prayers and many people did.

Through the ensuing years, all of Ritha’s five children emigrated to the United States in search of the American dream. It was in 2005 that her daughter Guerda was planning to get married and she so-much wanted her mother Ritha to be present for the wedding. But Guerda and her brothers and sisters also wanted Ritha to stay in the USA and join the family permanently. Guerda prayed that God would make it possible for Ritha to carry on her prayer ministry while living in the states. God answered Guerda’s prayer even overcoming obstacles like getting her mom a visa. So in 2005, Ritha emigrated from Haiti to the United States. She got to be present for her daughter’s wedding and she got to stay, living initially in East Rutherford before moving to Bloomingdale to be with her daughter Chama in 2011.

Ritha’s telephone prayer ministry continued to thrive. Her children and grandchildren knew there was no sense in trying to call her between the hours of 7:30 PM and 3:30 AM because they wouldn’t get through. During those hours, Ritha was on conference calls, praying and singing with people, encouraging them to “Take courage because God is mighty!” Her incredible faith in God was inspiring to countless souls who, through her prayers, were delivered from sickness, broken relationships, able to conceive a child, and have their daily needs provided for.

Ritha had no problem putting the needs of others ahead of her own needs and wants in life. She embraced the words in the Holy Bible which say Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where you treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21, New American Standard Version). She considered being a child of God more important than anything that her present life in this earthly existence could offer her. So it wasn’t unusual at all for Ritha to take money she received as a gift and just re-gift it to someone who actually needed that money more by wiring it to a friend or someone she prayed with on the phone in Haiti. In like manner, if you complimented the dress she was wearing or something else that Ritha had, her typical response would be “Would you like to have it?”

Ritha loved her family and was all too glad to be in the USA where she could enjoy her grandchildren. She enjoyed spending time with them, loving them, praying for them and encouraging them. She truly believed that love conquered all. If you could imagine the perfect mother-in-law, you would be imagining Ritha. It’s no secret to her daughter-in-law and her son-in-laws that if Ritha’s own children occasionally complained to her about their spouses, her response would always be “It must be your fault. You need to love on them!”

Ritha never met a person she did not like. Quite the opposite, she never found a person she could not help but love. She’d tell perfect strangers that she loved them because they were image-bearers of God and, not very long into a conversation, she’d be sure to ask you, “Do you know Jesus?” Even on her death bed she didn’t want her family to feel sorry for her knowing that what they saw was not her. Her new body would be glorified and she praised God with her hands lifted high to the very end, knowing that this life was just a precursor to a much better life and not the end at all!

Ritha is survived by her five loving children: Jean David and wife Sabine Alexandre of Bellmore, NY, Guerda and husband Timothy Prairie of Hume, CA, Jephethe Alexandre of Carlstadt, Chama Alexandre and husband Willie Barnes of Bloomingdale, and Marlie Alexandre of Belleville; and eight adored grandchildren: Nadia, Ritha, Willie, Jr., Coleson, Paige, Joya, David, Jr., and Wilson.

Robert Henry Nagel. long-time owner of North Jersey landmark Nagel’s Candy Barn in Wayne and Randolph, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 17, 2016. He was 88.

Born and raised in West New York, Bob had been a resident of Wayne since 1960.

Soon after graduation from Memorial High School in West New York, NJ, Bob joined the family candy business which was started by his father Harry Nagel in 1921. Growing up, Bob always liked to work in the business. While in high school shop class, he even designed and produced a machine that would make the molds for the many candies the store would sell when he came to work alongside his dad, full-time in 1948. At that time, Nagel’s had just this one location in West New York, NJ where they made and sold all the chocolate. Then, in 1960, a second store was opened in the, then, quiet little up-and-coming town of Wayne on Route 23. Later on, in 1973, a new factory and store was started in Randolph.

While concurrently serving as a proud member of the U.S. National Guard Reserve, Bob remained involved in every facet of the business from design and production of the molds that made the chocolate, procurement of other molds from as far away as Germany, maintenance of the machines – sometimes when necessary, fixing them with duct tape and wire – as well as the more artistic work of the business. He always had a great eye for objects and shapes that would make interesting chocolate creations. His kids even said that some of their bath toys gave Dad great ideas.

Bob especially loved chatting with his loyal customers who would return year-after-year to purchase their candy for their favorite valentine, or for their children on Easter and Christmas. During those busy holiday seasons, Bob’s family would typically only see him on Sundays. The stores were always decorated with displays as great as the great taste of the Nagel customers’ favorites like truffles, butter-crunch, almond bark, chocolate covered pretzels, peanut butter cups and caramel sticks, just to name a few. So great was the stores’ following, they never needed a website and customers always knew that all sales were cash only.

Although a nurse by profession, Bob’s beloved wife Emma put a lot of hours in the store and his children worked there in high school and his grandchildren loved to visit and spend time working in the store too. It was a real family affair!

Bob loved his work so much that he never really retired. It was a car accident in March 2015, while on his way to work, that finally ended his career. The stores closed soon after but not until his faithful staff rose to the occasion of insuring that those loyal customers got their Easter candy that last year.

Bob originally met the love of his life Emma Rhodes at the Columbia Skating Rink in West New York, NJ when they were both just thirteen years old. They began dating in High School and their first date was out for a hot dog at Rutt’s Hutt. They married in 1953 on Bob’s birthday because he figured, that way, he would never forget his anniversary. After a honeymoon that took them on a cross-country trip to visit family and many great destinations, the newlyweds moved into the apartment above the candy store in West New York, NJ.

Summers were always the quietest times for Nagel’s Candy Barn so the store was usually closed all of July and sometimes part of August. This typically was the perfect time for Bob and Emma to travel and, especially later in life, they had the privilege of traveling all over the world including to South American, Hawaii, Thailand, China, Australia, Russia, throughout Europe and also to Bermuda.

