Camille Pabst

M. Camille Pabst, age 92, of Wayne and a former resident of Monroe Township, passed away on Thursday, September 8, 2022.

The first of Louis and Nancy (Caraccia) Pesile’s three children, Camile was officially named Mary Camille Pesile but was widely known throughout her life as Camille. She was born at home in Lyndhurst at the family’s home on Green Ave and raised in the same town in the home located on Valley Brook Ave. When she was just two years old, Camille fell out of a second story window. She broke an arm but her life was spared, and for that, her parents were eternally grateful to God.

After graduating from Lyndhurst High School with the Class of 1946, Camille set off for higher education at Montclair State Teacher’s College where she received a B.A. in English with an accounting minor. Following graduation on June 15, 1950, she taught eighth grade in the Lyndhurst School District at Lincoln School.

Camille met the love of her life, Ferdinand Pabst at a block party in Lyndhurst. They soon fell in love and married on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1953 at Sacred Heart Church on Ridge Road in Lyndhurst. After a reception at the Rutherford Women’s Club and a honeymoon at the Paradise Valley Lodge in the Poconos, PA, the newlyweds settled into their first home together which was an apartment in Carlstadt. From there they temporarily moved into Ferd’s parent’s home in Woodridge while they waited construction of a brand-new home which they purchased in a then, “up-and-coming” town called Wayne. They moved into their new home, located on Terrace Road on December 12, 1956, just in time for Christmas. Soon after, Camille and Ferd welcomed their firstborn, a baby girl whom they named Paula. She was soon followed by her younger siblings Robert, Neal, and Nancy.

With four children and a new house, Camille transitioned from life in the classroom to fulltime life in the home. She lovingly cared for her four children and did a great job of providing a welcoming place for them to grow up. Eventually she returned part time to the classroom serving as a substitute teacher in the Wayne school system. Her years in education culminated with the position of a Career Counselor in the career resource center at Wayne Valley High School before fully retiring in 1987.

In 1988, Camille and Ferd relocated to the Clearbrook a 55+ community in Monroe Township. Camille settled quite nicely into retirement spending much of her leisure time playing her lifelong passion, bridge, and going out to lunch with old and new friends. In the winters she and Ferd escaped the cold by traveling to their second home in Naples, Florida. Retirement years also proved to be a great time for traveling adventures together throughout much of Europe, Asia, and South America. They especially loved river cruises. It was also a season of life filled with the blessing of grandchildren, and Camille and Ferdinand enjoyed them to the fullest by attending many of their sporting events and dance recitals. They were always fully supportive of their grandchildren and made every effort to attend all their events so they could watch their grandchildren grow up.

In addition to cherishing her family, Camille was deeply devoted to her Catholic faith. When she and Ferd moved to Wayne, they soon joined the faithful for weekly mass at Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church in Wayne. In fact, they were charter parishioners! Throughout their many years of living in Wayne, Camille remained very active in the life of the parish as a member of the women’s club, the Mr. and Mrs. Club, volunteering to help clean the church and rectory. In later years, Camille and her husband taught marriage Pre-Cana classes for parishioners. Upon relocating to Monroe Township, she and Ferd again became charter parishioners of the newly formed Nativity of our Lord Church. They remained faithful parishioners for many years.  

Throughout her life, Camille enjoyed athletics. For many years she played volleyball in the Wayne Women’s League. She also enjoyed playing tennis, and in their retirement, she and Ferd took up the game of golf. Camille was also a true movie buff. Ask her about a classic movie and she could tell you all about it, including who starred in the movie and when it came out. Her favorite actor was Charlton Heston, and her favorite movie was Gone with the Wind. Camille possessed a great vocabulary, a skill which was probably somewhat aided by her love reading and crossword puzzles. She was a real socialite who loved going to and hosting parties. Her house was always a hub of entertainment for summer barbeques, family reunions, birthday bashes, and holiday parties.

On December 19, 2018, Camille’s beloved husband Ferdinand passed away at the age of 89. Camille continued to live at Clearbrook in Monroe Township until this past November when she moved into the new Brightview Senior Living community in Wayne.

Camille’s college yearbook described her well.  It made mention of her sparkling brown eyes, her always being ready with a laugh or a helping hand, and her carefree but capable nature. When asked to describe Camille, her own children used words such as spunky, chatty, smart, strong-willed, and yes…..sometimes a bit bossy. Camille will certainly be missed, but her family is grateful for her long life and that she is now reunited with her beloved Ferdinand.

Camille was the beloved wife of Ferdinand, blessed in marriage for 65 years until Ferd’s passing. She was the very loving mother of Paula Mecke and her husband Jim of Hayden, ID, Robert Pabst and his wife Diane of Branchburg, Neal Pabst and his wife Karen of Wayne, and Nancy Gilmore of Haskell; cherished grandmother of: Tyler, Emily (Scott), Paige (Sam), Luke, Corey, and Jordan; dear sister of the late Frank Pesile and his late wife Darlene, and Martha Hart and her husband Tom of Columbus, NJ.

For those unable to physically attend, the mass will be livestreamed at olvwayne.org/live-streaming. Following the Mass, Camille will be laid to rest at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Camille’s name are asked to consider one of the following charitable organizations:

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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959

American Heart Association P.O. Box 417005 Boston, MA  02241-7005