Ann Pillar

Ann Pillar, age 88, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 6, 2025.

Born and raised in Paterson, Ann was the youngest of four children of Dominic and Carmela (Venditti) Ciarlo. A graduate of Eastside High School’s Class of 1954, after high school, she worked as a bookkeeper at Spotless Dry Cleaning, located near Paterson’s historic falls. In this role, she expertly used a key-driven mechanical calculator, known as a comptometer—an invention dating back to 1887.

Ann’s love story began one evening at Falls View Grill, where she caught the eye of a handsome Marine Corps serviceman, Joseph Pillar, who was home on leave. Over burgers, hotdogs, and French fries, a romantic courtship began—one that would continue through Joe’s military service. The couple exchanged vows at St. Anthony Church in Paterson, celebrating their honeymoon on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls before settling into their first home on Twenty-First Street in Paterson. They later lived on Front Street before moving to Wayne in 1961, where they would spend the rest of their lives together, raising their two beloved daughters, JoAnn and Debbie. Ann and Joe shared sixty years of loving and devoted marriage until Joe’s passing in 2017.

As a young mother, Ann fully embraced her role as homemaker. Her greatest priority was creating a warm, nurturing, and immaculately clean home for her family. Summers were marked by treasured annual vacations to St. Petersburg, Florida, during the last week of July through the first week of August. Once her daughters grew more independent, Ann returned to the workforce—first as a waitress at Casa Mia Restaurant, owned by her brother in Wayne, and later at Patty’s Pancakes in Haledon.

Faith and family were the cornerstones of Ann’s life. A devoted parishioner of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne, she rarely missed Sunday Mass until health concerns intervened about four years ago. Undeterred, she found spiritual nourishment through a televised 9:00 AM Mass, and her family quickly learned not to call and disturb her in any way during that sacred hour.

Ann was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother “Grammy,” and great-grandmother. Nothing brought her more joy than time spent with her loved ones. She was the ever-willing, always-loving babysitter for her grandchildren—an experience she found joyful, not a chore. Her baking and cooking were legendary among the family: cranberry cakes, chocolate peanut butter cakes, cream cheese cupcakes, and her Thanksgiving stuffing were all favorites. Her son-in-law Don especially loved her potato croquettes. With nimble fingers and a generous heart, she crocheted countless baby blankets, pocketbooks, and other handmade treasures for her family, and also enjoyed needlepoint.

Ann was a firecracker—spirited, strong-willed, and clear about how she wanted things done. Thank God, her mind remained sharp as a tack throughout her life. Her passing was sudden and has left a sad void in the hearts of those who loved her. Yet, her family takes comfort in the legacy of love, laughter, and beautiful memories she leaves behind.

Ann was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Pillar, with whom she shared 60 wonderful years of marriage. She was the loving mother of JoAnn Stinnard and her husband Donald of Pompton Lakes, and Debbie Arena, also of Pompton Lakes. She was the proud and cherished grandmother of Michelle Warren and her husband Eric, Aimee Pires and her husband Dan, Mark Stinnard, Dale Arena and his fiancée Misty Yesuda, Jenna Kennedy and her husband Ryan, and Shane Stinnard and his wife Becki. She was the adored great-grandmother of Nathan Pires, Nicholas Warren, Jake Warren, Andrew Pires, Olivia Kennedy, Jackson Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy, and Addison Yasuda. Ann also leaves behind her “adopted” daughter Debbie and husband Robbie Kutcher and their family, who held a special place in her heart.

She was predeceased by her parents, Dominic and Carmela Ciarlo; her stepmother, Maria Ciarlo; her brothers, Mario and Angelo Ciarlo; and her sister, Phyllis Ciarlo.

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In lieu of flowers, those wishing to express sympathy in Ann’s memory are kindly asked to consider a donation to:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Memorial Processing

501 St. Jude Place

Memphis, TN 38105-9959

Please be sure to mention that your gift is in memory of Ann Pillar.