Bob always considered his family his most treasured blessing. Before his children were even born, he would spend his spare time tinkering with a home he was building in Pennsylvania on Lake Wallenpaupack. His family has fond memories of summers spent there, being together and sailing and water skiing.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife of 64years, Emma: his son: Robert H. Nagel and partner Eric Chan of Sydney, Australia; two daughters: Nancy Nagel Lee and husband Philip of Potomac, MD, and Janet Scheel and husband Paul of Ellicott City, MD; six grandchildren: Ian, Noah, Zoe, Tess, Paul and Amy; and one brother: Theodore Nagel and wife Judy of Minneapolis, MN. He was predeceased by his brother Harry Nagel in 2016.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider Shriners Hospital for Children, 3551 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140 or at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

Robert Allen DeGraw, age 80, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 1, 2016 in the comfort of his own home.

From the day he was born and for the rest of his entire life Bob called the town of Wayne his home. Born on Thomas Terrace, he grew up on Mountainview Boulevard right behind the barber shop that, to this day, still remains in business. In 1955, he moved to New Street and lived there for many years before moving to Van Ness Place. When the state bought him out of that house to build a highway, Bob found a home along the shores of the Pompton River on River Road in the Hoffman Grove Section. After putting up with too many floods, he eventually retreated to higher ground and, in 2008, he returned to that house on New Street which was still in his family.

Bob enjoyed a storied childhood full of adventures. Growing up, a typical day in young Bob’s life consisted of doing things like feeding his chickens and riding bareback on his horse named Princess to check his traps to see if he caught any muskrats or foxes. A childhood story about Bob that gave everyone a lot of laughs was when Bob put a penny on the train tracks near his house. Coincidentally, the next day, that train came down the track and ended up derailing from those tracks. Although it wasn’t truly the case, everyone had Bob convinced that his penny on the track caused the train to derail. This sent Bob into his barn to hide. At age twelve his father gave him an engine that he rebuilt and at sixteen, he and his buddy built a dragster race car.

After graduating from Wayne High School with the Class of 1955, Bob had a few odd jobs including working for a local butcher and unloading train rail cars for Wayne Builders Supply. But those childhood experiences, when he would hang out at the local blacksmiths shop, learning about working with metals, and tinkering with rebuilding engines and building race cars, equipped Bob with a skill set that was destined for greater things. As a member of Operating Engineers Local 825, his dad was presently working for Franklin Contractors, and when Bob turned twenty, his dad helped him get his union card too, along with a job as a mechanic for Franklin Builders. For the next 47 years, Bob enjoyed a wonderful career as a union mechanic and long boom crane operator with Franklin Contractors, Braen and Sons, and Vergona Crane, Inc. Some of the more notable projects that Bob was involved with included the construction of Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands and operating the crane that put up tower cranes for the construction of the World Trade Center. During the 1970’s when the economy was choked by runaway inflation and work was scarce, Bob maintained his union card but also started his own business, Bob DeGraw and Sons specializing in paving and masonry projects. He also built and installed redwood pools. Retirement ultimately came in 1996.

If Bob wasn’t at work and he wasn’t home, his three sons always knew there was usually only one other place where he could be…..the firehouse! Bob was a life-member of Wayne Township Community Fire Company Number 1 where he volunteered for 54 years. He was extremely dedicated and his expertise on how to fight a given fire was often sought. In the great floods of 1968, Bob’s rescue boat was renamed “Noah’s Ark” because of all the resident’s animals he helped rescue from the flood-ravaged homes of Wayne. In the firehouse itself, they also relied on his mechanical abilities as Bob did most of the repairs on all the fire apparatus. When they were old enough, Bob encouraged his three sons: Allen, Robert “Mugs” and Tom to join too. Because the four of them frequently made fires together, in an effort to diminish the chance that a whole family of firefighters could be lost in one fire, the department had to instill a new policy that only two family members could be on the same rig.

Led by Bobby and his two buddies Tom Chapman and Dickie Saunders, the members of the Fire Company Number 1 rebuilt a 1899 Christie Steamer. It was a Class A pumper formerly owned by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Originally a horse-drawn fire apparatus, in 1912 it was retro-fitted with a gasoline engine perfected by Mr. Walter Christie, American engineer and inventor. Company 1 purchased it in 1975 and, led by the mechanical expertise of Bobby and his buddies, the whole rig was stripped down to its frame. For the next couple of years, over 5,000 parts were re-nickeled and polished down so that each moving part fit and functioned perfectly. For Bobby, this was a labor of love. The guys proudly showed the Christie Steamer all over the east coast and it trophied a lot! Deep down inside, Bobby really didn’t care about the trophies. It was the challenge and satisfaction from a job well done and the camaraderie of doing the work with his fellow-firemen that gave him the most joy. Bobby was very instrumental in the rebuilding of a 1930 Ahrens Fox Pumper too.

It seemed that there was nothing Bob couldn’t make or fix. He had such a sharp mechanical mind so it’s not surprising that others often turned to Bob when they needed something done. Bob was always ready and willing to pitch in. When the town wanted to build the Wayne PAL, Bob donated the bulldozer and time and expertise to clear all the land for the new construction. While he gladly accepted a little mash (moon shine) and some corn as a thank-you offering, for fixing Mountainview Farmer Bob Brown’s tractor, he never did it to get a reward. Many times his boys and even their friends needed a little help with a car repair and Bob was always happy to help.

Bob adored his eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. He really got a kick out of watching them grow and he had a great time cheering them on at their many sporting events including his granddaughter’s competitive soccer league games which took place from Syracuse, NY to Florida. At another granddaughter’s high school games, he was officially named the number one fan.

Bob was a jokester. He could dish it out but his good-natured disposition enabled him to be the brunt of a good joke too. He can rest in peace, knowing that he enjoyed the admiration of those who knew him for his selfless approach to life. Most importantly, he can rest in peace knowing that he was loved by God, not because he was perfect, but because God loved him so much despite his imperfections.

