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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 9, 2016 from 4-8 PM and Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 9-11 AM.
A Funeral Service will immediately follow the Saturday morning visitation time and begin in the funeral home at 11 AM, with the chance for family and friends to share their remembrances of Tony.
Anthony Frank DeLuca, III “Tony”, age 43, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, December 4, 2016 at Chilton Hospital, in Pequannock, NJ.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, he spent a good part of the formative years of his life in the Kings Acres neighborhood of Stuyvesant, NY, graduating from Ichabod Crane High School, Valatie, NY, with the Class of 1991.
Tony met the love of his life, Kelly Secovnie, when he was eighteen years old. He started working for her family’s business - Treatz Eatery in Valatie, NY, as a cook. The restaurant served burger and ice cream fare and was situated in the perfect location – right across the street from Ichabod High School. Consequently, it catered to the teenage palate quite well and was a regular hangout for that age group. Kelly had been working there since she was twelve. The two became good friends and maintained that friendship even when separated by the pursuit of college degrees. Tony went off to Poughkeepsie, NY to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology at Marist College. After college, Tony’s first job was with Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, NY, where he worked until 2002.
Tony and Kelly didn’t have their first official date until December, 2001. This was soon after the calamitous events of 9/11. Those who know and love Tony understand the way that event led him to make a conscious effort to call all those in his inner circle to express his love and appreciation for their friendships. One of those who got the call was Kelly. It was actually Kelly who, based on an epiphany, called Tony that one day in December to ask him out. You see, Kelly had a dream that, based on the events of 9/11, she was seeing a therapist. In her dream that therapist told her that Tony wanted to ask her out. She acted on that dream and their first date was to Crossgates mall, where they saw a movie together, after a dinner at a local restaurant.
A mutual loving relationship developed which saw the couple moving twice so that Kelly could pursue her graduate work – first to the University of Kansas to get her Master’s degree and later back to the University at Albany in Albany, NY for her Ph.D. While in Albany, Tony began a new job as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in the organ transplant lab with Albany Medical Center. They had a brownstone apartment on State street in Albany for several years and actually broke up in 2007, but about a year later, Kelly had realized how foolish she had been to pass up the opportunity to be with the person that knew her better than any other and still loved her. She secretly arranged to propose to Tony on his birthday in the coffee shop in Hudson New York that had been his previous apartment with longtime friend Gene Gierka. Tony said, “maybe.” A few months passed as Kelly went to Africa as part of her Ph.D. studies. Returning in late August, Tony and Kelly headed for a weekend in Bar Harbor, Maine to reconnect. While there, Tony proposed to Kelly, presenting her with a beautiful ring of an opal (Kelly’s middle name) surrounded by diamonds. They always referred to this event as their re-proposal. They married on October 10, 2009 and honeymooned in Cancun, their first trip abroad together. To accommodate Kelly’s new job in Manhattan, they moved again, this time to Jersey City where Tony took a job as an IT Analyst with Mount Sinai Health System (formerly Continuum Health Partners), based in New York City.
In 2012, Tony and Kelly received one of life’s greatest gifts when they welcomed their first child, Malcolm. After living for a short time in Union City, they purchased their first home in Lincoln Park where they’ve lived for the past three years. In 2015, they welcomed their second child, Evelyn and felt that their family was complete.
Family life was a challenge and a joy all at once to Tony, as he balanced his role as a father with his increasing responsibilities at work as an IT Manager at Mount Sinai. This past October, Tony and Kelly celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary with a get-away trip to Mystic, Connecticut, where they mainly caught up on some much-needed sleep and managed to play a poker game with the innkeepers and their friends. Tony played his usual tight aggressive style, and only lost a small portion of his money.
