Ellen P. Pini

Ellen P. Pini, age 79 of Wayne, died on Sunday, June 23, 2024, after a brief illness. She’s lived in Wayne since 1979.

Ellen was born in her parent’s home, and grew up right there in Lyndhurst, NJ. She was one of six daughters to Catherine (nee Coughlin) and Basil Baracca. It was at Lyndhurst High School that she met Tom Pini when they were just teenagers. They would often stroll down to Midler’s Candy Store on Ridge Road to enjoy a treat together, and their romance began in a very traditional way during their high school years. Tom eventually proposed and they were married on June 15, 1968, at Sacred Heart Church in Lyndhurst.  They lived in Lyndhurst before moving to Wayne in 1979. Ellen embraced her role as a devoted wife, and she soon became a very busy mother as well. She and Tom were a good team together; she raised their three sons while Tom was hard at work every day at the family printing company, Kingsland.  Being a homemaker was pure joy for her, and Ellen loved every minute of it. Of course, with three sons to watch after, she was also an effective disciplinarian, and strong with a wooden spoon when necessary. Sadly, Tom passed away in 2022 after fifty-four years of marriage, and Ellen has missed him dearly ever since. 

Ellen was generous to a fault, unbelievably giving, and loved her family above just about everything else. She adored her three daughters-in-law perhaps more than she did her own sons, and her grandchildren were the recipients of her boundless love, hugs, and kisses. She spoiled each of her grandchildren at every opportunity, and nothing brought her more joy than simply being with them.  Her generosity went beyond her immediate family helping anyone in need.  Ellen was also a Disney World ‘junkie’ of sorts, and she’s taken her family on multiple trips to the Disney World parks in Florida. She acted like a kid herself there, and they all have countless wonderful memories from those trips. She and Tom also had a home on Mallard Lane in Ocean Beach, NJ, where they were able to relax and entertain family. She loved the Jersey Shore. She was also a faithful watcher of “Jeopardy”, and she loved game shows in general. She was skilled at playing Trivial Pursuit, and on Christmas evening it was a family tradition to play trivia games which sometimes lasted into the wee hours of the night. 

Ellen was a devoted Christian who attended services at The Chapel (formerly Jacksonville Chapel) for forty years. She actively participated in a women’s bible study every Wednesday evening for many years. Although she lost touch with the bible study group as a result of the pandemic, she had hoped to get back together with them again. Her faith always remained foundational to her life.

Ellen is survived by her three sons; Thomas Pini and his wife Paula of Butler, Chris and his wife Allison of W. Caldwell, and Brian Pini and his wife Janet of Montville, her five grandchildren; Nicole, Ryan, Landon, Elliott, and Evalee, and one sister; Kate Scalera. There is a large extended family that she loved dearly. Ellen was predeceased by her husband, Thomas, in 2022, and by four of her sisters.  

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ellen’s memory would be greatly appreciated to the The Chapel, 264 Jacksonville Road, Lincoln Park, NJ 07035