Surviving are Robert’s three sons: Allen and wife Dawn DeGraw of Ogdensburg, Robert DeGraw of Wayne, and Thomas and wife Margaret DeGraw of Lincoln Park; eight grandchildren: Bryan, Christie, Kayla, Robin, Jennie, Steven, Brittany, and Tara; eleven great-grandchildren: Noah, Josie, Landon, Tiffany, Zach, Kayla, Ryan, Skylar, Emma, Christian, and Steven, Jr.; and his aunt: Hilda Van Gieson of PA.

Bob’s family would also like to express their heartfelt special thanks to Raphael, Bob’s caregiver for the last six weeks of his life who treated Bob like he was his own father. God bless you Raphael!

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider a donation to Community Volunteer Fire Company One, 97 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Richard Wujciak, age 88 of Wayne, passed peacefully on Monday, July 4, 2016. Richard had been a resident of Wayne for nearly sixty years.

Richard was an active member at Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne for many years. He served as an usher and a lector, and he enjoyed socializing with the OLC Seniors. He was a Grand Knight with the Wayne Knights of Columbus, as well as a member of the Wayne Elks where he had served in various officer positions throughout the years.

Richard H. Villee, Jr. “Ricky”, age 69, Wayne, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 22, 2016.

Ricky was born in Newark but had been a life-long resident of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne where his roots were firmly planted. As a student of Wayne Valley High School and member of the Class of 1965, he and his teammates enjoyed the notable distinction of being on Wayne Valley’s first soccer team.

After two years of community college, Ricky pursued the balance of his education from Husson University, a small private school in Bangor, Maine. There, in 1970, he earned his B.S. degree, then promptly joined the U.S. National Guard where he proudly served during the Vietnam era.

After marriage to Diane Peatick, Ricky received the gift of probably the biggest blessing in his life – his newborn baby boy which they named Bryan. As his son grew from year-to-year, so did their bond. It was around this time, in 1978, that Ricky found his true calling in life…..Sales! With his warm, friendly, approachable personality and disposition, Ricky could sell anything but he chose to sell medical equipment. He attained most of his knowledge and experience with a company called Richard’s Medical Equipment, then, in 1986, he started his own company with his business partner Dave McLaughlin called McLaughlin Medical. When Ricky retired in 2008 it was his son Bryan who took over the company’s reigns and, because they were so alike, there could not have been anyone better in Ricky’s judgment to take over.

Ricky loved his sports, especially the Mets, Giants and Rangers. Always enterprising, he’d buy the less expensive tickets, then tip the usher just enough to seat him and his buddies in better seats. At home in Packanack Lake everyone knew Ricky. He loved to play softball in the Packanack league where he was dubbed with the nickname “Captain” because of his enthusiastic, take-charge approach to the game. On weekends three seasons out of the whole year, if you were looking for Ricky, you knew you could always find him playing golf on the Packanack course. He also loved participating and supporting the local fire department fundraisers and the pancake breakfasts to support the Boy Scouts.

If Packanack Lake had its’ own mayor, chances are pretty good, it would have been Ricky. He loved to meet friends at the Waterfront or for a game of darts at Amore of Wayne when it was known at the Greenhouse Café. Those that knew and loved Ricky will miss his easy conversations, big kind smile, good stories and funny jokes.

Ricky is survived by his much-loved son Bryan of Boonton; his sister Valerie and husband Ray Carlin of Frisco, TX; his nephew and niece: Chris and Tracy Carlin; and Rosie - his faithful chocolate lab/beagle mix.

Randall R. Rotella “Randy”, age 27 of Franklin Lakes, passed away too soon, on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.

Born in Ridgewood, his first home was in Hawthorne, but the better part of his childhood was spent in Franklin Lakes where he always approached life with a peddle-to-the-metal kind of exuberance. Even as a little boy, his mom said he would play hard for twelve hours straight before crashing in bed for a well-earned nights’ sleep. In high school, Randy channeled that energy by excelling in football and hockey. He graduated from Indian Hills High School with the Class of 2006, then headed to Iona College in New Rochelle, NY where he graduated in 2010 with a B.A. in criminal justice.

Always into fitness and health, Randy got his first job at Lakeside Fitness Club in Oakland, NJ. Through diligent study he earned his certification as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and he really enjoyed encouraging and training his clients in their quests for health and wellness. Lakeside Fitness Club was also special to Randy because it was there that he met a sweet young lady named Samantha Phillip. They made such a great couple and Randy was so excited about their relationship. He recently told his parents, “My future is brighter with Sami!” Randy eventually moved on from employment at the fitness club by taking a position as a sales associate with General Nutrition Centers (GNC). He had worked his way up the ranks and was presently the manager of the GNC store in Ramsey.

That child-like exuberance never left Randy as he grew into adulthood. Of course he loved playing hockey and football and going skiing too, and he loved people and enjoying time spent doing things with family and friends. A day down the shore at his family’s summer home in Wildwood Crest was Randy’s definition of good times and he said he couldn’t wait to bring his girlfriend Sami down to the house for the first time this summer. The Rotella philosophy of gift-giving was that it was usually better to receive an experience as opposed to an item. Being a Rotella himself, Randy embraced this idea completely and one of his favorite experiences was catching a Giants or Army football game or a Devils hockey game, especially when a bunch of his friends or family joined him. When it was time to get away for some quiet relaxation Randy would often take a hike up to Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah with Sami and, no doubt, his two faithful canine companions – Kaya and Gracie would surely be invited to come along. He loved animals so much that after his passing, his family imagined him being greeted in heaven by his late doggy Chelsea, walking up to him at heaven’s gate and dropping a ball in front of his feet. Randy’s love of family was so great that his younger sister Jules said he was like a second father to her, in fact, Randy must have had a God-given fatherly instinct in him because he looked after all his siblings and he was so proud to be “Uncle Randy” to his new little nephew Raine.