The bedrock of Tony and Kelly’s relationship was always based on a pursuit of genuine friendship. Even after the children were born, they were mutually committed to making sure to carve out time for recreation and rejuvenation. Consequently, every-other week they went on a date night. Tony loved those nights, filled with simple things like seeing a movie together followed by good conversation. This was always a welcomed event, and taking a break from changing diapers, getting up for the children in the middle of the night as well as dedication to doing his share as breadwinner, was important. A self-identified feminist, Tony and Kelly’s marriage was not defined by traditional gender roles. Instead, they embraced a philosophy where both negotiated all of life’s responsibilities so as to respect the strengths of each partner. Kelly loved gardening and landscaping, for instance, and Tony hated all that outdoor maintenance. They made a deal about Kelly doing all the outdoor work. Tony, for his part, was an excellent and patient teacher to Malcolm and Evelyn in the art of making a good pancake on a Sunday morning, bright and early, and always managed to keep an eye out for the many items Kelly would lose.
Tony was a great father who craved hugs, kisses and snuggles from Malcolm and Evelyn. Yes, he could get a little curmudgeonly occasionally, and his nickname at Christmas time was “The Grinch,” Anyone who knew Tony well knew that he was a devoted father and spouse. Even when Tony was pushed to the limits by his kids, he’d always apologize to them if he was wrong, making sure they knew how much he loved them. He tried to be a great dad and was always open to learning and becoming a better person.
Tony was an avid gamer. He especially loved playing World of Warcraft and had been playing as far back as when the game was released in beta. That love of fantasy spilled into the consumption of words on the page too – specifically in the form of books from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. He possessed a general knowledge of pop-culture and loved to engage in conversation with family and friends about movies, television shows and books. More recently, he loved games like Hearthstone and Diablo. He also played Dungeons and Dragons with a group of friends often, as well as the game D & D Attack wing, which he patiently taught to Malcolm, as they “played dragons” together. He shared with Kelly and many members of her family, a love of board games. Most recently, over Thanksgiving a group of siblings and friends played King of Tokyo together, which Tony won with his sharp yet under-the-radar use of cards. As Kelly’s siblings grew up from young ages with Tony as a part of their family life, he was more like a brother to them and a cherished member of the Secovnie family, with nieces and nephews who looked up to him and felt connected to his sweet presence.
Tony grew up with a very close-knit community of friends from King’s Acres and beyond. Most recently, they convened in Las Vegas for the marriage of his long-time friends Kenji and Nicole. He always cherished his friendships with “The Boys” from his childhood in Kings Acres and, despite the distances from them in miles, they remained close and would get together for poker games. His family was also very important to him, including his mother, Jean DeLuca and Maryanne Wood. He was also a beloved uncle to Rita and Tiffany Wood, his nieces, and was the apple of his late father’s eye.
Tony will always be fondly remembered for his sensitivity, loyalty, empathy, and loving nature. He will be greatly missed and touched the lives of many people through his willingness to give of himself for those he loved.
Surviving are Tony’s beloved wife Kelly Secovnie; two treasured children: Malcolm and Evelyn Secovnie DeLuca; dear mother: Jean DeLuca (nee Stroming) of Hudson, NY; one sister: Maryanne Wood of Hudson, NY; and his sisters-in law and brothers-in-law: Tracey and husband Tim Rheingold of Latham, NY, Ezra and wife Sasha Secovnie of Jerusalem, Israel, Adam Secovnie of Poughkeepsie, NY, Abby Secovnie of Brooklyn, NY, and Hannah Secovnie of the Bronx, NY. Tony was also a beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his dear father Anthony F. DeLuca, II.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Tony’s name are asked to consider a gift to help with future college expenses for Evelyn and Malcolm by going to Ugift529.com (enter the Ugift code: N7S-B6D), or to an emergency fund that has been set up to help offset immediate, unexpected expenses at gofundme.com/Anthony-F-DeLuca-III-Memorial-Fund.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 9, 2016 from 4-8 PM and Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 9-11 AM.
