George Halas

George Halas, age 90, of Wayne, passed away on May 16, 2021. George was the son of first-generation Hungarian immigrants, John and Mary (Nyikos) Halasz, the beloved husband of Rosemary and father of five children: John, Karen, Kathleen, Maribeth and Thomas.

Upon graduating from Passaic High School, Class of 1947, George served our country following World War II and during the Korean War in the U.S. Navy. During his tour of duty, he served as a machinist mate aboard the USS Antietam CV-36, the USS Maddox DD-731 and the USS Merrimack A037. After being discharged from the Navy in 1953, George earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Applying his experience from the Navy and his formal education, he began his career as a detail and layout draftsman at Curtiss-Wright Aerospace.

Soon after, George found his true calling, education. He returned to school, earning a Master’s degree from Montclair State University and a school administrator’s certificate from Rutgers University. There he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society and Epsilon Pi Tau honor society, respectively.

George went on to enjoy a 39-year career at Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne where he impacted the lives of countless students and staff. During his tenure at Passaic County Tech, he served as a drafting instructor, counselor, guidance director, vice principal, and acting principal of technical and vocational instruction.

His involvement in the Passaic Boys Club and the leadership opportunities he received as a Camp Ocawasin counselor, shaped his life and sparked his love for the great outdoors. His great passion was fly fishing.  He spent many a day trout fishing in the Big Flat Brook in Stokes State Forest and in the running waters of the Ramapo River.  He was also a member of the PasClif Ski Club where he not only spent time enjoying the slopes, but met his lifelong love and devoted wife of 59 years, Rosemary. Throughout their marriage, they both shared their love for the outdoors with their children and many grandchildren.

George, and his wife, Rosemary, are two of the founding members of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wayne. As an active church member, George served for many years as a lector, trustee, pastoral council member, chairman of the church directory, chairman of the annual church picnic committee and vice president of the Annunciation Prime Timers Club. He was also a Fourth-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council 11943, serving as its treasurer for 20 years.

George was an avid fan of the New York Mets. He also had immense pride for the "Red Team", Rutgers University athletics. He loved to watch and root for his favorite teams alongside his wife, who adopted his love of sports over the years. He also enjoyed spending time with his beloved Labrador Retriever, Mandy, who was always at his side. George was also an avid gardener and woodworker, spending many days tending to his yard and building many personalized decorative pieces.

For 56 years, George resided in Wayne, where he and his wife, Rosemary, raised their five children. George is survived by his devoted wife, Rosemary, and their children: John (Susan) of Danville, CA, Karen (Daniel) Fern of Oakland, NJ, Kathleen (Matthew) Shoztic of Stamford, CT,  Maribeth (Barry) Hastings of Greenville, NC and Thomas (Tracey) of North Arlington, NJ. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren: Paige, Derek, Aiden and Mason Halas, William and Bradley Fern, Zachary and Ryan Shoztic, and Jackson, Emma, Avery and Brady Hastings.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in George's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Way, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or to Annunciation Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 45 Urban Club Road, Wayne, NJ 07470.