Randy was one of the most giving and generous people you would ever meet. It was said that, if you gave him a dollar, he’d give you ninety-nine cents back. Even as he was recovering from the evils of substance addiction, Randy did his best to channel his fight by helping others with the same struggles. One way he did this was by regularly returning to Market Street Mission – a ministry in Morristown which, among other goals, helped those, like Randy himself, who struggled with addiction by living a life centered on Christ. There he would share his own experiences to those going through counseling to help them on their own personal journeys toward recovery. Randy’s disdain for the grip of substance addiction was so great that he and his friends were known to go into empty buildings in urban areas so they could physically bring heroin addicts to the Market Street Mission to be cared for.

Randy was highly devoted to his Thursday night bible study and he was extremely grateful for the group leadership of Ken Barrett. One of Randy’s favorite quotes was one from Groucho Marx who said, “Blessed are the cracked for they shall let the light in.” To Randy, that source of light was the light of God’s truth. Like any Christian parent, Matt and Kris hoped and prayed that their children were walking through life with God. Randy would give them assurance that all was ok by curling his middle finger around his index finger on his right hand, and exclaiming “Don’t worry Mom and Dad, me and Jesus are close like this.”

Everyone knows that all of us face struggles in our lives. In fact, in the bible in Ephesians 6:12, we are told the origin of those struggles when it says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. Thank God that in that same book of the bible, in Ephesians 2:8-9 it also says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”.

Randy’s family surely grieves, but they find comfort and assurance that Randy has been saved by God’s grace and, because of that, they look forward to being reunited with him in heaven at God’s appointed time.

Randy is survived by his dear parents Matthew and Kristine Rotella of Franklin Lakes; two much-loved brothers and one much-loved sister: Matthew of Marlboro, Nicholas and wife Megan of Glen Allen, VA, and Julianne Rotella of Franklin Lakes; his loving paternal grandparents: Eugene and Joyce Rotella of Franklin Lakes; cherished nephew Raine Rotella; many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins: and his adored girlfriend Samantha Phillip of Pompton Lakes. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents: Edwin and Virtue Pankow.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Randy’s name are asked to consider Market Street Mission, 9 Market Street, Morristown, NJ 07960, or at www.marketstreet.org. The Market Street Mission assists individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction and poverty through a life centered on Christ.

Raymond McNamee, age 84 of Pompton Lakes, died peacefully on Wednesday, April 13, 2016. “Poppa” was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend to many.

Ray grew up in the Greenville section of Jersey City and moved to Ridgefield Park as a young teenager. He graduated from Ridgefield Park High School with the class of 1950 where he had also played football. He joined the Marine Corps and served for three years, something he was very proud of. He remained active with many of his Marine Corps friends, including the Marine Corps League Gooney Bird Installation.

Ray met his wife Wanda (Recascino) in high school. They were introduced by mutual friends and they soon fell in love. After Ray successfully passed the ‘boyfriend interrogation’ by Wanda’s Sicilian family, they dated for a couple of years before getting married on November 7, 1953 at St. Francis RC Church in Ridgefield Park. Their honeymoon was enjoyed on the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune and they have enjoyed more than sixty two years together since. They loved to travel together and spent many weeks each year on St. Maarten and in Florida. Wanda will miss him dearly.

After his time in the Marines, Ray took a job with the Bendix Corporation in Teterboro. He worked the night shift at Bendix as a painter and also held two other part-time jobs, just to make ends meet. As his family grew, he realized that there had to be a better way to make a living, so he went to Montclair State University at night, earning his bachelor’s degree. While attending Montclair, a friend found him a job with PSE&G where he learned to be an auditor. He loved his job at PSE&G and all the great places he got to visit. One of the highlights of his career included a visit to an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. He retired in 1993 at the age of 62.

Ray was fondly known as “Poppa” to just about everyone who knew him. He was the greatest grandfather that his twelve grandchildren could have ever asked for and he taught them important life-lessons, such as how to play cards, and the proper way to bet while playing poker. He was always fun to be with. Ray’s sons recall how much their dad enjoyed golfing. His family all have fond memories of fishing with Ray at their summer home in Mystic Island, NJ. For a number of years they had a place there where they would take the boat out on the bay. Ray loved being out on the water with his family and they all remember those great times. Of course, high on the list of memorable moments is the time they realized that his mother-in-law had made fried calamari out of the squid bait he was keeping in the freezer!

Ray is survived by his beloved wife, Wanda, their five children; Ray of Toluca Lake, CA, Bill of Stanhope, NJ, Tom and his wife Julie of Fairfield, CT, John and his wife Nilda of Justin, TX, and Mary Nicastro and her fiancé Bill Botbyl, twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

For those wishing to make donations in Ray’s memory, please consider the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675, www.WoundedWarriorProject.org

Ralph A. Fragola, age 97 of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Thursday, May 05, 2016 with the comfort of family by his side.

Beloved Husband, Devoted Father and Loving Grandfather/Great Grandfather.

He was born in the family home at 311 East 109th Street in New York. He completed his education in the Manhattan. Ralph then went on to serve with the 931stSignal Battalion Company B of the United States Army as a Technician Fourth Grade during WWII and received an honorable discharge on December 11, 1945. In 1948 the family moved to Fuller Street in the Bronx. They lived in a four family home with his parents, his brother's family and sister's family. They shared many memorable occasions in an environment that fostered family unity and was the scene of many family memories.

Ralph met Maria in their late teen years hanging out in the neighborhood. Their first date was at a neighborhood dance that Maria's brother orchestrated. Maria caught Ralph’s eye and the love story began to unravel. Ralph adored Maria and enjoyed 73 years of a loving and devoted marriage together.

