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May 18, 2018
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, May 21, 2018 from 4-8 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, beginning at 10:30 AM at the funeral home. Entombment will follow at Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa.
Bernard A. Ewasko, age 83, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 18, 2018.
Born in Shenandoah, PA and raised in Paterson, Bernie graduated from his high school with the Class of 1952. A few years later, he heeded the call from Uncle Sam and proudly served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1958.
As a kid growing up on Keen Street in Paterson, one of Bernie’s childhood friends was a girl named Louise “Lou Ann” Iuele who lived across the street from his house. Lou Ann recalled racing bikes together when they were little. As they grew into their teens, the dynamic of their friendship changed a bit. At 17, Bernie wanted to take Lou Ann out on a date and, even though she was only 14 at the time, Lou Ann’s father permitted her to go because he knew Bernie well and trusted him to be a good boy. Those first dates consisted of Sunday drives past the farms on Ratzer Road in Wayne in Bernie’s first car. There love just continued to grow and, on Saturday, November 28, 1959, they exchanged their wedding promises at Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson. After the wedding, they drove to Florida to enjoy a warm and sunny honeymoon. Bernie and Lou Ann’s first home together was in their hometown of Paterson. They eventually moved to West Paterson before landing in Wayne where they have lived for the past 57 years. In all, they were blessed with almost 59 years in a marriage that gave them two beautiful children and many happy moments together.
Bernie could best be described as a self-taught, self-made man. There was no challenge too great for him to take and he was truly the person that all in his family looked to for guidance and wisdom. Already at a very young age, Bernie got involved in plastics manufacturing. His ultimate professional achievement was becoming president of Ber Plastics, Inc., manufacturer of polyethylene film, located in Riverdale.
Bernie’s times of leisure were most enjoyed spending time in the woods of North Jersey and Northeast Pennsylvania hunting for deer and pheasant or taking hikes every Saturday a little closer to home at Ramapo Reservation or Bear Mountain with his grandson Mark or anyone else that wanted to join him. When Bernie turned 40, he told Lou Ann that he wanted to get a motor cycle and so that’s what he did – a big Honda Gold Wing 750. His daughter Jo Ann and son Steven have great memories of Dad taking them for cruises and even Lou Ann would take rides. She’d hang on tight to Bernie and apparently talk a bit too much. This would prompt Bernie to tell her to “Shut your mouth or the bugs will go in!” Bernie also liked his cars, especially a 1978 Silver Anniversary Edition Chevy Corvette. He’d proudly display it at area car shows and take home lots of first place awards in competitions. One time he let Lou Ann drive his baby. She drove it through a puddle and that was the last time she got to drive it. Instead he purchased another corvette for her too drive through as many puddles as she wanted. It was a bright red 1982 model and it’s still in the family today. For countless years winter times were most enjoyed in a warmer place than Jersey – at their ocean condo at Indian Harbor Beach in Florida. Lou Ann would spend the whole winter and Bernie would come down two weeks out of each month since he had to attend to his business too.
Above all else, Bernie was lovingly devoted to his family. He once told Lou Ann that it was his personal conviction and purpose in life to take care of his family until God gave him his last breath. It was his greatest pleasure to do so and he was proud of each and every one of them. When blessed with his first great-grandchild – Marcelo Alexander, he was ecstatic! Surely, Bernie’s legacy will live on in the lives he guided and touched along the way.
Surviving are Bernie’s beloved wife Louise “Lou Ann” (nee Iuele); his dear daughter and son: Jo Ann Ewasko of Wayne and Steven and wife CharlotteAnn Ewasko of Oak Ridge; three adoring grandchildren: Nicole, Mark and his wife Jackie, and Cory Ianuale; one cherished great-grandson: Marcelo; his dear sister-in-law Irene and husband Chris Seltenheim of Pompton Lakes; his niece Karen and husband Bill Hansen; his nephew Chris Seltenheim, Jr.; and his brother-in-law Carmen and wife Karen Iuele.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Bernie’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or at www.stjude.org
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 Monday, May 21, 2018 from 4-8 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, beginning at 10:30 AM at the funeral home. Entombment will follow at Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa.
