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October 8, 2014
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, October 17, 2014 from 5-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 9 AM on Saturday, October 18, 2014 from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, Wayne, where at 10 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Burial will follow at the Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes, NJ.
Frederick P. “Rick” Guttroff, age 74 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. He was at home, with his loving wife and family gathered at his bedside.
Rick was born and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY and educated through the Catholic schools there. In a book he wrote for his grandchildren titled “The Way it Was,” a sort of autobiography, Rick describes a wonderful, carefree childhood growing up in Brooklyn. Playing stickball in the street with his friends was a daily activity. He went on to play for the “Bonnies” boy’s baseball team with his buddies and they all made great memories. Ed Roebuck was a pitcher for the Dodgers and lived on Rick’s block in Brooklyn. Rick often saw Gil Hodges and Don Hoak picking Ed up on their way to Ebbets Field! There are simply too many wonderful memories and stories to recite here, but Rick truly enjoyed a special childhood that was perhaps very typical, in many ways, for someone growing up in Brooklyn, yet it was profoundly unique to him and he loved every bit of it!
Rick went on to graduate from Holy Trinity High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, earned his Bachelor’s degree from St. Peters College in New York, and an MBA from St. John’s University. He joined the ROTC in college and was a distinguished and proud member of The National Society of Scabbard and Blade, as well as the Pershing Rifle Group. Rick served in the U.S. Army from 1962-1969, achieving the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged in 1969. Entering the professional work force, Rick began his career with McGraw Hill Publishing and went on to become an executive for such firms as Western Union, and the American Management Association in New York City. Rick was a standout leader and highly respected among his peers.
In 1956, Rick met Cathy Lavelle at Von Dohlan’s Ice Cream parlor in Brooklyn. They began a very loving courtship and were married six years later on June 16, 1962 at the St. Rose of Lima RC Church in Brooklyn. Their wedding was followed by a traditional honeymoon to Mt. Airy Lodge in the Poconos. During the early years of their marriage, Rick was in the Service and they lived “on base” at Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort Monmouth, NJ. In 1968 they bought their home in Packanack Lake, Wayne, and have enjoyed living their ever since, raising their two daughters. For the past several years they’ve wintered on Marco Island in Florida where they also made many friends. Together, Cathy and Rick have celebrated fifty two years of loving marriage.
Rick was always a ‘type A’ personality and was involved in many different organizations and activities. He was a founding member of the “ROMEOS”, an acronym for Retired Old Men Eating Out on Saturday, and he was a devoted assistant baseball coach at DePaul High School in Wayne for fifteen years. He was recently inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at DePaul.
Rick is survived by his loving wife Cathy, his dear daughters; Patricia DeWoody and her husband Ted of Berwyn, PA and Lisa Gladstone and her husband Richard of Armonk, NY, and seven grandchildren; Kathleen, Madeline, Melissa, Jillian, Matthew, Stephen, and Joshua. Sadly, he was predeceased by his infant daughter Theresa in 1968, as well as his parents; Erma (nee Coco) and Frederick.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Rick’s honor to the DePaul High School baseball team would be greatly appreciated. Please make donations payable to the DePaul Catholic High School, 1512 Alps Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470.
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 Friday, October 17, 2014 from 5-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 9 AM on Saturday, October 18, 2014 from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, Wayne, where at 10 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Burial will follow at the Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes, NJ.
October 8, 2014
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, October 17, 2014 from 5-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 9 AM on Saturday, October 18, 2014 from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, Wayne, where at 10 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Burial will follow at the Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes, NJ.
Frederick P. “Rick” Guttroff, age 74 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. He was at home, with his loving wife and family gathered at his bedside.
Rick was born and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY and educated through the Catholic schools there. In a book he wrote for his grandchildren titled “The Way it Was,” a sort of autobiography, Rick describes a wonderful, carefree childhood growing up in Brooklyn. Playing stickball in the street with his friends was a daily activity. He went on to play for the “Bonnies” boy’s baseball team with his buddies and they all made great memories. Ed Roebuck was a pitcher for the Dodgers and lived on Rick’s block in Brooklyn. Rick often saw Gil Hodges and Don Hoak picking Ed up on their way to Ebbets Field! There are simply too many wonderful memories and stories to recite here, but Rick truly enjoyed a special childhood that was perhaps very typical, in many ways, for someone growing up in Brooklyn, yet it was profoundly unique to him and he loved every bit of it!
Rick went on to graduate from Holy Trinity High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, earned his Bachelor’s degree from St. Peters College in New York, and an MBA from St. John’s University. He joined the ROTC in college and was a distinguished and proud member of The National Society of Scabbard and Blade, as well as the Pershing Rifle Group. Rick served in the U.S. Army from 1962-1969, achieving the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged in 1969. Entering the professional work force, Rick began his career with McGraw Hill Publishing and went on to become an executive for such firms as Western Union, and the American Management Association in New York City. Rick was a standout leader and highly respected among his peers.
In 1956, Rick met Cathy Lavelle at Von Dohlan’s Ice Cream parlor in Brooklyn. They began a very loving courtship and were married six years later on June 16, 1962 at the St. Rose of Lima RC Church in Brooklyn. Their wedding was followed by a traditional honeymoon to Mt. Airy Lodge in the Poconos. During the early years of their marriage, Rick was in the Service and they lived “on base” at Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort Monmouth, NJ. In 1968 they bought their home in Packanack Lake, Wayne, and have enjoyed living their ever since, raising their two daughters. For the past several years they’ve wintered on Marco Island in Florida where they also made many friends. Together, Cathy and Rick have celebrated fifty two years of loving marriage.
Rick was always a ‘type A’ personality and was involved in many different organizations and activities. He was a founding member of the “ROMEOS”, an acronym for Retired Old Men Eating Out on Saturday, and he was a devoted assistant baseball coach at DePaul High School in Wayne for fifteen years. He was recently inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at DePaul.
Rick is survived by his loving wife Cathy, his dear daughters; Patricia DeWoody and her husband Ted of Berwyn, PA and Lisa Gladstone and her husband Richard of Armonk, NY, and seven grandchildren; Kathleen, Madeline, Melissa, Jillian, Matthew, Stephen, and Joshua. Sadly, he was predeceased by his infant daughter Theresa in 1968, as well as his parents; Erma (nee Coco) and Frederick.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Rick’s honor to the DePaul High School baseball team would be greatly appreciated. Please make donations payable to the DePaul Catholic High School, 1512 Alps Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470.
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