Before retiring at the age of 58 Ralph was employed with the Atlantic Pacific Tea Company in Queens, New York. For many years Ralph and his family would spend summers in their country home at Lake Peekskill, New York. In 2005 health reasons had Ralph and Maria move from the Bronx to live in Wayne, New Jersey to be close to their daughter Marie.

Ralph will be remembered as a gentle, loving, caring man that was the rock of the family. He learned of the importance of family in that four family home in the Bronx and carried that love of having family close to him for the rest of his life.

He was the loving husband of Maria; devoted father of Michael Fragola and wife Linda of LeGrange, NY, Edyie Grafer and husband Bruce (Deceased) of Garrison, NY, Vito Fragola and wife Virginia of Bergenfield, Ralph Fragola and wife Renee of Closter, and Marie Saracino of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Maria Fragola, Ralphie Fragola and wife Francesca, Michelle Mallett and husband Drew, Brian Grafer and wife Andrea, Donna Dagnino and husband Chris, Kevin Grafer and wife Crystal, Vito, Stephen, Christopher, Kathryn, Anthony, and Rebecca Fragola, John Lando and wife Rebecca; much loved great-grandfather of Ralphie, Zachary, Schuyler, Rayne, Nicholas (Deceased), Brent, Jason, Sarah, Alyssa, Emily, Hunter, Jacklyn, Samantha, Ashley, Jake and Avery; along with extended family grandchildren/great grandchildren John, Addison and Savanna.

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

Raymond Catanzaro, age 92, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Monday, November 14, 2016.

He was born To Philip and Theresa Catanzaro at 39 State Street in Passaic. His father owned a tavern called Phil’s Bar and Grill located at 39 State Street where the tavern was on the first floor, his family of seven children raised on the second floor.

Raymond attended Passaic High School with the Class of 1942. As a young man he worked as a Printer’s Apprentice. He was drafted into the US Army during WWII and reported for duty on July 23, 1943. Raymond served as an Infantryman with the 301st Infantry’s 94th Division having served in Europe under General Patton. Raymond didn’t speak much about his service other than relating the one time he was in a fox hole and a Potato Masher Grenade flew in but was thankfully a dud. Raymond received the Combat Infantry Badge, the American Campaign Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal for his service and was Honorably Discharged on April 28, 1946.

After his service, Raymond went to upholstery school and learned that trade, but then joined his father in the family-owned tavern business, Phil’s Bar and Grill, until the State of New Jersey exercised its right of Eminent Domain in the mid 1970’s and took over the property to make way for Route 21’s construction. Afterwards, Raymond worked at several liquor stores as the store manager and then retired in 1986.

Raymond met his future wife Josephine “Joy” Viviano on a blind date. Some friends invited her to join them for a night of bowling and she really didn’t want to go, but they persuaded her. When she met Ray that night, it was love at first sight! Joy and Ray would eventually enjoy a love-affair marriage that grew stronger by the day and has lasted nearly sixty years. Joy’s daughter, Maryann, recalls how often she has heard her father say “Joy, I don’t just love you, I adore you.” They shared an uncommon love and set a wonderful example for their children and grandchildren. In recent years, Ray was experiencing dementia to the degree that he thought his daughter Maryann was his wife Joy. Although he was a bit confused, his deep seated love for Joy was a foundation in his heart and had him still saying “I adore you” up until his final days.

Raymond was a founding parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne with his late wife Joy. They shared a deep love for their Catholic faith.

Raymond will be remembered for his easy-going way and patience of a saint. He would always put other’s needs before his own. His children have many fond memories of family trips to the Jersey Shore where they would stay at his brother Phil’s home in Manasquan and later in Wildwood Crest’s hotels. During his retirement, he was always helping with the laundry and cooking. He made the best homemade pizza imaginable, loved to talk about politics, and was a huge fan of Rush Limbaugh. Raymond will forever be remembered for reminding you he was born during leap year “Bet you’ve had more birthday’s than I have” was always on the tip of his tongue.

As Raymond grew older, he would enjoy spending time with his 2 young granddaughters, Nicole and Rachel, making them his famous silver dollar pancakes and just having quality time with them. Nicole and Rachel are now grown and will always cherish those wonderful memories they have of their grandpa and grandma.

He was the loving husband of the late Josephine “Joy” Catanzaro (April 2, 2016); he was the devoted father of Maryann Mahon and her husband Matthew and their 2 children Nicole and Rachel Mahon of Wayne, NJ and also survived by his daughter Terri Moore of Clark, NJ and her 2 children Jennifer and Jonathan Moore; dear brother of the late Anthony Catanzaro and his surviving wife Irene of Little Falls, the late Rev. Fr. Eugene Catanzaro, Robert Catanzaro of Clifton, Rosalie Meade and her husband Raymond of Lakewood, Florence Sullivan and her late husband Louis of Lakewood and Philip Catanzaro of Florida; he was the much loved uncle of many nieces and nephews.

Mary A. Kell (nee Misley) age 93, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday September 16, 2016 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Mary was born and raised in Keasbey, New Jersey until the age of about twelve, when her family moved to the city Clifton. She lived in Clifton and graduated from Clifton High School in 1941. Mary did her part for the war effort as did many young adult Americans did. Very soon after she graduated high school she applied for a job as a clerk with the United States Army Air Corps. She worked for the US Army Air Corps and Wright Aeronautical for several years during and after World War II. A short time after the war had ended she met a handsome young man by the name of George Kell Jr. Their very first date was as simple as sharing some ice cream together in Flemington, New Jersey. They enjoyed a very romantic courtship, their relationship blossomed, and at Christmas time in 1948 they were married. They settled in Wayne and raised their family. After George’s retirement from the State Police, they moved to Pennsylvania. It wasn’t until the year 2000 when they moved back to Wayne and bought back their original house they had lived in previously. George and Mary cherished 54 years of loving and loyal marriage until George’s passing in 2002.

