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April 8, 2017
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 10, 2017 from 4-8 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 beginning 10:30 AM, at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Paterson
Dorothy Elizabeth Lutcza, age 96, of Boonton and formerly of Manahawkin and Passaic, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 8, 2017.
Dottie was born and raised in Passaic, NJ. As a child, her mother taught Dottie and her younger sister Lillian to make egg noodles, chicken paprikash with dumplings, cabbage noodles, and many other delicious foods. From these lessons Dottie gained a great appreciation for cooking and she was also an avid baker.
Dottie married Alex, the love of her life in December, 1941 while Alex was on leave from the Army. Upon his return home from the service, they purchased a home in Passaic where they raised their three children – Gail, Allan and Jeffrey. They all loved the shore and so they purchased a summer home in Beach Haven West. Many enjoyable weekends and summers took place at the shore and the house was often bursting at the seams…..eating and laughing under the “big top” till dark, when the rousing games of scrabble or Rummikub would begin. The family grew as each of her children married and soon there were five grandchildren – each a source of pride to their grandma and grandpa. They lived in Passaic until Alex’s retirement in 1982, then they permanently relocated to Manahawkin in South Jersey. Altogether, Alex and Dottie were blessed with 47 years of marriage until Alex’s passing in 1989. Dottie showed great strength and courage during this difficult time. She found much happiness in babysitting her youngest grandchild Jessica. She remained in Manahawkin until 2010 when she came to live at Merry Heart – a senior community in Boonton. This was wonderful for her children who all lived in Northern New Jersey as it gave them the chance to visit Mom more frequently.
During her years in Manahawkin Dottie was active in the Manahawkin Methodist Church, the Civic Association, and the Golden Age Club. Serving as Membership Chairman for the Civic Association for several years, she was able to make many new friends. Dottie also especially enjoyed working with the other church members on crafts to sell at fundraisers for the church, putting together the monthly newsletter, and making visits to shut-ins. She was also liaison with the Camden Women’s Fellowship where she arranged visits between the two church groups. She could often be found talking on the phone whether it was to be sure your civic association dues were paid or making sure you had that casserole or pie ready for the potluck supper at church. She loved to entertain and often had the ladies to her home for wonderful lunches. And there were those “girl’s weekends” every fall. During this time, the family continued to grow as the grandchildren began to marry and eventually there were seven great-grandchildren. “GeeGee” as they called her, loved and adored each one of them!
Dottie’s involvement with the Intergenerational Council at Southern Regional High School also brought her a great deal of pleasure. She shared experiences with the students and interacted with them through participation in educational and social activities. She also enjoyed traveling with her family and friends. Her favorite place was Hawaii. One highlight in Hawaii was a visit to Pearl Harbor. This was a moving experience for both of them.
Dottie was a talented seamstress, crafter, and baker. Her projects included making crocheted sweater sets, blankets, clothing, as well as stuffed animals for her grandchildren. Dottie’s great-granddaughters loved to play with the corduroy turtle and the baby turtle that she made for one of her grandsons and also the clothing she made for their American Girl Dolls. She also loved growing her tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, basil and different varieties of mint in her garden in Manahawkin. Those cooking lessons her mother gave her as a child really paid great dividends for her children and grandchildren! She loved to cook and certainly had her specialties. Dottie taught her family how to make many things but among the favorites were her Babka and pierogis! She even let them in on the secret ingredient that made the pierogi dough just right. But Dottie was most famous for her cookies. Her family couldn’t wait until Christmas time when they were guaranteed tins full of those delicious morsels. To this day no one in the family can make a chocolate chip cookie or sand cookie taste as good as Dottie’s.
Dorothy was the loving mother of: Gail and husband Ross Amento of Oak Ridge, Allan and wife Carol Lutcza of Rockaway, and Jeffrey and wife Emilie Lutcza of Wayne; adored grandmother of: Brian and wife Sara, Craig and wife Carollynn, Gregory and wife Laurie, Timothy and wife Michelle, and Jessica; and cherished great-grandmother of Lena, Alex, Kaitlin, Lydia, Isabella, Cassidy, and Hailey. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Alex in 1989, and her dear younger sister Lillian Palmer in 2008
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy Dorothy’s name are asked to consider the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 (www.WoundedWarriorProject.org), or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorials Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (wwwStJude.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, April 10, 2017 from 4-8 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 beginning 10:30 AM, at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Paterson
April 8, 2017
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 10, 2017 from 4-8 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 beginning 10:30 AM, at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Paterson
Dorothy Elizabeth Lutcza, age 96, of Boonton and formerly of Manahawkin and Passaic, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 8, 2017.
