Agnes “Baba” Rudolph

Agnes M. Rudolph, 84 of Pequannock, and affectionately known at “Baba” to so many, died peacefully on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 with her family gathered at her bedside. She had lived in Pequannock since 1962.

Agnes was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and graduated from St. Nicholas High School. She graduated from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Wilkes-Barre, PA, in 1955, and embarked on a lifelong career as a Registered Nurse. She served in the maternity ward at Mercy Hospital for five years before getting married and moving to Pequannock, NJ. She later worked at the Intermediate Care Center in Lincoln Park from 1974 – 1989, and then at the Holy Name Friary in Ringwood, NJ, where she retired in 1996. Her years at Holy Name Friary were among her favorite, and taking care of others was something that came naturally to her.

Agnes was named “Baba” by her first grandchild, Erik, and has been known as “Baba” ever since. She was truly the most caring and nurturing person you could have known. As a mom and grandma, she found her greatest joys in caring for her family, but especially her eight grandchildren. She was a very “hands on” grandmother who adored her grandchildren just as much as they each adored her. She loved to try new recipes, and “Baba’s Special Breakfasts” were the best! She loved to bake too, and made over 1,000 Christmas cookies every year to share with family and friends. If you were lucky enough to get a plate of her cookies, then you know just how good they were! It wasn’t just the flavor and appearance that made her cookies so good - it was all the love she put into making them that made them the best. She never missed a birthday or special occasion, and often made “theme” cakes for her grandkids and other special people in her life. She had a great sense of humor, and enjoyed writing poems describing comical events in the lives of her friends. She loved decorating her home for the holidays, and Christmas at her home was nothing short of magical. Agnes was also very patriotic and proud to be an American. A Johnny Mathis fan for her entire adult life, Baba has seen him live more than thirty times and was slated to see him perform this coming March. While resting in the hospital recently, her daughter whispered to her, “Should I put on some Johnny Mathis?” Baba’s eyebrows quickly raised up a few times in agreement!

Agnes was a devout Catholic and her faith in God was strong. She prayed the Rosary nearly every day and was frustrated in recent years because she would fall asleep before finishing. She kept a May Altar in her home during the month of May, and when able, attended daily Mass with her close friends. Her strong faith helped her to endure life’s trials with grace, and this was especially true when her husband passed in 2005.

Agnes met her husband Leonard in Wilkes-Barre when she was just a young girl. Leonard was the older brother of her best friend, Ceil. He accompanied her to a nurse’s dance one evening, and arrived at her door the next day with a gift - a transistor radio! This was a big deal at the time, and a very thoughtful gesture. They began dating and were married on June 11, 1960 at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre. Leonard used to tease that he married Agnes after learning that her father worked at a brewery, and this was his way of getting free beer! They embarked on a honeymoon to Lake Champlain, NY, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Montreal, Canada. Soon afterwards, they moved to an apartment in Clifton, and in 1962 built a home in Pequannock, and raised their family there. They were a fun-loving couple, always teasing each other good-heartedly, attending “Couples Club” dances, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Agnes fussed over Len as the devoted wife that she was. She loved cooking and caring for him, and together they kept a home that has been described as “a Norman Rockwell painting.” Of course they had their hardships, but their faith in God and love for each other enabled them to endure. They celebrated almost forty five years of marriage together before Leonard passed away in 2005. Although Agnes was heartbroken losing him, her faith in God again helped her to persevere. Surely they are reunited once again, lovingly teasing one another.

Agnes is survived by her four daughters; Ann Rudolph of Pequannock, Patricia “Patty” Conte and her husband Bruce of Pompton Plains, Theresa Espersen and her husband Doug of Harleysville, PA, and Aileen Buldo of Dingman’s Ferry, PA, eight grandchildren: Erik Espersen and his wife Nicole, Timothy Espersen and his fiancé Jordan Rush, Nicholas Espersen, Aaron Buldo, Samantha Buldo, Adam Conte, Jessica Conte, and Evan Conte, her sister, Marjorie Leiss and her husband, Bob, and a cherished extended family. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Leonard in 2005, and by her “favorite” son-in-law, Charlie Buldo in 2017.

Memorial donations in Agnes’ name would be greatly appreciated to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, www.stjude.org, or to the Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301, www.dav.org.