Having gotten married, Mary decided that she would devote her life to her family and take on the noble task of being a homemaker. She cherished her husband and her children and always pampered them. Nothing in Mary’s life was more important to her than her family. She loved traveling with her family and was proud to say that she had visited all 50 states of the United States of America. She visited Hawaii three times as it was one of her favorite places on earth. She also traveled through Canada from west coast to East coast with her family. Mary also enjoyed travelling to Europe, Spain and Morocco. Mary was not only dedicated to her family but also to her faith. She was a long time parishioner of Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne. She was very active in the church and was also a Eucharistic Minister. Mary instilled strong family values in her children and this also made her a great judge of character. Her relationship with her husband was a lovely example of “Marriage.” Mary was a member of the Pompton Lakes Women’s Club as well as the Eastern Star. Mary was extremely blessed to live to the age of 93, she lived a very fulfilling and wonderful life. She touched to lives of many people and she will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Mary is survived by two sons; Warren and his wife Karen of Oregon, and George III and his wife Patricia of South Carolina, one daughter MaryAnn Kell of South Carolina, four grandchildren; Christine of IL, Daniel of IL, Jessica of MD, and Madeline of MD, two great grandchildren; Madison and Kenzie of IL, two nieces; Cindy Briggs of Bloomindale and Betty Bowen of Highland Lakes, she was predeceased by her husband George Kell in 2002.

Richard W. Smith, age 72, of Pompton Lakes and formerly of Wayne, passed away on Friday, May 20, 2016.

Raised in Rutherford, he was a 1963 graduate of Blair Academy, Blairstown where he played baseball and was an all-state basketball player. He attended Hope College in Holland Michigan earning his B.S. degree in 1967. While there, Rich met Joan Crossman and they married in 1967. Rich proudly served in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1971 and upon returning to civilian life he worked as a service manager for Laird Johnson Chevrolet, Rutherford, and later with Bellavia Chevrolet, E. Rutherford. Rich and Joan were blessed with the birth of their son Brad in 1972. They settled as a family in Wayne where Rich remained a resident until moving to Pompton Lakes in 2001.

Rich really enjoyed attending all of his grandchildren, Anthony and Taylor’s sporting events and watching his son Brad coach soccer for Wayne Hills High School.

Rich is survived by his dear son Brad of Wayne; cherished grandchildren: Anthony and Taylor; one sister: Carolyn Walden-Giatras and husband Nicholas of Pirgos, Greece; and nephews Thomas Walden and Nicholas Giatras, and niece Victoria Giatras. He was predeceased by his dear daughter-in-law Dana Lauren Smith in 2013.

Richard B. Wallin age 86 of Lincoln Park passed away peacefully on Thursday November 24, 2016.

Richard was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY and lived in New York City for a couple of years until he and his wife moved to Lincoln Park in 1957. Following his graduation from High School, Richard attended New York University where he received his Bachelor Degree in Accounting.

After his graduation but before he started his career, Richard served our country in the United States Army from 1953-1955 and was deployed to Korea just as the war ended. When Richard was honorably discharged from the Army, he then in September of 1955, married his wife Sara (nee Reinartz) who he had been dating for a couple years.  It was in Lincoln Park where Sara and Richard would spend the rest of their lives together and raise their four children.

Richard went to work as an accountant for Equitable Life Assurance in New York City. He worked there for thirty years until he was forced into an early retirement in 1985. Richard was not the kind of person to sit around and do nothing, he had a great work ethic and put his skills to use working for several different banks in Northern New Jersey until he finally started to enjoy his full time retirement in his middle sixties.

Aside from being a highly educated and experienced accountant, Richard also was a skilled musician, he played the piano and sang. He was the choir director for the Bloomingdale United Methodist Church. He was a longtime member and very involved at Calvary Temple Church Wayne. He was also one of the founding members of the actor’s club called “Carpenter’s Tools,” which was a ministry of Our Savior's Lutheran Church where his family attended in the 1960's. Richard’s wife Sara was also a gifted musician, she played the organ in church and Richard and Sara would often sing duets together in church.

Richard was a longtime dedicated baseball fan. He and his wife were both Yankee Fans in their later years and Richard was particularly sad to see his favorite team, the New York Giants, move to San Francisco in 1958. He also loved to watch and play tennis as well and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Richard even made time to be a Scoutmaster for the local troop of Boy Scouts of America. Aside from his passion of music and his love of sports, Richard’s greatest love and dedication was to his family. He cherished fifty-one years of loving and loyal marriage to his wife Sara and nurtured and loved his four children. He was a devoted Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather. Richard touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by all who knew him.

Richard is survived by three sons; Stephen Wallin of Alexandria, VA, Larry Wallin and his wife Suzanne of Lincoln Park, Ken Wallin and his wife Kelly of Bloomingdale, one daughter; Carolyn Wiser of Baltimore, MD, one brother Spencer Wallin of Somers, NY, four grandchildren; Daniel, Sara, Nathaniel, and Hannah, and one great grandson; Elijah. He was predeceased by his wife Sara (2006) and his brother William (2010).

Peter B. Shultis, age 80, of Manchester, formerly of Bloomingdale, passed Monday, April 11, 2016.

He was born in Teaneck and graduated from Hackensack High School with the Class of 1953. During his high school years Peter was very athletic and excelled at baseball. With encouragement from his family he pursued his baseball career and was a pitcher for the Saint Louis Cardinals minor league team for about five years. He was a skilled south paw pitcher who could throw in the high 90 to 100 mph range. It was during this time just after high school that Peter also served in the United States Naval Reserves.

In 1954 Pete met a German girl name Elfriede Heller. They were married at Saint Anthony’s Church in Hackensack in August of 1955.