Dottie was born and raised in Passaic, NJ. As a child, her mother taught Dottie and her younger sister Lillian to make egg noodles, chicken paprikash with dumplings, cabbage noodles, and many other delicious foods. From these lessons Dottie gained a great appreciation for cooking and she was also an avid baker.
Dottie married Alex, the love of her life in December, 1941 while Alex was on leave from the Army. Upon his return home from the service, they purchased a home in Passaic where they raised their three children – Gail, Allan and Jeffrey. They all loved the shore and so they purchased a summer home in Beach Haven West. Many enjoyable weekends and summers took place at the shore and the house was often bursting at the seams…..eating and laughing under the “big top” till dark, when the rousing games of scrabble or Rummikub would begin. The family grew as each of her children married and soon there were five grandchildren – each a source of pride to their grandma and grandpa. They lived in Passaic until Alex’s retirement in 1982, then they permanently relocated to Manahawkin in South Jersey. Altogether, Alex and Dottie were blessed with 47 years of marriage until Alex’s passing in 1989. Dottie showed great strength and courage during this difficult time. She found much happiness in babysitting her youngest grandchild Jessica. She remained in Manahawkin until 2010 when she came to live at Merry Heart – a senior community in Boonton. This was wonderful for her children who all lived in Northern New Jersey as it gave them the chance to visit Mom more frequently.
During her years in Manahawkin Dottie was active in the Manahawkin Methodist Church, the Civic Association, and the Golden Age Club. Serving as Membership Chairman for the Civic Association for several years, she was able to make many new friends. Dottie also especially enjoyed working with the other church members on crafts to sell at fundraisers for the church, putting together the monthly newsletter, and making visits to shut-ins. She was also liaison with the Camden Women’s Fellowship where she arranged visits between the two church groups. She could often be found talking on the phone whether it was to be sure your civic association dues were paid or making sure you had that casserole or pie ready for the potluck supper at church. She loved to entertain and often had the ladies to her home for wonderful lunches. And there were those “girl’s weekends” every fall. During this time, the family continued to grow as the grandchildren began to marry and eventually there were seven great-grandchildren. “GeeGee” as they called her, loved and adored each one of them!
Dottie’s involvement with the Intergenerational Council at Southern Regional High School also brought her a great deal of pleasure. She shared experiences with the students and interacted with them through participation in educational and social activities. She also enjoyed traveling with her family and friends. Her favorite place was Hawaii. One highlight in Hawaii was a visit to Pearl Harbor. This was a moving experience for both of them.
Dottie was a talented seamstress, crafter, and baker. Her projects included making crocheted sweater sets, blankets, clothing, as well as stuffed animals for her grandchildren. Dottie’s great-granddaughters loved to play with the corduroy turtle and the baby turtle that she made for one of her grandsons and also the clothing she made for their American Girl Dolls. She also loved growing her tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, basil and different varieties of mint in her garden in Manahawkin. Those cooking lessons her mother gave her as a child really paid great dividends for her children and grandchildren! She loved to cook and certainly had her specialties. Dottie taught her family how to make many things but among the favorites were her Babka and pierogis! She even let them in on the secret ingredient that made the pierogi dough just right. But Dottie was most famous for her cookies. Her family couldn’t wait until Christmas time when they were guaranteed tins full of those delicious morsels. To this day no one in the family can make a chocolate chip cookie or sand cookie taste as good as Dottie’s.
Dorothy was the loving mother of: Gail and husband Ross Amento of Oak Ridge, Allan and wife Carol Lutcza of Rockaway, and Jeffrey and wife Emilie Lutcza of Wayne; adored grandmother of: Brian and wife Sara, Craig and wife Carollynn, Gregory and wife Laurie, Timothy and wife Michelle, and Jessica; and cherished great-grandmother of Lena, Alex, Kaitlin, Lydia, Isabella, Cassidy, and Hailey. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Alex in 1989, and her dear younger sister Lillian Palmer in 2008
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy Dorothy’s name are asked to consider the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 (www.WoundedWarriorProject.org), or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorials Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (wwwStJude.org).
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