May 18, 2018
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, May 21, 2018 from 4-8 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, beginning at 10:30 AM at the funeral home. Entombment will follow at Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa.
Bernard A. Ewasko, age 83, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 18, 2018.
Born in Shenandoah, PA and raised in Paterson, Bernie graduated from his high school with the Class of 1952. A few years later, he heeded the call from Uncle Sam and proudly served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1958.
As a kid growing up on Keen Street in Paterson, one of Bernie’s childhood friends was a girl named Louise “Lou Ann” Iuele who lived across the street from his house. Lou Ann recalled racing bikes together when they were little. As they grew into their teens, the dynamic of their friendship changed a bit. At 17, Bernie wanted to take Lou Ann out on a date and, even though she was only 14 at the time, Lou Ann’s father permitted her to go because he knew Bernie well and trusted him to be a good boy. Those first dates consisted of Sunday drives past the farms on Ratzer Road in Wayne in Bernie’s first car. There love just continued to grow and, on Saturday, November 28, 1959, they exchanged their wedding promises at Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson. After the wedding, they drove to Florida to enjoy a warm and sunny honeymoon. Bernie and Lou Ann’s first home together was in their hometown of Paterson. They eventually moved to West Paterson before landing in Wayne where they have lived for the past 57 years. In all, they were blessed with almost 59 years in a marriage that gave them two beautiful children and many happy moments together.
Bernie could best be described as a self-taught, self-made man. There was no challenge too great for him to take and he was truly the person that all in his family looked to for guidance and wisdom. Already at a very young age, Bernie got involved in plastics manufacturing. His ultimate professional achievement was becoming president of Ber Plastics, Inc., manufacturer of polyethylene film, located in Riverdale.
Bernie’s times of leisure were most enjoyed spending time in the woods of North Jersey and Northeast Pennsylvania hunting for deer and pheasant or taking hikes every Saturday a little closer to home at Ramapo Reservation or Bear Mountain with his grandson Mark or anyone else that wanted to join him. When Bernie turned 40, he told Lou Ann that he wanted to get a motor cycle and so that’s what he did – a big Honda Gold Wing 750. His daughter Jo Ann and son Steven have great memories of Dad taking them for cruises and even Lou Ann would take rides. She’d hang on tight to Bernie and apparently talk a bit too much. This would prompt Bernie to tell her to “Shut your mouth or the bugs will go in!” Bernie also liked his cars, especially a 1978 Silver Anniversary Edition Chevy Corvette. He’d proudly display it at area car shows and take home lots of first place awards in competitions. One time he let Lou Ann drive his baby. She drove it through a puddle and that was the last time she got to drive it. Instead he purchased another corvette for her too drive through as many puddles as she wanted. It was a bright red 1982 model and it’s still in the family today. For countless years winter times were most enjoyed in a warmer place than Jersey – at their ocean condo at Indian Harbor Beach in Florida. Lou Ann would spend the whole winter and Bernie would come down two weeks out of each month since he had to attend to his business too.
Above all else, Bernie was lovingly devoted to his family. He once told Lou Ann that it was his personal conviction and purpose in life to take care of his family until God gave him his last breath. It was his greatest pleasure to do so and he was proud of each and every one of them. When blessed with his first great-grandchild – Marcelo Alexander, he was ecstatic! Surely, Bernie’s legacy will live on in the lives he guided and touched along the way.
Surviving are Bernie’s beloved wife Louise “Lou Ann” (nee Iuele); his dear daughter and son: Jo Ann Ewasko of Wayne and Steven and wife CharlotteAnn Ewasko of Oak Ridge; three adoring grandchildren: Nicole, Mark and his wife Jackie, and Cory Ianuale; one cherished great-grandson: Marcelo; his dear sister-in-law Irene and husband Chris Seltenheim of Pompton Lakes; his niece Karen and husband Bill Hansen; his nephew Chris Seltenheim, Jr.; and his brother-in-law Carmen and wife Karen Iuele.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Bernie’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or at www.stjude.org
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