A Funeral Service will immediately follow the Saturday morning visitation time and begin in the funeral home at 11 AM, with the chance for family and friends to share their remembrances of Tony.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 9, 2016 from 4-8 PM and Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 9-11 AM.
A Funeral Service will immediately follow the Saturday morning visitation time and begin in the funeral home at 11 AM, with the chance for family and friends to share their remembrances of Tony.
Anthony Frank DeLuca, III “Tony”, age 43, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, December 4, 2016 at Chilton Hospital, in Pequannock, NJ.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, he spent a good part of the formative years of his life in the Kings Acres neighborhood of Stuyvesant, NY, graduating from Ichabod Crane High School, Valatie, NY, with the Class of 1991.
Tony met the love of his life, Kelly Secovnie, when he was eighteen years old. He started working for her family’s business - Treatz Eatery in Valatie, NY, as a cook. The restaurant served burger and ice cream fare and was situated in the perfect location – right across the street from Ichabod High School. Consequently, it catered to the teenage palate quite well and was a regular hangout for that age group. Kelly had been working there since she was twelve. The two became good friends and maintained that friendship even when separated by the pursuit of college degrees. Tony went off to Poughkeepsie, NY to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology at Marist College. After college, Tony’s first job was with Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, NY, where he worked until 2002.
Tony and Kelly didn’t have their first official date until December, 2001. This was soon after the calamitous events of 9/11. Those who know and love Tony understand the way that event led him to make a conscious effort to call all those in his inner circle to express his love and appreciation for their friendships. One of those who got the call was Kelly. It was actually Kelly who, based on an epiphany, called Tony that one day in December to ask him out. You see, Kelly had a dream that, based on the events of 9/11, she was seeing a therapist. In her dream that therapist told her that Tony wanted to ask her out. She acted on that dream and their first date was to Crossgates mall, where they saw a movie together, after a dinner at a local restaurant.
A mutual loving relationship developed which saw the couple moving twice so that Kelly could pursue her graduate work – first to the University of Kansas to get her Master’s degree and later back to the University at Albany in Albany, NY for her Ph.D. While in Albany, Tony began a new job as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in the organ transplant lab with Albany Medical Center. They had a brownstone apartment on State street in Albany for several years and actually broke up in 2007, but about a year later, Kelly had realized how foolish she had been to pass up the opportunity to be with the person that knew her better than any other and still loved her. She secretly arranged to propose to Tony on his birthday in the coffee shop in Hudson New York that had been his previous apartment with longtime friend Gene Gierka. Tony said, “maybe.” A few months passed as Kelly went to Africa as part of her Ph.D. studies. Returning in late August, Tony and Kelly headed for a weekend in Bar Harbor, Maine to reconnect. While there, Tony proposed to Kelly, presenting her with a beautiful ring of an opal (Kelly’s middle name) surrounded by diamonds. They always referred to this event as their re-proposal. They married on October 10, 2009 and honeymooned in Cancun, their first trip abroad together. To accommodate Kelly’s new job in Manhattan, they moved again, this time to Jersey City where Tony took a job as an IT Analyst with Mount Sinai Health System (formerly Continuum Health Partners), based in New York City.
In 2012, Tony and Kelly received one of life’s greatest gifts when they welcomed their first child, Malcolm. After living for a short time in Union City, they purchased their first home in Lincoln Park where they’ve lived for the past three years. In 2015, they welcomed their second child, Evelyn and felt that their family was complete.
Family life was a challenge and a joy all at once to Tony, as he balanced his role as a father with his increasing responsibilities at work as an IT Manager at Mount Sinai. This past October, Tony and Kelly celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary with a get-away trip to Mystic, Connecticut, where they mainly caught up on some much-needed sleep and managed to play a poker game with the innkeepers and their friends. Tony played his usual tight aggressive style, and only lost a small portion of his money.