After his baseball days he and a partner named Frank Holberg, opened an Amoco Gas Station on Essex Street in Hackensack with money borrowed from Peter’s mom. One of the customers at the gas station saw potential in Peter and recruited him to work in the elevator industry. This career in elevators would span some forty years where he worked for companies like Westinghouse, Kone, and Herk. During his career he worked his way up from repairs, to managing, to being a supervisor before retiring in 2001. After retiring he worked as an elevator inspector with the EIC Inspection Agency in Jersey City. Some will also remember a time when Peter was a partner in the construction and excavating company Shultis & Miller in Bloomingdale.

Peter was a dedicated member of his community. As a young man he was a member of the Jaycee’s (United States Junior Chamber) an organization that helps young men develop personal and leadership skills through community service. He served as a Councilman for the Borough of Bloomingdale for six years and served as Mayor of the Borough in 1973. Peter also served Bloomingdale as a special police officer. He was elected by the Freeholders to serve as Chairman of the Board of Passaic County Community College as well.

Those who know Peter will remember his love of fishing and boating. When first dating Elfriede he brought her to Greenwood Lake to go for a ride in his beautiful wooden boat. This trip led to an argument between them as Pete insisted Elfie remove her shoes before boarding his boat. In the 1980’s Pete got his Merchant Marine Captains License and he would go on to own two sport fishing boats, the Bodacious and the For Pete’s Sake. For many years he hung out a shingle as a Charter Fishing Captain in Point Pleasant, NJ.

Any questions about Pete’s athletic ability were also erased when he took up the game of golf. His homes in southern New Jersey and in Fort Myers, Florida were both situated alongside fairways. Pete was also a woodworker, a skill passed along by his father. He was a good craftsman but this may have been another of his competitive driven skills as his brother was a gifted woodworker.

Pete will be lovingly remembered as being a nice, caring, complimentary, person who had a huge heart of gold. He was proud, the hardest worker ever, energetic, charismatic, fun, and loving kind of person who made you feel comfortable. That being said there was no doubt as to who was in charge. He expected a lot from you and he commanded respect.

Peter was the beloved husband of Elfriede (Heller) Shultis; devoted father of Deborah Rapkin of Manchester, John Shultis and his wife Christine of Manalapan, Sandra Sferruzza and her husband Joseph of Wayne, Thomas Shultis and his wife Stephanie of Pompton Plains, and Jill and Frank Gordon of West Creek; cherished grandfather of Brittney Nix and her husband Andrew, Peter Sferruzza, Samantha Shultis, Stephen Sferruzza, Olivia Rapkin, Frank and Thomas Gordon; dear brother of the late John “Jack” Shultis (Dec. 14, 2015).

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Manchester Volunteer Fire Co., 545 Commonwealth Blvd., Manchester, NJ 08759 or the Manchester Township Volunteer First Aid Squad, 44 Clayton Ave., Manchester, NJ 08759 would be appreciated.

Patricia Anne Garcia (Schulte) age 54 of Pompton Plains passed Sunday, August 14, 2016.

She was born at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Passaic and raised in Wayne having graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1979.

From a young age Pat worked at her parents Frank and Paula’s florist shop in Wayne called “Schulte’s Florist.” She would later work for Prudential Insurance Company in Parsippany, for Jerry’s Restaurant in East Rutherford, and finally for New Bridge Services in Boonton. Pat had to stop working several years ago because of health issues.

She will be remembered as a spunky, loud, fun loving, bold, and hilarious person who had no filter. She was a great cook and her special loving touch on cavatelli and broccoli, beef milanese which she would cook all day, chicken noodle soup, and her secret chili recipe will be greatly missed.

Pat met a cute boy named William “Bill” Garcia while visiting her brother who worked as a groomer at the Meadowlands horse track. She tried to strike up a conversation with Bill but he wouldn’t give her the time of day. Finally she got frustrated and asked why he wouldn’t talk to her. Bill replied “because you’re here with that guy.” Well that guy happened to be Pat’s brother. Once this was established, they truly enjoyed each other’s company. On their first date Bill was to go and watch Pat play softball on Valley Road in Wayne. As he drove to Wayne, he came down Route 46 and exited to Valley Road in Clifton by mistake. He drove up and down Valley Road in Clifton but couldn’t find the field. He eventually did what no other man would do, and stopped at the gas station for directions. The station attendant immediately knew the mistake and directed Bill to Valley Road in Wayne. Bill proposed to Pat while having dinner at the Town Tavern in Little Falls. She said yes and the entire restaurant erupted in applause for them. Bill and Pat married on August 23, 1985 and honeymooned on the island of Saint Lucia. They have enjoyed a loving, adventurous, and caring marriage of over thirty years.

Pat is the loving and devoted mother of William Garcia III and his wife Jessica of West Milford, Frank Garcia of Pompton Plains, and Justine Marie Garcia of Pompton Plains; cherished grandmother of Cole Garcia; and much loved sister of John Schulte and his wife Sue of Maryland, Fran Schulte, Betty Schulte, and William Schulte all of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to BASS (Bloomingdale Animal Shelter Society), PO Box 24, Bloomingdale, NJ 07403 would be appreciated.

Ralene R. Mulvihill-Smith, age 41 of Wharton and formerly of Wayne, died suddenly on Friday, January 8, 2016.

Since early childhood, Ralene had a child-like eagerness to explore the world and her young soul desired to experience as much as possible. Her sense of adventure drove her to see and do more in her forty one years than most people could dream of doing in three lifetimes. She was enthusiastic and made friends wherever she went, wearing her heart on her sleeve. Ralene overflowed with kindness that simply couldn’t be contained and she was generous with her love, often times to a fault. Babies and young children had a special tendency to melt her heart, and she could never pass up a kitten! She was also a great story teller and could make you laugh so hard you would cry. Ralene met her best friend; Paul Smith in 2008 and the two of them fell in love. They were married on St. Patrick’s Day; March 17, 2011.

