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January 9, 2020
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 from 4:00 to 7:30 PM.
A Time of Sharing will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 7:30 PM.
Donna Verhoest, age 65 of Wayne, passed away at home on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Her loving family was by her side at the time of her passing.
Donna was born in East Orange to Vincent and Josephine Caputo. She was raised first in Bloomfield moving later to Nutley where she graduated from Nutley High School with the Class of 1972. After graduating she attended secretarial school and later became certified as a massage therapist.
Donna met Paul Verhoest on a blind date that was arranged by her best friends Nan and Frank Batelli. That first date took place at the 94th Bomber Group Restaurant in Fairfield and, as the saying goes, the rest was history. Donna and Paul fell in love and Paul proposed marriage while on the deck of their home in Kinnelon. They married at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne on August 4, 1991.
Donna simply loved the sight, sounds, smell and feel of the ocean which was instilled in her with many family trips to the Long Beach Island Section of the Jersey Shore. On LBI she especially enjoyed walks on the beach, bicycling to breakfast, and mini-golf. While the sound of the waves lapping on the beach brought great peace, she found an equally special place in the southwest desert of Scottsdale, AZ. With its gorgeous weather nine months out of the year, it was a destination which she described as a place where her soul felt at home and Donna visited often, even hoping to one day retire there with her husband Paul.
Donna will be lovingly remembered for her healthy lifestyle, love of life, kindness and generosity to family and friends. She lived a courageous life, never afraid to try new things. Some of her favorite interests included yoga, massage, meditation, jazz music, the arts, and dance. Oh, how she loved to dance! A fond family memory was seeing Donna dancing to that 1970’s hit Brick House. She was a truly awesome cook too, whose loving touch on Italian dishes will be greatly missed. She had a natural eye for interior decorating and, whether it was furniture, accessories, or making the house festive for any conceivable occasion, Donna was in her glory.
Donna simply adored her family, life with them was a constantly joyous pursuit. Vacation time spent in Orlando, FL held many special memories. Skiing, while certainly not her favorite pastime, was still always fun. This was especially true after the skiing was over and the night led to the dancing and dining. Gladly investing herself into the lives of her children, Donna took many road trips to watch #17 – her son Dennis, play soccer. She loved watching her daughter Danie go through school and begin helping others as a counselor. Also, seeing her son P.J.’s opening night performances on Broadway brought her a huge amount of joy. A true life highlight was witnessing Danie’s marriage two summers ago at the family home in Wayne and recently finding out she was going to be a grandmother to Harrison Paul, due July 2, 2020. For Donna, her best friend Nan was like a sister and the two of them had precious memories, countless laughs and beautiful trips together over the many years the two shared.
Donna was the beloved wife of 28 years to Paul Verhoest; devoted mother of Dennis Gourley of Wayne, Danielle Baird and her wife Rande of Maricopa, AZ, and P.J. Verhoest and his partner Kelvin Ponder of Queens, NY; precious daughter of Vincent and Josephine Caputo of Nutley; dear sister of Paul Caputo and his wife Lorraine of Nutley, and Deborah Caputo of Toms River; much loved aunt of William and Paula; and best friend of Nan and her husband Frank Batelli. She also had plenty of love in her heart for her favorite pooches, Bella, Mr. Toby, Luna and Bean.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Donna’s name are asked to consider Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 5028 Hagerstown, MD 21740 (or online by clicking here).
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 Tuesday, January 14, 2020 from 4:00 to 7:30 PM.
A Time of Sharing will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 7:30 PM.
January 9, 2020
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 from 4:00 to 7:30 PM.
A Time of Sharing will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 7:30 PM.
Donna Verhoest, age 65 of Wayne, passed away at home on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Her loving family was by her side at the time of her passing.
Donna was born in East Orange to Vincent and Josephine Caputo. She was raised first in Bloomfield moving later to Nutley where she graduated from Nutley High School with the Class of 1972. After graduating she attended secretarial school and later became certified as a massage therapist.
Donna met Paul Verhoest on a blind date that was arranged by her best friends Nan and Frank Batelli. That first date took place at the 94th Bomber Group Restaurant in Fairfield and, as the saying goes, the rest was history. Donna and Paul fell in love and Paul proposed marriage while on the deck of their home in Kinnelon. They married at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne on August 4, 1991.
Donna simply loved the sight, sounds, smell and feel of the ocean which was instilled in her with many family trips to the Long Beach Island Section of the Jersey Shore. On LBI she especially enjoyed walks on the beach, bicycling to breakfast, and mini-golf. While the sound of the waves lapping on the beach brought great peace, she found an equally special place in the southwest desert of Scottsdale, AZ. With its gorgeous weather nine months out of the year, it was a destination which she described as a place where her soul felt at home and Donna visited often, even hoping to one day retire there with her husband Paul.
Donna will be lovingly remembered for her healthy lifestyle, love of life, kindness and generosity to family and friends. She lived a courageous life, never afraid to try new things. Some of her favorite interests included yoga, massage, meditation, jazz music, the arts, and dance. Oh, how she loved to dance! A fond family memory was seeing Donna dancing to that 1970’s hit Brick House. She was a truly awesome cook too, whose loving touch on Italian dishes will be greatly missed. She had a natural eye for interior decorating and, whether it was furniture, accessories, or making the house festive for any conceivable occasion, Donna was in her glory.
Donna simply adored her family, life with them was a constantly joyous pursuit. Vacation time spent in Orlando, FL held many special memories. Skiing, while certainly not her favorite pastime, was still always fun. This was especially true after the skiing was over and the night led to the dancing and dining. Gladly investing herself into the lives of her children, Donna took many road trips to watch #17 – her son Dennis, play soccer. She loved watching her daughter Danie go through school and begin helping others as a counselor. Also, seeing her son P.J.’s opening night performances on Broadway brought her a huge amount of joy. A true life highlight was witnessing Danie’s marriage two summers ago at the family home in Wayne and recently finding out she was going to be a grandmother to Harrison Paul, due July 2, 2020. For Donna, her best friend Nan was like a sister and the two of them had precious memories, countless laughs and beautiful trips together over the many years the two shared.
Donna was the beloved wife of 28 years to Paul Verhoest; devoted mother of Dennis Gourley of Wayne, Danielle Baird and her wife Rande of Maricopa, AZ, and P.J. Verhoest and his partner Kelvin Ponder of Queens, NY; precious daughter of Vincent and Josephine Caputo of Nutley; dear sister of Paul Caputo and his wife Lorraine of Nutley, and Deborah Caputo of Toms River; much loved aunt of William and Paula; and best friend of Nan and her husband Frank Batelli. She also had plenty of love in her heart for her favorite pooches, Bella, Mr. Toby, Luna and Bean.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Donna’s name are asked to consider Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, PO Box 5028 Hagerstown, MD 21740 (or online by clicking here).
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