The bedrock of Tony and Kelly’s relationship was always based on a pursuit of genuine friendship. Even after the children were born, they were mutually committed to making sure to carve out time for recreation and rejuvenation. Consequently, every-other week they went on a date night. Tony loved those nights, filled with simple things like seeing a movie together followed by good conversation. This was always a welcomed event, and taking a break from changing diapers, getting up for the children in the middle of the night as well as dedication to doing his share as breadwinner, was important. A self-identified feminist, Tony and Kelly’s marriage was not defined by traditional gender roles. Instead, they embraced a philosophy where both negotiated all of life’s responsibilities so as to respect the strengths of each partner. Kelly loved gardening and landscaping, for instance, and Tony hated all that outdoor maintenance. They made a deal about Kelly doing all the outdoor work. Tony, for his part, was an excellent and patient teacher to Malcolm and Evelyn in the art of making a good pancake on a Sunday morning, bright and early, and always managed to keep an eye out for the many items Kelly would lose.
Tony was a great father who craved hugs, kisses and snuggles from Malcolm and Evelyn. Yes, he could get a little curmudgeonly occasionally, and his nickname at Christmas time was “The Grinch,” Anyone who knew Tony well knew that he was a devoted father and spouse. Even when Tony was pushed to the limits by his kids, he’d always apologize to them if he was wrong, making sure they knew how much he loved them. He tried to be a great dad and was always open to learning and becoming a better person.
Tony was an avid gamer. He especially loved playing World of Warcraft and had been playing as far back as when the game was released in beta. That love of fantasy spilled into the consumption of words on the page too – specifically in the form of books from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. He possessed a general knowledge of pop-culture and loved to engage in conversation with family and friends about movies, television shows and books. More recently, he loved games like Hearthstone and Diablo. He also played Dungeons and Dragons with a group of friends often, as well as the game D & D Attack wing, which he patiently taught to Malcolm, as they “played dragons” together. He shared with Kelly and many members of her family, a love of board games. Most recently, over Thanksgiving a group of siblings and friends played King of Tokyo together, which Tony won with his sharp yet under-the-radar use of cards. As Kelly’s siblings grew up from young ages with Tony as a part of their family life, he was more like a brother to them and a cherished member of the Secovnie family, with nieces and nephews who looked up to him and felt connected to his sweet presence.
Tony grew up with a very close-knit community of friends from King’s Acres and beyond. Most recently, they convened in Las Vegas for the marriage of his long-time friends Kenji and Nicole. He always cherished his friendships with “The Boys” from his childhood in Kings Acres and, despite the distances from them in miles, they remained close and would get together for poker games. His family was also very important to him, including his mother, Jean DeLuca and Maryanne Wood. He was also a beloved uncle to Rita and Tiffany Wood, his nieces, and was the apple of his late father’s eye.
Tony will always be fondly remembered for his sensitivity, loyalty, empathy, and loving nature. He will be greatly missed and touched the lives of many people through his willingness to give of himself for those he loved.
Surviving are Tony’s beloved wife Kelly Secovnie; two treasured children: Malcolm and Evelyn Secovnie DeLuca; dear mother: Jean DeLuca (nee Stroming) of Hudson, NY; one sister: Maryanne Wood of Hudson, NY; and his sisters-in law and brothers-in-law: Tracey and husband Tim Rheingold of Latham, NY, Ezra and wife Sasha Secovnie of Jerusalem, Israel, Adam Secovnie of Poughkeepsie, NY, Abby Secovnie of Brooklyn, NY, and Hannah Secovnie of the Bronx, NY. Tony was also a beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his dear father Anthony F. DeLuca, II.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Tony’s name are asked to consider a gift to help with future college expenses for Evelyn and Malcolm by going to Ugift529.com (enter the Ugift code: N7S-B6D), or to an emergency fund that has been set up to help offset immediate, unexpected expenses at gofundme.com/Anthony-F-DeLuca-III-Memorial-Fund.
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