Tragically, Ralene lost her mother when she was just ten years old. Her father found himself suddenly raising six children on his own. Ralene always loved and adored her father, Joseph. She looked to him for help and direction her entire life. Her brothers and sisters were also a great source of support and love for Ralene. Her grandparents, Robert and Leona Mulvihill, stepped in to help Ralene and all the children when their mother passed. As a result, Ralene became very close with her “Grandma Lee” and the two formed a very loving bond. Grandma Lee passed away in 2009 and it brings comfort to think that Ralene is reunited once again, sharing her love with her mother and Grandma Lee in heaven. Grandma Lee wrote this poem in 1953 and may it remind us of the reward Ralene has received:

“Many hours have been spent reading my Bible, lest I forget why I was born and why I must die to the things of this world in order to be reborn with my beloved Christ Jesus, son of my Lord and Creator.”             Leona Mulvihill, 1953.

Ralene is survived by her husband; Paul Smith of Wharton, NJ, her five children; Almonte, Rianna, Al Xavier, Cierra, and Logan Mulvihill of Washington, her stepson; Paul Smith, Jr. and his wife Tanya of PA, her father; Joseph Mulvihill of Wayne, her brothers; Keith Mulvihill and his wife Jennifer of Freehold, NJ, and Jason Mulvihill and his wife Leah of Bloomingdale, NJ, sisters; Rosalee D’Aiuto and her husband Scott of Little Falls, NJ, Kelliann Mulvihill of Willowbrook, IL and Nicole Mulvihill of Palm Springs, CA, her loving grandfather; Robert Mulvihill of Wayne, and seven grandchildren.

Peter Southway, age 82, of Wyckoff, on Tuesday, December 27, 2016.

Born in Prospect Park, NJ, he was a resident of Wyckoff since 1991.

Peter was a graduate of the American Institute of Banking and former president of Valley National Bank of Wayne, retiring in 2001 following a fifty-year career. He also served in numerous roles with local civic, philanthropic, and religious organizations during the span of his lifetime. He was a long-time member of the Ebenezer Netherlands Reformed Church of Franklin Lakes.

Peter was the beloved husband of Lena (nee Hoogmoed) to whom he was blessed with 58 years of marriage; loving father of Arlene den Hollander of Lincoln Park, and Peter J. and wife Marilyn Southway of Fredon Township; and beloved grandfather of Matthew and wife Patricia Southway, Leah and husband Samuel Moerdyk, Sarah den Hollander, Hannah Southway, Sadie Southway, Laina Southway, Jonathan den Hollander, Cornelius Southway, and Mark Southway. He is also survived by four cherished great-grandchildren; and two brothers: Cornelius and wife Jean Southway of Warwick, NY, and Howard and wife Eleanor Southway of Rockaway.

Peter was predeceased by his brother Robert and wife Beatrice Southway, and his son-in-law Jon den Hollander.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Peter’s name are asked to consider the Netherlands Reformed Christian School Endowment Fund, 164 Jacksonville Road, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.

Peter A. MacDonald, Jr., age 77 of Wayne, died on Friday, August 26, 2016.

He was born in Paterson and was a lifelong Wayne resident, having grown up on a farm on Valley Road. He was among the very first class to graduate from Wayne High School in 1956 and went on to serve in the U.S. Army.

Peter met his wife of forty-seven years, the late Marion Vivino MacDonald (2005), in high school. They began dating during his senior year in high school and eloped in 1958. They never had a honeymoon, as he was just out of the service and essentially had no money.

Peter was a truck driver for Henoch Oil, and later Keller Depken Oil of Passaic where he worked over forty years, retiring in 2003. He sought employment in the oil industry so he could work summers at MacDonald’s Beach on Route 23 in Pequannock, where he was a co-owner. Until just recently, he was working for his son David at Blue Mist Irrigation of Wayne.

Peter was the loving father of three children; Peter, III and his wife Susan of Hoboken, Debbie Akerly and her husband Lonnie of Erie, PA, and David and his wife Patricia of West Milford, grandfather to seven; Jessica, Samantha, Courtney, Kaylin, Carly, Peter, and Collin. He was predeceased by his wife Marion in 2005, by his brother Warren MacDonald in 1995, and by his sister Elva Echenwald just this past month.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Pete's memory would be appreciated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.  Donations can be mailed to: Donation Processing, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014

Paula Christine Bayley, age 42 of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, with her loving family by her side.

Paula is survived by her beautiful twin daughters, Ella Vivian and Emme Hope Bayley; by her beloved parents, Richard and Vivian (nee Golten) Bayley of Wayne; her adored sister, Ellen Bayley of Wayne; her cherished brother, David Bayley and his wife Erika of Wayne and Paula’s two nephews Gavin Richard and Preston David.

She was a graduate of DePaul Catholic High School in 1991 and Berkley College in 1994. She went on to work for many years at Accountants on Call in Saddle Brook, NJ and lived in Upper Montclair for 13 years with her sister. Her love of animals was expressed in her caring of her three Golden Retrievers, Brittany, Savanah and Sophie, and they were completely devoted to her. Her hobbies included yoga, swimming, gardening, arts & crafts, and power walking around Brookdale Park. Everyone who met her was touched by her kindness, radiant smile, and her ability to give love to others.

Paula is also survived by many other loving family members, several aunts and uncles, Alfred Bayley of North Carolina, Patricia Bayley of upstate, New York, Edward Bayley and his wife Charlotte of Oak Ridge, NJ, James Bayley and his wife Joan of Emerson, NJ, Robert Bayley and his wife Carol of Wayne, Carol Kasper and her husband Henry of Wayne, Norman Golten of Florida, and Sylvia Strand and her husband Eivind of Massachusetts and many adoring cousins. She was pre-deceased by her grandparents, Alfred and Loretta Bayley, Sigurd and Aagot Golten, and cousin Kevin James Bayley.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Paula’s memory are asked to please consider “Daniel’s Dream,” a Dog Rescue Foundation, set out to save every loving canine and place them with a caring family. (www.danielsdream.org) - PO Box 55, Nutley, NJ